Youre favorite time of day to deer hunt?

[appalichian hunter]

Hanshi, I call that time in the mornings shift change.

 

[FishDFly]

"Rifleman, I think a lot of the mid day movement comes from other hunters moving about the woods especially if it is very cold out."

Kroll mentioned that also in his book. He also said deer after eating early, will move about lunch time to get a bite to eat and a drink of water.

Hunted one morning and it was cold with a very heavy frost. Went to town about 11 AM to get feed and deer were every where in the fields. Mentioned that to my neighbor and that I had seen no deer while hunting. He looked at me and asked, "Do you eat frozen lettuce?".

I said no, why, he said neither do deer.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I think a lot of the mid day movement comes from other hunters moving about the woods

Hunters wear tracking collars?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Between sunup and sundown. No seriously....

Half of my deer, both buck and doe, have been in "low light". For me that's dawn to an hour after sunrise, OR an hour before sundown (because the low angle of the sun creates huge areas in "shadow" in the hilly area where I hunt).

The other half have been in the afternoon, when folks have sworn up and down, left and right, that deer don't "move" during mid-day, both buck or doe. This has happened because...

Other hunters have pushed deer...
Or hunters froze the deer in place just at dawn when the hunters came into the area, and then left after a half-day, and it's now quiet so the deer move,
OR it's cold and they can only hold so much food, so they need calories, and move,
So I hunt all day, and don't leave for lunch, etc.

I've had hunts that lasted less than 30 minutes in the morning, as I got "set" and along came the buck, and I've been out all day and seen nothing, and I've been out and it's later afternoon/early evening and I can just see the sights and the deer, and get one then too,

Now in my area, so far in 2020 I've seen the MOST deer in the evenings...

LD

 

[Griz44Mag]

I prefer early morning hunting.
I am not "driven" to look for the best kill time.
I become completely immersed in watching the world wake up.
I get out before sunrise and get settled in my hiding spot (pop up, stand, camo screen, log pile etc.......)
When first light breaks, about 40-50 minutes from sunup, the wilds wake up.
The birds start moving, the small critters are sneaking back home, the frost starts popping and crackling,
I have been know to go hunting without a gun, carrying my camera sometimes just my person.......
Mornings are special - for hunting and a whole lot more....

 

[Ames]

I still go out after my tags are filled. A learning experience. I play "what if I still had a tag to fill". Where do they move to after the rut? Where do they show up for the second rut?
You can learn a lot just sitting.

 

[Cattman]

some one mentioned the moon phase. please for the rest of us, explain in detail all about it?

 

[FishDFly]

Hunters wear tracking collars?

Yep, they drive "big" 4 wheel drive diesel trucks, slam truck doors and 4 wheelers that make a lot of noise.

Then, they head to town in full camo to the grocery store and litter the roads with beer cans.

Deer don't need tracking collars on hunters.

They just gotta listen.

I even can hear them.

 

[Spikebuck]

some one mentioned the moon phase. please for the rest of us, explain in detail all about it?

There are two theoretical impacts. The link below talks about moon phase and triggering of the rut/breeding cycle.

https://bigwhitetail.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/hunting-bucks-by-the-moon-2020-rut-dates/
The other is just in ordinary deer movement throughout the year. This theory is that when the moon is high in the sky there is a natural inclination for deer to be up and feeding. When directly underneath us (on the other side of the earth) it the secondary cycle. So...first quarter moon is high in the evening and "enhances" the natural movement of deer at that time, perhaps bringing them out earlier. In this case, rather than pushing in closer to the bedding area, one may want to sit further back taking less chance of spooking deer on the way in, but still having deer come through with plenty of daylight. Last quarter moon...more intensity in the AM. Full Moon...you cannot hunt at midnight, but the secondary would be mid-day, so perhaps a good time to be close to a bedding area to catch feeding activity. New Moon...better a midday than Full Moon. Be aware that this theory is not going to apply much in heavily hunted areas where deer need to be mostly nocturnal to survive. PRESSURE by hunters is a key influencer to how deer move and where they are. But, if you happen to have a mostly private and low-pressured area to hunt, this theory could apply. It really influences more where one might sit to catch moving deer. Movement doesn't mean they are running all over willy-nilly. Movement might mean they travel that 1/2 mile to the corn field or they get up and feed around the bedding area.

I've been fortunate to have been able to have some fairly private places to hunt at times over the last 40+ years. While there is nothing ever written in stone when it comes to wild animals, I do believe that there is influence by moon phases that can and does happen in unpressured deer. I've been fortunate to have taken a number of large, mature bucks (by making it my goal and passing everything else) and I can tie almost every one of them to moon phase and how I hunted at the time. I know others that can do the same thing. the authors above say they have disproved the "movement" theory, and that's fine...I'll stick to what I've seen as my guide on how to hunt where I hunt. In general, it probably is "disproved" because I'm talking unpressured deer here and most guys don't ever get to hunt that kind. So for the average guy on public land or private land that has a lot of users, it's not going to make much difference. In those cases, learn to know where pressure is and at what time and be ready to take advantage of it.

Hope that helps answer the question. If you're up for more of the "debate" on moon phase impacts here's a good read:

https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/whitetail-deer/the-debate-about-lunar-effects-on-whitetails

 

[kemart17]

What time of day do you prefer to hunt deer? For me, Ive had the most luck, and seen the most deer in the last two hours of the day, than any other time. I prefer to hunt until it gets dark over going in before dawn, although opening day its tradition to get in before first light.

morning has always been the best for me, till about 90mins into the morning

 

[YJake]

I try to get out an hour before sunrise and usually stay until 9am unless I shoot at something before that. I’ve had success in the evening before but tracking a deer at twilight in the swamp is work.

-Jake

 

[Bob McBride]

I love those of you who say an hour before first light or sunrise. I like an hour before first light as something about moving from pitch black and still to full light and alive is something I feel I’ve missed out on when I hunt during midday or evening. Magic hour. I like to get settled in and close my eyes for the first half hour of dark. I never fall asleep but man is that relaxing.

 

[Spikebuck]

I like to get settled in and close my eyes for the first half hour of dark.

Me too...and a couple of times my safety belt has jolted me back to consciousness!

You are right that the morning is a real joy with the awakening forest.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I am no good at getting up at 3am and going out in the woods. I tried it a few times and always ended up falling back to sleep under a tree til about 9am. If I can get up by 7 and get in the woods by 9 or so, I'm happy. I'm of the opinion that, like fishing, you're not going to kill one from your living room, so ANY time you can get out is a good time. 75 percent of life is just showing up. You just have to get out there but you may have to adjust your tactics for the time of day. Around here, you will see the most movement just before sunrise when they return to cover, and just before sunset when they come out to feed. Many deer get killed between 10 and 2 though so you can't count that out either. Like I said, any time you can get out hunting is a good time. Your experiences may vary.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I'm a morning guy too... in part because I just love that part of the day and have had more success then (and hear gun shots in the distance of others' success). But it's also a matter of my current work situation... I hunt public land about 40mins from home. I can sometimes eek out some weekday (less pressure from other hunters) morning hours where I can hunt until 10 or so, get back home, and have a half-day work still, so that's a plus.

I suppose I could do the same with an afternoon, but I've always worried about shooting something right at dusk and then not being able to track effectively in the dark, and on public land that I'm only vaguely familiar with.

I admire those of you who can sit all day. I just don't see any action after around lunch time, and I have done a few all-day sits, but to me it's just not worth it. Seeing no deer for hours means I get bored or downright frustrated... Might as well go back and have lunch, then return for PM hunts if you can.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Me too...and a couple of times my safety belt has jolted me back to consciousness!

You are right that the morning is a real joy with the awakening forest.

Napping in a tree stand - maybe not such a good idea..........

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Napping in a tree stand - maybe not such a good idea..........

My climber treestand is so freakin' comfortable that it's hard not to occasionally take a snooze. It also wraps all around me so there's no way to fall out unless you're standing up. Now... the ladder stands are a different story, especially the doubles!

 

[Griz44Mag]

My climber treestand is so freakin' comfortable that it's hard not to occasionally take a snooze. It also wraps all around me so there's no way to fall out unless you're standing up. Now... the ladder stands are a different story, especially the doubles!

The only ones I have used are the self climbers, and I quit using them along about 60ish.....

 

[Eterry]

some one mentioned the moon phase. please for the rest of us, explain in detail all about it?

I recall reading where the Drury brothers (think Mad Calls), both college educated and dedicated bow hunters decided to keep a log of every deer sighting, so as to find a pattern.

The only thing they could conclusively say was if the moon was setting, or going to set shortly, then your butt needed to be in the woods.

They thought the setting moon was akin to the factory whistle at quitting time. And like humans, some deer went straight home, some stopped off for a bite to eat and something to drink, and some got off work to chase tail.

Either way it caused deer to be on the move and would could stumble into a hunters path.

As stated, if your on heavy pressured land then all the above is pointless.

 

[YJake]

I love those of you who say an hour before first light or sunrise. I like an hour before first light as something about moving from pitch black and still to full light and alive is something I feel I’ve missed out on when I hunt during midday or evening. Magic hour. I like to get settled in and close my eyes for the first half hour of dark. I never fall asleep but man is that relaxing.

It is somewhat of a “Magic Hour.” I climbed into a palm tree at about 6a and was able to watch everything “come to life” this morning. White egrets and snake birds feeding on fish, squirrels fighting over territory. etc. I didn’t see any deer, and I’m not even mad.

-Jake