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What time did you kill him?

MattMan81

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Jan 13, 2020
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The Mitten
Just looking to see what time or year and time of day you have killed your bucks. I'm in Michigan for reference.
I've taken 4 - 2.5yr old plus bucks.
3 were in early November in rut mode. Before 11am.
1- was in the afternoon I got still hunting the end of November.
I have not hunted in the evenings as much since I've had kids. Wife is happier when I am home in the evening. But curious what every one else's killing time seems to be.
Close encounters are worth a note as well. Such as I had a nice one once in the evening go by I never took a shot at. Or couldn't. After hours dosent count.
 
Latest I've ever killed one (and it was 1) was 3pm. Everything else has been between legal light and about 1pm, with the bulk of shots and sightings coming between 8 and 11.
 
Earliest was opening day of archery this past year Sept. 14th at 6:50AM, which was about 15 min after daylight. Latest was 30 min before sunset. and a few mid day. So, I would say I've shot them all times of the day with most being late morning or mid day. People always say that traditionally mid day is slow, but I've never noticed that especially during the rut. So, all in all I've shot some all times of the day and from early season to late season. More have been early season to the rut just because I hunt more often during those times.
 
My biggest was in the gray light before sunrise on the Saturday after thanksgiving.
 
My best buck was around 10am. Shot one this year around 9 am. Last year was around half hour before dark in the evening. Doesn't seem like there's a time that really stands out to me as the best. I like that :) give me an excuse to be in the woods anytime :)
 
Had a close encounter with a 7ptr on opening morning (mid September) at 6:45am coming back to bed but didn’t release an arrow

Hit a really nice 8 early October at last light coming out of his bed but shot was not fatal.

Killed a 6 on October 27 at 8:15am coming back to bed after an all night rain.
 
I tend to hunt 4 hours in the morning before I get down to do some work, then try to get 2 hours in the late afternoon. I've probably killed twice as many in the morning as I have in the evening.
That stands to reason to reason as I hunt double the hours in the morning. This is rut time, which is when I've killed the vast majority of the bucks I've taken.
 
So for me it depends on the parcel I'm hunting. I've got one my hunting partner and I have only ever harvested in the evenings close to last light. When we hunt his property, it's always a morning harvest property. Have never been able to figure out why.
 
Just looking to see what time or year and time of day you have killed your bucks. I'm in Michigan for reference.
I've taken 4 - 2.5yr old plus bucks.
3 were in early November in rut mode. Before 11am.
1- was in the afternoon I got still hunting the end of November.
I have not hunted in the evenings as much since I've had kids. Wife is happier when I am home in the evening. But curious what every one else's killing time seems to be.
Close encounters are worth a note as well. Such as I had a nice one once in the evening go by I never took a shot at. Or couldn't. After hours dosent count.
During rut I see more bucks between 11:00 and 2:00pm.
 
It depends a lot on time of year you’re hunting (rut or bed to food patterns). My biggest was 830am in rut. Second biggest was last 15 min of light in early January on a food source. Third biggest was 830am, rut... all in all, I’d always take a morning, sitting into noon or 1, over an afternoon in the rut. Early or late season when hunting on a food source the evenings are usually better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Killed my biggest at 17:20 in late January two years ago. Before then all my biggest have ranged from 06:30-07:30.
 
Earliest I’ve ever killed one has been 8:30. Latest was the last minute of shooting time. The past few years the majority have been 20 minutes before shooting light ends, but I’ve killed most of my deer between 9:30-10:30. That’s because everyone at my lease gets out of their stands at 9. Pushes them right to me
 
One of the P&Y bucks I took was at 3:50 PM and the other was at 1:50 PM both in the first week of November one years apart.
 
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The biggest was with a shotgun New Years day, 30 mins before dusk. My biggest from a tree was with a Muzzleloader, 2nd week of November about an hour before dark (Rut was at peak). My first bow buck came on opening day of bow season (1st Sat. of October) about 45 mins after sun rise.
By far I have had much more action in the evening hours than the morning, much of that may be due to the noise and inexperience of my entrance into my stand. Have learned a lot more over the last few years, so maybe I will start to see that trend change a little.
 
I like hunting afternoons best it is a little warmer so I don't freeze my tail off so much all my bucks were after 4 pm this year.
 
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