Time of day

[ncboman]

Besides the last hour of daylight, I've done real well around 10:30am. I've killed and seen so many big ones around 10:30 I really hate leaving the stand until 11:00 at least and have killed several deer by making myself stay.


What time of day have you seen big bucks during hunting seasons past? Do you have a lucky time zone and do you sometimes hunt with it in mind?

[Buckfever]

From Nov 9th till the gun season here in IL. If I have to I will forgo the morning hunt and try to get on stand around 10 and then sit until 1. Come down for an hour eat a lunch that I've packed and then get right back on stand by 2. I have just seen too many bucks checking scrapes between 10:30 and 12 to not be on stand during that time. After that I think the earliest I've seen a good buck would be around 3:30 or 2:30 after the time change.

[eshoremd]

buckfever said:

From Nov 9th till the gun season here in IL. If I have to I will forgo the morning hunt and try to get on stand around 10 and then sit until 1. Come down for an hour eat a lunch that I've packed and then get right back on stand by 2. I have just seen too many bucks checking scrapes between 10:30 and 12 to not be on stand during that time. After that I think the earliest I've seen a good buck would be around 3:30 or 2:30 after the time change.

why even get down? i have absolutely no problem sitting from dark to dark. even this time of year. its called not having anything else better to do and being too lazy to get down, walk out, walk back in, climb back up. being lazy isnt always a bad thing! i seem to kill most my deer around 8-9am. ive yet to have a deer within range right when its getting light enough to shoot.

[freedomrules3]

8:30, 10:30 and 2:30 come to mind for me. seems I have seen more big bucks during those particular times than any other times. thats not including right at or just after shooting light is gone, of coarse . Yes, I can easily stay on stand with the idea that one is coming by just about 2:30 because, I always see them then , then it turns into "can't get down now primetime is just around the corner ."

[tailnbone]

Definetly 8:30 and 10:30 are the most time stamps that I've seen nice bucks. Sometimes 9:30
I don't have a problem staying on stand all day either. Sometimes I don't want to get down for taking a chance on spooking the deer out of my area if their nearby or walking towards me.
If it's during the rut, you can bet I'll be on stand all day or until I bring one down.

[ncboman]

I've never killed a big one within the first two hours of daylight.

[Buckfever]

"why even get down? i have absolutely no problem sitting from dark to dark. even this time of year. its called not having anything else better to do and being too lazy to get down, walk out, walk back in, climb back up. being lazy isnt always a bad thing! i seem to kill most my deer around 8-9am. ive yet to have a deer within range right when its getting light enough to shoot."

I can only answer this for myself and it maybe because I'm a good bit older than you. But for me it is a matter of intensity. I can't hold it like I used to and I need it to be there when it counts the most. Hell I can't even keep it throughout the season anymore. I'll hunt just enough in October to get my schit square and I do love being out there, so a couple times a week for sure. But it's all about 9 days in November now. And every moment that I'm on stand for those 9 days, I MUST be on.

[txm]

I have fairly detailed notes from my hunting and hunters on several ranches as to conditions and time of day that the bucks were killed.
Over all when there is heavy dew most activity is after 9:00 A.M.
In many cases when there is no dew many bucks were killed from first light until 10:00 A.M.
One factor that tends to change this is wind over 20mph.
When that starts the activity slows and in our area it happens very often.