If the tracks you found are going one way, you need to find out where they are going and where they are coming from.

If they are going towards some sort of food source, they are most likely being made in the late afternoon.

If they are headed toward a thick area or bedding area, they are most likely being made in the morning.


Deer usually head toward a bedding area in the morning and bed down. They get up a few times during the day and wander around a bit nibbling around for a while and then bed back down.

In the afternoon or late afternoon, they get up and slowly work there way towards a food source, apples, acorns, corn field, persimons, soybeans, alfalfa, planted food plot, etc... ( I'm not sure what you have in CA)


You need to find out where the trail goes to and from. Then set up accordingly.

If you spotted deer at 6PM it is probably headed to food.

If you can afford a trail camera, this will help in telling you when the trail is being used.