hoythunter48

From now on i think im just gonna start getting in my stands about two hours after daylight that way ican maximize my hunting time, I mean rarely is a big buck shot as soon as it gets light enough to shoot anyways, for instance the opening day ofrifle season my plan was to wait in teh barn until after light to see if the buck i was after was hangning in the field, well about 8:30 i headed to my stand and waitied a hour and he walked right by and i nailed him, and at noon that dady my dad and another guy i know killed two and the next day he killed anotehr one at 11 i think that the time to hunt is from 9:30-2:30 myself

"She said if I hit that fishin hole today, she's be packin all her things and she'd, be gone by noon....I'm gonna miss her, when I get home."

VAhuntr

I have found over the years(I keep a log) that most of my good size bucks have been killed very early in the morning right around legal shooting time and the last few minutes of the day. There is one exception to this and that is when the rut is on.....this time of year you are liable to see a buck any time of day.

Think about it....most big bucks are mainly nocturnal....your best chance is during the rut or try to catch them sneaking back to their bedding areas early in the morning or heading out to feed late in the evening. I enjoy watching the woods come alive and there is no way I will purposely miss first light.

I'm not saying that you won't see or kill big bucks by going in late but I definately think you would be missing some prime hunting time by making that schedule a routine.

Edited by - VAhuntr on 12/08/2002 19:34:43

hoythunter48

True, but the area i am hunting receives a great amount of hunting pressure and i beleive that the deer have learned to pattern the hunters, I havent entirely switched to hunting this way as i dont like hutnign one way the entire season i like to mix in different mehtods and see which are the most successful in different areas, I agree that most big bucks are nocturnal but that is MOST not all, this specific buck i have been after i have only seen during the middle of the day for some reason, i was jsut making a point as to you gotta do somethign a little odd sometimes to make teh connection

"She said if I hit that fishin hole today, she's be packin all her things and she'd, be gone by noon....I'm gonna miss her, when I get home."

VAhuntr

That's a good point and one I will agree with. Have you tried an all day hunt in this area? I know it is tough to sit in a stand all day but sometimes it pays off.
There are mornings that I go in after daylight but I do this when I get off night shift or sometimes I hunt the midday in the late season. Good luck on whatever you decide to try.

kgkoon

I have read a statistic in more than one magazine that most big bucks are killed between 10:00 - 2:00. They never cite the source so I don't know how accurate that is, but it is something to think about.

skeeter 7MM

I believe change it up is a good thing. During the rut anytime may find you with your buck. My journal on bucks points to this: 1 at first light, several in the evening, yet most and the biggest ones Midday. (most of those deer where taken during rut or prerut) However last year(2nd last day of rifle) I shot a buck at 12;30PM (post rut), this year I shot a buck 10:40AM (early rut stage)...exactly in the same spot.

I think a lot has to do with ones stand location. If you hunt food then your more likely to connect at low light times. While if you hunt transition or in cover, your chances to take animals during midday are higher. Since most hunter hunt transition or cover during the rut, this might help explain the 10-2 theory. But I have been suprised during early bow how much deer move during midday times in these same areas. Yet most of us choose not to endure the whole day in the stand until rut is here (myself included).

Tazman

In areas with high hunting pressure deer in general will go nocturnal and move during the mid day hours when hunters are either doing drives or leaving/entering thier stands, during the rut I try to stay on stand as much as possible because even the bucks really don't know when they will be on the move, their hormones drive them then.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club