I was just sitting here thinking about deer hunting ever since the early 1970s and I have taken only one deer shortly after sunup.
And I have done so many hunts where I have sit until " Dark Thirty " and never have I seen a deer in the last hour of light.
Now that's just my experience as I know that some of you have connected at first light and last light.
But you know what? I think the majority of deer I have taken have been between Noon to 3:00 PM.
I do attribute that to other hunters going out for lunch and returning in the afternoon.
So do you have a "Hot Time" that you have taken the most deer? :archer:
The two better bucks I've shot were in November sometime between 10am and noon. But I probably see more deer movement in evenings. I usually start climbing down once I feel I can no longer take an ethical 15 yard shot. I've had several big bucks walk right under my stand at last light but too dark to take an ethical shot.
I mostly hunt public land and have been pretty successful between 10 and 2; however, I've seen the same on the private land I hunt, family farm.
Now, I have killed a few bucks early season in their bedroom and those have been early morning. All these were on the family farm where I pretty much knew exactly where these deer were bedding on specific winds. I've never pulled this off on public land.
After breakfast :archer:
Most of the deer that I've killed in the evening have been during the last 30 minutes of shooting light. We can hunt until 30 minutes after sunset, but for me it is more like 15 minutes after sunset. Once I can't distinguish the small limbs that are 10-15 yards away, I pack up for the day. Mornings...I don't recall shooting a deer before 9:30, with most being shot between 10:00 and noon.
id say most have been 10:00 am- 2:00 pm, but have killed some late afternoon. i dont think i have ever killed one early morn. ( i just hate walking in the dark early morning) :biglaugh:
I have six trad kills, five were between 7-9am, one at 4:30 pm (10-15 mins before sunset). All kills (100+/-), all weapons, I'd bet 2/3 were before 9:30 am.
First and last couple of hours of day. However I'd attribute that to the fact that we hunt at or around feeders and they go off usually at legal shooting light and a couple hours before the end of it.
I have seen the most from about 8:00 to 9:30 in the morning. I don't hunt much in the evenings, so I have seen very few deer. The biggest I have ever seen was at 11:30 AM.
Been at this over 55 years, only have I taken two deer in the morning, and around a 100 of them within 2 hours of sunset. None during the middle of the day, Usually that's when I was at work.
For me, Ive taken several from a hour after first light to a couple hours later. But I think I've killed more in the last couple hours of the day
About fifty percent would between ten and two. The rest would be split between AM and PM.
On morning hunts I feel like most of the Deer were 8-9:30. Early in the season Deer move earlier in evening here, often couple hours before dark, but the later in the season, the later they seem to move. At least that is how it seems here in the hills of Ky. I have taken several as light began to fade. It seems that after rifle season they become more skittish and wait later. Especially after late muzzleloader season. For this reason I try to hunt all I can before rifle season and let up after. Old age, illness, and cold probably contribute to that also. I do not hunt during any gun season. But that's just my 2cents! :biglaugh:
My favorite time to hunt during the rut is between 10AM and 2PM. I used to hunt all day but with a bad back four hours is all I can take. I've seem more large bucks between those hours than I have seen hunting mornings or evenings.
I am gonna have to go with the 10:00 AM to 2:00 or so PM. I have stayed in stand longer but cant really say I saw anything. Not getting up in the middle of the night to get to a stand or still hunt spot suites me quite well. I like to sleep in now days.
I have killed the most about 1/2 hour before sunset. However, the 5 (or so) best bucks I've taken have been between 10 am and noon.
Mostly around 5:00 PM.
Mornings would be with in the 2nd hour of daylight evenings the last hour. See more deer in the evenings see more bucks in the morning
Definitely killed the most deer in evenings, including bucks.
Yes, I've seen a fair share of big bucks during the 9:00 to 2:00 period but they rarely, hardly ever present a shot. Always seem to be moving fast at that time.
Lately I have been seeing the most deer as I'm backing out of my garage to go to work in the afternoon. :knothead: :biglaugh:
Morning for me. A little over an hr after sunrise. I hunt close to bedding areas though
During the rut, which is primarily when I hunt, I've killed most between 10 and 2 as well, with earlier morning coming in second and later in the afternoon third. Never thought about it much, but I agree with Kelly, the bucks seem to be cruising during that 10-2 period, or actually chasing does.
Not much in it for me between morning and evening
First light to 90 minutes in. I hunt 3xs as many AMs as PMs. Wind picks up too much where I hunt. I prefer recovering and processing deer in light rather than dark.
I've killed more deer during the hours of 9 and 12. In heavily hunted areas hunters tend to move more during those hours, and they push deer around.
Most all of my blood trailing skills seem to be employed after dark. Dragging deer through the dark, thick forest has always been bitter sweet. The few times I've killed deer in the morning made the blood trailing and dragging tasks much easier. I don't see this trend changing as I get older because the bourbon tastes better later into the evenings these days and the sleeping bag hangs on longer in the mornings.
About 20 years into my adventure, now 20 more years later, it's far from a numbers game
It's weird... I've seen, by far, more deer in evening sits. However, as far as filling tags go, it's even between early morning (1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 after) and late (1/2 hr before sunset to 1/2 after).
Morning evening miday. Just when my gut tells me what deer are doing in a given area. Travelling, feeding, rutting. Most times its a gut hunch. Think I've put about 400lbs away with selfbow in 2020.
Smag~
Been hunting with a stick and a string for 50 years now. I've never killed a deer during the times I've been home sitting on the couch! To be honest I couldn't tell you how many deer I've killed from first light to last light. Been a bunch. I love morning hunts as you have lots of time to track and make meat. Hate evening hunts as darkness falls and makes recovery harder. BUT I like evening hunts simply because I KNOW when it's time to call it a day. Morning hunts I just want to stay a few more minutes!
I've been seeing a handful of nice 8-10 point 2-4 Year old bucks in the morning as I Mt Bike in the green belt in town. 🚴♀️🤪😢
First hour or last hour of daylight. Which is best depends on the stand/blind location and movement patterns.
I have killed more in the evening, but that's because I can do more evening hunts:
Last 30 minutes of daylight
Depends on the time of year I guess. Assuming this question is including all weapon types, I've shot the majority of my deer in the evening, and a few around noon. I find it kind of odd that I see the most movement during the mornings, but have never actually killed a deer in the morning.
Time in stand is key
Every property and every deer is different, I have examples of big and small bucks for every situation
Don't hunt the same stand(s). They know it. So you'll see less, I've seen it happen and once I recognized what's going on I stopped many years ago. Now I hang and hunt almost every sit. I have stands all over and almost always put up a new set to get into the sign.
Years ago my friends would laugh, we'd hunt and I'd go in blind in the dark on a new property I've never been to and shoot bucks almost every sit. Turns out it's all the element of surprise.
When you can't be patterned you'll see all sorts of deer all sorts of times you never expected.