What time do you think is the best time to hunt ??

It's a long season. The best time changes. Early season the best time to hunt is 15 min. before dark.

 

Sun up to Sun down.....way too many variables to say "best" time:

-Weather
-Property's overall make up
-Food
---Destination or large food plot (ag type)
---micro food plots
---natural browse or nut production
-water
-cover/bedding
-proximity to food if none
-proximity to water if none
-proximity to cover/bedding if none
-Temperature
-Time of year
-Doe population
-Barometric Pressure
-Harvest dates impacting food sources
-Hunter pressure on and around


Just to list a few....


*I have killed deer early, mid-morning, right at mid-day (avatar buck), mid-afternoon and evening....all depends on variables.

 

I always see more deer in the evening. But if I had to choose, I would rather kill a deer in the morning.

 

^^^ This ^^^ (even though I'm not a 'morning' person)

 

I personally enjoy morning hunts the most but if there's one thing I've learned from all the hunters on this site, it's to not underestimate afternoon hunting. For the most part, I've always hunted in the morning. Afternoon hunting was more of a bonus hunt if I felt like sitting long enough. Now I've never had problems killing deer, but I've only more recently tried hunting mature deer rather than just for meat, so I am definitely going to hunt more afternoons now because that's when a lot of people seem to get their mature bucks...

 

Where I hunt I have only seen one shooter buck(for me) before 9 am. But the majority of my deer sightings happen before 9 am.

That being said I hunt strictly mornings and if I want to hunt an evening I do an all day sit. Always an all day sit from late October until gun season.

The bucks I have shot have all been 9:30 am or later during the rut. I don't have field edges or food plots to hunt where 95% of my hunts happen.

 

I like afternoon hunting. However, this year, I will be hunting many more mornings as compared to afternoons.

 

Early season I like to hunt evenings after the deer become patterned, also I have to park at field edges a lot and its scares deer away. About mid October I really start hunting mornings heavier. But my favorite is a morning hunt just something amazing about it.

 

I have one spot that this is exactly the same for me. The deer seem to get up and move a little and just wander through the woods. I have other spots that I've never seen deer except in late evening. Also have a few that I only see them early morning.
A trail camera will help you figure it out. ( Or maybe 7 or 10 cameras LOL ) It all depends on the place.

 

During the rut, mornings have been better for me. It can be nuts where i sit in the mornings.

 

9:30 am
"Seen any?"
"nope"
BANG
"You shoot?"
"done"
"I thought you haven't seen any?"
9:31 am

 

Early season here evenings are the ticket. Mid season/rut mid morning into the afternoon and evenings are when I want to be on stand. Late season late afternoon and evening have been the best for me. If it gets really cold, which is rare here, deer will feed midday.

 

I like the morning the best. I have always been a morning person anyway, so getting out there early makes me a happy hunter.

Nothing beats being on stand when the woods comes alive with the sunrise. Man, I love that!

 

Couldn't really say one time is better than another . I've ran about 50/50 over the years , killed about half my bucks in the morning and the other half in the evenings . I have never shot one in the middle of the day but I'll keep trying .

 

Magic hour for me is 7:30-8:00a.m 9:00-10:30 a.m. 3:00-3:30 p.m. 5:00- till dark thirty these are the times that i have kilt deer from the first time I started shooting when I was six years old I have seen deer during non prime time hours but have never shot one!

 

^This^

 

Too many variables involved to answer this question even remotely accurately. Time of year, weather, stand location, they all change what time of day is likely to be best. All that said I generally prefer 8am-2pm hunts(I like to hunt in/near/between bedding areas). If I am hunting a hot food source, I hunt only it in the afternoon.

 

I hunt mainly public land and the mornings seem to be best. I think the deer realize theres more human activity from the hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers and bird hunters in the afternoon. I hunt late mornings and midday when theres a full moon at night.

 

My hunting spot is ladies night so afternoons to evening is where it is at

 

Any chance I can. Having said that I have seen all my dear just before dusk. I have yet to see one in the morning.