Navigating in a dark forest

[FishHog]

I always have lights with me, but in 40 years of hunting the northern Ontario woods I think I've used them a few times at most going in and out of my stand. Perhaps I have good night vision, but it just never seems to be so dark that I can't see enough to get in and out. That being said, you need to let your eyes adjust. If using a gps, or your phone turn the backlight way down first so you don't wreck your night vision everytime you look at it.

[longpointer]

If it's a hassle getting deep into a spot in the morning darkness then I don't bother. I'll leave it for the night sit. You'll have a much easier time getting into it at 3pm and you'll make less noise. It's easy in daylight to see where your retreat path is going to be when you walk out in the dark. I always sit till the last second of legal time! I've shot a pile of deer in the last five to ten minutes of legal time. I would never be a member of any camp that had rules that you're walking out at the primest of all times. Crazy!

Crazy ? Maybe but that's what a lot of people said about hockey and bicycle helmets too. We hunt Southwestern Ontario bush lots (forests) in November Controlled Hunt and most years all the leaves haven't fallen off the smaller undergrowth and it gets dark in the woods fairly quickly with few groomed trails to use so as Captain of the Hunt I made the Rule of "boots on the ground come Sunset" and for 20 plus years everyone has come home safe and sound. As we use metal and wooden treestands to hunt from I like hearing that they are at least safely on the ground . We have shot deer late in the day (dusk ?) but those were usually always on the side of a field... go figure, if you can't see them you can't shoot them. We only shoot sabots or slugs and have rarely had to put a second shot into the deer and love that "vertical tracking" performance of them, worse case is they walk away only to pile up nearby. Everyone has they're own style of hunting but in my camp it's safety first ! Having fun is second and meat on the pole is bonus.

[Found]

I have had good luck with reflectors, the last set I put in have to be 20 years ago. Each year I carve them out of the trees if they are growing in. I find I only use them coming out in the dark if I have soy something, I seem to find my way if I am not dragging something. My spot is down a deer trail so it is also well beaten down.