Morning Hunts Your Opinion

• Sep 23, 2017

• #1

spencer12

Senior Member

I would like to see what everyone's opinion is on this topic. In the early season I only hunt afternoon food sources. I tried for years to hunt mornings but it seemed as though I did more harm than good by doing so. I hunt small areas of food sources and judging by trail cams it seems as though there are deer around at all times of the night and early mornings. It would be near impossible to get into my stand without blowing the whole area in the morning.

When does everyone start hunting mornings?

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #2

lagrangedave

Gone But Not Forgotten

Hour before daylight. Much more productive in the morning.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #3

spencer12

Senior Member

Maybe I wasn't clear on my question, I am wanting to know at what point does everyone start hunting mornings early season, october, the rut, always.... etc

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #4

muzzy17is

Senior Member

I hunt mornings as often as I can all season long. With that being said I usually see my deer in the mornings within the first 30 min to an hour after dawn. In the evening I usually see most of my deer in the last couple of minutes of legal shooting times.

I've spooked deer going into my stand in the morning but once things cool down and everything is still they will continue to move.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #5

NCHillbilly

Administrator

Staff member

Always. I usually see and kill a lot more deer in the mornings than the afternoons.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #6

Mexican Squealer

Senior Member

I hunt any morning I can. See deer pretty much every hunt, morning or evening.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #7

swamp hunter

Senior Member

Mornings here. I set up on travel routes and Funnels cause deer feed on everything , everywhere.
The food sources your hunting are by far not the only food in the woods.
I start 10 minutes after I get to my stand and if I run off deer no big deal , their not the only deer in the woods.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #8

Spotlite

Resident Homesteader

swamp hunter said:

Mornings here. I set up on travel routes and Funnels cause deer feed on everything , everywhere.
The food sources your hunting are by far not the only food in the woods.
I start 10 minutes after I get to my stand and if I run off deer no big deal , their not the only deer in the woods.

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Yup. Folks gotta remember, deer browse, not graze.

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #9

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator

Staff member

I am starting my 50th season of deer hunting. I have probably hunted mostly afternoons due to work schedules.

But I have done lots of am hunting too. My observation is hunt food sources in pm and wherever you can see great distance in the am.
Hunt anytime you can. Don't you hunt because you enjoy it ?

 

• Sep 23, 2017

• #10

Spotlite

Resident Homesteader

Milkman said:

Hunt anytime you can. Don't you hunt because you enjoy it ?

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Exactly!

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #11

Kris87

Senior Member

Early season I won't hunt a morning where I have a mature buck. I only hunt him in the evenings. I still go mornings, but usually stands where it's just does, not close to any bedding. I've seen plenty of guys ruin a killable buck by getting in his area in the mornings. Takes discipline to stay out, but I've had remarkable success in Sept doing it this way.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #12

Buck Dropper

Senior Member

Kris87 said:

Early season I won't hunt a morning where I have a mature buck. I only hunt him in the evenings. I still go mornings, but usually stands where it's just does, not close to any bedding. I've seen plenty of guys ruin a killable buck by getting in his area in the mornings. Takes discipline to stay out, but I've had remarkable success in Sept doing it this way.

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Can you expound on the reasoning for that?

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #13

280bst

Senior Member

In the AM seen more Deer between 9 to 11 do go any time I can because I like to go Hunting. I don't trophy hunt I don't meat hunt I just go Hunting and every hunt is a success

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #14

E

erhunter

Senior Member

280bst said:

In the AM seen more Deer between 9 to 11 do go any time I can because I like to go Hunting. I don't trophy hunt I don't meat hunt I just go Hunting and every hunt is a success

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I gotta give props to this mentality! Always seems I have a good hunt when I just breath and enjoy the moment, day or night. Good luck out there yall

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #15

Echo

Gone But Not Forgotten

If I'm going hunting I usually plan to hunt morning and evening with the morning hunts usually being my most productive times throughout the season.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #16

Blisterapine

Senior Member

Usually see more deer in the AM , don't like losing light of the day, especially since I bow hunt 99% of the time.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #17

sweatequity

Senior Member

mornings are

far better for me. However you look at, 100% of deer are active after dark. You are going to bump them no matter what you do. I prefer to watch the sunrise and watch the woods come alive and I always sit till 10-12 and spend the evenings with my wife and kids.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #18

toolmkr20

Senior Member

I hunt whenever I can get in the woods. Don't much matter to me whether it's mornings, mid day or evenings. Deer move all hours of the day. Cannot shoot them from the couch, just saying.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #19

spencer12

Senior Member

Buck Dropper said:

Can you expound on the reasoning for that?

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I'm assuming his reasoning may be similar to mine. Maybe not, but in the early season (From what I've seen) a mature buck will bed fairly close to his main food source, whatever that may be. And from what I've seen they seem to hit that food source at random times in the early morning before daylight and right before. Therefore you run a huge risk of bumping him on the way in.

 

• Sep 24, 2017

• #20

Booner Killa

Senior Member

There are quite a few factors that determine if the morning is doing harm. Access to and from the stand can determine how much intrusion is applied to a spot. Stand placement will determine if mornings can be hunted or not. Mark Drury is a big evening guy. Much of that decision has to do with stand placement and the intrusion factor. He hunts in and around food plots and talks about this quite a bit on podcasts and his shows. It depends on your intentions and what you’re trying to gain from the experience. Drury only hunts mornings about 2 weeks out of the year unless the perfect weather hits earlier in the year.