Navigating the woods at night?

Newpond0

Newpond0

Active member
I’ve read alot of posts on here about guys going into the setup spot at night waiting for the the sun to come up. Do you use flashlights or headlamps? If so wouldn’t the animals see this and get spooked? Or are you walking in the pitch black dark?
How do you guys do it?
 
I don't use a light. I take my time.
There may be a dozen or so nights a year that are actually pitch black here...there is enough reflective light from interstates and road lights that effect how dark it is....and if there is snow and a low ceiling you can see 300 yards at night.
* I also us thermal scanner when walking.
 
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PVS-7 has worked for me for decades.
Upgraded to an Omni 7 tube years ago and it's like daylight in the pitch black.
I use a petzl red light headlamp when getting close to and in the stand.
SJC
 
You guys going in 'dark' try accessing ridge top or bottom fields through thick, debris covered hillsides on a moonless night because the wind won't allow you to take the farm lane and tell me your eyes will adjust:unsure::).
I guarantee I will see ya in the emergency room sooner or later or at he least on the range 'checking zero.
 
jmeddy said:
You guys going in 'dark' try accessing ridge top or bottom fields through thick, debris covered hillsides on a moonless night because the wind won't allow you to take the farm lane and tell me your eyes will adjust:unsure::).
I guarantee I will see ya in the emergency room sooner or later or at he least on the range 'checking zero.
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I stay dark terrain permitting. I use red headlamp when things get a little precarious. That said, earlier this season I was walking out of an unsuccessful set in the dark. Close to a 50 acre field that was recently hayed. As I’m walking along at a good clip because, you know, it’s pretty smooth sailing, something caught my boot and caused me to trip. Due to my cat-like agility and super hero sense of balance, I saved myself from face planting. I just happened to stumble upon an arm that had fallen off the farmer’s hay tedder. I carried it out and left it where he’d find it. He text me the next day and thanked me.
 
hunt0168 said:
As I’m walking along at a good clip because, you know, it’s pretty smooth sailing, something caught my boot and caused me to trip. Due to my cat-like agility and super hero sense of balance, I saved myself from face planting.
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And don't think it has to be dark for such! A number of years ago I was walking along a game trail, perfectly flat country, heading back to the jeep after an afternoon hunt. It was dusk, but still plenty of light. I could still see very well when the toe of my boot caught under an unseen 1/2" exposed root and did the proverbial face plant, landing on top of my rifle which I had been carrying @ more or less port arms! Happened so fast there was no chance of recovery. Ended up pulling a tendon and was on a cane for the remainder of the season.
Guess we just gotta face the uncomfortable fact that some of us have "cat like agility combined with hero sense of balance" and others are just down right klutzes.:ROFLMAO:
 
if you've ever seen limbhanger10 stumble and recover in the dark you would be amazed at the agility he has. sometimes he looks like a circus acrobat but his gear never hits the ground.

ME ? i walk slower. one time i went knee deep into one of those groundhog escape holes where they go straight down. thats not fun.
 
limbhanger10 said:
...it takes a special skill to fall with $10,000 worth of hunting gear over your shoulder- and none of it hits the ground.
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The time I stepped in a groundhog hole (because I broke my cardinal rule and had my headlight focused too far out in front of me), it all hit the ground and was scattered for about 10ft on that hillside. Luckily no equip was broken but I had some bruised ribs.
 
bohunr said:
if you've ever seen limbhanger10 stumble and recover in the dark you would be amazed at the agility he has. sometimes he looks like a circus acrobat but his gear never hits the ground.

ME ? i walk slower. one time i went knee deep into one of those groundhog escape holes where they go straight down. thats not fun.
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Ahh, to be in my 40's again. :D . Never mind, that would mean I would be back working 65hr weeks underground.
 
I fall more during the day than at night. My “best” fall was in Idaho. I’d walked this ridge line to the top of this “mountain” where they’d clear cut the side. I heard turkeys gobble down below. Being the fat lazy flatlander I am, I figured it would be faster to just go “down” through the clearcut rather than walking the ridge line back down.
It was going pretty good the first 100yds or so, then it really sped up. My foot got hung up on a brush covered limb and down I went. It was one of those head over heels type falls. I “rolled” close to bottom and stopped. I laid there a moment and did a mental check of body parts and started moving them one by one. They all appeared fine so I slowly got to my feet and thought I made good time actually, lol! I checked my vest and nothing missing. This wasn’t so bad afterall. It was then I realized somewhere between where I started my fall and where I ended up was a shotgun!!
It was fairly easy to see my “path” I’d taken by the laid down brush, but it was a pain in the butt going back up. I eventually found the gun about 50yds from where I’d started my fall. Bore was clean, sight wasn’t loose, so I was hoping for the best when the time came.
Luckily the time came about 1.5hrs later…
 
....one winter night after a little snow I hunted a property that was a hayfield with an almost golf course manicured section right in the middle....it resembled a 100 yard by 100 yard giant green....and completely flat.
As i shuffled through the snow to set the call out....i started hear a weird noise with every step....like water running....running down a pipe. I stop and now hear cracking. I walked right out on the pond that i misjudged location by a longshot.
 
limbhanger10 said:
....one winter night after a little snow I hunted a property that was a hayfield with an almost golf course manicured section right in the middle....it resembled a 100 yard by 100 yard giant green....and completely flat.
As i shuffled through the snow to set the call out....i started hear a weird noise with every step....like water running....running down a pipe. I stop and now hear cracking. I walked right out on the pond that i misjudged location by a longshot.
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Tight cheeks till you got off that green I'll bet. Glad the 'bad' didn't happen to ya.
 
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