what is the best time of day for hunting now?

[outdoorman]

Being a new deer hunter, I am trying to figure what time of day is best for hunting deer this time of year through the rest of the season?
I've heard that at some time deer transition from moving mornings to more in the afternoons.
Thanks.

 

[mallardsx2]

Basin on my FFG magazine that showed up in the mail yesterday, Larry Weishuhn, says the middle of the day.

And this is based on his vast expanse of knowledge of hunting big bucks on private ranches and massive tracts of under-hunted land across North America .

My trail cameras tell me that Larry is giving out poor advice or it certainly isn’t based on hunting in Georgia.Lol

IMO, the first 2.5 hours of daylight and the last 2.5 hours of daylight will ALWAYS be the best time to kill a deer (outside of the rut). Pending some form of massive cold front comes through.

 

[MattLemmon]

You’re likely going to get a lot of opinions on this.

I’ve found 3 themes that I stick with, early morning and late afternoon tend to be the best, cold weather keeps deer on their feet more hours than warm weather, during the rut you can see bucks all day. With that said, the biggest buck on my wall was killed at 12 noon after the rut, while all my buddies were at camp drinking beer, so they can and will move at any time.

 

[Dean]

I consider this post rut in my area, or atleast secondary rut...and weather/temp plays a major role in movement. However, this time of year, I focus on best available food source in my area, and for me that is a green field - and as such, unless I can hunt a travel path back to bedding from food source, and enter such without bumping deer on food source I hunt almost strictly afternoons from mid Dec-to season end. Doubt I will hunt a morning again this season.

 

[Gadestroyer74]

Not even gonna offer any advice or opinion way too many variables at play. Go hunt and see

 

[elfiii]

Right after day break and about an hour and a half before sunset. Everything else is rolling the dice.

 

[Deerhead]

Based on my trail camera activity. Which is just a snap shot of a food plot. Mid day and evenings.

Good Luck

 

[Nicodemus]

Just my opinion, no matter the time of the year, no matter the temperatures, if you get a chance to go, then get in the woods and hunt. Deer have a habit of moving when they want to and that can occur at any time of the day.

 

[huntersluck]

Day time

 

[Ace1313]

What Nic said...

Hunt when you can, you never know what you will see unless you are out there. Here is SWGA you never know what will come cruising along.

 

[Brim Hat]

I agree with the above. The best time to go is whenever you can, I know folks that rather hunt 10am to 2 pm

 

[BriarPatch99]

Daylight to 9:45 am .... one hour before Sunset until too dark to see ... Normal moon stages ...
Full moon ...Middle of the day ...10 am to 2pm ...

This is for my piece of woods down here in God's country ....

 

[hunter84]

I have always hunted in north Georgia and have tried to use the feeding tables published by different sources and most of the time they don't match up. In North Georgia some years you have good acorn crop sometimes hardly nothing and to me that dictates move more than anything if you have a good acorn crop they don't have to move as far to find food compared to years when acorns are hard to find so that and the weather are the biggest things to look at at if it's cold they will be on their feet longer and if it's warm not as much but either way it's early morning and evening hunt and again if it's cold they tend to move a little earlier in the evening but when it's warmer they tend to move right at dark not saying they won't move at other times because they will but with my experience these are the times I've seen them move.

 

[specialk]

30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset....TRUE STORY.....

 

[Luvntheoutdors]

Seeing good bucks around multiple does on camera from 12:00-2:00

 

[westcobbdog]

Being a new deer hunter, I am trying to figure what time of day is best for hunting deer this time of year through the rest of the season?
I've heard that at some time deer transition from moving mornings to more in the afternoons.
Thanks.

Wildlife feeding times / solar lunar tables are printed in every monthly issue of GON magazine.
In the field I look at "wsbtv fish and game forecast". Use same tables to fish by, too.

 

[tree cutter 08]

All day but I wouldn't come out before 2 pm.

 

[menhadenman]

Just my opinion, no matter the time of the year, no matter the temperatures, if you get a chance to go, then get in the woods and hunt. Deer have a habit of moving when they want to and that can occur at any time of the day.

A guy who’s killed many times the critters I have once said the number one predictor of guys that get big bucks is having their butts in the stand any chance they can

 

[Hunter922]

Before and after a front ... And near privet hedges..

 

[Waddams]

Food and bedding. Find the sign that shows deer are around (tracks/poop/nipped off browse/lots of overturned leaves/etc.). Scout - find likely thick areas for bedding. Then set up where you can not have your wind blow into bedding and not blow across the path from bedding to food and back.

Deer regurgitate their food like all ruminants. So they leave bedding, feed, then go back bed and regurgitate to finish chewing. They know they have a long day light sit in cover, so they'll make sure they're full going to bed as morning breaks then sit in bed and regurgitate during the day. So understand, just because they're in bed, they're still eating! If there's lots of food, there generally isn't a long morning shooting window. They'll be heading to or even in bed pretty quick as day breaks.

If they can bed in thick areas with decent browse, they'll get up and move and browse in the bedroom. Then as darkness falls, they'll head out for night feeding, having a drink, wandering, and other things that only deer understand fully.

Best bet is find likely bedding, and try to get as close as you can without being too close. Best chances are early morning, late evening. Then remember, deer aren't robots or programs. They have minds, and they can and will do all kinds of crazy things outside the generalities outlined above for reasons only they know.

Your chances are best early and late, your chances through the rest of the day might generally be lower, but they do get up and move during the day, just to a lesser extent. As to what gets them up and moving during the day against the general wisdom, it could be a dog, coyote, catch wind of another hunter, etc. All kinds of things can kick 'em out of bed at strange times. Only way to get one during the day when that happens is to be in the woods.