Moving before first light

[CoHntr82]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this tactic? I use it with success and but I know some more conservative guys who don’t. I think with preseason scouting, map recon and general knowledge of how to move through the woods this can be done safety. Not moving through bedding or feeding areas etc. I like to be set up at a good vantage point for glassing at first light. Thoughts? This is for rifle seasons.

 

[Rangerpants]

I swear by it. Be where you want to be at the highest percentage time for seeing animals outside of the thick stuff. It's worked for me on numerous deer and my only elk.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Outfitter's strategy was to get to the mountain tops above the meadows in the dark to try and catch the elk and deer out in the open at first light.

 

[30338]

We used to hike 1-2 hours in the dark to vantage points. If you waited till daylight every elk would be in the timber already. Guess it depends on the situation.

 

[Dos Perros]

Western big game densities are so low even a careless hunter has a low chance of bumping animals on a couple mile darkness walk. In my experience with whitetails animals bumped in the dark don't go far. I see hiking in the dark as a low probability / low impact kind of activity. And certainly the pros far outweigh the cons.

 

[Young Blood]

Pretty much a no brainer where we hunt. There have been several times we have had one or two elk on the ground and starting to quarter them and we look down and people are just then coming up the trail we can see from where we killed them. Its a two mile trek into where we want to be at daylight.

 

[AaronMColeman]

Yup, get to the saddle or the place you think elk are moving from feeding to bedding and be there 30 min before legal shooting light. Reverse the whole process in the evening. I just hate hiking in the dark by myself.

 

[Laramie]

Just depends on the area, the species, and the risks involved.

Are you hunting in high density grizzly areas? Are you walking any trails with steep drop offs? Are you walking past animals that you may have had opportunities on if you waited? Are there a lot of other hunters you are trying to get ahead of? Private or public?

There is no clear answer that fits all situations. A good percentage of people in the field probably shouldn't be walking around in the dark regardless of the situation.

 

[ganngus]

I exclusively move before light. Last week, I had a solid 5 point I let walk that fed down within 10yds of me in the bottom of a canyon. I was literally standing still in middle of it with zero cover. Was within 25yds for about 20 minutes. It wasn't until sun came up that he busted me.

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I am in shooting position at shooting light or at the glassing point to get in shooting position. Play the wind as best I can, but reality is bumping animals is always on the table when stalking.

 

[KsRancher]

On morning hunts I always try to walk in and be where I want to be atleast 30min before legal shooting light. But I pretty much only hunt Ks deer.

 

[jmez]

I'm in my glassing spot before first light. With good optics you can see well before first light. I'm glassing before legal shooting light. Also have a much better chance of hearing them in the dark.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Depends on the hunt...I have hunted places where I hike for an hour or two before daylight, other places I don't dare go in before shooting light cause if the elk are there they will get bumped in the dark and sometimes they can go off public...depend on area and how close to private your hunting.

 

[Tall_Vol44]

Where I hunt there is a lot of pressure. Most of the time, some jack@$$ is running late and making a ruckus trying to get to wherever they're going.
Being setup at a good spot well before sunup has been a great tactic to capitalize on this situation for me. But I'm also fairly familiar with where I'm hunting usually.
I use a red lite on a headlamp to guide my way if I need to see.

 

[5MilesBack]

I normally have spots I want to be at at first light.......so that requires hiking in in the dark to get to those spots. One time I got to where I wanted to be about 1/2 hour before first shooting light. So I threw out a location bugle just to see if anything was in the area. I had a bull immediately respond less than 100 yards away. That is not ideal in the dark.

 

[Bcleck90]

I normally have spots I want to be at at first light.......so that requires hiking in in the dark to get to those spots. One time I got to where I wanted to be about 1/2 hour before first shooting light. So I threw out a location bugle just to see if anything was in the area. I had a bull immediately respond less than 100 yards away. That is not ideal in the dark.

@5MilesBack should have brought your spotlight!

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Why wouldn't you?????

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I didn’t know people waited for light before moving in. In very few specific circumstances it could be the right move. I did stop calling before legal light (elk) because I’ve had a few experiences like 5mile where they came in and left before shooting light. I’ll either get to my glassing spot before light or in the general zone I think the elk are in, wait and listen.

 

[LostArra]

Deer>hike in dark
Elk> where I hunt I wait until I can see a little. I used to be a hike-in-the-dark guy. After my second elk herd stampede I learned my lesson but all areas are not the same.

 

[Vandy321]

I got to my glassing spot 2 years ago for rifle season about 20 minutes before legal light opening morning. Legal shooting light came and I spotted a fella and his kid quartering up a bull in the bottom of the draw. Funny how that works. He had a nice chat with the game warden at the trail head.