Morning entry times. Early or gray light?

[deer365]

This is something I've been talking about with several guys. Within the last year due to work and kids my opportunities to hunt in the afternoons is just almost non existent. But I am fortunate to get to hunt a lot of mornings. This past year I would sit until late morning and scout for a couple hours once I got down and then if I found an area I wanted to hunt I would mark it on my GPS and that's where I'd be the following morning. In some circumstances I know you need to try to beat a buck back to his bed but when you're going in on more of an observation sit how many of you wait on gray light to enter an area for the first time in the morning? Within the last couple years I've became paranoid about using a headlamp in the area I'm going to set up in and I also having a little bit of light to help me make sure I'm in what I feel is the right tree is always a plus. Any thpughts?

[dan]

I see bucks bed before daylight most of the time. Then around pre-rut I start seeing them getting a little more sporadic, bedding sometimes later, getting back at grey light, and moving to different beds and checking on does in daylight. With that said, I see lots of morning movement on 2 to 3 year olds,. and occasional 4ish old bucks, but of the true mature bucks Ive observed the majority were seen in the late evening, and a smaller percentage were seen the 1st 1/2 hour of light in the morning.

[Jmitch]

I think It depends highly on the property, what you are setting up on, how well you know it, and cover too. Personally I like using the cover of darkness to hide my approach with no light or a dim red light pointed straight at the ground. I hunt mostly hill country with bottom access and on lots of the cases the only way for me to get around or by deer unseen is to do it in the darkness. But 90% of the time I know exactly where I'm going to setup and have done it multiple times before. Dan's experience absolutely dwarfs mine but my experiences with shooter and "mature" bucks have almost all be in the morning with evenings usually being way less productive but that is probably how I'm setup too

[deer365]

I see bucks bed before daylight most of the time. Then around pre-rut I start seeing them getting a little more sporadic, bedding sometimes later, getting back at grey light, and moving to different beds and checking on does in daylight. With that said, I see lots of morning movement on 2 to 3 year olds,. and occasional 4ish old bucks, but of the true mature bucks Ive observed the majority were seen in the late evening, and a smaller percentage were seen the 1st 1/2 hour of light in the morning.

Thanks Dan! Could you offer me any advice on catching bucks moving late morning? I hate this term because I feel there are so many different definitions but you hear a lot of guys talk about hunting "staging areas" to catch late morning movement. All I've ever felt like a staging area was is just an exit trail where he leaves his bed. Do you feel that's more of a pre rut/rut thing as far as late mornings? Or do you feel this is going to be more of a early or late season thing when he's in more of a bed to feed pattern?

[deer365]

I think It depends highly on the property, what you are setting up on, how well you know it, and cover too. Personally I like using the cover of darkness to hide my approach with no light or a dim red light pointed straight at the ground. I hunt mostly hill country with bottom access and on lots of the cases the only way for me to get around or by deer unseen is to do it in the darkness. But 90% of the time I know exactly where I'm going to setup and have done it multiple times before. Dan's experience absolutely dwarfs mine but my experiences with shooter and "mature" bucks have almost all be in the morning with evenings usually being way less productive but that is probably how I'm setup too

Yeah of the properties I hunt about 90% is hill country. I like the gray light idea just because I think sometimes you can pick a better tree. I've setup in the dark and thought I made a great call and then 30 minutes after daylight I'm cussing myself because I realize I have no shot opportunities and it often results to me getting down and moving to a different tree. But like you said I feel my best option is to use the cover of darkness to help me get in. I use a head lamp getting in but once I start closing in within that last 150 yds or so I use a stream light pen light in the navigation green, the brightness is very similar to the red beam.

[austin1990]

I only hunt mornings during the rut, when I expect them to be up on their feet and only tend to get in funnels/travel corridors. It seems in my area outside of the rut they're back in their bed before daylight the vast majority of time. When I do hunt mornings I tend to go in then at gray light, just because I can slip in quieter, and less intrusive without a light. I typically only hunt river bottoms though and that time of year you can see a light through the flat woods/fields a long ways. I'll agree with dan and it's mostly 2-3 year olds up cruising with the occasional 4 year old or better if there is a hot doe nearby. Evenings are much more productive in my area, easily 90% of the bucks I've killed have been in the evenings with the majority of them being in the last 30 minutes of daylight, even when setup within 100 yards of bedding. I know it all varies area by area, I have some friends that hunt hill country and they do great in the mornings, and rarely see anything in the evenings.

[Trout]

For me, I want to be set up an hour before first light for morning hunts but if I dont know the exact tree I'm going to, just the general area, I walk in while it's dark, then wait till grey light to pick a tree and climb up to make sure I've got some shooting lanes.

[dan]

I see bucks bed before daylight most of the time. Then around pre-rut I start seeing them getting a little more sporadic, bedding sometimes later, getting back at grey light, and moving to different beds and checking on does in daylight. With that said, I see lots of morning movement on 2 to 3 year olds,. and occasional 4ish old bucks, but of the true mature bucks Ive observed the majority were seen in the late evening, and a smaller percentage were seen the 1st 1/2 hour of light in the morning.

Thanks Dan! Could you offer me any advice on catching bucks moving late morning? I hate this term because I feel there are so many different definitions but you hear a lot of guys talk about hunting "staging areas" to catch late morning movement. All I've ever felt like a staging area was is just an exit trail where he leaves his bed. Do you feel that's more of a pre rut/rut thing as far as late mornings? Or do you feel this is going to be more of a early or late season thing when he's in more of a bed to feed pattern?

late morning I would concentrate on funnels and leeward ridges between bedding. Shorter distances with more cover and little human activity is best. As far as staging in the morning, I really don't see what they do in the morni g as staging. They tend to come into beddimg from down wind but not really stage.

[Ack]

I have had a few encounters with bucks, most likely three year olds, outside of buck bedding areas during mid to late morning hours in pre-rut/rut. My thoughts are that they are in their beds before daylight, but they only bed for a few hours and then are back on their feet moving on to find the does. In this type of scenario I would rather walk in a little later....he is most likely already bedded and won’t bust you on his way back to bed.

[rfickes87]

This is something I've been talking about with several guys. Within the last year due to work and kids my opportunities to hunt in the afternoons is just almost non existent. But I am fortunate to get to hunt a lot of mornings. This past year I would sit until late morning and scout for a couple hours once I got down and then if I found an area I wanted to hunt I would mark it on my GPS and that's where I'd be the following morning. In some circumstances I know you need to try to beat a buck back to his bed but when you're going in on more of an observation sit how many of you wait on gray light to enter an area for the first time in the morning? Within the last couple years I've became paranoid about using a headlamp in the area I'm going to set up in and I also having a little bit of light to help me make sure I'm in what I feel is the right tree is always a plus. Any thpughts?

Search joe rentmeester on YouTube. He kills a buck bedded down in the morning. Also has a new podcast out ob wiredtohunt and talks about hunting mornings.

[dan]

This is something I've been talking about with several guys. Within the last year due to work and kids my opportunities to hunt in the afternoons is just almost non existent. But I am fortunate to get to hunt a lot of mornings. This past year I would sit until late morning and scout for a couple hours once I got down and then if I found an area I wanted to hunt I would mark it on my GPS and that's where I'd be the following morning. In some circumstances I know you need to try to beat a buck back to his bed but when you're going in on more of an observation sit how many of you wait on gray light to enter an area for the first time in the morning? Within the last couple years I've became paranoid about using a headlamp in the area I'm going to set up in and I also having a little bit of light to help me make sure I'm in what I feel is the right tree is always a plus. Any thpughts?

Search joe rentmeester on YouTube. He kills a buck bedded down in the morning. Also has a new podcast out ob wiredtohunt and talks about hunting mornings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5GYILUCBM

[deer365]

This is something I've been talking about with several guys. Within the last year due to work and kids my opportunities to hunt in the afternoons is just almost non existent. But I am fortunate to get to hunt a lot of mornings. This past year I would sit until late morning and scout for a couple hours once I got down and then if I found an area I wanted to hunt I would mark it on my GPS and that's where I'd be the following morning. In some circumstances I know you need to try to beat a buck back to his bed but when you're going in on more of an observation sit how many of you wait on gray light to enter an area for the first time in the morning? Within the last couple years I've became paranoid about using a headlamp in the area I'm going to set up in and I also having a little bit of light to help me make sure I'm in what I feel is the right tree is always a plus. Any thpughts?

Search joe rentmeester on YouTube. He kills a buck bedded down in the morning. Also has a new podcast out ob wiredtohunt and talks about hunting mornings.

Thanks! I'll definitely have to give the podcast a listen, Joe is a killer for sure.

[Boogieman1]

For me a few factors are serious players. Terrain and time of year. Much like you mornings are where the majority of my free time lies. A question one must discover early on is are you upping your odds? Or hurting your chances? Would say for me and my circumstances early season morning hunting does 100 times more harm than good in regards to the big boys. Will just discuss what I’ve witnessed enough firsthand to call it fact. Mature bucks are tucked in there hidey hole well b4 first light. Early morning darkness brings sinking air, bucks live by the air and in such follow the lowest ground at that time. And guess what no matter where u are in the woods it’s dragged to his nose. That buck is immediately 10x harder to kill cause he knows you personally are there trying to turn his lights out.

Let’s look at the flip side of the coin. You spent wise post season scouting time. You know where he beds. Now let’s wait til thermal reversal after daylight, you still hunt your way to the stand from the high ground above. Now Atleast your in undetected, odds are still not in your favor the buck will move in daylight but u got a shot and didn’t screw much up. The rut is the only time I’ve found mornings to shine. Late season is still bed b4 light, cross fingers and hope he hits food b4 end of legal shooting light. Completely understand the ole can’t kill em on the couch philosophy so u gotta go when u can. But I have adapted my mornings to be more of a quick brunch type situation in spots I can slip in an out of undetected. Will admit I don’t set the woods on fire and more often than not I don’t see squat. But in my heart I know I gave myself a chance, didnt screw the pooch and times are about to seriously swing in my favor. Get you some cams if you don’t have already. What do they tell you? Pics don’t lie or leave mystery in regards to time. For me and a decade or more of running them early season morning hunters have saved more bucks lifeS than anything.

[deer365]

Can't argue there, I think it will just take some serious evaluating based on the situation at hand and that's why I plan to run more cameras this year and be more active with them.