Wednesday, November 4, 2009
How to get to your deer stand with out getting noticed (in the dark)
image credit dolmsta23
I have had some bad mornings on the way out to my deer stand before and made way too much noise. Over the years I have compiled some tips to help you out. If you apply just one or two of these tips to your early morning walk you can reduce your risk of getting notice (in the dark).
1. Use a head lamp instead of a flash light. This way you always have light where ever you look and you also have your hands free to move branches out of your way. Don’t forget about climbing you don’t have to put the flash light in your mouth to have light.
2. If you have the option of using a red light it on your head lamp or flash light use it. Using red light makes it harder for the deer to see the light. (Remember they are color blind.)
3. Ware cloth clothing most any other type of clothing will make noise when you walk.
4. Make sure you have gotten rid of any branches or brush that may be in the way of your ladder or path to your ladder. (Or tree if you have a climber).
5. Before climbing into your deer stand make sure your ladder/pegs are all secure if not the may cause unwanted noise when climbing your tree. Not to mention you may fall.
6. Put your safety harness on before you go out into the woods to avoid getting noticed by putting it on at your deer stand.
7. Avoid clothes with Velcro they can be bad news out in the woods. Instead use clothes with buttons or magnets.
8. The best thing to do is know the area you are walking to get to your deer stand.
9. If you don’t know the area well, make sure to go over the walk in your head. If you visualize it, it will help you avoid braches or holes that can make noise when you run into them (this goes for #8 also). I’ve actually fell in a hole one morning and I made a ton of noise when I gasped. If I would have just mapped the rout out in my head prior I wouldn’t have tried to take a short cut.
10. Just remember sometimes going the long way will help you from being noticed.
You know you are doing a good job when you almost step on a sleeping deer in the dark. One morning about five years ago when I was walking out to my deer stand a deer jumped up off the ground no more than five feet in front of me. Needless to say I almost had to go change my pants.
Feel free to lend me some advice for my Hunt this Saturday
~ Ben G.
Related posts
11 Tips To help you lure a deer in to shooting range
10 Tips for Picking the Best Place for you stand & Setting it up for success.
10 Tips for a sucessful Whitetail Scouting trip
10 Tips for Deer hunting on Public Land
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
One thing you can do is tie some orange surveyor's tape at places where you need to change directions or there is an obstacle to avoid like big tree roots sticking up out of the ground. You can also use reflective tape like people put on the sides of trailers.
I've heard that deer aren't bothered by red light but I know for a fact that red light will bother wild turkey. If turkeys roost near your blind then be careful about shining even a red light up.
Great post, I think you have covered it pretty well. I think the most important thing is knowing the best route to your stand, and knowing it well. The woods look alot different in the dark, and it can be easy miss a landmark you made in the daylight.
Bitmap, Great tips I've never used the tape before but I know a couple of guys in my hunting party have. I didn't even think about the turkeys being able to see the red light. Thanks for the reminder I guess if there are turkeys in the area you are out of luck for the light.
Ryan, You hit the head right on the nail.
Ben, this was a real good post. You seem to be on a roll lately. Keep it up.
Rick, I think it's because I'm getting all geared up for deer opener on Saturday. (Shot gun/rifle)
Keep away from Bambi, you savage!
Last weekend I forgot my surveyors tape to mark the turn in the trail so I used part of a white plastic grocery bag - one of the recent biodegradable ones. I had it in the truck to use as a garbage bag so I cut a long strip off and tied it to a stick and pushed it into the ground. The white showed up nicely against the brush when I shined a red light on it.
When you forget your real gear you make do the best you can.
Bitmap- Great point I've had to make quite a few strage little contraptions. Like for instants this year I forgot to buy scent wicks and had to make them out of rubber bands, safety pins and cotton balls.
Post a Comment