Best deer hunt times - Morning/evening or GASP! mid-day

[Hoyt]

In the areas I'm hunting now when the clock strikes 8:00am I go ahead and draw my bow.

[Tedd]

for me, when I hunting in the mts. it depends on the time of year. Early season mornings and evenings have been best plus the heat is more tolerable. Later in the season in the big wood areas any time of the day can work and sometimes mid day is best.
In suburban areas near my house, morning and evening are almost always best. Rarely are deer seen during the day except the rut.
Oddly this year I have seen a lot of deer activity about an hour earlier in the evening than I normally would. Is it the moon? I killed a doe at 5:15 and saw a nice buck at 5:30. Usually the last 10 minutes of daylight is killing time here.  But then tonight I only saw 2 doe. They came by about 10 minutes after shooting light. They passed right under me. For some reason I just didn't want to get down after it got dark. It was nice to see them. It was a new stand spot.
So I guess I have no idea what time is best!!!!
Tedd

[PUDDLE JUMPER]

If I had to choose I would go with mornings. I like the optimism that the new day brings.

I also  believe the big boys tend to move a
little longer in the mornings if not pressured. Going to safety vs heading towards danger.

I usually try to hunt until after any mid-morning thermals pick up. Trying to catch one relocating (never have).

[John146]

This is a great thread! Rob W - why do you think most of your deer come after 10? Thanks,

[TxAg]

I'm enjoying the replies

[LimBender]

I think mornings sometimes get a bad rep because they are hunted less.  I read somewhere that in a big buck survey it was almost 50/50 morning versus afternoon.  But that doesn't account for the skewed number of morning v. afternoon hunts.

For the non-hardcore like me, it is usually easier to hunt afternoon due to obligations, stand issues in the dark, waking up at 4 a.m. and all that.  I probably hunt 3 afternoon hunts for every 2 morning hunts.

The other benefit I see to morning is the chance of late morning or second movement.  With afternoon, it's usually one window that's closing with daylight.  

Saying all that, I've had more luck in the evening.

[Wudstix]

I hunt military land and many of the deer move after 0900.  I have seen equal amounts of game early, mid day and late.

[Overspined]

Little bucks, earlier AM and  afternoon. Big ones I see chasing early AM, early evening, but I've seen a bunch cruising during the seeking time of year from 10-2.  They are usually alone, and they are all I usually see so it can get lonely. This is in both heavily hunted MI, and Illinois and Indiana.  They wait until does are bedded and then go look for them. They cross trails does use and check bedding areas.  I have some stands we've killed and seen giants from that look like ridiculous spots and are overlooked.  Usually it takes a little work to discover the hidden gems, and lots of hours on stand. Last year I killed a 5 yr old at 4:20PM and my bud a 4 yr old at 12PM. Different states but repeatable most years for sightings.  IMO you have to really want to see the big ones to sit that long. My bud doesn't get to his stand until 9 AM after we worked out travel patterns. Now that's a great nights sleep!! I use different theories and tactics depending on the state and area hunted.  I won't sit that long unless it's Nov 4-12 and 15-??  It can be unproductive.

[Trad Whitetail]

Hearing all of the responses has been very interesting!  I have killed all of my largest bucks between first light and 0900 hrs. and I definitely see the most deer during that time unless it is very cold and late in the season. However, during the rut I started sitting all day and sometimes see lone bucks cruising through looking for does.  The cool thing about that is I have found them very susceptible to calling when they are alone.  

A lot of it has to do with where you sit and hunt too.  I used to spend most of my time hunting wooded river bottoms surrounded by fields of corn and prairie.  This limits where the deer go to to bed to some extent (usually only in the cover near the river bottom) and gives good visibility.  I usually sat funnels near bedding areas and would see a lot of activity, but if you didn't get in at first light you could screw it all up.  If I sat field edges it was almost always a first light / dusk game.  This was on private property with little pressure.  I really miss those days!

[threeunder]

I'm a big believer in mid day hunts especially when the deer are rutty.

Think about it.  A buck is on the hunt for a hot doe for whatever reason (doesn't matter if he is looking for his next one, his first one, etc.).  Most areas we hunt have bedding areas that concentrate deer and the bucks just move from bedding area to bedding area looking for their next "victim".

They have much better odds of finding their next love interest buy checking places that have more "candidates" rather than feeding areas or travel areas where they are either more spread out or on the move.

Look at it this way.  A single guy looking for his next date, rarely sits on the street and watches the women drive by.  He has much better chances if he goes to a bar or club where there is more of a concentration of "acceptable candidates".  That's a big crude as far as analogies go, but it works.

[rbcorbitt]

Hoping to get out some tomorrow.  Tempted to carry my muzzleloader with me, but just may carry the longbow.

[Easykeeper]

From the last week of October until rifle season it's definitely a morning game for bucks around here, especially from about 1.5-3.0 hours after sunup.  This time of year you might see them anytime, but if I had to choose I would take mornings.

I see the most buck activity in the evening during the early season.

[xtrema312]

Up to last week in October I hint mornings till 10:30 and evenings last three hours.  Last week of October through first week of gun i hunt as much as possible with 9 to 12 being about the best time to be out until gun season opens then anything can happen or not happen those days. I figure even in the early parts of the season I want to be ready when others are on the way out in the am our out to hunt in the pm. I hunt high pressure areas and you have to play the hunter as well as the deer.

I have had spots that this time of year I don't even go out until half hour after sun up and hunt till 2 or 3 then a short break and back at it. This is primarily when I am buck only hunting.

[koger]

Moon phage an temps play a part an public or private land. 11-3-13 , 19am-3pm is supposed to be one of the best  deer hunts of the season! Nothing is sure fire, but moon phase had worked for me 75-80% of the time, over the last 20 years!