Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

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Horizontal Hunter
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Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:12 am

In one of the states I hunt uniting ends at sunset so we lose half of that last golden hour.

Do any of you hunt where legal hunting hours end at sunset? How does it effect your beast style hunting? Do you try to push it a little closer to the bed?

I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Thanks,

Bob

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:18 am

Our state hunting hours ends at sunset. A lot of guys don't respect this as you can see for a bit longer after legal hunting hours permit. I am always pushing the envelope to get as close as I feel I can to give myself the most time once the deer gets up, but also because I like to close the gap on letting him choose a direction once he starts moving. In two circumstances, I've chose to stalk within bow range because the conditions allowed me to, and waited for my first shot oppurtinity. Both times I tried this ended up in kills. From the same bed actually :lol:

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby dan » Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:22 am

We close about 20 minutes after sunset, but still I am pushing as close as I can get. I would say about 1/2 are shot before sunset, and have just after. But, any further back would really start to hurt results... And actually, thats referring to swamps and marshes where I can get close. Hill country probably only about 10% are shot before sunset outside of rut.
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby backstraphunter » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:27 am

here in michigan and ohio 1/2 after sun set we can hunt and i shoot a lot of my deer right at that last 10 to 5 min left, thanks to finding this sight and you guys i,m learning about chocking up on those bedding spots i would allways give a wide birth around what i knew was deer bedding and i allways relied on the does to bring me the bucks but now i see this 100 to 75 yards off bedding a much better way can.t wate too hit woods and find new bedding spots and apply all this
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby headgear » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:17 am

Not sure I could handle being done at sunset, might be a good time to round up the troops in your state and see if you can't extend those hours a bit.
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:20 am

Correction to my post, not sunset..sundown got to love auto correct on an iPhone. Once the sun does down beyond the horizon I come down to hard to see to make an ethical shot. But I know of many hunters that hunt until it's black and don't mind taking blob shots. Irratates the crap out of me.

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby dan » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:43 am

whitetailassasin wrote:Correction to my post, not sunset..sundown got to love auto correct on an iPhone. Once the sun does down beyond the horizon I come down to hard to see to make an ethical shot. But I know of many hunters that hunt until it's black and don't mind taking blob shots. Irratates the crap out of me.

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There is about 30 minutes of daylight after sundown or set or whatever your calling it... We can hunt about 20 minutes after and I think thats plenty ethical. I can see pretty good at closing time.
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby backstraphunter » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:50 am

dan wrote:
whitetailassasin wrote:Correction to my post, not sunset..sundown got to love auto correct on an iPhone. Once the sun does down beyond the horizon I come down to hard to see to make an ethical shot. But I know of many hunters that hunt until it's black and don't mind taking blob shots. Irratates the crap out of me.

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There is about 30 minutes of daylight after sundown or set or whatever your calling it... We can hunt about 20 minutes after and I think thats plenty ethical. I can see pretty good at closing time.

un-ethical shots too me are way past shooting light like you i know hunters who hunt that way too me i want too see the deer not shadow shoot one no fun or thrill or braging rights there your just filling a tag
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:04 am

We are 1/2 hr after sunset in Iowa. I almost always quit before that.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:58 am

dan wrote:We close about 20 minutes after sunset, but still I am pushing as close as I can get. I would say about 1/2 are shot before sunset, and have just after. But, any further back would really start to hurt results... And actually, thats referring to swamps and marshes where I can get close. Hill country probably only about 10% are shot before sunset outside of rut.


In the past I have always hunted hill country with an occasional hunt around a marshy area. I have seen what I have been missing in your videos and all of the posts on the forum. I will be hunting the marshy areas more but I will still spend most of my time in the hill country.

headgear wrote:Not sure I could handle being done at sunset, might be a good time to round up the troops in your state and see if you can't extend those hours a bit.


In my state (Mass) I can hunt SS + 30. I hunt Conn. As as a nonresident and hunting ends at SS but I get to start on September 15th which is a month earlier than Mass so I can live with it.

whitetailassasin wrote:Correction to my post, not sunset..sundown got to love auto correct on an iPhone. Once the sun does down beyond the horizon I come down to hard to see to make an ethical shot. But I know of many hunters that hunt until it's black and don't mind taking blob shots. Irratates the crap out of me.
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Same here.

Stanley wrote:We are 1/2 hr after sunset in Iowa. I almost always quit before that.


In Mass I often do the same even though I can hunt until SS+30. It depends a lot on where I am and how deep I am in and how much canopy I have overhead. I Connecticut I watch the time closely and pull my arrow when it's time. It has cost me a few deer over the years but that's the way it goes.

Thanks to all for the responses. I appreciate it.

Bob

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Justin85 » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:02 am

SS+30 here and I can still generally see pretty good unless I'm under a thick early season canopy.

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:32 am

20 minutes after/before here in WI. Best thing you can do to maximize your efforts during that time is to correct your vision. This will maximize the light intensity hitting your retina (as well as clearing the image). I also find contact lens work a lot better than glasses when it comes to night vision. I wish shooting hours were a bit longer. I can see just fine at 20 minutes.
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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:35 am

BassBoysLLP wrote:20 minutes after/before here in WI. Best thing you can do to maximize your efforts during that time is to correct your vision. This will maximize the light intensity hitting your retina (as well as clearing the image). I also find contact lens work a lot better than glasses when it comes to night vision. I wish shooting hours were a bit longer. I can see just fine at 20 minutes.


Great tip BB. I have been thinking about going back to contact lenses for the peripheral vision.

Bob

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Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter. :o

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby Philski » Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:34 pm

Contact lenses have helped me as well. I only wear them for deer hunting. I order 6 pr. in September.

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Re: Beast tactics when hunting ends at sunset

Unread postby mag1 » Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:01 pm

I had LASIK about 12yrs ago. I am now back to the point of needing to wear glasses again. Arg.... I do miss some things. Will probably start carrying my glasses with this year.

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