Many times hunters get up way before daylight in order to get where they want to be when the sun comes up. If you are hunting deer, and are going to hunt from a stand, then you need to be in there and settled a good hour before daylight. By that time any sound you made getting there will be forgotten in case you walked by any deer bedded down near your stand.
But many times, hunters can face other challenges long before they reach their tree stands. One of these challenges, is escaping from the house without waking anyone. Making a quiet exit can be a real trial. I have attempted this many times, only to trip over a dyson all floors vacuum that my mother left out, and dropping my gear all over the room. The noise was earth shattering.
Then I would have to collect myself and gather up what I had dropped, turn all the lights out again, and head toward the front door. Suddenly, the room would be echoing with the noise of my alvarez acoustic guitar being knocked over. My hunting vest brushed against it and sent it sailing to the floor.
I knew that the time I had to spend picking things up, was going to put me in my stand late. I finally had all my gear in hand, and managed to turn off the last light, and was headed toward my old truck. I glanced at my tattered leather watch and saw that I had some time to make up for on the road. I threw my stuff in the seat, fired it up, and barreled down the road at record speed.
I laid on the gas, and made up for lost time. I parked and began to get myself prepared for the trip into the woods and climbing into my tree stand. Hunters all have their little tricks for doing things, and I had a few of my own as well. Once loaded, I shined my flashlight onto the path and was on my way.
I saw that my timing was good, and any time I had lost was made up for. It was perfect. My mind began to go back to the house, and I could see myself tripping over the vacuum with everything flying across the room, and I began to smile. Then remembered that awful sound of the guitar hitting the floor, and I began to giggle out loud.
It was funny to think about how my early start probably made everybody else late. And about two to three hours after daylight, I thought something else was funny too. After all that aggravation, of getting up early, getting my gear ready, picking up things I knocked over, and making my way to this tree stand, I had not see the first deer, and only had a runny nose and frozen feet to show for my efforts.