Morning hunt strategies - Early season

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tgreeno
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Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby tgreeno » Sat Jan 01, 2022 2:30 am

OK...I typically don't hunt alot of mornings other than during rut. I do hunt a few mornings in certain bedding areas. I'm always afraid I'm going to blow deer out getting in there in the dark. Because times I have to access thru areas the deer could possible be traveling.

What are you best morning setups during the 1st month of the season? Access strategies?


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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby Andyschulte » Sat Jan 01, 2022 3:12 am

I haven’t knocked down a buck or anything like that, but I’ve had success killing does opening morning the past few years setting up on travel routes from ag fields to bedding.

In my situation, ag is typically up top, and my access is a creek bottom.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Jan 01, 2022 3:48 am

My favorite morning hunting strategy for early season is spot and stalk. If you have ag fields or CRP it can be fun and productive. When I worked 3rd shift it was one of my favorite things to do. Learning a few routes that can give you a land feature advantage is key. I could stalk quickly moving with the silence of the morning dew and hiding behind hills, trees and hedge rows.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby ODH » Sat Jan 01, 2022 4:23 am

My best example of the challenge we face targeting a mature buck was many years back on an afternoon hunt mid October I was hiking toward a ridge where I suspected a buck bedding, and on the way in from the bottom I got passed by a coyote which then bumped the buck from a bed at the base of the ridge. The buck escaped over the top. So being young and full of confidence I woke up at 3am, hiked in to be at the bed 2 hours before first light, and when I reached my tree I scanned around with my flashlight and the buck was standing in the bed 20 yards away staring at me. He slowly walked off. That's 2 hours early.

So if I hunt an early season morning now it's when I know where a bed is, I think it's a home base bed, I think I understand the winds and the likely approach (ie. J hook or other) and I set up where I expect to be in a just-off-wind-current position somewhere along the expected path of approach, maybe 20-50 yards from the bed depending on terrain. I try to be about a hour early. I know I'm going to cross trails other deer are using and kind of mess up that area but this is an all or none type of game. Sometimes the wind trails in a wrong direction or waffles back and forth. There are more spots than days to hunt. So it's a bet. It works or it doesn't but for the right deer it's worth a try.

To me it's not about a certain terrain type it's more about knowing where deer are likely to be.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby ODH » Sat Jan 01, 2022 4:55 am

Here's one more thought that probably does vary by location - my best shots have come mid October into the 3rd week. It's never worked for me in early Oct. And late Oct onward it's a different game. I imagine results vary based on state. I'm curious what everyone else sees.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby brancher147 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 6:36 am

I’ve done well early season mornings. Honestly it’s the evening I struggle with and usually end up bumping deer.

I hunt mountains and usually access straight up from the bottom and try to blow my wind back my access path. I know it goes against the grain but I see a lot of movement mid morning and that’s when most my success has been. I am setting up right in bedding or in between buck bedding areas and I either catch deer coming back to main bedding or catch them mid morning making a bed shift usually around the time the wind/thermals change.

The places I have had the most success I monitor with cams in the summer and bucks stay close to those patterns early season.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Sat Jan 01, 2022 7:14 am

brancher147 wrote:I’ve done well early season mornings. Honestly it’s the evening I struggle with and usually end up bumping deer.

I hunt mountains and usually access straight up from the bottom and try to blow my wind back my access path. I know it goes against the grain but I see a lot of movement mid morning and that’s when most my success has been. I am setting up right in bedding or in between buck bedding areas and I either catch deer coming back to main bedding or catch them mid morning making a bed shift usually around the time the wind/thermals change.

The places I have had the most success I monitor with cams in the summer and bucks stay close to those patterns early season.

I have more hills than mountains here, but I'm wondering a couple of things about your entry. First, are you going in before light or in gray light? Second, are you going straight up into the bedding area, or are you going up to that height and then crossing over into it?
I've found a bed here that lies right in the middle of a narrow bench, with his trail leading in and out both sides. But he also has an access that is very steep coming from the bottom, right into the bed. I haven't found the steep one going up from bed yet, but I'm betting there is one. Just wondering how you would access a bedding area like that. Thanks
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby brancher147 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 1:40 pm

wolverinebuckman wrote:
brancher147 wrote:I’ve done well early season mornings. Honestly it’s the evening I struggle with and usually end up bumping deer.

I hunt mountains and usually access straight up from the bottom and try to blow my wind back my access path. I know it goes against the grain but I see a lot of movement mid morning and that’s when most my success has been. I am setting up right in bedding or in between buck bedding areas and I either catch deer coming back to main bedding or catch them mid morning making a bed shift usually around the time the wind/thermals change.

The places I have had the most success I monitor with cams in the summer and bucks stay close to those patterns early season.

I have more hills than mountains here, but I'm wondering a couple of things about your entry. First, are you going in before light or in gray light? Second, are you going straight up into the bedding area, or are you going up to that height and then crossing over into it?
I've found a bed here that lies right in the middle of a narrow bench, with his trail leading in and out both sides. But he also has an access that is very steep coming from the bottom, right into the bed. I haven't found the steep one going up from bed yet, but I'm betting there is one. Just wondering how you would access a bedding area like that. Thanks


I am usually accessing in the dark very slowly and quietly trying to be setup right at or before gray light. Seems like for me deer are either there before grey light or they come to bed mid morning. I go straight up to the bedding area or spot if I can but I do have cliffs some places that I must go around then angle in or cut over.

Sounds like you found a good spot to check trails with cameras if that’s an option or something you like to use. Your bedding scenario sounds similar to mine but I’m not really hunting individual beds they are bedding areas. But from what I have seen bucks are using the very faint trails to angle in in the morning they are not walking the actual bench. I have never seen them come straight up in the morning but I have scouted a spot where it looks like that happens.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby Stingray713 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 2:56 pm

Season starts beginning of October here. I try to find a big one during the summer with cameras. Go to where I think he’s hanging out when sheds his velvet and look for big rubs on the edge of suspected bedding. Go in really early first week of season to these spots, try to access from an angle that’s close to 90 degrees the bucks travel back from food. Usually one of those days I’ll catch a big one on his feet early. Cool weather and good overhead moon seem to tilt the odds even more.

Also helps to find an area with a couple or more good bucks. I’ve seen bucks in areas like this stay up later into the morning laying down sign close to the their bed.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby brancher147 » Sat Jan 01, 2022 11:02 pm

Stingray713 wrote:Season starts beginning of October here. I try to find a big one during the summer with cameras. Go to where I think he’s hanging out when sheds his velvet and look for big rubs on the edge of suspected bedding. Go in really early first week of season to these spots, try to access from an angle that’s close to 90 degrees the bucks travel back from food. Usually one of those days I’ll catch a big one on his feet early. Cool weather and good overhead moon seem to tilt the odds even more.

Also helps to find an area with a couple or more good bucks. I’ve seen bucks in areas like this stay up later into the morning laying down sign close to the their bed.


Agree with all that. Our season is a week earlier and that helps a lot. But cool morning, OH moon, multiple good bucks in an area have also been key factors for me.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:08 am

brancher147 wrote:
wolverinebuckman wrote:
brancher147 wrote:I’ve done well early season mornings. Honestly it’s the evening I struggle with and usually end up bumping deer.

I hunt mountains and usually access straight up from the bottom and try to blow my wind back my access path. I know it goes against the grain but I see a lot of movement mid morning and that’s when most my success has been. I am setting up right in bedding or in between buck bedding areas and I either catch deer coming back to main bedding or catch them mid morning making a bed shift usually around the time the wind/thermals change.

The places I have had the most success I monitor with cams in the summer and bucks stay close to those patterns early season.

I have more hills than mountains here, but I'm wondering a couple of things about your entry. First, are you going in before light or in gray light? Second, are you going straight up into the bedding area, or are you going up to that height and then crossing over into it?
I've found a bed here that lies right in the middle of a narrow bench, with his trail leading in and out both sides. But he also has an access that is very steep coming from the bottom, right into the bed. I haven't found the steep one going up from bed yet, but I'm betting there is one. Just wondering how you would access a bedding area like that. Thanks


I am usually accessing in the dark very slowly and quietly trying to be setup right at or before gray light. Seems like for me deer are either there before grey light or they come to bed mid morning. I go straight up to the bedding area or spot if I can but I do have cliffs some places that I must go around then angle in or cut over.

Sounds like you found a good spot to check trails with cameras if that’s an option or something you like to use. Your bedding scenario sounds similar to mine but I’m not really hunting individual beds they are bedding areas. But from what I have seen bucks are using the very faint trails to angle in in the morning they are not walking the actual bench. I have never seen them come straight up in the morning but I have scouted a spot where it looks like that happens.

Great! You've given me some things to really think on, especially with this one particular bed. And yes, I do think I will put out a camera at a couple of pinch points that I've found him traveling in the area. Sweet, starting to make some connections!

Just out of curiosity, what do your changes in elevation usually look like? Around here my climbs are 300 to 350 ft bottom to top.
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Re: Morning hunt strategies - Early season

Unread postby brancher147 » Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:51 am

wolverinebuckman wrote:
brancher147 wrote:
wolverinebuckman wrote:
brancher147 wrote:I’ve done well early season mornings. Honestly it’s the evening I struggle with and usually end up bumping deer.

I hunt mountains and usually access straight up from the bottom and try to blow my wind back my access path. I know it goes against the grain but I see a lot of movement mid morning and that’s when most my success has been. I am setting up right in bedding or in between buck bedding areas and I either catch deer coming back to main bedding or catch them mid morning making a bed shift usually around the time the wind/thermals change.

The places I have had the most success I monitor with cams in the summer and bucks stay close to those patterns early season.

I have more hills than mountains here, but I'm wondering a couple of things about your entry. First, are you going in before light or in gray light? Second, are you going straight up into the bedding area, or are you going up to that height and then crossing over into it?
I've found a bed here that lies right in the middle of a narrow bench, with his trail leading in and out both sides. But he also has an access that is very steep coming from the bottom, right into the bed. I haven't found the steep one going up from bed yet, but I'm betting there is one. Just wondering how you would access a bedding area like that. Thanks


I am usually accessing in the dark very slowly and quietly trying to be setup right at or before gray light. Seems like for me deer are either there before grey light or they come to bed mid morning. I go straight up to the bedding area or spot if I can but I do have cliffs some places that I must go around then angle in or cut over.

Sounds like you found a good spot to check trails with cameras if that’s an option or something you like to use. Your bedding scenario sounds similar to mine but I’m not really hunting individual beds they are bedding areas. But from what I have seen bucks are using the very faint trails to angle in in the morning they are not walking the actual bench. I have never seen them come straight up in the morning but I have scouted a spot where it looks like that happens.

Great! You've given me some things to really think on, especially with this one particular bed. And yes, I do think I will put out a camera at a couple of pinch points that I've found him traveling in the area. Sweet, starting to make some connections!

Just out of curiosity, what do your changes in elevation usually look like? Around here my climbs are 300 to 350 ft bottom to top.


Probably 4-500 ft and very steep .25 mile or less. It’s highly variable though. I do have a couple new spots accessing from above in bigger mountains but don’t have any experience with them yet.
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