Navigating in a dark forest

[Gilroy]

After rereading your OP I'm thinking that going in and out with some daylight is the safer way to hunt. I would not want to drag out a big Buck in the dark by myself, besides if you did shoot one at Dusk you still have to track it and find it which would probably take you away from your stand into parts unknown ? My gang hunts on 50 acre tracts of bush (woodlots) that becomes 500 acres in the dark so the camp rule is climb down off the stand at Sunset and do a nice , slow walk out.

Its not a lot of fun looking for a deer after darkness but is really part of the process as deer are most active before last light. Good reflective flagging tape is probably your best friend and using enough of it to actually follow it out. A couple of good flashlights, also very important.

My experience is that most deer if shot properly drop on the spot, near you blind or tree stand.

The other is that they run, but even then they generally do not run much more than 100 yards, it just seems longer in the dark.

Now bow hunting is a whole other game for recovery and techniques.

[hunter06]

Depends, if I’m looking for a wounded deer than it’s lights. Otherwise I memorize how the ridges are in relation to where I need to go and just follow them out or in. I personally enjoy walking through the bush at night. Edit: go slow, your eyes will slowly adjust and you will be able to see enough to safely navigate.

[sabmgb]

the bush I deer in has a main trail up the middle of it so pretty much no light required. Turkey bush has many trails and I just know them well enough to get to where I hunt . If I do need a light to walk in I have a ball cap that has green lights in it. If deer hunting I carry several flash lights with me, so if get a deer towards end of legal I have lots of light to track and field dress. It is easy to get turned around in the dark dragging a deer. So what I try to do is get everything ready to start dragging, go put a light up in a tree at the main trail so I can see it, go back to deer and start dragging it out keeping an eye on the hanging light, basically the same thing in daylight, carry an orange hat to hang in a tree so I have something to aim for, I always have my quad with me on the trailer if I get deer I come out and get quad, drive to where deer was shot then track down with my dog, and then get quad as close as I can, then leave running with lights on, so that is my target to get back.

[Gilroy]

the bush I deer in has a main trail up the middle of it so pretty much no light required. Turkey bush has many trails and I just know them well enough to get to where I hunt . If I do need a light to walk in I have a ball cap that has green lights in it. If deer hunting I carry several flash lights with me, so if get a deer towards end of legal I have lots of light to track and field dress. It is easy to get turned around in the dark dragging a deer. So what I try to do is get everything ready to start dragging, go put a light up in a tree at the main trail so I can see it, go back to deer and start dragging it out keeping an eye on the hanging light, basically the same thing in daylight, carry an orange hat to hang in a tree so I have something to aim for, I always have my quad with me on the trailer if I get deer I come out and get quad, drive to where deer was shot then track down with my dog, and then get quad as close as I can, then leave running with lights on, so that is my target to get back.

Smart way to hunt.

[gbk]

Thanx to all for the feedback.

just for the records,i am not worried about tracking or hauling deer out in the dark.With good flashligts,GPS,knowing the land AND Cell phone Aerial views/maps and points indicating my "exact" location,i really have no issue going thru "any"forest.
By then-there is NO need to worry about disturbing deer by wandering around,being noisy, leaving scent trails etc.The deed is done,and hopefully,the deer will be found.
Ocassionally,if tracking needs require,i even get out-and come back next morning(being at the spot at first light-after a sleepless night ).

Hovewer-going in and out in the dark,AS quietly as possible(not a time to step on branches,wade thru bushes unkown,leave scent all over the place )and AS sneaky as one can (no flashlights,or minimum,no GPS watching every 100 yards or so...)in a big timber, is my problem.

Once more-awesome ideas,and help.Thanx

[sabmgb]

I really don't worry about scent, and as far as stepping on a few branches not to concerned either. I walk in slow and I don't touch anything as I walk by. I have had bucks and doe's follow my tracks with no concern. I also try to be at my stand half hour before legal, so bush has had lots of time to come back to normal

[tracker]

If ever l am going to a stand in the dark in a location l need to mark for dark travel. l cut the reflective material from an old vest up into small pieces, tack them to trees in or out on my path. A flashlight shows the way and you can clean up after you stop using stands.

[Doug]

There are a variety of spray paints that go on clear; but reflect light. Benefit it that during the day, there is no tape or thumb tacks anyone can move, you can also spray more trees since it is invisible during the day.
This is just one example, you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere were it is not promoted to hunters.
https://tillsonburggunshop.com/Buck-...g-Paint-Canada

[Fenelon]

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!

[Sam Menard]

I carry a headlamp with me. It can shine in either white, red or green… the latter 2 don’t wreck your night vision. My gps displays a bread crumb trail of my route, so it’s easy to orient myself to the walking trail if I should wander off it. Every time I walk in or out of a stand, I’ll clear twigs and branches (on standing trees or on the ground) along the way so to eliminate noise and getting poked in the eye. After a few trips in, the trail is pretty much cleaned up to the point that deer eventually start using them.