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

[rbcorbitt]

I have read many times by the experts about mid-day deer movement.  I (like I assume many others) was brought up in the tradition of hunting early AM and late PM and taking a "break" mid-day.   Do I have it all wrong?

I understand that some of the optimal game movement times according to the solar/lunar calendar are during the mid-day times.

I, unfortunately, often do not have the time or the patience to hunt all day like some folks, and, of course, the rut changes everything as far as "normal" deer movement.

I often wonder if one would have as good or better success sitting in a stand from 10-2 then hunting the morning and/or evening sits?      

[Ray Lyon]

When I'm at deer camp in Michigan's upper peninsula, I sit mid day 9-3 as often as I can.

[superkodiak]

I will be honest here... sometimes I am so exhausted from devoting time to work, family and school that on Saturday its much easier to sleep in, eat breakfast with the family, then go hunting for a few hours and then be home for the remainder of the day.  this has worked out really well for me late Oct. and early November.   The best part is that I feel well rested, and my family feels like I am still available.  I love the 9-2 sit! =)

[Slickhead]

I like evenings and have always hunted then (4PM till legal shooting times)
I always see the best movement then.
However at 53 my eyes are getting much worse
I see better in the mornings, however I have a lot of pain in the AM from back surgery.
So it normally takes me at least 2 hrs to be hunt ready in the AM
30 minutes to soak in a hot tub and then the rest for joints to get fluid.
Aint getting old fun  

[Slickhead]

FYI
There is no bad time to be in the woods.
 

[deerhunter_w]

I love to hunt 10-2... I have seen and killed many mature deer during that time....I usually start around the rut....

[Joeabowhunter]

Area's with high hunting pressure seem to get more mid day movement.  This is also true when it's really cold.

Personally, I've seen more action in the morning and specifically between 8 and 10am.

[woodchucker]

Due to my work schedule & my son getting home from school... I'm pretty much a 9am - 3pm hunter!!!

I rarely, if ever, get in the woods before 9am. Likewise, I usualy leave around 2-3pm. I don't like hunting in the evening because ALL of the 4 deer that I lost, were shot in the evening.

Getting a "late start" has proven very prosperes in the past!!!  

[Altiman94]

I've not spent enough time in the stand during mid day hours but a lot of nice deer are shot during this time frame, especially rut and COLD weather/snow.  I've got an equal split of deer shot in the AM or PM.

I went for a period of five years shooting my deer between 9:30 and 12 noon. All of the deer were shot while I was sneaking back to my car from my tree stand on the busiest public land in our area. Most of the other hunters crashed out about 9, then all of the deer would relocate. On the busiest piece of private ground we used to hunt, my son shot a bunch of deer between 12 noon and 2 PM. On that, the lazy wheelie hunters on the land would take a ride around after they quit hunting on the field drives. The deer came out to feed after the activity settled down.  The 9 to 3 time is also nice because most of the time, you get the woods to yourself.  One of the biggest deer I have ever seen was 10 yards from me at 10 AM, by my van. We were late, I had a concert that night and I over slept, I said 'screw it I got get out for a while'. I was loading my bow and the big boy and a hot doe came right to the fence across the road from me. the buck ran behind my son as he was heading out, he never saw it or heard it because of the strong wind. I headed out to head it off at a funnel and shot the next biggest deer in the area as it trotted past me at about 11 AM.

[Mojostick]

It can depend on where you're hunting. If hunting suburbs, human pressure may be too much for anything but the common "dawn/dusk" times.

But if one is looking to fill a buck tag in the more typical rural setting, when the chasing starts, mid-day can be king. Most does are bedded up by 10am and the bucks are still on the move, looking.

Mid-day during the rut is a good time to do some aggressive grunt calling.

For me personally, my 2 best bow bucks were both taken around 3pm and the 2 nicest bucks I've seen in a few years were ones I grunted in around 3pm, but he busted me due to sloppiness on my part and the other was about 10:30am that I grunted in to about 8 yards but sadly had no shot due to him facing me head on in thick 2nd cut poplar.

I know folks love to get up before daylight and watch the woods come alive and that's the smart tactic in early season, but during the rut, I've better success going out around 8:30-9ish and staying out as long as possible.

If you do go out before daylight, and the rut is in full swing in your area, don't believe for a second that when 10am comes around, that the hunt is somehow over. In many cases, it's just starting, if a buck is what you're after.

[b.glass]

I go out mostly in the evening. I work 3rds, eight hour shifts and every other weekend. Seems like I get cold easy so starting out in the cold is pretty rough.

My son won't need me to ride shotgun with him much longer. He will be getting to and from school without my help come Nov. 1st. He is also starting his first real job. He won't be needing his momma so much. So I will be hunting more. Mornings, evenings and in-between. I will need the distraction.

I don't sleep well during the day so mid-day hunts sounds pretty good right now.

[rbcorbitt]

Thanks for the responses, lady and gents!

I've always wondered if the mid-day success would equal or exceed the early/late sittings.

Don't get me wrong - I love being out in the deer (or hog) woods anytime, but there is a lot to consider on those early morning hunts when:

1) it is bone chilling cold,
2) you have a long drive to your hunting property,
3) leaving a perfectly good naked wife (or husband) in a warm bed,
4) add your own reasoning here!

I love to hear the woods come alive and see the first light of the day, but it's touch to do at times!!  

[Paul WA]

I have taken my share of deer but have never taken one before 9 AM.

[cahaba]

I have killed most of my bucks where I hunt from 10-2p.m. If the moon is out during the day I have found hunting all day can be especially good.
What got me started hunting those hrs. was one day I came off of my stand at 9:30 and went back at 4:00p.m. There was a mud hole that was slicked over and sometimes between when I left my stand and came back a deer had made a big track in that mud. I rarely ever see a deer here before 8:30 anyway.

[johnnyk71]

i will tell you this, and you can take it or leave it, but there is a phone/computer app called Isolunar which has almost never been wrong on feeding times in the 3 or 4 years i've been using it.

if it says the peak feeding times are middle of the day, middle of the night, or any time in between, you can take it to the bank.

my buddy told me yesterday that he was stiff and sore from a long sit, got down at 9:45, and as he was packing up, sees a huge doe and a yearling 50 yards from his stand. Peak time yesterday was 10;15. that is just one of dozens and dozens of accurate times over the years.

[MikeNova]

Once the weather starts dipping below 80 here i oftrn hunt from 7or8 till about 12 to 1.....i like getting the extra bit of sleep. Yes I've read some leonard larue articales about midday hunts.

[rolltidehunter]

I pay attention to the lunar calendar only when its a full moon and new moon weeks. on full moon weeks i hunt daylight till 2:00. high deer movemnt between 9am-2:00pm. i can always bet i have mature buck on my trial cameras during mid morning this week. for me its the best time to kill a big deer. more often than not i do not have luck in the afternnons during a full moon. deer tend to feed at night and mid-day.

saying all that if i get a chance to hunt i hunt. i will not go hunt just b/c of the moon phase. cant kill a deer on the couch

[RedShaft]

I enjoy threads like this. I have had luck on all day sits during odd hours during the rut. Mostly 10-12 and around 2 but then again I never tried it during other times.

Rifle I sit dark to dark for nearly a week. Boy that's rough sometimes!

[Rob W.]

My usual sit is from sun up til 1 or 2(later if I'm seeing movement). I have killed the majority of my deer after 10am.


Rob