Ok how do you hunt morning stands

[Brad]

How does everyone hunt a morning stand? It sounds like a stupid question, but I have not had a morning stand that I could hunt in years. Almost all my spots that I could hunt would require walking through either an open area, or open meadows etc. I always bumped deer going in and I feel like I have a better chance in the evenings by far, but I hate kissing away half of the season. During the rut when I do all day sits, I usually wait until its just getting light to sneak in so I am aware of whats going on, but other than that I sleep in. What advice would you give on the spots to hunt in the morning, how should they be accessed, and how do you do it without bumping deer.

[Zap]

Get up real early, park in a spot that wont bump deer, walk in a way that wont bump deer.

Then hunt.

It helps to have a trail marked and the tree/hide as ready as possible.

[Dor]

Come in from where the deet aren't. Climb steep hills is my favorite trick. Sometimes it is simply trial and error.

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[Jackson Marsh]

Since I've started getting to my treestand crazy early during the rut (get to tree 2 hours prior to shooting light) I haven't busted a deer in two years. I never walk through fields, usually try to come in from an "unconventional" direction. John Eberhardt covers this in his books, they are a very good read.

I've had hunters tell me that this is "stupid" to sit in the dark when you can't shoot..................it works on public/high pressure land. Two years ago I arrived at my treestand 2 hours prior to shooting light, climbed up, and enjoyed the stillness. One hour prior to shooting light I heard a deer walking behind me, it came closer and closer then bedded down (this was in an area where I could hear them coming for a long ways out). 30 minutes after shooting light the buck cruised right by me within 20 yards (no shooting lanes). He was a P&Y caliber buck. My point is if I had arrived 30 minutes prior to shooting light, I would have busted that buck out and never had an chance with him.

The next day, I was in a tree 60 yards away from the day before, and the same thing happened. Buck comes in an hour prior to shooting light and beds down. Only this time instead of cruising by me, a pack of coyotes chase him by me at about Mach 2.0.

I should point out that this is NOT a buck bedding area.........the buck got out of the fields early and was waiting for does to come by to scent check..........this is also covered in Eberhardt's books.

[ozzz]

Im with Jackson Marsh as far as getting to stand very early in the morning for the reaons he stated. The closer to sunrise you are going to your stand, the more likely you are to run into deer on your way in.

[Zap]

Since I've started getting to my treestand crazy early during the rut (get to tree 2 hours prior to shooting light) I haven't busted a deer in two years. I never walk through fields, usually try to come in from an "unconventional" direction. John Eberhardt covers this in his books, they are a very good read.

I've had hunters tell me that this is "stupid" to sit in the dark when you can't shoot..................it works on public/high pressure land. Two years ago I arrived at my treestand 2 hours prior to shooting light, climbed up, and enjoyed the stillness. One hour prior to shooting light I heard a deer walking behind me, it came closer and closer then bedded down (this was in an area where I could hear them coming for a long ways out). 30 minutes after shooting light the buck cruised right by me within 20 yards (no shooting lanes). He was a P&Y caliber buck. My point is if I had arrived 30 minutes prior to shooting light, I would have busted that buck out and never had an chance with him.

The next day, I was in a tree 60 yards away from the day before, and the same thing happened. Buck comes in an hour prior to shooting light and beds down. Only this time instead of cruising by me, a pack of coyotes chase him by me at about Mach 2.0.

I should point out that this is NOT a buck bedding area.........the buck got out of the fields early and was waiting for does to come by to scent check..........this is also covered in Eberhardt's books.

Eberhardt provides alot of solid advice.

[Stanley]

A good friend and fellow bowhunter told me 30 years ago or so he likes to go out about 10:00 AM and hunt until dark (rut hunting). I was a die hard two hunts a day guy (morning and evening). I told him he was off his rocker. Now I'm going to tell you this, try it you'll thank me later.

[Ack]

A good friend and fellow bowhunter told me 30 years ago or so he likes to go out about 10:00 AM and hunt until dark (rut hunting). I was a die hard two hunts a day guy (morning and evening). I told him he was off his rocker. Now I'm going to tell you this, try it you'll thank me later.

Yep......during the rut this is without a doubt the best time to be in the stand for a good buck. I will also hunt this time frame during the first couple weeks of season, but I'm not doing it to target bucks. This is the time to fill the freezer and take out a doe or three that will be on their feet during the late morning hours. With my schedule the last few years I have not been able to hunt many afternoons, and I cannot get out to hunt in the morning until 9:00 am or so.......I need to get in the tree whenever I can. You'd be surprised at the number of deer on their feet around 11:00 am.....true, you may not see the older bucks, but there is plenty of opportunity to shoot for meat later in the morning, and you can get in super quiet in the daylight.

[headgear]

I have a couple of spots that I just can't get to without fear of being busted because of visibility and a great possibility of bumping other deer, I save these spots for moon mornings and I get in there nice and early. Usually I want to be on stand 1.5 to 2 hours before shooting light, one hour at an absolute minimum. I haven't been successful doing this yet but I have seen and heard some action. I usually hear the deer come back into the bedding area about a hour before dark and as long as I am careful about my entrance and wind you have a decent chance to get on a buck if you are in his bedroom.

[dan]

If its outside of the rut and you can't get to your spot without screwing it up, don't hunt in the morning.
With a little thought, and planning, there is usually a way to access if you can come in from multiple directions or accesses though.
My morning hunts are usually right over a buck bed... I really don't worry about spooking "some" deer. I worry about spooking the target buck... In a planned situation, I generally have a pretty good idea where the target deer is coming from. Spooking does, fawns, and non-target bucks don't concern me.

[Southern Man]

When I hunt mornings, I like to get in the stand and ready at least an hour before daybreak. Then I sit and listen. Many times I have heard deer walking or hunters coming in. Several times right at daybreak, I have heard the truck pull in to park, 4 wheeler crank up & drive back in the woods and then the guy walk to his stand. A couple times then deer would trot past. In 2008 the buck I killed and a companion, came past me to a thick area (moving away from a hunter comin in) and bedded down. An hour after daylight they got up and started headin elsewhere, right past my stand. I shot him. Sometimes it's good to be the first one in the woods.

But, I'd rather hunt evenings. Stanley's suggestion of gettin in there around 9-10am and hunting all day is a good habit to have.

[Brad]

So it sounds like most people are using preset stands for morning stands correct? I do not think I could set up a stand and 4 sticks in total darkness without a light. I do have a climber, maybe this is its time to shine. Is everyone mostly targeting beds or anywhere along the food source back to the bed? It seems to me that if you get near the bed, you either get your chance, or pull out and go somewhere else by say 9 am?

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[jlh42581]

So it sounds like most people are using preset stands for morning stands correct? I do not think I could set up a stand and 4 sticks in total darkness without a light. I do have a climber, maybe this is its time to shine. Is everyone mostly targeting beds or anywhere along the food source back to the bed? It seems to me that if you get near the bed, you either get your chance, or pull out and go somewhere else by say 9 am?

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Depends on area to area. Two years ago I missed a shot on a target buck in the morning. I knew where he bedded and got there and had the stand hung not 30 mins before daylight. Its a long way from where he feeds. When daylight cracked it started sleeting which I wasnt expecting due to not paying attention to the weather. I pulled out my smart phone and started checking the radar.

Just then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.... oh god, there he is. The bow is hanging in front of me, phone in my hand and hes at 20 yards in a semi quick gait. Had I had my bow in hand he wouldve at least gotten shot at. By the time I got him stopped and the bow in my hand he was 20 yards into the thicket. Watched him walk off and never saw him again.

[jlh42581]

Also if you are anything like me when you get close to where you intend to setup you have a light shut off long before that. Your eyes will adjust. Its not as hard as you might think to see what youre doing.

[dan]

So it sounds like most people are using preset stands for morning stands correct? I do not think I could set up a stand and 4 sticks in total darkness without a light. I do have a climber, maybe this is its time to shine. Is everyone mostly targeting beds or anywhere along the food source back to the bed? It seems to me that if you get near the bed, you either get your chance, or pull out and go somewhere else by say 9 am?

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Not me... Your going to find that outside the rut in the mornings bucks are usually bedded before daylight, especially shooter bucks. When I do get opportunity in the morning it is usually right around the time you have good shooting light, and at the bedroom. I would think putting a pre-hung stand up would spook the area...
Mature bucks don't come into there bedrooms the way they stage out from my observations. They seem more likely to circle and come it the bed so the wind, or the thermal will blow the scent of any trailing predator to the bed... So that has to be taken into account when picking the tree, again, not to conducive with a pre-hang.
As far as not being able to hang a stand in complete darkness, I have never had a problem, it is very seldom so dark I cant see what I am doing. Your eyes adjust to the darkness after a few minutes out there... If you really need a light. use one. I think noise control is more important.
I use a light a little bit now, but more so I don't get shot than to see. I would rather not use one... I point it down at the ground so its not as visible to distant deer. I would recommend shining upwards if you really need it in the tree...