What time are hunting?

[stumblinhorse]

I had someone make a remark recently that made me think. Hunting elk in the west, what time are you hunting in the morning. I want to be hunting at legal shooting light. I have been in the situation where it was too early for a shot and I didn’t like it. I also have been in the situation where I had to wait out some elk to not blow them out well before light. So now my strategy is to be starting to hunt at legal shooting. I don’t head out at 4am or earlier to be going thru the woods trying to hear bugling or locating. I like to do that at last light and follow up in the morning.

What is other people doing?

 

[wapitibob]

I'm where I want to be an hour before light.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm not good at sitting around waiting for first light. Actually, I'm not good at sitting around period. So I always try to get to where I want to be around first light. If that means starting my hike at 5am, then that's what it is. Several years ago I got to where I wanted to be about 45 min before shooting light. I figured I'd throw out a bugle to see what was within earshot. Immediately a bull responded from about 100 yards away. He snuck in down wind about 10 minutes later and bolted in the dark.

 

[Slick8]

For western game I'm a rifle hunter who likes a high vantage point and lots of country to glass.

I leave in the dark with an intention of being at the glassing spot just before legal shooting light. I feel like it allows me to set up without use of a flash light and to be set up / glassing just prior to legal light.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

I'm not good at sitting around waiting for first light. Actually, I'm not good at sitting around period. So I always try to get to where I want to be around first light. If that means starting my hike at 5am, then that's what it is. Several years ago I got to where I wanted to be about 45 min before shooting light. I figured I'd throw out a bugle to see what was within earshot. Immediately a bull responded from about 100 yards away. He snuck in down wind about 10 minutes later and bolted in the dark.

This sums up my approach as well. To many times I’ve bumped elk in the dark or called them in to soon because I thought I would “see what was around”

 

[taskswap]

I usually get up at 3am and try to be "out the door" (tent, camper, whatever) by 3:30. In the area in which I hunt, and the distance to where I usually start, that's usually just about right to get me where I want to be by 45mins or so before the start of legal light. I don't like to be huffing and puffing and sounding like a bulldozer when I get there, and this lets me slow down and start really listening and looking. You can see plenty before legal light actually starts, and it's worth looking around and taking your time so you don't bump/push out an animal you could have taken if you had waited.

At night I do the opposite. I hunt to the end of legal light plus 45 mins or so. That's about when I can't see anything anymore. Even if you can't shoot something, if you see where something beds down that's absolutely where to start the next day...

 

[Gerbdog]

i try and end up where i think the elk will be (or nearby) around shooting hours. I've also blown elk out in the dark hiking and i agree, not a great feeling. Also not a great feeling when you bugle in the dark and one sounds off 40 yards from you.

 

[Poser]

Just depends entirely on the situation. I generally like to be where I want to be a bit early. If I'm truck camping and sharing a trailhead with other hunters, I generally want to be the first one in just because that's how I roll. Some of my partners invariably have to take a shit at the most inconvenient time so sometimes I have to build a time allowance in for that. If I have a high glassing point, its often nice to get there, let the sweat dry off and enjoy the night sky while sipping some coffee before layering up. Yes, sometimes you encounter animals in the dark, but overall, early is usually better than later.

 

[RockAndSage]

I want to be in-place a full hour before any kind of light - it lets the wildlife get back to normal and settle in, my scent to settle down, and has me 100% tuned in with everything by the time shooting light hits. Calm, relaxed, and in the zone - not scattered, rushed, and distracted from being late.

 

[RonD]

An hour before light but moving very slow and listening well. If windy, of course wind in the face and waiting until I can see better.