Overcoming fear of the dark: A hunter’s guide to pre-dawn confidence

SCOUT FIRST

By first exploring an area during daylight, you’ll have a better idea of what you’re dealing with in the dark. That big dark mass will no longer look like a bear, for example, because now you know it’s simply an interestingly shaped boulder where the trail heads west. And while you’re scouting during daylight, use your smartphone or GPS to track your route; that way, you can then easily follow the digital breadcrumbs when you return under darkness.

EASE IN

The more time you spend in the dark, the less anxiety and stress you’ll feel. On each successive solo hunt after my first outing, I left earlier and earlier before legal light. Now I’m comfortable walking several kilometres into the backcountry before daybreak, often sitting quietly in the dark for 30 minutes before first light allows me to start glassing.

GET LIT

Having never used or owned a headlamp before I began hunting, I had nothing to compare to the budget-friendly headlamp I bought when I first started. It was only after I borrowed a quality headlamp that I learned how little light output I’d been working with all that time. For this small, yet critical piece of gear, spending a little more money goes a long way. After upgrading to a brighter and more feature-rich headlamp, my experience in the pre-dawn darkness became much more enjoyable (see “Headlamp primer” next page).

BREATHE DEEPLY

The sound of a woman screaming deep in the forest. A bear slowly walking towards me on the trail. A cougar jumping on me from behind. I’ve experienced all of those frightening scenarios while walking to my spot in the dark—or have I? It’s incredible the stories your imagination concocts when you’re presented with unfamiliar sights, sounds and sensations. Taking a few seconds to breathe can quickly subdue your anxiety, and get your rational mind working again.

As it turned out, all those frightening scenarios I experienced had less-terrifying sources than I first imagined. That woman screaming? Merely fox vocalizations (which, admittingly, can be quite unnerving). That bear on the trail? Just one of thousands of the cattle roaming Alberta’s public land. And that cougar jumping on me? I now know how easily an improperly secured bow can fall off your pack and onto your head when you kneel down to retie a bootlace.

PARTNER UP

The dark always feels safer when you’re with someone, so try pairing up with an experienced hunter on your first few outings, or someone who’s comfortable in the woods at night. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will relax and start looking forward to getting out in the pre-dawn hours on your own. I enjoy hunting solo—the solitude and quiet reflection time is a major draw for me—but even now, if I’m unsure about an area, I’ll go with someone first for that extra sense of security. Hunting with a partner has other benefits, too, especially when it comes to safety in numbers in bear country, or hauling downed game out of the bush.

SLEEP LATE

Despite what you’ve read, you don’t always have to be out before first light to fill your tag. So, if all else fails, and you still don’t feel comfortable, just sleep in and head out later. Plenty of big game animals are taken between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M., when many hunters have already headed home after an unsuccessful morning. There’s also no shortage of stories from hunters who have busted deer on the way to their stand, or unknowingly passed a herd of grazing elk herd in a nearby valley—opportunities they may have taken advantage of, had they started out in the light.