Time

[Homey16]

For me it depends on when I expect to see deer and how long I plan to sit. The earliest I have seed deer on my cams at my opening day stand is about 7:30, but most days they come it after 8. I plan on sitting as long as I can stand it, so on Sat I will probably try to hit the trail to my stand about 6:30 or so. I can be up and settled into by tree by about 6:45. If I was only hunting a half day or if I thought I would have deer in early, I would be hitting the woods about 6 am.

[nomad_archer]

I try to shoot for 1/2 to get to my stand but many times i have just finished setting up as legal shooting light rolled in and have had deer on top of me. So anymore I try to get there as early as possible knowing that I may very well barely make it in before legal shooting light. Early in the season it is easy to be setup 1/2 early after day light savings time it becomes much more difficult for me. One think I know is that I do not want to be setting up after legal shooting hours if I can avoid it.

[Dan]

I like to be in my tree no later than an hour before sunrise.

[Genesis 9:3]

2 yrs back I was in my stand in the pitch black of the morning and listened for over 10 minutes as a deer came up the hill and walked right in front of me, maybe 20yrds out. I couldn't see a thing, but it knew something was wrong. I could tell it was doing the head bob snort and pawing the ground, but eventually it just walked off... or at least that's what it all sounded like.

Therefore I try to be in the stand for a minimum of 1/2hr before legal shooting hours... 45-60 min is better.