HUNTING TIMES
- Thread starter C1295
- Start date
Depends on location but usually I prefer evenings. Deer don't have to travel much in early season to find food, so it's not often I find a spot to intersect them on their way back to bed in mornings. When I do I'll hunt mornings. Otherwise they bed so close to food that they're already up & feeding before daylight, and I spook them on my way in.
TJS209
Well-Known Member
Afternoons during bow season. I stopped blowing my in the woods spots up during morning bow hunts. Save those for November. Now I just hunt afternoons either in little pockets or field edges.
killingtime 41
Well-Known Member
Morning usually but this year has been the coolest I can remember this early. Bow season is usually so hot you need a spare pair of underwear by the time you get to the stand. Not so far it's been chilly mornings. Might be a brutally cold winter this year. Or not
I'm really looking forward to thos weekend. It's the first time this season where the barometric pressure and temperature nearly meet, and it happens in the mornings. On Monday morning the wind shifts 180* with a dead lull, so that'll be triple deadly. I'll be in stand Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings.
Drive the speed limit on the way, buy a zeiss scope and hunt after dark. Not my cup of tea but some seem to like it that way
I prefer morning hunts personally
I prefer morning hunts personally
Mornings all the way. Not a fan of sitting on s field at dark. Love to hunt the hardwoods in a nice oak flat
Omega
Well-Known Member
I don't hunt late, since I hunt alone, I don't want to track or process at night. I will sometimes hunt right into sundown, but won't take a shot unless I have at least an hour to thirty minutes (minimum) of light left.
I always try some mornings here and there and sometimes im successful. But it does seem like I blow out a ton of deer because they are all still on the fields. Once the beans dry up and acorns start falling, they're spread out more and morning access gets easier.
JeepKuntry
Well-Known Member
I prefer mornings. Simply put you have hours to find a marginally hit deer during daylight. But tomorrow evening I will be out there. Just gotta try a few spots I marked on the topo!
I prefer afternoons but I've seen a lot more bucks in the morning.
Swampster
Well-Known Member
I'm with you. I don't want to be looking for a deer in the dark. I don't really feel like messing with a dead deer at the end of the day either. Guess I'm just getting old. I prefer to harvest in the first hour or two of daylight, field dress on the spot, then get the tractor and push it into the front-end loader. Everything cut up, refrigerated, and mess cleaned up before noon - in time for a nap.
14deerhunter
Well-Known Member
Anytime I can get in the woods… haha really I love both I've killed my biggest deer in the afternoons but I love the feelings both morning and afternoon!
East TN Bowhunter
Well-Known Member
I have been seeing more activity the last month in the afternoons. I have never ran trail cams until this year and its showing me the afternoons are way better times to hunt than morning. I have always hunted mornings more in the past. Awesome what trail cams can teach you.
Afternoons
I prefer mornings for several reasons but the buck activity seems to be early evening starting around 1700.
- Love being in a tree/blind when the sun comes up
- Tracking is easier
- Processing, same thing.
- Recovery pictures are better (I know....petty)
- Love being in a tree/blind when the sun comes up
- Tracking is easier
- Processing, same thing.
- Recovery pictures are better (I know....petty)
In the early season? Why so? That's a different perspective than the norm. I'm interested to hear more about why, if you don't mind sharing.
Lost Lake
Well-Known Member
Sure!
Over the years in early bow season on our place, we've noticed much better deer movement during the cool mornings. That's the primary reason no matter where I hunt in early season without row crops. Afternoons aren't as good for us, primarily because of heat, and food sources. Our place was timbered in 2015, and almost all mature acorn bearing oaks were taken.
There is some row cropping around our place, and it's a good early season draw for the hunters on those farms during afternoons. We get deer traffic during morning hours on the way back from feeding is my guess.
Later in October, through December, they love our place at anytime of the day. We've got tons of good browse, and the most unbelievable thickets because of the growth from timbering. It's almost gotten to the point of not bow hunting it because they always run into those grown up areas after a shot, and if a blood trail is sparse, it's tough. It has to be seen to be believed as far as these thickets go.
With rifle and muzzleloader, it's high shoulder shots and anchor them right now.
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