Best Hunting: Morning or Evening?
#3

This past year I killed during all three, but the best for me was morning ( in case there was tracking that needed to be done) or evening ( since I could adjust from where I saw the deer in the morning, heading back to their bedding area).
#4

I'll have to look thru my logs but despite spending most of my time in trees in the evening, I think my kills are about even morning to evening.
And also this refers to archery. Gun season, give me mornings hands down without question.
And also this refers to archery. Gun season, give me mornings hands down without question.
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Slower Lower Delaware 1st State
Posts: 1,776

October, Nov, December;about 50/50 am/pm on our farm for sightings and harvest.
Jan season this year;No sightings in A.M.
All deer have been sighted or harvested between 5-5:20 pm,(like clock work) almost like they have alarm clock strapped to their butt, set for 5pm.
I think by Jan deer are expending the min amount of energy based on prior hunting pressure,rut and harsh winter conditions.
Having said all that,our farm has pressure from large adjacent WMA. am/pm sightings vary depending how these hunters move and where they hunt. Duck hunters on tidal river have jumped deer that have come to us.
Jan season this year;No sightings in A.M.
All deer have been sighted or harvested between 5-5:20 pm,(like clock work) almost like they have alarm clock strapped to their butt, set for 5pm.
I think by Jan deer are expending the min amount of energy based on prior hunting pressure,rut and harsh winter conditions.
Having said all that,our farm has pressure from large adjacent WMA. am/pm sightings vary depending how these hunters move and where they hunt. Duck hunters on tidal river have jumped deer that have come to us.
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 590

I have kept a very detailed hunting log the last six years. I hunt literally from dark-to-dark nearly every day I get out, and hunt 20 or so days per year. Periodically, I'll draw up charts from my records. Anyhow, here in western MT, my best time frames (judged by deer sightings per hour hunted) are 7-9 AM and 2-4 PM. My worst time frame is the last 2 hours of daylight. This hunt is in Nat'l Forest land in the Rockies.
A new hunt I'm doing in eastern MT farmland shows different results, although I don't have nearly as much data. On this new hunt, it boils down to the classic first two hours and last two hours of daylight. I seem to see more big bucks in the evening on this hunt, too.
My four 3 1/2 y.o. bucks, and when they fell:
2000 1:15 PM, 11 Nov
2002 3 PM, 18 Nov
2003 12:30 PM, 28 Nov
2004 7:15 AM, 11 Nov.
A new hunt I'm doing in eastern MT farmland shows different results, although I don't have nearly as much data. On this new hunt, it boils down to the classic first two hours and last two hours of daylight. I seem to see more big bucks in the evening on this hunt, too.
My four 3 1/2 y.o. bucks, and when they fell:
2000 1:15 PM, 11 Nov
2002 3 PM, 18 Nov
2003 12:30 PM, 28 Nov
2004 7:15 AM, 11 Nov.
#9
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Northern Arizona
Posts: 507

My charts show that from about 15 minutes before sunup until about 9:00 is when I see the most deer. From 8:00am to 10:00 is when I have shot the most and unusually enough the 4 biggest deer I have taken have all been from 4:15 pm to 5:00 PM. I think it means the big guys move out before I get back and try to time their return after shooting hours but don't always wait long enough. That is over a 40 year period