How Early to a Stand That’s Close to Where Deer are Bedding?

by Bill Winke • July 13, 2011 • 45 comments

How early to a stand that’s close to where deer are bedding depends  a lot on the conditions for that day. I hunt a lot of bedding areas and I have learned that on still mornings you need to get in early and go very quiet. Getting settled 30 minutes before legal shooting time is about right, so start early.

When the wind is up, I tend to wait a bit longer and head to the stand when I can just start to see some details on the ground. That way, I can walk fast and avoid breaking branches – getting settled only a few minutes before legal shooting time.

Small sounds will disappear into the rustling of the leaves on windy days, so you can walk fast without using a flashlight.

It is much easier to get to your morning stand undetected on breezy mornings moving in this way than to tiptoe around on still mornings. I love windy days and that is the main reason why.

In Tactics, Whitetail • Tagged , ,
  • Seth

    I feel this is poor advice 30 minutes is not early enough I am generally in stand settled and ready 1 hour before daylight at 30 minutes generally the does start moving through (this is during the rut mind you oct 25-nov14th) then right about daylight is when it gets smoking hot first come the little bucks hot on their trails then the big boys. the earlier the better if you are not hardcore enough to be able to sit for 14 hours don't try my tactic.

    • george hilbish

      Well, you can't go wrong going in as early as you can stand it.

    • Kelley Burg

      one hour before daylight is 30 minutes before legal shooting hours (1/2 hour before sunrise)

  • Josh

    I'm a huge Bill Winks fan, but I agree with Seth on getting there closer to 1 hour before legal shooting light. I know that it is not good when you bump deer on your way into the stand but Ive done it and they seem to be more curious/confused the darker it is. Also the more time the woods are able to settle down from human disruption the better.

  • Johnston8331

    I agree as well. Does start moving earlier than you think. At least 30 minutes before legal shooting. If they get nervous, the bucks get nervous, so 1 hour before is best.

  • Anthony

    I would have to say that I agree as well. The only part that sucks is that my in-laws don't have the same dedication that I have and love to come in just before dawn with lights flashing and twigs a'brakin'. Opening day last year was horrible. My brother-in-law some how managed to end up under my stand some 200 yards away from his. I could have killed him that morning! It was a calm morning and I got to my stand perfectly. I love to sit and relax an hour before legal light to gather my thoughts and think out how my shot will be.

    • MichiganBowhunter

      That is a hard part about hunting family land, i am a very hardcore bowhunter and constantly have to deal with my extended family walking around during the best part of a morning, not using any scent control at all, and then setting up on the edge of the food plots i planted. All i can do is deal with it until i can buy the land from my grandpa, at which time they will either take on my hunting methods or not be allowed to hunt. But at the same time i also try and remind myself that hunting is about spending time with family and friends and its really not worth gettin all upset about. Just cant help it sometimes though. Good luck to you.

  • jasonm

    I have to agree to, my stands are a hike how ever you look at it i have to walk a 1/4 mile to my nearest stand so i leave even earlier. Many times i get in the stand and not 20 min later you can here things moving on the ground. Earlier is always better

  • frank kurenda

    I find 1hr. before legal light works for me. I hunt river bottom land in Saskatchewan and the deer are in the grain fields when I go in. They are very nocturnal and start moving back before legal light.

  • Bill Maxwell

    Although there is one condition which fits all situations, being an avid Bow Hunter for more than thirty years has afforded me the opportunity of realizing success under both; early and late entry into my stand. What does seem to widely come into play is the amount of pressure being exerted upon the existing herd of deer in the area.

  • Bill Maxwell

    Correction to the above statement:

    Should read: "no one condition"

  • Rayning Blood

    I prefer about an hour ahead..even if it isn't necessary,a little extra time in the woods is always a good thing anyway!!

  • http://thought-tech.com Rick Rusch

    I've never met a soul that prefers a windy day hunting. Bill's piece is peculiar on several levels…including getting into a stand moments before legal shooting light.

    • Tony

      I agree Rick. The windy days find the deer movement slower and the deer are jumpy. I prefer a slight steady beeeze in my face if possible. And am always in the stand an hour before daylight. You wait a year for the season to come, get your sleep in the offseason. Besides, I'm sure you would agree, there's no other place I would rather be than in my deer stand anyway..

  • Dave Baldwin

    When you hunt on public or state game lands and not on sprawling, luxurious, expensive, PRIVATE PRO HUNTER lands…you better be in earlier than the next jamoke trying to stick that big buck you have been patterning. If that is an hour or 2 before daylight so be it. And if I sound bitter Bill….I AM! I'd love to walk into numerous perfect stand sets over giant food plots in southwestern Illinois or Iowa or Kansas…but that's just not the REAL world of most of your readers unfortunatley.

    • Tony

      I feel your pain Dave. Hunting public land can be very frustrating. I've done it and hate it. You see more hunters than deer. I will never do it again. You should try to find someone who will let you hunt their land. I farmer, or people who purchase the land for investment purposes will usually prefer that someone would look after things for them. Try offering to post the land for them, and become a caretaker for them.

      • Dave Baldwin

        I hunt the public land after work in the evenings because it is close to my office on the way home. Most of the time after the archery season starts I don't see other hunters until the early muzzleloader season. I do some hunting on private land also Tony and the problem there is landowners are not mutually exclusive…if they have the acres, they will let others who ask; friends, neighbors, relatives come on and hunt as well. Some are stelthy and hunt like I do and I never see them…but my landowner friend's relatives are like the Clampetts, they ride quads in and yell and knock around…it sounds like a demolition derby going on…I try to get in as thick and far as possible to set my stands. But there is a very active gas pipeline that runs thru the property where the deer cross constantly and the tree stand set up I have there is perfect, but you never know when Jed and Jethro are going to come putting up over the hill. I guess the only real answer is to buy my own 1000 acres and post it up tighter than a bull's A$$ in fly season!

      • george hilbish

        Where are you at? Offer to post the property? How about offering $10-$20 an acre is more like it. These days you're lucky to find a hunt club to join much less any "free" land that's available. Yankees moving down South ruining our areas with urbanite attitudes and sprawl. Then you get the bunch that don't respect the older generation that still own old farm land and screw that up for everyone else!!

        • Dave Baldwin

          George, I think the "urbanite" attitude and sprawl is everywhere not just from Yankee carpetbaggers in the south. If nobody in this country has any money, who is doing all the land clearing and building? It's the developers that move in and buy up wooded acres of land or odl farms and flip em and sell it to the rich Yuppies at a premium. Perfectly good buildings and homes all over the country sit empty while these greedy SOBs keep spec building houses and commercial buildings hoping to turn a quick property deal profit. And the explosion of Marcellus shale gas drilling up my way in PA has been wrecking good hunting land as well. You would think all the state game commissions and forestry depts would help us sportsmen in the fight to preserve land, but in most cases it's their (OUR) millions of wild acres that are leased, logged out, gas drilled, posted, fenced off and destroyed.

  • Phil Mannon

    I would agree with the one hour statement except when the Rut is ON then i go just when I can see and I go rather quickly but cautiously more times than not durring this time have I had Bucks come to investigate the noise. So get there get in tie off and get ready, had many hunts end rather quickly this way.

  • Bucky D'Agostin

    Absolutely agree with Seth. I penned a few pieces for Petersen's and mentioned that I enter WELL before dark. Also, Baldwin hit it right on the head. Many of the readers are those who hunt the REAL world. I am one of them! Start printing articles that pertain to those without deep pockets and at least a few articles that don't OVERANLYZE this awesome sport.

  • http://www.bowhuntingmag.com Christian Berg

    Guys, I think we've all hunted enough to have experienced being "early" to our stands and "late." Back before I was the editor here, I used to write outdoor articles for newspapers, and I can't tell you how many hunters I interviewed who killed bucks after accidentally oversleeping and getting to their stands "late." By late, I mean after daybreak. I've experienced the same thing myself. Sometimes I get there early and have deer move past right at first shooting light, and other times I have been late, made a racket getting up the tree with my climber and still had deer show up 10 minutes later right under me. So, you can agree or disagree with Bill Winke, but I think you are fooling yourself if you think there is a "right" answer to this. I say do what you think works best for you and you will be more confident and successful as a result.

    • Tony

      Well said. We can agree that deer have and will be taken under all cercumstances. Walking in during that day can and has put venison on the table for me. I don't advocate moving around during shooting light, but when you get to camp after a three hour drive and have the afternoon to hunt. Well there it is. I have jumped three shooters in the past two seasons this way. You will not get a standing shot though.

    • http://www.just-hunt.com Kevin

      I could not agree with you more, Christian. If you'd like an even greater challenge, figure out what time you should hit your stand when hunting hogs! Uggh, the stories I could tell!

      I posted before I read your comment. It really is subject to a good degree of varying factors. Scouting and data collection, to me, are the best ways to answer. If I don't have that, I go with my gut. One thing I didn't mention and should have is that scent control can also affect how early or late deer move through your area or if they change their route all together to get around you! Incidentally, hogs are no different.

  • barry sullivan

    for myself earlier is better , but i also like a nice breezy morning when heading in in the dark

  • Scott

    early, late or not at all. What drives my arrival time is where the stand is located. I have a hot stand that is a 100 yeards off the road, thats a 30 minuted before light. I have others that are 3/4 mile off the road. I start for them 1.5 hours and walk not sneak to them. You would be supriced to see how many deer head near the road when the woods are full of hunters

  • Dave Baldwin

    I'd prefer early in every case (1 hr before daylight for AM and/or PM by 3:00 pm) but I've certainly gone in late, bumped all kinds of deer, thought all hopes were just dashed and I'm wasting my time while climbing into my tree and then ended up wrapping my hands around a nice buck. But, then there are those other times; in late, bumped the deer and then not seen even a squirrel from the stand. I've even gotten pinned down on my belly in the corner of a field on the way in with big deer all around me. I had to wait til dark til they moved off to finally get up and move. But DAMN that was exciting…not advisable…but exciting!

  • James

    Last year I got to my stand just at legal shooting light, and killed a buck 10 minutes later with my bow after giving a grunt and snort wheeze. The year before I shot a buck while i was walking to my stand at 9am during early Nov. (spotted him 100 yds ahead, got behind some brush, grunted, and he came right in). There is no "right" way to do it, sometimes anything can work, depending on your setup. I generally used to get in early (1 hour before shooting time), but I have to walk through my food plots to access most of my property, so I've gone to the 'late" entry approach lately and it works for me better.

  • Nick Katsavrias

    O.K………I'm going to weigh in. I'm in agreement with all of the other hunters who get to their stand REAL early (During early season). I can't tell you how many times I had deer moving underneath my stand in pitch dark. I'm also going to say that most of the deer moving that early are bucks. During the late season I go in late. I never had a deer move at first light during late season.

    Regarding wind……I hate wind. For me it is the worst possible weather event during hunting. I have however learned to deal with it and agree you can use it totally to your advantage. I guarantee you as a Michigan hunter the first place I go to in high winds are the Pine Stands or Corn. They love the cover of Pine Stands during high winds. I harvested several deer moving through Pine Stands in High Winds.

    • http://www.just-hunt.com Kevin

      Wind on dry days helps me quite a bit – easy walk in and out – hides a lot of noise. Still on damp days works well, the leaves and twigs are soft under my feet. Knowing how to use the wind in my favor has had good results. High winds are not so great; in my experience, the deer are either bedded or in the thick stuff. Getting on animals in high wind can be extremely tough — and making the shot even tougher! Still, I'll hunt in virtually any condition even when I know my chances are slim.

  • http://www.just-hunt.com Kevin

    I've taken deer at various times. I certainly don't disagree with Bill if that is what works in his given hunting areas. What I would suggest to anyone that disagrees with him is to scout, collect data, then make up your own mind about what suits you. Movement can be affected by many factors, i.e. air temps, moisture, ground conditions, travel time to food sources, moon phase, season, other wildlife, etc. Scouting is the best way to answer your questions! Trail cameras are a perfect resource to give you answers. I would suggest collecting data over the coming years. Unlike hogs (my favorite pursuit) deer will likely demonstrate patterns related to all of the above. Over the years, you'd likely be able to pattern deer quite effectively based on weather/times/habitat records and set your watch to them. Bill may have patterned the deer well. The distance they travel may also dictate when they arrive at his favorite spots; if so, his times may be perfect. I guess my point is simply to consider that Bill is reporting on his own extensive experience. I hope my .02 adds some value here.

    Hunt hard, hunt often.

    • William

      I agree. Pattern your area. Go in 1 hour before the deer get there. By the way, the moonphase dictates when game feeds, not night or day. When these hunters finally figure that out, they'll start getting the nice bucks. Sometimes the best hunt is midday, why go in before sunrise. (Exception being the rut, stay put all day!)

  • Jim G

    As Bill said, it depends on the conditions of that day. I've gone in 2 hours early and bumped deer. I've gone in just before first light and didn't bump anything (not that I know of). All pieces of ground offer different situations. I believe Bill has a grasp on his as most of you guys do. When someone comes up with THE answer that makes hunting Whitetails so easy that every move you make is the perfect one. I'll quit.

  • hal stewart

    if your not in the woods, you will not shoot anything. anytime you get out is better than not getting out at anytime

  • Burnett Co bowman

    Hey guys, it depends on a number of factors "how early" to get to a stand. I used to hunt heavily pressured Buffalo County WI and deer would be walking by me in the dark when I was climbing into my stand ( 1 hr early). I now hunt unpressured northern WI and I almost never see or hear deer untill sunrise. One of my best stands is a bedding area and I routinely climb into my stand right at legal shooting. 30 minutes later is when the action usually starts. I figure they aint home yet but will be later in the morning. Nothing wrong with getting in early though. I love to sit in my stand and listen to a dark woods. That's why I HATE wind!

  • daryl helms

    hey guys only in america aint this bow hunting fun we all have different opinions on what will work just go hunting and enjoy it our freedom to do what we want when we want too oh yes im a bow hunter hard core to the bone enjoy life

  • Backlash

    Then 1 hr it it is. I haven't put a deer down in over 3 yrs hunting on public land. Due to my work schedule, private land owners, and nasty d. Bags hunters in the hard woods. But after rifle season ends and bear season kicks in the average hunter leave the woods till next season then it's my turn.

  • Chris Whitley

    I find that 30 min before is just fine if you do not put frequent stress on them. I believe Mr. Bill is right and I am pretty sure his years of experience and years in a stand has shown that an hour before or 30 min before will work……personally ill take an extra 30 of sleep. Before you disagree with the PROFESSIONAL HUNTER understand that all of your in stand time is only a fraction of the amount he spends in a stand. Long story short…..thanks for the advice Mr. Bill !!!!

  • mike

    I had a stupid question i live in illinois and i hunt and getting to stand site before sun up do coyotoes mess with you

  • Timothy Mibroda

    from what my own experience tells me, it is important to study, prior to the hunting season, the feeding and bedding pattern of deer, so when the season starts, as with the case during early archery season, the deer are leary of intruders. Therefore, I feel it is wise to show up at around 45 mins. early to a stand. Some say an hour or half hour, but I find it better to "meet in the middle" of this debate and say a half hour is too little, when it sometime takes a deer a half our to walk 150 yards, which they may very well maintain the ability to hear you going to, and climbing into stand. An hour is sometimes too long to sit and wait, therefore, I feel 45mins will inhibit a reasonable waiting time for you to get settled and sort out your shooting lanes, sweaky stand adjustments, and get your breathing pattern down for the nights hunt.

  • JandT Ranch

    I hunt as long as I can and for as much time that I got. To all that don't like the wind, I suppose you have never been busted by a deer either.

  • marvin johnson

    i want to keep on the subject of BILL'S LAND and the WORKING MAN'S LAND. there is alot of difference there. working men cant afford big money leases in ohio, kentucky, illinios, ect. you have to separate the two. lets not forget most of us hunt on non leases. we dont get free bows, free hunts, free gear, ect. we have to pay for ours. if i had alot of free time, ohio leases, and sponcers i would be deer hunting alt too.

    • Steve McKinley

      Excuse me, but what does getting free bows, free gear etc. have to do with what Bill said, so the guy has his own land, or a lease, what are we knocking him for that for? The man is offering advise that you can take or leave! I see no reason to use the occasion to beat the guy up over things you got issues with!

      • Jeramy

        I agree. I live in illinois and hunt private land and public land since they but up to each other. But i dont pay to hunt its free..

  • Michael P

    How many times do you get up and go get something to eat at the same exact time everyday of your life? The same applies to hunting, deer move at different times and eat at different times and that is fact. The best time to go to the woods and hunt is every time you can.