When do you guys see the majority of your deer. Morning or afternoon once late season hits an it gets down right cold. Personally I would say 70% of the deer I see are in the afternoon. I hunt food an food alone this time of year, I don't know why but soon as it gets cold seems the deer stay bedded down a lot longer in the mornings. Is it just a warmth thing???
I only hunt afternoons. But I think it really depends on the temperatures and the amount of snow we have in WI. The deer get so nocturnal that normally I give them until around Christmas to calm down due to coming the pressure of the gun/muzzleloader seasons. Often times the deer will start to show up during mid day too and then again after dark.
I usually see more (relative) in the evenings during late season. Usually just before dark because of the pressure they have seen through out the regulsr season. It's funny though, yesterday (last day) I had 2 doe come out of the thicket at 3:PM. I guess maybe because the snow was just starting to come down. My late season starts day after Christmas until Jan 25th. I just hope our snow sticks around.
I only hunt evenings. In my opinion you blow to many deer out trying to get in the woods in the morn to make it worth your time. You can still see good movement in the morns according to the temps and the moon rising but we choose not to hunt. Less pressure will equal more day time movement witch equals good hunting. I love late season and would trade October and November to hunt December and January anytime.
Guess im the odd ball here! I have been seeing all of mine in the late mornings! Im staying way back off main food sources like Ag fields, getting close to bedding areas and hunt places that have heavy concentration of browse! There hammering it hard in my area! Its a Bear walking into some of my spots but i choose my routes wisley so I wont bump Deer! Last couple sits have yealded 7 Bucks! IMO this late in the season, hunting right on top of food sources is a crap shoot, they have been pressured from firearm seasons and leave major food early in the mornings before light and show up at it very late after dark! Its has worked very well for me hunting way back off of them if you hunt big blocks of timber! BUT I also realize not areas are equal in there habitat qualities!
I see more in the afternoon but like Dan ( bloodcrick ) I see enough during the morning to make it worthwhile to hunt mornings. I know where the deer feed and pick my routes to sneak into to the bedding areas so I don't disturb them. If it is dead calm in the morning I won't hunt. Just too noisy crunching through the snow. Conditions have to be pretty close to perfect for me to hunt in the mornings. Tim
We have a couple late season food plots. They are fairly small (about 1 acre). That we don't touch other then to pull a SIM card. Until after 2nd slug season. It kinda gives the deer a quite place to come relax. It's surrounded by thick brushy/CRP. It's a great little spot holds deer an easy to put the sneak on to get to a set. As far as bumping deer it is fairy easy to get in without disturbing things.
