Conventional hunting wisdom says early morning and late afternoon are the best times to hunt whitetails. Conversely, the middle of the day — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — is supposed to be dead. Deer should be bedded until it’s time for the evening feed.
What time of day are most big bucks killed?
Most of them are specifically between 9:00 and 10:00 in the morning to be exact. It’s a proven time, and it could have a lot to do with the common perception among deer hunters that things slow down once early morning is through.
Is it better to hunt in the morning or evening during the rut?
During the rut, morning hunting usually is the best time to spot bucks making the rounds. However, a lonely buck in search of a mate can appear at any hour. Another good location to bag a buck is downwind of any pinch point, or bottleneck, in your hunting area.
Should you hunt all day during the rut?
During the rut, hunt whenever you can, morning, midday or afternoon and evening. The best place to find bucks is wherever you find does. In the morning and midday, stands near a doe bedding area are good places to see a buck. In the evening, food sources are great places to catch a buck looking for a doe.
What time of day do big bucks move?
Like taxes and death, you can count on two things when talking about mature bucks: they move most at dawn and dusk, and during the rut. Deer are crepuscular. It’s built into their DNA.
Do deer travel the same path every day?
They leave their home going to a place they know they can feed and then walk back home. As long as this continues to be a safe place for them, they will continue to walk along this same path every single day. Of course throughout the year, depending on what the deer are doing it may be more or less frequent.
Where do deer hide during the day?
Deer usually like to hide in thick bushes during the day, and they cover themselves up very well. In some cases, female deer also help the newborn deer to hide properly, and they even tuck them in before plopping beside them in a protective stance.
How long before sunrise should I be in my deer stand?
I always settle in about 30 to 45 min before sunrise, but you can never be in the stand to ealry. It just allows everything to settle down.
Why do hunters wear camouflage if deer are color blind?
This helps them have better vision in the dark. Compared to humans, the idea of seeing in black and white is a pretty good approximation though. Most importantly, deer are not able to see bright blaze orange. … The photos are of hunters using color specific camo to hide from the readers, not from deer.
Do deer move all day during rut?
Myth: Bucks Will Roam Far and Wide During the Rut
Some might. Most won’t. Multiple studies, using GPS tracking, have confirmed that the majority of bucks stick to their core home ranges during the rut—and those core areas are pretty small (think 15-20 acres small).
When should you hunt all day?
WHERE TO GO. For the most part, hunters who only sit early in the morning and/or late in the day steer clear of bedding areas to avoid spooking deer while climbing in or out of a stand. The all-day hunter can get right in the middle of a bedding area, like a creek bottom or swamp, where deer feel safe at high noon.
How early should I be in the woods for deer hunting?
If I am only hunting the afternoon hours during the rut, I often try to settle in 4-6 hours before dark if hunting a heavily wooded cruising location, and closer to 3-4 hours prior to dark if hunting a food source.
What time do bucks bed down?
While I often see deer feeding after sunset and before sunrise, I also see them bedded in or near the fields from 10:00 – 12:00 PM and from 2:00 – 4:00 AM. Several different studies on daily deer movement show that during the fall deer are most active at night around dawn and dusk, and from 12:00 – 2:00 AM.
Should I hunt a rub line?
If you’re hunting public land or pressured private dirt, you’ll want to keep looking. … But one rub doesn’t make for a good hunting area. Rub lines are better, not only because they’ll show a concentration of sign, but because they’ll give you a clear direction that your target buck likes to travel.
Where do big whitetail bucks hide?
“More mature deer are going to find a place for bedding that’s close to water, food, cover and where the does are,” he said. “You’re looking for south-facing slopes [where there is] more sun, and the thermals create a sort of wind tunnel. In those places a big buck doesn’t have to use a lot of energy to chase does.”
Do Bucks travel the same route?
However the great thing about mature bucks in general is that although no two are alike, most of them do follow the same travel routes. … Current rubs and scrapes are great, but when you can find the historical evidence of bucks that have used specific travel routes from 5-10 years past or more, take note!