Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Peak of the Whitetail Rut ~ which would you choose???

If you had to choose between morning hunts or evening hunts, which would you choose? .... and why?

Peak of the rut means all day sits for me. Ya never know when the right doe will be on her feet smelling good and brings her boyfriend trailing behind.

An all day hunt was not a choice in this instance .... thanks anyway

Most of the good deer I've taken during the rut have been between 9am and 2pm so I'm inclined to commit to latter morning, early aft.

All day. You never know!

I have shot exactly 1 buck in the evening. The rest have been morning, from first light to late morning. I have shot 3 rutting bucks between 1245pm and 2 pm in the last 6 years.

I've seen enough in the evening on the way out of the woods or driving home to know they had to be somewhere in the afternoon though, so I hunt ALL day.

Latest deer I've shot was at 11:55am. Very few opportunities in the evening.

I shot a 9pt on the iron range of MN a few year back at 1:13 pm. Literally everyone in camp but me, fell asleep after lunch at about 1130. I went back out as soon as I finished my sammich and chili. I came back at by 1:45 and had to wake up my dad to help me hang it. No one believed me...they were all asleep and didn't hear the shot.

Without a doubt, evening hunts are when I see the vast majority of mature bucks during the rut. During the late afternoon/early evening, the does generally head to my clover and wheat fields to feed. The big bucks will either be following does or will know to come to the fields late in the day to find does.

I would pick between 9 AM and 11 AM

Yep

Ricky the answer is not easily answered in am or pm. Looking at the moon phases you'll see that:

First Qtr-worst time for diurnal movement, both are poor
Full Moon- most movement occurs 10am-2pm
Last Qtr- most movement occurs in the morning
New Moon- as the moon switches to this phase the deer will switch to an evening feed

*Best times to hunt according to surveys and statistics are:
#1 Last Qtr.
#2 New Moon
#3 Full Moon
#4 1st Qtr.

I would choose morning hunts. I've shot all my big deer before 1:00 pm. I still sit all day but given the choice it's hands down the am hunt. Won't profess to know why this is but the results speak for themselves.
Cheers.

Morning, as in 6 am until noon if I have to live within the parameters of the question.

If I had to choose I would hunt mornings. I've killed my bigger bucks before noon.

Morning, shot most of mine between first light and 1:00 pm

i used to get all my deer at eve hunts but over the last 20 years definitely morning

All day is the preference but if forced to chose - evening.

I hunt a couple of stands but history shows me that in my places, most activity is always in the evening.

Especially if I'm out at deer camp, I'm in the woods all day...

This ^^* as far as big bucks being with the doe and breeding.

If just before, when they are looking and traveling, I'd say 10:30 -2:00. They like to make their runs when hunters are in camp for lunch and their smell has left the woods. 3 hunters traveling on roads to their stands on 1500 acres can make big bucks lay up in am and pm and make their scrape run at lunch time.

Earlier, in Texas bow season on cool mornings when they are building their scrape line, look for him to come by on it right after daylight and just before dark.

Need more info on place you are hunting. Thick cover, fields, woods?