Suppose you just can't handle the idea of hunting all day, but you want to make the most of the time your put in out in the woods. From some reports, midday seems to be a fantastic time to hunt big bucks during the pre-rut and rut. From personal experience, would this time be preferable over the traditional morning and late afternoon times??

I have had success hunting the week before and the week during peek rut. This is the only time i think afternoon hunting can be as productive as mourning/evening hunting. When I setup for afternoon hunts i like to be in the bedding areas or right on the edge where scrape or rub lines are present. I have noticed that when bucks chase does during the afternoon it is in the thick stuff.

Pre-rut through post-rut would be ok, but think weather needs to be fairly cool also. Just my opinion.

I think this setup will work, but I think part of the sucess that many people have with these hours are other hunters that DO hunt only morning and evening may spook or push deer on their way in and out. I have hunted " the middle" but I start at 9 and go to 4 or 5pm. This may not be as applicable in your situation if you have sole access to good acreage.

I know, at least where I am, deer will usually bed down after a morning feed and travel between 11am and 1pm again to a different bedding or &quot;staging&quot; area to chill closer to the evening feeding site. The areas they use where I hunt are THICK and very difficult to get into quietly though. Only my observations though and I'm only in my 2nd year hunting deer so...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Trushot }}------>

With this time of the year, there is only about 10 hrs of good light during the daytime hours.(Maybe less if it is cloudy) If the weather allows, I'l try to stay on stand all day. Anytime the rut is going on, I want to be in the woods as much as possible.

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I've seen more of the larger bucks between 9:00-1:00
this is while scrape huntin, about a week prior to
the peak rut, on through the rut.
They'll slip in and scent check and eyeball the scrapes
in a near by thick area. I always try to set up near a thicket
if I'm scrape huntin.

daytona 500 winner- Ward Burton
go Cat-22

I bought an Ol' Man stand this year which should be a lot more &quot;butt-friendly&quot; than the fixed position stands I've been for many years. I am planning on doing some all-day hunts this year, but I am still concerned about what could be extreeme boredom during the 9am-3pm time period. One really good buck in one of my lanes during that time will make the wait worth it.

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.