When do you go to the stand?

I really like to be in the stand way before the sunrise, and enjoy another episode of the magnificent show. This can get a bit challenging when you find yourself in the dark with a pack of coyotes barking around, and don't know how to get faster to the stand & climb it like a cherry tree (good memories from last December's control hunt...)
But I go hunting when I can, and may hunt all day adjusting location based on specifics.
BTW, got my biggest buck at 11:00AM during a rut hunt, after sitting 30. min. in the stand.

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Originally Posted by Birdbuff

I prefer to go in at legal and stalk my way to the stand. Slowly and steadily making my way in, I pay attention to everything. Many a time have we bumped big game like this, that we would have probably not had a crack at if we were already in our stands.

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I do the same, start walking in and stalk right at legal light. This has managed to get me a lot of game and had game come over from the noise just as I get in my stand.

Deer, walk in at legal time so I can hunt the way in. I have spooked or alerted a couple of deer before legal and had to watch them walk away because my gun was socked. Never again.

Moose, as soon as its legal time my rifle is out and loaded and I start paddling the canoe or walking into my cut. I have gotten the majority of my moose during my travel into a spot.

Turkey, way before sunup. I use a blind and setting up decoys and getting in the blind and settled makes noise in the quiet woods. I give the turkeys 30-60 mins to settle down so when they come off the roost they are not already on alert.

I do love watching and hearing the world come alive in the mornings though.

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Hate mornings so I usually go in around 1pm until dark. :)

I try to get to my stand 1/2 to 45 minutes before legal in the morning and at evening weekdays the earliest I can get there is 3:30 as I have to wait until the boy gets home from school.

Half hour before sunrise I can walk out my back door with gun in hand and turn on my Red/Green Dot scope( I prefer the Green for low light) , pop 3, 12 gauge Federal Barnes Expander sabots into The Beast ( Remington 11-87 with fully rifled cantilever barrel and Shurshot stock) and I'm good to go ! My first treestand is approx. 170 yards North as the crow flies or a nice slow hunt for those that walk. Gives me time to check for fresh activity where they have been leaving scrapes along the trail. The worst part is climbing up the wood ladder to the platform without a partner standing guard. I don't think I've ever been busted but who knows ?