Quick Hunts, More harm than good?

[ChasinTail]

Obviously the more time in the woods, the better your chances are for hunting success. What I am wondering is can I do more harm than good by visiting my stands, say the last hour and half after work or the first hour and half before work? I really concentrate on wind and stand selection as to not overstep my boundries and spook out deer. However, I never really feel the woods get settled after I get in there. Should I just wait until the days where I can dedicate several hours or even a full day or do you think my short trips into the stands are beneficial? I don't want to be walking to stands an hour before dark just to spook a deer headed to his feeding spot! Right? Any advice?

[backwoods07]

I try not to get in the woods unless I know I'm going to be there for a while. I've spooked a countless number of deer after getting out of my stand in the morning cuz of inclement weather, being sick, or forgetting a vital piece of gear (I seriously forgot my arrows once). I've also spooked a fair amount of deer from getting in the stand too late in the evening. The less pressure the deer feel, the better chance you have of getting them when you are in the stand for a longer period of time.

If for some reason I am forced into being late for a hunt or having to get out of the stand early, I try to find a stand that's going to cause the least amount of disturbance for both my ingress and egress routes (field edges, access roads, etc)

[sureshot]

the way I got it figured is you may spook a deer or you may blow a chance at a big buck, but you will not have a chance if you are sitting home, I believe and do hunt as much as I can, wind wrong hunt a different location, right now I only have 2 hours anight after work but I am out there every night, I would rather hunt and spook the odd deer and have a chance at a deer than sit at home!

I do agree the less pressure they better your chance,but on the other hand when you can's spend more time in the woods becouse of work school ect, you may as well at least have some chance and be outthere,I would rather go the whole season without harvesting a deer being able to be out hunting then sit at home and not get a deer,hunting is not about the killing in my eyes!!I guess its all about your situation, if you are after a specific deer and you deffinatly do not want to spook it do not go, if you love to hunt and just want the experiance and a chance at a deer get out there but on short nights do not go to your best stand locations!! just my opinion!!!!

[MichiganHunter]

I think your doing what you need to, to reduce problems with you area, but no matter HOW hard you try you are always doing some disruption to the area. I have to ways of hunting the first is set my stand and only look at them once a week and thats a get in and get the heck back out the other is I will find an area using areial maps and my knowledge and launch a SUPRISE attack go in with my climber and locate a tree WAY before sun rise in the area i want to hunt making sure i'm quiet and wind is correct and i am well scent covered. I have killed deer both ways but I have had my best and worst success with the SUPRISE attack method. Killed my biggest buck with it and busted a few deer that i would of like to have a shot at with it. But i guess i would say try to stay out of the area as much as u can stand it, I set scouting cameras right at my stand locations (when i have them) an let them do the story tellin for me i also try to remove all the vegitation from an area to get down to clean dirt...(clean dirt..lol) so if something is walking threw and we dont get a TON of rain i can get tracks also depending on where you stand is try using a spotting scope and setting a long ways out from it and doing some glassing. but i like scouting cameras and limited human access.....oh and also when i put up a camera i will spray it down with scent killer and take an apple and rub it all over a tree or rock till it's apple sauce....that really get the deer in camera range and works as a good cover scent.

[Turkeygirl]

Better early than late butthere has been the occasion where I, or any have gotten into our stands with about an hour and a half left and we've seen or shot deer. Most of our stands are not deep in the woods so that does play a role in how far in you're hunting.

[Grizz]

I'd have to agree with what's been said and add, from my own personal experience, that its very beneficial to have a stand that is easily accessable at any given time. There are times that I have been in, harvested a deer and been out in about 45 minutes before. But keep in mind the wind was right, and I was able to slip into my stand very quietly b/c of its location and easy access. The only times I avoid a short hunt are when the conditions will not allow it in relation to the position of my stand b/c the worst thing that could happen would be to move in during peak deer movement, only to be detected and educate the deer on your where abouts.

[turningcustomcalls]

I don't think hunting in the evening would be a problem at all, my only question would be what if you shot a deer in the morning and had to go to work?

[ChasinTail]

I don't think hunting in the evening would be a problem at all, my only question would be what if you shot a deer in the morning and had to go to work?

Thats what sick days are for!!

[wtnhunt]

Been a few afternoons where I went out late(last hour to hour and a half of legal shooting light) and ended up killing deer. Guess so long as you can slip in fairly easily and possibly undetected then go for it. If you are bumping deer on the way, might want to go somewhere else.

[Born4it]

It sounds like you take necessary precautions, and you can only do so much. If you're smart about it, it can never hurt. I have a buddy that goes out after work and shoots deer every season when he's only on stand an hour and a half tops. Get out there and enjoy nature if nothing else.

Take care,

Ryan

[Rhino]

I would if I were in your situation. I'd choose my afternoon stands to minimize the chance of spooking deer getting to and into a stand. That might limit your stand choices some in the afternoon. As far a mornings go though you might want to be in your stand 30 minutes or more before daylight to allow the woods to settle down good before legal shooting time arrives.

[Flintlock1776]

You gotta be in it to win it. I have spooked them going in only to havve them come back. Get in there and good luck!

[tclubbs2]

I have not been bow hunting long but i don't think there is anything wrong with going out in the evenings late. I work Mon-Fri 8-5 like lots of people. On the weekends I have kids in sports and a wife that loves family time. So if I get out a total of 6 hrs a week I am happy. I have never taken a deer on a late night but I have seen plenty. In matter of fact I passed up a fork buck 6 times in two weeks. Twice in the same day. The second after walking around the corner to my stand he was standing there about 25 yds away. He grunted and stomped the ground and took off at a mild pace. About 30 minutes later I was in my stand and he came back. So I think you are pretty good.

[GWSmith]

I would if I were in your situation. I'd choose my afternoon stands to minimize the chance of spooking deer getting to and into a stand. That might limit your stand choices some in the afternoon. As far a mornings go though you might want to be in your stand 30 minutes or more before daylight to allow the woods to settle down good before legal shooting time arrives.

I agree and even have been in the woods earlier in certain situations. If I was hunting public land were I stood a better than average chance that people would drive deer by my stand on thier way into the woods...I was there 45min-1hr early.

[stcif]

When fishing with my son I used to tell him he would increase his odds by 100% if he'd cast that lure out in the water instead of just sitting in the boat complaining about not catching fish.

I feel the same way about hunting. If you only have a short time to spend in the woods it is better than no time at all.

I wish I had a place close to home to just spend an hour or so in a stand. I lost that spot a couple years ago when the "new" landowner made short work of the hard earned permission I once had to hunt the land.

My advice - if you have two hours to hunt, hunt for two hours. If you have ten hours to hunt, hunt ten hours. Good luck to you!!

LOL on the sick day comment!! We should get sick days, personal days and hunting days...