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Morning Hunts - Absolutely

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DaveT1963

Well-Known Member
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Dec 2, 2014
Messages
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I've been saying for years I see and kill far more mature bucks in the AM. Folks want to say it's because I hunt primarily in TX and OK where is hot. but I've hunted in many states. This guy learned from one of the best....

 
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I have killed far more mature bucks in the morning than in the afternoon but some of and including my best buck were killed between 10am and 2pm. In the video this mid day time slot is not even discussed? Why because mid day is for scouting? In the past few years I have been successful at taking the largest buck killed on 1 or more of the properties I hunt. Simply because I spend more time in the tree and hunt through the storms not just before or after.
 
There's a time and place to sleep in and hunt the bed to food patterns, but it ain't when and where I generally hunt! And sit thru the mid day then move. Mid afternoon is the best time to skip out then hit those last 2 hours. Especially in the rut I generally hunt until 1 then make a move if I don't have action. Shot my buck this year at noon when a lot of guys would have climbed down.
 
The majority of my hunting is done in the mornings. It has just worked out best with family schedules to do this. I have had good luck year round doing this and as a result, almost all of the deer i have shot in the last 20 years have been in the mornings very near or over beds (both does and bucks). I get out really early to be successful at this and still bump deer off beds sometimes.
 
Best time is when he walks by. Just gotta be there waiting. I do alot of all day sits. I hunt till whatever other commitment I have forces me out of the tree. Lack of action and/or weather (other than dangeroulsy high winds in the timber), and what other people say are slow times don't dictate my hunting time. Killed my best deer ever shortly after 10 AM, hadn't seen much of anything that day till that point. Most guys would have been at the house or diner having breakfast. Got to be determined!!
 
@DaveT1963, I agree. Every mount-worthy buck on my wall is the result of an AM sit or a mid-day rut sit. I see more deer in the evenings, but precious few bucks. To the point that if the property I'm hunting is bucks only, I'll sit till about 2ish and then either go home or scout.
 
I bumped a buck sunday out of a bed at the top of the ridge. The wind is supposed to be the same saturday. If he returns, I am trying to figure out if I should be above or below him before first light. This is a steep ridge
 
Bank folks should listen to what Cody has to say he makes a lot of very valid points the best way to hunt mornings and evening is to do a scout & hunt afternoon and then come back and sit the same stand in the am..... unless you have good am trees prepped or already picked out.

I think the folks that prefer waiting till afternoon's to hunt are in heavy deer concentration areas and let's face it the majority of their 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old bucks are P&Y or close to it and are shooters..... aand the are plenty if them around this increasing the odds that a breeding area is used.

where I hunt you will scout long and hard to find a true P &Y aand I 100% agree with Cody they don't use the same beds over and over in most cases. bedding areas yes.
 
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