Peak rut (first two weeks of Nov) all day is the ticket...you just never know when he will show up. I have seen them all day long. Another time when the middle of the day is best, is when it get' s bone chilling cold. It appears as though many people who frequent this board are from the south and it may not apply, but tucked on the shores of Lake Superior, it can get mighty cold and snowy....and the big boys cruise mid day during this timeframe. Otherwise, morning has probably shown more deer to me than later in the day.