Walking in pre light

[Xiph0id]

The light thread got me thinking if I'm the only one.

When hunting my favorite zone 349 that there are lots of grizz and wolves, I get the hibby gebbies walking in the dark in those areas.

If I'm going to a stand or to sit a cut block, I walk in at legal light and not before. I also generally stop my hunting in time to get back to the truck at last shot.

I'll bushwack all day long but come dark...

Am a puss or is anyone else in the same boat as me?

[KBF]

I don’t think that’s out of line. I tend to do the same even though I know it definitely can reduce some odds of success. But at the same time I feel why walk passed something I’m hunting in the dark as well.
It’s always a good idea to feel humbled and remember we aren’t necessarily top of the food chain.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by kbf

i don’t think that’s out of line. I tend to do the same even though i know it definitely can reduce some odds of success. But at the same time i feel why walk passed something i’m hunting in the dark as well.
it’s always a good idea to feel humbled and remember we aren’t necessarily top of the food chain.

yup

[calgarychef]

I like to hunt as long into the evening as possible, that last few minutes of legal light are golden.

[NewGuard84]

This is my practice also, the trade off of some opportunities to reduce some risks makes sense to me.

Years ago I was on a solo stroll midday and found cougar tracks in the mud over my own tracks about 10-15 minutes after I had first passed.

It made me realize it might be worth keeping safety in mind, especially solo. If with a hunting partner both people have some added safety with a partner who can intervene, shoot, etc. if the other is surprised.

[sns2]

Those last few minutes of light have always proven to be money for me. Hard to give em up

[Full Curl Earl]

Even scarrier bow hunting, especially solo.
But I also like to hunt to the last second.
Comes with a risk, but worse deaths than a grizzly pooping you on the mountain.

[Red Bullets]

I typically won't shoot an animal after 4 pm. Most of my animals are shot between 8 am and 1 pm. I also like to be out of the bush by dusk. I don't hunt food plots much so no need to wait until the last hour or two of light. Before dawn is the time cougars are most active. Sometimes an hour before dawn is the darkest part of the night. I've seen a cougar sitting on a cutline when it was pretty much still dark. 50 yards in front of me. I was lucky the cat's eye lit up with the dim morning light to my back otherwise I wouldn't have noticed it and I naively would have walked right to it.

[Smokinyotes]

It depends where I am. If I sit till the end of legal light then start walking out I am much more concerned about being shot by some trigger happy hunter.

[Supergrit]

Hunting in fields waiting tell last light not so bad. Hunting in 349 a ways off the trial I would definitely feel better getting to the truck a little early. Plus if you shoot something at last light and have to look for it in the dark not a good situation in the bigger bush country. Most of time in evening I stop a bit early so I won’t have this happen. The mornings get better the evening get worst after you shoot something.

[robson3954]

Yep solo bow hunt mostly in areas with lots of grizz. Rarely hunt evenings. I’m not so concerned bumping them in the dark hiking, as opposed to quartering and returning to the kill site in the dark for loads.

[bullgetter]

An interesting post. If you are that worried about it stay out or leave with good daylight. Predators are usually the last thing I worry about. I have had enough run ins with them I don't worry much. Just give them respect when or if you run into any.
As I have gotten older I find myself leaving the stand with lots of daylight left. Its not that I'm worried about predators but I would rather walk out of the bush with lots of light to avoid tripping and falling over or getting turned around and getting lost. That to me is the real danger.

[Xiph0id]

I actually passed on some does I had in my sights on sunday evening due to the light issue and I was 1.5km from the truck.

Also, when there is no snow on the ground it's a lot darker out and makes it a whole lot more work to drag a deer out.

[58thecat]

Walking out/in the dark switch over to shotty and poke your way out or just hunt the rut in which you can walk in under daylight hang out in your stand cuz it's the rut and stuff happens at all hours.

[philintheblank]

I tend to hunt until legal light is over, then walk out, but there is definitely a spring in my step until the truck is in sight.

The dark has always made me uneasy, but I try to choke it back. doesn't always work, though. I have has a few early walk outs, not to proud to admit it.

[graybeard]

Good responses....;

I walk in slow to hunt in low light and walk out slow in low light. Either light conditions of the day, I am hunting.
I agree there is a difference in being a mile from your vehicle on the prairie as to the conditions of 406.

I have seen bear and cougar track in my foot prints or beside and that will give a guy the willies.... not withstanding an actual encounter.....After one or two of those, your head constantly on a swivel...

I sure respect nature....I am always glad to be back to the truck safe.

Good luck everyone....

[Hogie135]

I thought I was the only one. I don't care about anything in the woods during the daylight hours. Have respect for what's out there though and always alert. Come dusk, I get creeped out way too easy and usually time my walk out so that I'm also back to the truck by end of light. I don't stop hunting however, I just slow walk back in hopes of seeing something on the move that I'm after.

[KrisRD]

Couple weeks back I had a griz with a cub walk out at about 60 yards with about 30 mins left of shooting light. This was after seeing 4 black bears in the afternoon. Headed out before it got fully dark that day. Most areas I feel comfortable walking in/out in the dark, but this spot in particular with fresh bear sh*t every few steps makes me second guess that a bit.

[UngulateMeatEater]

I was out hunting last week for elk decided to go for a evening stroll into some good crown land but to get there had to weave through some game trails around a swamp to get to a opening I wanted to investigate. I managed to get there in about a hour or so from the field edge. What I found was the holy grail of rubs 6 to 8 trees beat up good 1 from last season and a bunch oflll fresh ones.


So I’m sitting on a perfect opening in a perfect spot gets to about 45 mins to dark I’m thinking I better get out of here before it gets to dark at that moment crashing in the bush beside me heart starts pounding I get ready sit for about 15 mins no more sound bugle nothing back cow chirp nothing back look at the time 15?mins till last light now I’m screwed. It was the longest walk out of my life got twisted on these trails walked way farther then I had to took me a good hour and 45 mins to get out man was I glad to see the edge of that field sweet pouring down I was beat. I decide right then and there never again will I put my self in that situation I’ll stick to my tree stand field edge hunts in the evening from now on.


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[58thecat]

hunted with a newfie,rattled in two bucks, both engaged in a brawl right behind his ground blind, he saw nothing but I saw boot leather and elbows departing for the trucks direction....he said he heard the most commotion ever, swore it was a bear tearing up the tree's etc...he walks in and out when the sky is bright to this day.....

[mindoutside]

I am the same way alone. I am just worried about getting lost if I go through brush... If I am with a good partner though, I am good!

[obsessed1]

I always carry enough gear in.my pack to survive a night in the bush if I HAD to. I often walk/ quad in hours before sun up and hike /quad out well after dark. If I'm hunting mornings Im in hours before legal light. Leave the quad and hike the rest of the way. I often end up kms from the quad dc or truck at last light. It's never bothered me much. I have a light...a gun...and my senses so far so good

[st99]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

I always carry enough gear in.my pack to survive a night in the bush if I HAD to. I often walk/ quad in hours before sun up and hike /quad out well after dark. If I'm hunting mornings Im in hours before legal light. Leave the quad and hike the rest of the way. I often end up kms from the quad dc or truck at last light. It's never bothered me much. I have a light...a gun...and my senses so far so good

x2, be prepared and go where the game is

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

It depends where I am. If I sit till the end of legal light then start walking out I am much more concerned about being shot by some trigger happy hunter.

When I hunted this was always my first concern. I always used a flashlight or head lamp with a white light when walking in before legal light or out after dark. In 40 years of hunting I only recall one encounter and I think it was a bear. Just heard some woofs and a huff and crashing through the brush. It was at the end of the day and I was passing by a 2 day old kill site. Our group had gotten a moose and I was passing close to the gut pile. This was the one time I didn’t have a light and I was only 200 yards from camp.

BW

[Xiph0id]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

I thought I was the only one. I don't care about anything in the woods during the daylight hours. Have respect for what's out there though and always alert. Come dusk, I get creeped out way too easy and usually time my walk out so that I'm also back to the truck by end of light. I don't stop hunting however, I just slow walk back in hopes of seeing something on the move that I'm after.

This is along the same lines a me.

You never know where and when you'll see something.

[JTRED]

If I'm backpacking I usually hunt until legal light, get back to camp just before dark. I manage to get out for a few extended weekend pack trips each year and since my hunting partner moved away I just go in solo. I find I hunt a lot harder when I'm solo in the mountains, get out before first light and getting back to camp just on dark. If I'm just day hunting from home I am most often headed home by mid afternoon, I usually have stuff to do around home.

[Boundless_84]

My preference is to not spend a lot of time hiking in or out in the dark, as I almost always hunt solo. However sometimes it's difficult to avoid if I want to be in the best hunting areas. On a bowhunt earlier this year in 406 I found elk about 8 to 10 kms from the truck. Had them bugling and closed the distance to within about 150 yards, but this was right before legal light ended. Having put on so many miles hiking that day, my left knee was in a lot of pain and it was legitimately almost impossible to lift that leg more than 12" or so off the ground, which made it slow and difficult to go over most obstacles. It ended up taking me 6 hours to get back to the truck, all in the dark. Didn't get there until 2:24am. Thankfully no encounters with wildlife other than some birds. It was a nice calm, warm night, at I was tempted to sleep in the bush. But I kept going.

2 years ago I encountered a cougar in the dark after a hunt. I spotted it first, and it disappeared as I approached to within about 20 yards of it (I initially though it was just a deer). Thankfully it was uneventful.

Other than that I have never had any encounters with predatory wildlife in the dark, and I have walked in and out numerous times long before or after daylight.

However, as stated earlier, it's more enjoyable to leave and return to the truck right when daylight is appearing or ending, respectively.

I wish we could carry a sidearm, but apparently that would be too dangerous - to someone. To the public? I don't really know. Enough of a risk I guess that my life isn't worth being able to protect.

[buckbrush]

Where most of my hunting happens, I don't have much to worry about for predators but I still hate hiking in the dark.

I always have the intention of being back to the truck before dark but when the deer start moving I tend to stay. Then I regret it the whole way back to the truck. I always get the feeling I'm being followed and I turn into a sissy.

Last year part of my hike out in the dark included walking through a very old abandoned farm yard. It gave me the worst feeling I have ever had and I made the mistake of looking up at one of the second story windows and thought I saw something in the moonlight. I have never been as happy to be back in my truck as that night.

So in all honesty, I'm not scared of predators (in my main area) but I am scared of the boogie man.

[338Bluff]

I'd be more worried about tripping over something than running into a cat or bear. The stats are in your favor...
I'd also be more worried about a drunk or distracted driver killing you on the drive home. You have no control over that.

You do have control over what happens in the bush. Gun, knife, pepper spray, gps/compass, headlamp, matches and extra batteries.

Enjoy it.

[Vacation]

I used to have no probs in the dark. Now that I am a Daddy, I take much more care/precaution and travel out before its pitch black...and of course come in to my stand as it is getting light. If I am with someone...I don't mind it being pitch black morn or eve.