How long before sunrise?

[hitnmissngrin]

When hunting toms off the roost  in the spring, how long before sunrise should you be "set-up-n-ready" to go?

[ccirvin]

I have always tried to be close to setup an hour before daylight. I can't sleep late though.

[Basin_hunter]

Around 1hr to 30 min before sunrise. I like to get there early and take my time moving through the woods in the dark.

[sugarray]

I like an hr too.  this gives things time to calm down from moving around in the dark too.

[guesswho]

As long as I'm there within earshot around day-break I'm good.   The way I hunt I don't need to be there an hour or two before daylight.

[dirt road ninja]

As long as it's dark enough to where I don't think he'll see me I'm good. 10 - 30 minutes before shooting light is plenty.

[TauntoHawk]

If I have a bird roosted from the night before Im going in wayy early more than an hour before shooting light and setting up as tight as I dare get. If I have no idea where they are at then ill just go to a good listen spot about 20min early and wait.

most mornings though Im setting up on a particular bird.

[Borat]

Around 1hr to 30 min before sunrise. I like to get there early and take my time moving through the woods in the dark.

Whoa, dude.  You're missing out on a lot of good sleep!   

I used to enjoy getting to woods around 45 minutes before light, but a very accomplished turkey hunter has taught me that you really only need to be there when they start to gobble.  For the most part, I/we get to the woods ~15 minutes before light and normally don't stand there too long to wait to hear the first gobble.  We give it a couple a minutes, determine which turkey wants to die and then go kill him.  After that, we're on to the next for the day.  I will admit that once we've identified our turkey, we walk very swiftly to ensure we set up before fly down. 

[redleg06]

If I know where one is roosted from the night before then I'll get up a little earlier to get where I need to be set up before it starts getting light outside. We hunt some areas with alot of BIG open fields and if I got to cross a field then its going to be in pitch black or not at all. If Im hunting in the woods and have more cover or terrain to use then I'm not as worried about it.

If I dont have one roosted then I'm good to get there about the time the gobbling starts. No need to get up any earlier cause I'm listening for one to hunt at that point and It's not much use to get up before he feels like telling me where he is.

[joshb311]

I like an hr too.  this gives things time to calm down from moving around in the dark too.

Same here.

[BowBendr]

As long as it's dark enough to where I don't think he'll see me I'm good. 10 - 30 minutes before shooting light is plenty.

X2

[turkey_slayer]

As long as I'm there within earshot around day-break I'm good.   The way I hunt I don't need to be there an hour or two before daylight.

same here. I have a listening spot at every pubic land spot that I hunt where I can hear about as far as I want to walk.  They have usually done started gobbling or will be within a few minutes when I get there then I decide what I want to do. Even if I roosted one the night before I dont get there till right at daylight.

[TauntoHawk]

I've never had being too early mess up a hunt but I've been too late before...

[Trax]

To piggyback this question, what color LED light do you use for hiking in if it's too dark? Red, green, other?

[bgbuck153]

I'm anal !LOL I've been set up and ready 2 hours before daylight on some birds that I roosted the night before or had known exactly where they were roosting from previous hunts . On one occasion my only option was to walk directly under the bird because of terrain issues and private property so I was there 2 hours before light . I had to set up 40 yds from the tree with my back to the private property . He flew down away from me and with light calling he was dead with in minutes . I usually know every day where the birds are roosting so I'm ready an hour before light . I haven't used a flashlight in years to walk in . It works for me and I'm sticking to it .