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Alright another one of my Dumb questions

BSK said:
As Squirle hunter pointed out, I think that mid-day peak generally only occurs in heavily hunted areas. I've been tracking mature buck movement via trail-camera on my place for many years, using camera pointed at as many different types of deer traffic areas and bottlenecks as I can identify, and I've seen very little mid-day movement. Some will argue, "Well you just don't have the cameras in the right spots." Maybe, but highly unlikely.
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Yes I've pretty much given up on sitting mid day. It's never paid off. Daylight to 10:30 and 2:00-dark are my times to hunt.
 
Evenings have never been very good at my place. First light isn't either. From 7 until 10:45 is our best time. The only exception to that is moon phase. If it's a full moon what I said stands but if there no to little moon then from 10a-2p or so is our best.
 
If I'm on a hunting trip it's all day hunts. If it's a in town no camping I sit as long as I can usually 11 the latest for mornings. Sightings times depends what I'm hunting, food, beds, active sign. Afternoons depends on my weapon of choice, bow kills I am not as picky with at all muzzleloader and gun may be a little bit shorter sits first and last 3hrs.


Out of the past 2 months I only have 1 midday buck right at noon everything else sunrise to 10am and last 2 hours of the day 3 hunters 4 cameras public tn land semi publicly active area
 
I've killed more in the mornings by far. So much more that I don't even like evening hunts much. Anywhere from 7:00 am to 11:00 am.
 
BSK said:
As Squirle hunter pointed out, I think that mid-day peak generally only occurs in heavily hunted areas. I've been tracking mature buck movement via trail-camera on my place for many years, using camera pointed at as many different types of deer traffic areas and bottlenecks as I can identify, and I've seen very little mid-day movement. Some will argue, "Well you just don't have the cameras in the right spots." Maybe, but highly unlikely.
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This is amazing data
 
BSK said:
That is 14 years of trail-camera data, totaling 3,492 buck camera "events." A buck appearing on camera is a single event, even if he hangs around and gets 20 pictures taken of himself. Still just one event.
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I often scour the forums for your charts and graphs and save them. It's fascinating the data you've managed to compile.

In this case, there's a lot that can be interpreted here… and my conclusion is likely different from most. Without boring everyone, it's Extremely helpful Data
 
The data is a bit different if you look at all ages of bucks. When looking at all ages of bucks, they are definitely more crepuscular (move in low light conditions of dawn and dusk). Mature bucks (in a hunted environment) are definitely more nocturnal.
 

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My experience has been far more in the morning — within minutes of the start of shooting time. The evening deer have consistently been within minutes of the last shooting time.
 
BSK said:
As Squirle hunter pointed out, I think that mid-day peak generally only occurs in heavily hunted areas. I've been tracking mature buck movement via trail-camera on my place for many years, using camera pointed at as many different types of deer traffic areas and bottlenecks as I can identify, and I've seen very little mid-day movement. Some will argue, "Well you just don't have the cameras in the right spots." Maybe, but highly unlikely.
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I agree with the heavily hunted areas. The mid-day movement is caused by all the knuckleheads going to lunch and pushing the deer. Those of us who recognize this sit tight and get the shots. I hunt public land and that's what happens for me. I've seen a few mature big bucks in these areas but they know to head for heavy cover and usually survive because they stay put when human traffic gets high.
 
A large majority of the big mature bucks I've killed have been mornings or middle of the day. But it really depends on the habitat or location I'm hunting. I have killed some big bucks in the afternoon but those have been almost always on a food source pattern.

I had one farm that I killed multiple monster deer during smack dab middle of the day after everyone else left for lunch.
 
BSK said:
As Squirle hunter pointed out, I think that mid-day peak generally only occurs in heavily hunted areas. I've been tracking mature buck movement via trail-camera on my place for many years, using camera pointed at as many different types of deer traffic areas and bottlenecks as I can identify, and I've seen very little mid-day movement. Some will argue, "Well you just don't have the cameras in the right spots." Maybe, but highly unlikely.
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BSK. I know you like to be able to ride up to the camera on the ATV to pull it. How many times do you put the camera in a thick bedding location?
 
I posted earlier I've never had any success in the middle of the day but there is an exception.

I have hunted days where the weather was cold for November or there was a front moving in the middle of the day and saw deer moving.

On plain ole clear days that are mild, never saw much moving mid day.
 
Dumbluck said:
BSK. I know you like to be able to ride up to the camera on the ATV to pull it. How many times do you put the camera in a thick bedding location?
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The only places I don't put cameras are areas too thick to get into, for camera work or to hunt. But many times, cameras are in thick habitat deer are using all day. On my property, mature bucks do not travel far mid-day. They don't work scrapes mid-day either. But every property is going to be different due to different circumstances. Having run a lot of photo censuses across the state, I never cease to be amazed at how different deer activity patterns are from property to property.
 
I also don't believe the deer are traveling far during mid day. All the big deer I have killed middle of the day, I was right on top of or in their bedding areas when I killed them. I do believe they get up and move around their thick cover they bed in but seldom leave that cover.
 

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