Risk vs Reward: Head to stand in dark / light?

Our family has always gone out to our stands early - pitch black - in order to be settled and ready as soon as shooting light arrives.

At one stand in particular this paid off, with me getting my biggest buck around 6:20am on day.

But more often (at least once a season) I bump a deer on my way into this stand.

So what's your preference? Head in while it's dark and risk bumping them... or head in when it's light and risk missing them entirely?

(Keep in mind I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there with great hunting spots that are viable all day long, but this spot just sits on a fringe of a neighbour's big bush and our side is just moss and scrub grass and junipers. The deer only come out to check our apples for a few mins and then head back to the bush).

I prefer to get in while it's still dark. But I usually don't bump deer heading in. So I guess it comes down to what works best for your setup and location

If I'm someplace new, I always walk in during legal light. I've bumped plenty of deer bumbling around so it makes more sense to at least have a chance to get a shot off.

Im more of a pitch black early guy. Either way, the potential of bumping them is always there.

But theres just something about being in the stand before first light and waiting for the woods to wake up. Gotta love it

I've bumped more off during the day than I have walking in at dark. Since I'm mostly bow hunting I wouldn't try a shot anyways.

There are 2 hunt opportunities that I've patterned for my pop up after two weeks of having the trail cams out...they come thru at the crack of dawn OR around 9:00 am (2-3 hrs later)...so I have the option.

I prefer go in during the dark and then sit till almost 11:00. If I bump the first group, so be it, another chance seems to be there a couple hours later.

I always prefer to be in my stand and settled down an hour before legal time. Obviously there is a chance of bumping deer, but it's a chance I take. I get in there, sort my gear out, pour a coffee, and get the noise factor that goes with that taken care of. Then I settle down and wait. I've shot a lot of deer early in the morning, it works for me.

My idea is that if I'm walking in and I've got the wind in my face, and I bump deer, big deal...if they can't smell you and can't see you I find they'll come back many times later because their curious. But during this time of year deer will be moving all day with the Bucks chasing, so if you feel like sleeping in it may not hurt your chances too much.

I am always in my treestand at least 30 minutes before legal shooting time walk in in the dark.

I almost always wait until legal shooting light before still hunting into stand locations. In the "big woods" you can't predict the likely location of deer with the level of certainty you can in agricultural areas. I actually shot my 2012 buck in this manner (literally as I arrived at my stand location) and I am certain I would have spooked him from the area by blindly crashing through the woods in the dark.

I like to get into my stand well before dawn to settle in,have a coffee and wait for the woods to wake up.

It depends on the specific stand for me. Some spots I can get to quite easily in the dark without making a lot of noise due to the type of terrain. These are the stands that I will use for an early morning hunt, in which case, I like to be set up an hour before sunrise, or 1/2 hour before legal light.
Other stands, I've learned through trial and error, are impossible to reach without making a ton of noise under certain conditions. These are located in hardwood bushes, so when it is very dry or things are frozen before snow covers the ground, I don't bother going in in the dark. If it's warm and the leaves are wet, I can make it in before light.
Often, I will stop at a stand that I can get to easily in the dark, hunt for a while, then still hunt to the other stands that I can't easily reach in the dark.

I consistently have deer in the field when I walk in so I generally walk in and get to stand in low light about 15 minutes before shooting hours. I can somewhat see the outline of deer and try to avoid bumping them headed to stand.

Depends on the stand. If its just a travel route stand then going in at dark is less of a risk. Prefer going in after the sun is up for most stands. I arrowed my best deer halfway to the stand I was walking to, never would have happened if I went in at dark.

i love the sound of the woods coming to life, but hate the feeling of twigs hitting my face when i cant see them.

I'm a pre dawn guy. There was this one year I got in and as I was sorting out my stuff a deer came in under the tree and man did it start to blow, and blow and blow. Dead calm frosty morning and that undeniable sound was just being broadcast over the whole country side, it wouldn't shut up about it. I thought my hunt was ruined after 5 solid minutes of mr. or Mrs. Big nose blasting away but not 20 min later at first legal here comes an oblivious 8pt making a rub line. 15 minutes after him, here comes a dark antlered 10. You just never know how things will play out.

I hunt travel areas/ funnels and like to walk in in the dark. I find that the mornings that I bump deer on the way in tend to be the days that I see the most activity overall.

I walk in 30 mins prior to legal shooting time and on the odd time, I do bump the odd one. I'm thinking if I go in at legal time or day light, I'll get the same result. At least in the dark, I'll let the animal run off, then head for the stand, wait for legal time and try calling. It's worked for me a couple of times.

I like to head to my stand under darkness. I've found that a deer bumped under darkness won't go far and you may get a shot at later, while a deer bumped in the daylight is gone. Just my findings, I'm no expert. Haha

If you head in early be careful. Yes you may spook/bump deer but most of the time they don't know what you are. I've spooked deer sneaking across an open field in pitch black and sat and waited for them to return-they did 15-20 min later.

Depends. With a bow I like to get in, in the dark. With gun I like to wait till light and sneak in. I've gotten a lot of deer during shotgun when "bumping them". I don't generally hunt fields in the morning so I don't run the risk. Bush in the morning, filed for the afternoon


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