I have gotten some sweet pics on a trail cam of a 12+ pointer using a trail through hardwoods that is sandwiched between a bean field and stand of christmas trees. Only problem is all the pics are at one o'clock in the morning [:@]! Does anyone have any tips on how to get this guy to show himself during shooting hours? Should I just wait and hunt that stand hard when the rut starts? Any tips would be helpful.

as far as i know theres nothing you can do to make him change his nocturnal habits, best advice i could give you is to hunt hard and hope to be in the right place at the right time. he will becomea little more careless in the rut but keep in mind bucks will travel miles chasing a doe so during the rut he may not be anywhere near that spot anymore, he could be fifteen miles away chasing a hot doe. just my opinion

Rotsa ruck, he got that big by following his instincts, and they apparently serve him well. About the only thing that might get him out in daylight would be an imminent clash with a bad temperedinterloper or an absolute lock on a very hot doe.

He could very well be up and about in the daytime, just not where your camera is...

Do you know where he is bedding??? If so, get close to the first feeding area that he will visit...

If he is bedding off your property, you might just have to hope that a doe will bring him by...

You might want to try a mock scrape. If he's dominant buck it might bring him out. When it gets closer to the rut try decoy's and scents.

You cant really change there patterns, but there patterns change naturally depending on food and the rut. It might be 1am now but in late october it might be 1pm. Another thing is like what others have said, find out where he is bedding, or where he is going, and how long he is there. Sometimes you might find out that on the complete oppisite side of the property he moves around all day. Finding the morning bedding spot is key. Setting up just outside of it and getting in really early and quiet might pay off, but remember if you spook him, he is the kinda of deer that will remember.

watch the weather also....sometimes frontal activity will change there normal 'routines'. And like gobbler said..be in the woods as much as you can in case hedoes change his routine. You can'tget em from the couch!

If you can figure out how to consistantly kill nocturnal bucks outside of the rutwithout a spotlight, you will revolutionize the hunting world.

You are better off by not doing a thing. If you try something and tip him off, you are done.

Camp out near the edge of his bedding area and as the rut nears, he'll start coming out a bit earlier. If he does and starts coming your way, great. If it looks like he's going away from you, give him a couple of grunt calls.

Good luck.

If you know he's in there.....best advice I could give you is to stay the hell outta there until the right time.