Accessing a new spot in the dark?

[jpe40]

When entering a new spot in the dark how do you guys do it? Do you try to get there way before light and find your tree in the dark or get 90% there and try to make the approach and find a tree in Gray light. I've hunted this spot in the afternoon so I have a general idea of where I want to go but not exact tree. it's a cruising elevation transition on the side of a ridge if that matters.
Thx
Jpe

[Kevin2]

This time of year I usually get there a couple hours before sun up. Sounds nuts, but I beat most of the deer. It is crazy how you'll see lots going on once you settle into your stand. If there is a full moon out, I'll go in without my headlamp on until I get really close AND need it to navigate. Having a good headlamp that goes super low and has plenty of power is an asset. ZebraLights are the best headlamps on the planet...

I think watching the woods come alive is way more special then sun sets.

[Ognennyy]

Ideally I don't want to be moving around at all in the 30 minutes leading up to gray light, or in the 30 minutes after that. Seems to be a very active time for the deer. Sometimes I'll just pick a tree in the pitch black which I hate doing because inevitably I pick one that has no cover (or the wrong cover). I only do this though if I feel like I really must be set up before sunrise in order for the hunt to be successful. Otherwise, there's really not much reason to be in the tree and set up as the sun is rising. I really try to avoid doing this unless I have pre-scouted an area. Some situations where I might do this though are if I'm pinned to a bedding area, trying to catch deer coming back in the morning. Or if I want to hunt close to a suspected bedding area, it's a new area so I'm not really sure exactly where the deer will be. In that case I want the cover of darkness to get to my stand so they don't see me.

More often than not if I'm trying to get out to the woods early, it's because I'm doing an all day sit. In this scenario it's not worth the headache to me, personally, of trying to get set up in the pitch black. I'll time my walk from the car so that I get to the general area I want to hunt about 20-30 minutes after gray light. This way I'm still in nice and early, I still have pretty much the whole day to hunt, and I get to choose a proper tree.

[Whitetailaddict]

Accessing any spot in the dark can be tricky but even more when you don't know what it looks like. I'd say get there really early or wait until after gray light to slowly sneak in. That would be safer in an unknown location

[UofLbowhunter]

Accessing any spot in the dark can be tricky but even more when you don't know what it looks like. I'd say get there really early or wait until after gray light to slowly sneak in. That would be safer in an unknown location

I agree with goin in at grey light into an area you have no clue about. It very hard to know how to set up and some times very difficult to access through thickets and such. Alot better when you can see!! It would be alil diffrent hunting a place you have spent some time in.

[Whitetailaddict]

Accessing any spot in the dark can be tricky but even more when you don't know what it looks like. I'd say get there really early or wait until after gray light to slowly sneak in. That would be safer in an unknown location

I agree with goin in at grey light into an area you have no clue about. It very hard to know how to set up and some times very difficult to access through thickets and such. Alot better when you can see!! It would be alil diffrent hunting a place you have spent some time in.

Exactly and if you go slow on the way in you never know what you may encounter. You may stumble upon a cruising buck and be able to set up on him whereas plowing through close to grey light would have blown him out of there.