Getting to your stand in time

[Moose]

What is the latest you will go hunting? Lets say it gets dark at 5pm would you be ok if you were set up and hunting by 4pm? I always kinda wanted to be set up no later then 2hrs before dark and like 4 hrs just to be safe. What do you guys think is too late?

[tim]

That’s going to depend on where and how early those deer are moving in the evenings. I have a metro spot that I have hunted last hour .

[dan]

I will hunt any chance I get... I may choose spots differently based on time constraints, but not hunting has much lower success odds than actually hunting

[Redman232]

Late season, 1-2 hr evening hunts are some of my favorite.

[Dewey]

It all depends on access. Some spots you can sneak in undetected so you can easily get away with a very short hunt. Most of the stuff I hunt requires me to allow a 3-4 hour cooling off period. It's nearly impossible to sneak in quietly so doing it during primetime would be a huge mistake.

[CattailCommander]

If I can get out there and ready and still have an hour to hunt I have no problem doing that. A lot of times I have spots planned for when I'm running short on time, a spot with quick/easy access, maybe a less than ideal spot but it's always been on your list to hunt it just to see, use it for an observation sit some place, or just use that time to either scout/still hunt an area.

[CattailCommander]

If I can get out there and ready and still have an hour to hunt I have no problem doing that but usually I like at least 2 hrs just to let things settle back down and I don't feel so rushed to get out there. A lot of times I have spots planned for when I'm running short on time, a spot with quick/easy access, maybe a less than ideal spot but it's always been on your list to hunt it just to see, use it for an observation sit some place, or just use that time to either scout/still hunt an area. A lot of times I'll just hunt from the ground instead of spending time setting up a stand.

[SWLA Deerhunter]

Great advice Dan and I would venture to say that hunting every chance that you get is one of the most overlooked pieces of the big buck hunting game. I just finished listening to a podcast that you did with Release Hunting a good while back in which you said the very same thing. Good stuff as always. When I look back a good many of my kills, at least half, have come within the 1st hour to 45 minutes of the sit.

[oldrank]

I've killed a good amount of deer with limited time. As long as I know how the set works it's not a hindrance.

Also, due to the time change and the extreme cold I will do alot of 1 hour hunts in late December.

[Moose]

I guess i was always afraid of spooky something if i got in to late and would ruin that spot.

[austin1990]

All depends on the time and situation. Some of my best hunts were hunts where I only had 30-45 minutes til dark by the time I was set. It sucks to set a stand/saddle up in just for a hunt that short, but I've done it many times and will do so as I need to. Cant kill um from the couch!

[Evanszach7]

If I can get in without messing it up, Ill hunt. 2nd choice observation sit. 3rd choice, driving around an area to see the pressure, and maybe glass private ag adjacent to public.

[Bonecrusher101]

I feel like I’ve been on a time crunch for the last 4 seasons. From the financial demands of working overtime, to a pregnant wife, to currently raising twin toddlers. I haven’t killed any monster bucks, but I’ve had some antlers to hang my hat on every season and I’m proud of that.

Everyone will have their own personal lives and their own obstacles that will get in the way. The ones who really want it will find a way.

The time constraint sounds like an after work weekday hunt. I usually hunt much closer to work or home if possible after work. My biggest hindrance is driving time vs tree time. If I’m driving twice as long as I get to be in a tree than I start to look at other options. But honestly I’d have to try it anyway and in turn fail enough times to where I figured out something that works best for my situation. Keep trying if that’s what you have to work with!

[Racks&Beards]

When time allows, I like to be in a tree no later than 2 or 3 hours before legal shooting light ends. If I'm that crunched for time I'll just try to slip in somewhere and ground hunt.

[G-Patt]

There's nothing like that dropping white or pin oak at the head of a secondary creek. Just snoop up the creek an hour before shooting ends, sit and wait for that doe or buck to show. Some of my favorite hunts.