1/31/2024 0 Comments Hunted deerThe urge to breed is so strong in bucks in early to mid-November that their crepuscular nature takes a backseat to the need to cover as much ground as possible to find the next available mate. Chief among these is the rut (or breeding period), when bucks-especially mature ones-toss the dawn-and-dusk thing out the window and rise from their beds whenever they feel like it to search for a doe ready to receive their attention. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and there are times when deer fall off the crepuscular wagon and move during midday. Hunt Deer at Midday During the Rut or Severe Cold So, morning is a good time to intercept deer moving from feeding areas back to bed. Because whitetails are comfortable slipping around in the dark, the first rays of dawn’s light seem to trip an internal switch that says it’s time to head for bed, and they start moving back toward the safe spots where they’ll spend the better part of the daylight period to start the cycle over again. They’ll punctuate this activity with an occasional rest (my trail cameras have captured bucks laying down and bedding in one spot for up to two hours in the middle of the night), and then they’ll rise again. While deer don’t typically spend the whole night eating, their stellar night vision makes them comfortable ghosting around in the darkness doing deer stuff-laying down sign, interacting with each other, and grabbing a bite whenever they feel like it. Hunt Deer at Dawn as They Head to Bed A nice whitetail buck beds in thick cover during the day. Because deer are on their feet now, the hours around dusk are a great time for hunters to intercept them moving from their bedding areas to their favorite feeding areas. You haven’t eaten for hours, and no one needs to tell you where the fridge is. It’s like a person getting breakfast in the morning. But then, relying on their memory of where the best foods are, they’ll start moving steadily toward the best groceries and settle in to feed. They’ll rise from their beds and putz around a little bit near their bedding spot at first. But once the sun starts sinking, a whitetail’s appetite kicks into gear, and deer will get up and get serious about filling their rumbling bellies. They’ll rise once every few hours to pee, walk around a bit, and maybe nibble on some browse or acorns, and then they’ll lie down again. Hunt Deer at Dusk as They Move to Feedįor much of the year, deer spend quite a bit of the day bedded down and not moving much. Here’s how it works and how you should take advantage. Loads of hardcore science has proven over and over again that deer are crepuscular, so it’s best to never forget it. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is probably selling something. Even if you’re just getting into deer hunting, you’ve probably noticed in the past that the best times to spot deer are during the first hour or two after sunrise and the last hour or two before sunset. Probably one of the first lessons in Whitetail Hunting 101 is that deer are crepuscular, a scientific term referring to critters that are most active at dawn and dusk. Related: The Best Days of the 2022 Whitetail Rut Best Times of Day to Hunt Deer-the Basics (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had one hunting buddy tell me that he’s waiting for the rut or for the weather to cool off while at the same time another buddy needs help dragging a buck out of the woods.) But if you have the ability to plan ahead and you want to get the most from your time in the woods, here are the best times to hunt deer. You shouldn’t let anything keep you from hunting if you have an inkling to go. And while there’s still no Magic 8-Ball, there is a significant amount of scientific research and a whole lot in-field anecdotal evidence that can help you pick the right time of day, the right rut phase, the ideal weather, and maybe even the perfect moon position to up your odds of success. Life is busy and we’re all short on time and opportunity, so it makes perfect sense to want maximize your efforts by going when your are most likely to see the most deer and get a crack at tagging a buck. So, the short answer to “When is the best time to hunt deer?” is: Whenever you can. There’s no Magic 8-Ball or predictive app that can reveal exactly when and where to be waiting for a great buck to appear under your deer stand. If the season is open and you’ve got a few hours to yourself, get out there, because there’s no telling what you might you’ll see. When is the best time to hunt deer? Well, right now if you can.
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