What does the time of day you see deer tell you about your area?

[CaptainMusky]

OK, well, I have shot a few deer over the years, but admittedly I am not the most accomplished deer hunter. I always look for sign, etc, but I often have a hard time distinguishing areas that are bedding, travel corridors, feeding, etc.

Obviously if there were corn fields around where I hunt I could tell where they feed, but we are in the woods.

What I am wondering is this, almost all of the deer I have harvested and seen in the area I have hunted have been in the morning.

Very few in the afternoon or evening.

What should this be telling me about the area I am hunting? My thoughts are that I am in or near a bedding area, but I am not so sure. What do you guys think?

[cupper]

That would be my guess as well. They are coming to you from evening or nite-time feeding areas and getting to a comfy spot to bed down.

[Coach1310]

There are a TON of variables in my opinion. If they consistently come from the same direction in the morning, I would say it is safe to assume they are coming from a food source and their bedding area is in the direction they are heading. In a big woods situation, in my experience, bedding areas can be all over the place and with browse, food sources are everywhere so it can be a [PoorWordUsage] shoot. If you find areas continually full of fresh scat and with heavily used trails it may be an area used as a staging area where multiple trails converge near a food source or main bedding area.... I probably just confused everyone more than I helped..... but that's what I got.... Good luck.

[Steve Foss]

In a big woods situation, in my experience, bedding areas can be all over the place and with browse, food sources are everywhere so it can be a [PoorWordUsage] shoot. If you find areas continually full of fresh scat and with heavily used trails it may be an area used as a staging area where multiple trails converge near a food source or main bedding area.... I probably just confused everyone more than I helped..... but that's what I got.... Good luck.

+1. Understood you perfectly, and matches my experience!

[Bran32]

In my area time of day does not matter!! We just don't have any deer!!