Which do you guys prefer: getting to your stand before sunrise and hunting first light, or evening sits? Or even middle of the day? With work, I've been mostly having to do evening hunts this year, but I'm used to and prefer hunting early mornings. I grew up doing the early morning thing, so maybe it's just that's what I'm used to, but historically I always seemed to have better luck in the AM than the PM. I'm curious what / why you guys prefer, and which time you've had the most luck.
I'll take PM hunts over AM any day, for one reason. There are WAY more options for stand locations. There's a heck of a lot of stands that are great PM stands, that completely suck to get into in the morning. That said, the few times a year that I do get to hunt in the AM, in a stand that I can get to without blowing deer out, it's refreshing. But, given the choice, I'll take PM every time.
where i hunt the mornings are far more productive until the rut starts. After that I'm an evening guy. I do agree with ben though as i tripped on a tree branch & fell flat on my face this morning walking into my blind.
For me, it is whenever I can get out. I see more deer in the evenings, but hunting in the morning lets me leave on my terms, not the sun's.
Man that's tough... I really like climbing up into my stand in the dark, and waiting as it slowly gets light over the next few hours... I also enjoy evening hunts. Once it starts to get a little dark and the temps drop, it just feel like buck moving time !! With that said, it all depends on the area. I don't like one more than the other. Going in the the AM, I may bump deer. Leaving in the PM, I may bump deer. It's a 50/50 thing for me. If I find the buck I shot tonight, ill come back and change this post tomorrow...lol
The only reason I prefer evening over morning is because it is a bit easier to pick the right tree. I use sticks and hang-on and, unless I am going to a previous spot/tree, it is much easier to pick a tree with good shooting lanes (no small branches or other hard-to-see obstructions) in daylight as opposed to darkness.
REF: Morning v Evening Hunts In my experience, and from my records, around 60% of the deer that I have shot have been in the morning and 40% in the afternoon or evening. Additionally, as for deer sightings, I would say that my records indicate about the same percentages for deer that I have seen. Having said all that, the best time to hunt for you is whenever you can! Enjoy and best of luck!
I agree with the guys that say they prefer mornings... I've always enjoyed being out there as the sun rises, and I also seem to have better luck and see more deer. However, I have to say that putting up my climber in daylight is a lot easier than in the pre-morning darkness! Sounds like most of you have seen slightly more deer in the AM, too. I'm still trying to learn to be a better evening hunter -- have spent almost all my life getting out before sunrise, and typically didn't hunt much in the evenings. Now my work schedule has everything bassackwards for this season. Do you guys usually hunt the same stand locations if you're doing PM versus AM, or do you also switch your strategies?
It really depends.... What time of the season is it...early...pre-rut...rut....post rut? Where is the location of the stand in relation to a....feeding area...bedding area...transition area...etc?
I enjoy the morning hunts better, but evening hunts have been by far more productive for me. My hunting areas are mostly crop fields with smaller areas/patches of timber ... hard to get in in the am without spooking deer.
Personally, it depends on the time of the season for me. Pre-rut I've seen, and killed, my biggest deer in the Morning, just after first light. Once the rut begins though, I prefer afternoons/evenings. Mornings also have the benefit of finding, gutting, checking-in, processing, cleaning during daylight and still getting to bed at a reasonable time. I can't say that for some of my evening kills... lol
I have shot all my pope and young bucks from 2:50 p.m. on up to dark. So I guess I'm more of an afternoon hunter at least early season. When things start kicking in too high gear I will sit all day. I have seen good activity at sunrise, especially when the moon is still up and coincides with the sun! All day sits don't bother me, alot of monsters are shot between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. thats when alot of hunters choose to go in until the afternoon sit, but they are missing out on alot of action!
i have always been an afternoon guy. I will go out in mornings, but i have a tendency to sit all day, i think its because i KNOW that its over when its dark. when i get out in the am, i feel like i am shorting myself or missing something
From another VA boy, when I look back about 1/2 my deer taken have been in the morning and 1/2 in the evening so the way I see it, the best time to be in the woods is whenever you can be there. Most of my buck kills have been from 12 to about 3PM. Good luck to everybody.
I prefer morning hunts both for the feeling of the hunt and the productivity. I've killed most of my bigger bucks in the morning. I love catching them sneaking back to their beds. And I like watching the woods wake up and the rest of the world still asleep. I probably see more deer in general in the afternoons, but I feel better about a big buck encounter in my woods in the morning.
the public lands im hunting the deer move morning for a while until say mid morning.but ive had to hunt evenings because of work and the deer are coming out right at dusk and theres not enough light for me.but im thinking its the pressure of the hunt thats making them come out so late.i see deer on other tracks alot earlier in the evening but.there on posted land and are not hunted so there comfortable.so ill hunt mornings when i can.
