Anyone ever go into the woods late in the mornings on purpose? I read about, but never have done it...say you go in at 8 or 9 in the AM instead of dark.. if so, what time of year? and what success have you had?
I have a certain couple of stands that I hardly ever see deer until between 9 and 10AM. I never worry about getting in late to those spots. Went in several times last year late on purpose and probably will more this season.
A few years back I went on a early season gun hunt for doe only, between 8:30 and 9:30 four differen't bucks walked by my stand granted they weren't huge bucks but one was a pretty decent eight point.I never did see any does.Funny thing I have never bowhunted this stand and now that I think about it would be a good bowhunting stand.
I personally like to move in around 10am, and be on stand by 11am or so. I am able to get a good breakfast, sleep in, and feel refreshed enough to sit the remainder of the day on stand. Another advantage to moving in late is it allows me to actually look around and see what is going on in the woods (rubs, deer droppings, refamaliarize myself with the terrain, etc.) That information may not pay off that hunt, but it certainly will in future hunts. Most of the time I still don't see deer until an hour or so before dark.
Nope not purposely. I have accidentally slept through the alarm for the morning hunt and decided to wait till 10ish or so and then sit the rest of the day. This did cost me a 135" buck one time. My ass couldn't get out of bed (cruising for chicks the night before pretty late, I was 18 years old so that should explain that one). I got with In 50 yards of my stand and there stood a doe with a nice P&Y buck 2 feet behind her 12 yards from my stand tree, I was pissed at myself!!!:mad1:
My brother tried it for the first time last year.He went in about 10am and planned to sit the rest of the day.The first time in he shot a 10 point at about 11:30.He tried it again about a week later and shot a big 8 point at about noon. The 8 point was also traveling with another buck that was even bigger.This was all in early November.I'll be giving it a try this fall on those mornings where I need to sleep in and recharge the batteries.
On a lot of mornings I'm looking for deer for others with my dog so I'm forced to go to my spots late. During the full moon I actually prefer to get in late and hunt rt. through the middle of the day. I shot my biggest buck at 1 pm. and I think for the same reasons Virginiashadow posted it's a good idea to sleep in once in a while during the season. Dan
One time I overslept after having a few too many beers with the guys the night before and didn't get to my stand until around 10. Three different bucks walked by my stand 11:00-1:00. None of them were shooters though. I try to sit until about noon most of the time (late Oct through Nov) and then will take a 1 or 2 hour break before coming back out.
If it's windy in the morning forecast I'll go in late and stalk my way to my stand. Last year I snuck up on an 8 point with a doe doing just that.
Twice on purpose. Once I didn't see anything, the other I shot a doe about 30-45 minutes later. Couple times accidentally, the most recent being this past year, when I shot a doe 20 minutes after getting in stand.
Something just doesn't feel right to me going in after daylight. I like listening to the woods wake up in the morning. I have gone in a little later than usual before....it seems as though I usually bust something out when I do that though.
I've went in late on a handful of occasions in early October. In one particular location I seen 4 doe and the other instances I seen nothing...except for a few squirrels. It wasn't a adequate time, I believe if I had gone during the seeking or chasing phase of the rut, it may have produced better results. I like early mornings! It's hard to break away when I've be lucky to see so many.
