Best Time to Deer Hunt
When pursuing mature bucks, knowing when to be in your stand will drastically increase your odds of success.
Some people have all the time in the world to hunt, but for the vast majority of us, that is not the case. Becoming an efficient hunter boils down to several key factors. We will cover the steps you should take to gain an upper hand, and increase your chances of harvesting a deer this fall.
What time of day should I deer hunt?
The hunting industry is no stranger to speculation, however, there are also many facts backed by science and research that should never be overlooked. Unless you are brand new to the world of deer hunting you know that deer are most active during dawn and dusk, this is referred to as crepuscular. This tends to hold especially true earlier in the season. If you're lucky enough to live relatively close to your hunting spot, squeezing in a 1-2 hour hunt before or after work can be done without missing much action. Take advantage of this predictability, as patterning deer becomes increasingly difficult as the rut approaches.
Hunting pressure, and how it will affect your deer hunt.
Hunting heavily pressured areas, be it public or even private land surrounded by neighbors who hunt can lead to frustration. You have options which can give you a huge upper hand, and even make the pressure work in your favor. Try your best to avoid the weekend crowds by hunting the middle of the week. If you have the option, switch with someone at work for a couple weeks and work weekends instead of Wednesday and Thursday for example. Deer know when the pressure dies down a bit, and they take advantage of it, so should you. If that's not an option, make the pressure work to your advantage by hitting pinch points in thicker areas. During the first and last hour of the day, you have a better chance of someone kicking a deer up on their way in or out. The deer instinctively head to safer areas, which are often thick and not normally an ideal hunting spot. Find a spot you can intercept them into these areas and you may have a great hunt!
Does moon phase matter for deer hunting?
This is a topic that has had controversy surrounding it for quite some time. New light was shed on the subject when Marcus Lashley led a study at the University of North Carolina about the effect of moon phases on deer. Consistent with what we already know, deer movement peaked during Twilight in all moon phases. They did, however, find slight differences in when they took the moon calendar into consideration. Researchers found that during a new moon, deer movement lasted a little longer into the early morning. Although very subtle, mid day movement was greatest during a full moon. When your goal is to optimize your chance to harvest a deer, it never hurts to take this into consideration, especially since it has been backed by NCSU.
How to take full advantage of the rut.
Throughout the northern half of the United States, the dates in which the rut normally takes place has always been documented as fairly consistent. When planning your hunts before the rut, keep in mind bucks will be most active roughly 10 days prior to peak breeding. During peak breeding (early to mid-November commonly) most does will be in estrus, and many of the bucks consequently on 'lock-down'. Ideally, you should aim to be hunting the last few days of October and first few days of November. Keeping an eye on local social media groups and pages is a great way to see what other hunters in your area are seeing for rut movement.
Trail cameras and why they are important.
One of the best ways to optimize your time spent hunting is to set up trail cameras. Constantly checking, and relocating your trail cameras throughout the summer, and into fall, will allow you to pattern some deer. Knowing that 'Buck-A' moves down this runway nearly every morning between 6:30 and 7:00 is absolutely invaluable information to have. Use caution when moving in to your stand and avoid disrupting his routine, and you have a good chance at a shot presenting itself to you.
There you have it, if you don't already apply these bits of information into your hunting routine, do so this upcoming fall! We are certain they will give you an upper hand compared to those who do no preparation.
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