Well, it has to be legal in your state.... So what is it in MD? 30 min before sunrise?

And then you need to be able to see clearly enough to pick the spot on the deer you are aiming for. Not just the outline of the deer - the exact spot to get an ethical quick kill.

Not be rude here, but have you studied where on the deer you need to hit?

 

Not be rude here, but have you studied where on the deer you need to hit?

Yes, I've spent countless hours preparing for this.

 

If I can’t track my arrow and see exactly where it hits then it is too dark! Read the amount of threads where you see the words “I don’t know where it hit”.. How can you possibly decide the best tracking process when you have no idea what you hit? The hunt is just beginning when you squeeze the trigger, every detail after that point is where animals are recovered or lost!

 

If I can’t track my arrow and see exactly where it hits then it is too dark!

That was my thought. The last thing I want is a poorly executed shot. Plus I knew it wasn't legal in MD (30 minutes). I just wondered if even within 30 minutes of "sunrise" on a poor weather day what visibility may be like. I've never sat out waiting for sunrise before, so that was a unique experience for me.

 

Holy jebus those are some long G3's!!!

 

the other day I had a heavy over cast monring, at legl shooting time I could hardly make out a doe waking by, it was not until 15 minutes before sunrise that I could say I had enough light...

 

When I can clearly see to aim is when I shoot. It’s rarely 30 minutes, usually closer to actual sunrise. On bad weather days it’s even later.

 

MN legal is 30 minutes before sunrise and my pins start to glow at about that same time most mornings. There is generally enough light at that time to see the aiming features on the deer, also, if it is within 20 yards. I don't hunt deep woods, so that would obviously impact when it is light enough.

 

I practiced all the time in my yard in extremely low light, practice will tell you what you need to know!

 

Laws are in place for sunrise and sunset times. IMHO, when in doubt...don't shoot.

 

^^THIS^^

 

Here’s something to consider. Practice shooting in low light and see how you do. I’ve hunted both before sunrise and past sunset (I live in maryland). Very rarely is legal shooting light good enough for any type of hunting. Sometimes in wide open field and perfect conditions. But if you’re in a tree line, you may have even less time. Even if your pin does glow bright enough in low light, there’s a chance the pin is too bright for the target and your shot won’t be as accurate

 

Maybe if you could catch him a bit later in his morning stroll. If you are hunting on the ground you could probably be more mobile.

 

In Illinois we can shoot a 1/2 hour before actual sunrise and a 1/2 hour after sunset. Those half hours can be tricky some days depending on the sky cast or moon phase. Sometimes it feels like with a full moon you can shoot way before or after that but I’ve never been able to make out my pins or have the ability to even see where the arrow goes.

I wouldn’t recommend pushing those times, even if it can be enticing. My friend had a guy shoot an arrow towards him once walking the field edge back to his truck. Only missed him by a couple feet. That guy was hunting the ground.


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light enough to shoot is one thing, light enough to absolutely verify the hit and see exactly where the deer runs is another.

 

You're doing things right, you decided that it wasn't light enough and you were going to let it pass. Good decision, hard sometimes. It'll happen, keep up the good work.

 

You're doing things right, ...............

No he's not.

He's a complete newb hunting on the East Coast, and you're an older guy that lives in the "wild west", that just started shooting a bow three years ago.
These are two completely different worlds.

He's sitting on a stool 8 yards from the trail. That's not a setup that anybody with experience hunting east of Nebraska would recommend.

 

Here in Ga legal shooting light can be well before you can “see clearly” or well after sundown when you can still legally shoot. In South Carolina it is an hour before and after sunset I believe. My limit is always when 1.) I can identify what I am shooting and 2.) I can still see my pin and the animal through my peep. This can vary and you really have to judge the situation.

 

Legal shooting time. Sometimes that is not light enough depending on conditions.

 

Too me it sounds like you did everything right. If you can't see your pins you shouldn't shoot. A light will light up the pins but if you shoot a peep you still might have to pass. In many states it's legal to shoot WAY before or after you can see your pins unless they are lighted.

 

I sometimes turkey hunt from a popup blind where it is significantly darker inside due to blocking ambient light. For that reason I have a sight light and used it a couple times on turkeys that I could plainly see outside the blind but not my pin inside the blind. In the case of low ambient light, just turning on a sight light will make your pin burst but won't change a thing about seeing the animal clearly. That is precisely why the repeated suggestion of practicing in low light conditions is really sound. What I have learned is that my depth perception is altered as light dims.....things look farther away. My sight light has a rheostat and at the lowest setting I can see OK to shoot, but it makes picking a spot on a dark animal like a deer more challenging.

 

I quit when I can’t see my pin good enough. As it gets dimmer my range gets smaller. Just be honest with yourself and quit when you want.


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When it's legal and when you can see your pins and your target. I can see my pins and don't use a peep so I can shoot anytime as long as it's legal (like at night for pigs) or 30 min before or after sunset for deer. Could you even see the racks? Or just an outline of the deer? Or just hear them?

 

When the regulation book says it’s to dark to shoot. Doesn’t matter if I feel like I can still shoot or not after that point. Ohio is 30 min after sunset, I feel I can adequately shoot 20 yards during this time frame

 

Most states i hunt legal shooting is half hour before sunrise and half hour after sunset. That is pretty generous as it can get difficult to see at sunset, depending on weather conditions and geography. If you are in a deep canyon and it's clowdy, it's nearly impossible to see at sunset, let alone half hour later.

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Here in Arkansas, legal hours are 30 minutes before sunrise time until 30 minutes after sunset. Most often, the "to dark to shoot" time is slightly closer to sunrise and sunset for me when hunting in the mountains. If I can't clearly see the kill zone, it's too dark.