walking in the dark

gogo · Post by **gogo** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:43 pm

how do you get to your hunting spot in the dark? maybe a dumb question but i never have hunted using a tree stand or ground blind.all our deer hunting involved driving the woods. first year of crossbow hunting for me

dutchhunter · Post by **dutchhunter** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:49 pm

if on privat land it is not a big probl;em i carry a light in my hand and just us it if i have to .you can see very well in the dark if you talk a few minutes to get used to it after getting out of the car .on public land i use a cap light and carry a small light in my hand and flash it from time to time .we should not have to worry about are safty in the dark .but we know that we have to as some guys that call them selfs hunters do not o bay the game laws and people get shot every year just us comen scentsand be carfull

gogo · Post by **gogo** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:53 pm

thanks dutch i thought a flashlight may may spook the deer, have night vision optics thought of trying them

wheelie · Post by **wheelie** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:56 pm

I also carry a flashlite and use it when I have to but I have all my trails marked with marker ribbon and I have it tied onto trees and can look for them also.

VixChix · Post by **VixChix** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:57 pm

I usually walk in the dark if I think someone else might be there I'll flick a little light on from time to time to keep from getting shot.

B-Logger · Post by **B-Logger** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:59 pm

gogo, I use a flashlight at least part of the time but shine it on the ground not more than 3 feet in front of me.

I've read several studies on deer and lights and most say that deer do not see lights like we do. Almost 100% say that flashlights do not bother them. However, I go on the premise that it will draw their attention to you so on private ground, I just turn it on every now and then pointing down. If I were to hunt on public land I'd probably leave it on until I got to the stand. At night for sure leave it on.

I use an old mini-mag light that takes 2 AA batteries. It works for me.

ninepointer · Post by **ninepointer** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:12 pm

Like the others, I use a mini MagLite that I only switch on when I need to. After a couple of walks in, you'll get to know your route pretty well. Finding your way along field edges well worn trails is no problem, however woods can be tricky in the dark; the trees all look the same. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has had trouble finding their tree!

That's when reflective tape tacks come in handy.

Oh ya, I almost forgot to mention, watch out for skunks

!!! I've walked up on them many times in the dark. Thankfully none of them sprayed!

TrapperBob · Post by **TrapperBob** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:14 pm

Gogo

I also use a light to get to and from my stand. I wear a peeked cap and have a 5 LED that clips on. I think I got it at the beer store a few years ago. Where you look you have light. It takes 2 dime size button batteries and last a whole season. Dollar stores sell the batteries, 3 for a buck.

The LED is not real powerful but just give you enough light to see your florescent flag tape that you put out before your hunt.

Happy hunting

Bob

gogo · Post by **gogo** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:19 pm

ninepointer if i get sprayed is it considered cover scent

groundpounder · Post by **groundpounder** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:24 pm

I will always tote a flashlight but only use it when needed. I usually know where I'm going pretty well even in the dark

. I have used the reflective tacks before but at the same time don't like showing others where I'm hunting(public land). And talk about a surveyors nightmare! I really hate seeing all of the orange tape people hang in the trees on public property marking their routes because they rarely take it down when they are done. I've also gotten on others trails in the dark with the reflective tacks that are better viewed and marked than road reflectors down a major highway!
And about the night vision equipment, I don't know if I would like trying to explain the use of that with a Game Warden

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:26 pm

ninepointer wrote:Oh ya, I almost forgot to mention, watch out for skunks !!! I've walked up on them many times in the dark. Thankfully none of them sprayed!

A few years ago I was hunting private property and walking in on a tractor path in the dark with a light in my hand, but not turned on. I brushed something with my foot and it hissed at me and shuffled off like a cat would. I flipped on the light and it was a cat - a POLE CAT - but it didn't spray.

Since then I carry a flashlight pointed at the ground at all times!
Not scared, just careful because of the possibility of other hunters in the woods.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:27 pm

I wear that head light that goes around your head or cap.. its always pointed down about 5ft in front of me. I keep it on green mode when im heading to the stand. Supposedly green light is less visible to wildlife but usually light doesnt bother them at all.

I just like the headlamp since it keeps my hands free, espically when getting into the stand. I keep a surefire LED on my backpack though if needed to light up the woods

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:39 pm

crazyfarmer wrote:I wear that head light that goes around your head or cap.. its always pointed down about 5ft in front of me. I keep it on green mode when im heading to the stand.

I also wear a cap light and keep it with the green light showing the way.

Horizontal Hunter · Post by **Horizontal Hunter** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:56 pm

I use a head lamp with a red lens. It provides enough light to see where you are going but the red light doesn't hurt your night vision. I never tried green but I suspect it works about the the same.

Bob

skamaniac · Post by **skamaniac** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:08 pm

Head lamp with green LED bulbs.

If you think you might have some difficulty finding your stand, get yourself some of the glow in the dark thumb tacks and mark your trail going in.