Light Into stand?

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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby dan » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:19 am

when I used to guide I was tracking a clients wounded deer alone a few hours after dark and had given up for the night and was walking out with my flashlight off and in the silence I heard a noise that sounded like an arrow sliding on a rest in a tree above me, it kind of creeped me out, so I flicked my light into the tree to find some whack job at full draw aiming right at me. He let the bow down and then started yelling at me about being an idiot for walking around public land with my light off and that I was lucky he didn't shoot me... I did not say much of anything just made tracks away from him swiftly. I learned at a young age not to argue with armed idiots. When I got out his truck was parked next to mine, I went to meet the client who had gone to get his hunting partner at Gaugerts gas station in Sullivan. It took almost an hour and when we drove back past the guys truck was still there...
Up till that point I rarely used a light and prided myself on my stealth approach... One of my best traits ( in my opinion ) is my ability to recognize mistakes and not repeat them. I now use some form of light. I usually just flick it enough that anybody poaching deer knows I am human. I don't believe poaching is a huge problem here, but that experience was a well taught lesson... I have said many times if you stop look and listen, each one of us can learn something from everybody else regardless of how good or bad they are... That Dude taught me one of my most valuable lessons that day, and for that I thank him, even if he is an idiot poacher.


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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Dor » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:25 am

dan wrote:when I used to guide I was tracking a clients wounded deer alone a few hours after dark and had given up for the night and was walking out with my flashlight off and in the silence I heard a noise that sounded like an arrow sliding on a rest in a tree above me, it kind of creeped me out, so I flicked my light into the tree to find some whack job at full draw aiming right at me. He let the bow down and then started yelling at me about being an idiot for walking around public land with my light off and that I was lucky he didn't shoot me... I did not say much of anything just made tracks away from him swiftly. I learned at a young age not to argue with armed idiots. When I got out his truck was parked next to mine, I went to meet the client who had gone to get his hunting partner at Gaugerts gas station in Sullivan. It took almost an hour and when we drove back past the guys truck was still there...
Up till that point I rarely used a light and prided myself on my stealth approach... One of my best traits ( in my opinion ) is my ability to recognize mistakes and not repeat them. I now use some form of light. I usually just flick it enough that anybody poaching deer knows I am human. I don't believe poaching is a huge problem here, but that experience was a well taught lesson... I have said many times if you stop look and listen, each one of us can learn something from everybody else regardless of how good or bad they are... That Dude taught me one of my most valuable lessons that day, and for that I thank him, even if he is an idiot poacher.

I always have that scenario in my head when walking in the dark...scary freaking stuff. I use a light just enough to let something really close know I am human. Many times I access stands from the bottom of ravines and go straight up the ravine to my stand. In these cases I am not to concerned about the light as my prey is likely still out of sight.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby RaisedByWolves » Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:43 pm

dan wrote:when I used to guide I was tracking a clients wounded deer alone a few hours after dark and had given up for the night and was walking out with my flashlight off and in the silence I heard a noise that sounded like an arrow sliding on a rest in a tree above me, it kind of creeped me out, so I flicked my light into the tree to find some whack job at full draw aiming right at me. He let the bow down and then started yelling at me about being an idiot for walking around public land with my light off and that I was lucky he didn't shoot me... I did not say much of anything just made tracks away from him swiftly. I learned at a young age not to argue with armed idiots. When I got out his truck was parked next to mine, I went to meet the client who had gone to get his hunting partner at Gaugerts gas station in Sullivan. It took almost an hour and when we drove back past the guys truck was still there...
Up till that point I rarely used a light and prided myself on my stealth approach... One of my best traits ( in my opinion ) is my ability to recognize mistakes and not repeat them. I now use some form of light. I usually just flick it enough that anybody poaching deer knows I am human. I don't believe poaching is a huge problem here, but that experience was a well taught lesson... I have said many times if you stop look and listen, each one of us can learn something from everybody else regardless of how good or bad they are... That Dude taught me one of my most valuable lessons that day, and for that I thank him, even if he is an idiot poacher.

dang that is some freaky stuff! can't say i've had any experiences quite like that....i definantly flicker my lite towards human activity or movement in the dark because you just never know. As for the red light, last fall i was walking towards a field through the woods in the morning during a light rain, i was walking in on an old farm road and every 30 yards or so i would kick up a deer right in front of me....always wondered why they waited til i got so close to them before bolting?? maybe they can't see in the dark as well as i thought?
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby kenn1320 » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:26 pm

Friend of mine was shotgun hunting with 2 of his buddies. He said it was almost dark and there were deer out in the middle of the field. He thought he would try to push them towards his friend on the other side of the field. Well the deer went the wrong way and because it was almost dark, he walked straight across the field to his friend. He could see his friend in the tree and said when he saw the flash, he knew he had been shot. Slug entered by his belly button and exited by his rectum. He is lucky to be alive today and had he used a light or not hunted with a dumb , he wouldn't have almost been killed. If nothing else, at least get one of those little pen lights by streamlight that are green and wear that on your hat.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby dan » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:24 pm

Wow Ken... Thats crazy. But think about your friends logic to push deer to a guy on the edge of darkness and walk up to him without a light or making noise while the guy is in the mind set of thinking the deer are aproaching. Both guys made big mistakes. He is truly lucky to be alive.
We had a guy poaching deer while tresspassing near my place about 10 years ago shoot a hoarse out from under a young girl riding it because he mistook it for a deer at night.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby UPbowhunter » Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:09 am

I have never really used a lite til the last few years and it is very sparingly. Last year I went into a place and was looking for the right tree in the dark I mean arguing with myself for 10 minutes between 2 trees lite back and forth, finally decided hooked the climber on to the tree got half way up tree, something felt weird I turned my light on and aimed it down 15 yards from the tree, there was a 6 point buck laying there! I aint never seen nothing like that in my life. It sat there with me probably talking to myself, light on/off and never spooked. I got up in the tree and got set up and about 45 minutes later it got up and walked away. I really dont think the light bothers deer as much as we think. Ive heard folks say that deer see light in a different way then us. Ive also heard folks say the deer cant tell the difference between a hazy over cast day and night on a good full moon. I dont know, but I do see alot of deer on overcast hazy days.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby stikbow26 » Tue Jul 12, 2011 3:09 am

I always have on a red light walking and set up. I can't tell you how many times I have walked right up on deer beded so I don't think red lights hurt anything. I do know i am not dieing for a deer..
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby kenn1320 » Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:48 am

Wow Ken... Thats crazy. But think about your friends logic to push deer to a guy on the edge of darkness and walk up to him without a light or making noise while the guy is in the mind set of thinking the deer are aproaching. Both guys made big mistakes. He is truly lucky to be alive.


I agree Dan if it was that dark. My thought was it was not dark yet and he felt without a doubt his friend would know he was not a deer. Him and I had a run in with this same "friend" of his years earlier when that guy shot at a rabbit running right by a house that bordered the land we hunted. I learned my lesson about that guy, bummer he didn't and continued to hunt with him. Yes he is very lucky to be alive.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:53 am

I never use a light unless I am a little turned around which luckily doesn't happen too often...never had an encounter with a poacher thought luckily thats some scary stuff dan maybe I will invest in a dim red light.


Also, what if you put something over your flashlights/red lights to dim them even more. Masking tape over the lens of a red light would make it just bright enough a poacher would recognize you arent a deer (unless rudolph roams your marshes) but it probably would not be as annoying to a deer either not being as bright and all.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:07 am

I carry a flashlight but, I try not to use a light if at all possible. Once I turn a light on even for a second, it takes my eyes awhile to readjust to darkness.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Czabs » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:27 am

question to the non light users...How can you walk quietly without one?! I can't walk quiet with one! There is always that twig or crunchy leave I end up stepping on.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby KLEMZ » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:40 am

Wow, I'm really surprised by the number of non light users (or red filters, or just flickering the light). I have always used a flashlght or more recently a head lamp while navigating in the dark to and from my stand. My main reason is safety. How do you avoid getting poked in the eye by a branch or stepping into an unseen depression and twisting your ankle? How do you walk quietly? Maybe my night vision isn't that great. I know one thing though, that deer that can run full speed through the thick brush at night can sure see where he is going. I always figured if they can see that well at night they can see me with or without a flashlight if I am in their direct line of sight. So why not just use a light?
Of course, I don't have a wall full of trophys either! :(
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Czabs » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:51 am

KLEMZ wrote:Wow, I'm really surprised by the number of non light users (or red filters, or just flickering the light). I have always used a flashlght or more recently a head lamp while navigating in the dark to and from my stand. My main reason is safety. How do you avoid getting poked in the eye by a branch or stepping into an unseen depression and twisting your ankle? How do you walk quietly? Maybe my night vision isn't that great. I know one thing though, that deer that can run full speed through the thick brush at night can sure see where he is going. I always figured if they can see that well at night they can see me with or without a flashlight if I am in their direct line of sight. So why not just use a light?
Of course, I don't have a wall full of trophys either! :(


X2 exactly what I was thinking!?
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:48 am

I guess one of my main reasons I try not to use a light is to prevent other hunters from seeing where I am hunting. I seem to have a lot of problems with other people moving in on me and ruining my spots on public land. I figure the only way to prevent this is by using the stealth mode and sneak around unnoticed.
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Re: Light Into stand?

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:23 am

I always use a light on heavy pressure public land in Michigan when it is dark outside. If you don't....

Fortunately, the cover I hunt in is SO THICK, it has little impact on the buck I'm hunting (cedar swamps, for example).


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