morning hunts

[Wolfgang james]

I have always had much better luck hunting the evenings than mornings. I have taken a few deer in the morning but it just seemed to be dumb luck. Most of what I hunt is near apple orchards and i do have a stand about 300yds in from a corn field that was cut 2wks ago. I like that spot and have seen a few in the morning but now that I have taken 2 and lost 1 of 5 bucks I know are out there so I don't wanna beat it up much more. My question is should I be looking at the orchard for a first light hunt or should i be in the woods maybe near a thicket that they bed in? Any thoughts will be appreciated.

 

[swampcrawler]

I have no idea as most of my luck has been evening or mid day as well. Interested to see what others have to say.

 

[rvn67n20]

I've heard the point made, and it makes sense to me, that going out in the morning you're trying to get in when they are already active. You go out in the afternoon to get in position for the evening, they tend to be bedded down, so your chances of sneaking in are better.

This of course is ignoring other factors like the weather, ground cover, etc.

On the other hand, it's a bunch easier to field dress 'em in the daylight than the dark.

 

[Wolfgang james]

Ya two I got so far I was able to get gutted before it got to dark but the one I lost I may have found if I could have let it lay another hr or so but it was only about a half hr before dark and we have yotes that got to be thinned out. I have a 15yo step son hunting with me and i want him to get his first deer but I know that the unsuccessful hunts make you appreciate the work I put in for the meal on his plate. But anyway if i can figure out the morning hunt it'll put more meat on that plate.

 

[shaggy430]

I usually hunt mostly mornings so I can spend the rest of the day with my little boy.

For the past 5 years we've had a lease that is 90% pine woods, but when I was growing up we owned a farm. I've always found that when I hunt in the woods I have better luck in the mornings, but when I hunt farm deer I have the best luck just before dusk.

 

[wankerjake]

I've always had best luck in the morning for deer and elk, especially deer.

 

[ldlfh7]

I have no luck in the mornings. 2-5pm usually seems to bring me the most luck which works out well because I do not even wake up early anymore for deer hunting.

 

[jrdolall]

I have many whitetail mounted and all but a couple of them were in the afternoon. Back when I had a full time job I could hunt 90% of the time in the afternoon and usually only on weekends in the morning. I also am not a morning person.

I enjoy hunting in the morning more as the woods wake up and that is what it's all about to me. Seeing deer is a nice bonus.
We saw two decent bucks this weekend between 1:30 and 3 PM.

 

[Blue68f100]

Good morning hunts have a lot to do with moon light at night. If there is no moon, deer usually bed's down. If there is light they feed at night and bed down during the day. So evenings is when the deer start getting active. But if no moon the mornings can be good. You just got to get there long before it gets daylight.

 

[savanahsdad]

I've shot deer at first light 8am 9am 10 am right up to last light , I have always told my kids "ya never know when they may show up" I'd say half of the deer I have shot have been kicked up by other hunters getting out late or leaving too soon , and I too have sent a few over the fence for other hunters That's why its called hunting

 

[Patocazador]

I like morning hunts better and therefore do it more. I have been successful both am and pm.
The best time in the morning seems to be between 8:00 and 9:30. I have seldom killed deer at 1st light.

 

[MCgunner]

I hunt both, have killed 'em both times of day and, for that matter, high noon.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I used to enjoy hunting both mornings and afternoons. The older I get (70) the more I dislike morning hunts. Wife laughs at me when I get everything ready the night before a planned morning hunt. Morning arrives and I get up as usual, make coffee, and put some more wood on the fire...and stay home

Give me the afternoon deer hunts these days!

 

[Jason_W]

I'm making it a lifelong goal of mine to figure out how to regularly bag deer between the hours of 10 a.m. and dusk without having to sit on my butt for hours on end.

Don't get me wrong, I love being up early enough to see the sunrise . . . from my window while sipping coffee and enjoying being warm.

 

[MCgunner]

I used to enjoy hunting both mornings and afternoons. The older I get (70) the more I dislike morning hunts. Wife laughs at me when I get everything ready the night before a planned morning hunt. Morning arrives and I get up as usual, make coffee, and put some more wood on the fire...and stay home

Give me the afternoon deer hunts these days!

Well, I hzve my box blind about 300 yards into the woods behind my house. I get up early, stumble back there, fire up the thermocell or perhaps if it's cold, the heater. I lay back in that office chair, fall asleep, wake up at 9, don't see anything, come back in for more coffee......

I do tend to stay awake better in the afternoon.