Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Early Season Morning Hunts

saw a post on another site referring to an article in some bowhunting magazine that stated you should not hunt mornings during early season (Oct/Early Nov) if you're after big bucks

their reasoning being that the big bucks will likely have already headed back to their bedding area for the day by the time you head to your stand. They say you're much more likely to be productive by hunting afternoons during early season.

What do you folks think?

my thoughts are I hate mornings but all 90% of my big buck kills have been in mornings. So I trudge on.

I also think watching the weather is important. Whether its daylight or dark if you have a bruiser "flirting" with the edge of legal shooting hours when the temp drops get into the stand. He will possibly be up earlier/later enough to make a mistake. Thats all hunting is IMO, trying to catch that one time he slips up just a little.

When I hunted central and south Alabama I rarely saw bucks in the AM. Now that I hunt north Alabama I rarely see a decent buck in the afternoons.

Have done decent in the mornings. It can be harder I think in the morning because walking in can spook them off what they are feeding on. Most good bucks I have seen were right at legal daylight or late in the morning Ie. Going to bedding areas.

Evening is a little easier because you are catching them going to a feeding source.

I tend to agree. I've noticed based off of my pictures, unless I wanted to come in to the stand around 3am, I was likely going to run anything off anyways getting there.

Bucks or not, I love the morning hunts because there's nothing more peaceful than being in a tree when the sun comes up. I can't eat horns so I'll settle for a doe.

In the early season I rarely see bucks moving around in the morn, I guess mainly cause I'm hunting food sources. In the early season I mainly see bucks moving around food in the afternoons.

Now during the rut it's a different story. I see most of my bucks cruising or chasing during the mornings. I rarely see them later in the year in the afternoons unless they're chasing a does

I've seen good bucks during morning and evening hunts in the early season. The stands I hunt in the early season mornings are all in funnels. I find a thin long set of woods that extend from a feeding source to a bedding area, and hang a stand somewhere in the middle of the funnel. I scouted a perfect area yesterday after work in a funnel I've never hunted , came in contact with a doe 15 yards away and didn't even spook it, she just let me pass and walked off. Damnit I cannot wait for the 15th!!!!!

This is what I'm struggling with now. I greatly prefer to hunt mornings because I hate dragging a deer out at night, but I know for a fact at one spot I hunt I have run the "big boy" of the area off by being a bit too loud making it to my stand in the early morning hours (confirmed via cameras).

I can't remember ever spooking a deer when hunting in the afternoon hours, but it can happen quite a bit in the still mornings. It can be very, very hard, almost impossible even, to be super quiet walking through the woods with a bow, climber, and backpack.

I'll probably try to incorporate more afternoon hunts because of the reasons listed above.

Nothing like running them dogs thru a clear cut at 7:00 AM
yeah come on!

Morning hunts are usually pretty uneventful for me until the rut.

Not just for bucks. Deer movement in general.

My thoughts are that you cant kill them if your lying in the bed. I have killed 3 bucks in the morning with my bow, all on opening day, so I wouldn't give much value to whoever told you that. I can only assume it is one of your club members that doesn't want you in the woods opening day.

Maybe deer around here are retarded but I see 90% of my deer in the a.m. in bow season.

I prefer morning hunts over evening hunts. Most of my bucks have come in the morning.

If you ain't out there.... You ain't gonna killem period... I don't care what books or articles say... They could be bedded down and a coyote get to close and spookem up... Anything can happen while your out there... But you ain't gonna see it of you ain't there...

Like I said in the original post, it was an article in a magazine (North American Whitetail Magazine).

I've killed a lot of bucks in my life and about 95% of them have been in the mornings. You have to watch where you hunt cause deer are already up and on their feet. So more likely to spook one getting to your stand. That's when I hunt the closest stands that allow me to get in undetected most of the time. It has paid off for me. You can't always believe what you read cause that's one persons experience. They write for a living....

During bow season, where i hunt mature bucks are not on their feet during daylight hours, except in extremely thick area's. I agree with what the OP read, i read the same thing years ago. Were not talking bucks, we're talking mature 4 y/o or older bucks.

I wouldn't listen to too much that comes out of a magazine meant for all of the country. Alabama is worlds different when it comes to deer hunting than most other places in the US. Midwestern deer act a lot different than around AL. Not saying it's all bad info but deer that live close to large ag fields are different than those that have to travel to get to food sources. Mast crops can and will draw deer most any time of the day unless it is just blazing hot. I've seen deer hitting acorns and persimmons at lunch time. You just never know where they will be. Getting to the stand may be difficult but its not impossible. Especially if you can use some land features such as creeks or creek beds to slip in... Like was said before, can't kill em on the couch.

Somebody give this man a beer..