Early season morning hunts...

[jnorm1984]

I have grown to dislike morning hunts during the early season. I rarely see deer in the mornings until october rolls around (plus Im not a fan of hearing my alarm clock goin off a lil too early ) I tend too see a lot more deer during the evening hours this time a year. So I think this year will be my first opener that I dont hit the woods in the am... So I was wondering how ya'll felt about mornings at this point of the season?

[vister]

according to my trail cameras, the deer have been moving equally moring and evening. hour before and after sunrise, hour before and after sunset. always had the best luck rifle hunting in evenings, best bow luck in the mornings.

[Dark Cloud]

Heres my "tip of the week" from last year. Maybe this will help?

Sept 9th Tip of the Week

"Morning Hunts...

Some guys prefer evenings, others mornings and most of us like any second we can be in the woods...

I hear alot of people complaining about mornings and not haveing success. Personally I really enjoy mornings and by adjusting our tactics a bit they can be real succesfull also.

My better morning stands have a few things in common. First they are very near bedding areas and on trails leadding back from major feeding areas. Dont be afraid to hunt close to bedding areas if you have a quiet easy way to slip out late morning and if your are willing to get in well before dark.

My better AM stands also are secondary feeding areas on the way back to bedding areas. Areas where deer just brouse through, like brushy scrubby areas, a small patch of acorns, and my favorite - a secluded apple tree or two. These areas are really hot during early season.

As the rut gets closer I'll look more to the travel corridor areas that bucks like to troll. These are usually identified by rub lines and scrapes. For the patient archer these areas will produce all day.

Another plus to mornings is the wind. Often times even during windy days the morning starts off calm. And as the temp rises you will get a thermal upwelling helping lift your scent above the deer.

The only down side to mornings the way I see it is actually getting out of bed. But once your on stand and seeing daylight begining to break and the birds chirping, followed by the steady walking of a deer towards your location, that warm bed is a distant forgotten afterthought..."

Nothing compares to the halloween chase time for being in the woods but I love my early season mornings...

I took this picture last opening morning about 5 minutes after harvesting a nice doe, and I heard my dad shoot and get a doe a few minutes later...

[snoozebutton]

Nice advice Dark Cloud!!! One thing I like about morning hunting is if you hit one, you have all that daylight to find it and get it out of the woods.

[TheAsian]

I love morning hunts. When you get out in the woods in the morning everything is so quiet. Then the sun starts to rise and the animals start to wake. If you don't seen any deer you usually get to see some other type of wildlife and that in itself makes the hunt that much more interesting.

[DonBo]

I also hate to get out of bed, but I do because nothing compares to seeing the world come to life from the best seat in the house, 20' up a tree.

My biggest archery deer came on opening morning several years ago. My suggestion, as darkcloud said, get away from the field edges and get back where they bed. If you're not seeing deer in the mornings, move your stand.

[jnorm1984]

Dont get me wrong guys, when I get out in the morning I love it.. But THIS time of year Im not a fan, I still do it, in fact I will out tommarow morning.. I just dont see the activity in the morings this time of year that I do in the evenings.

[deerminator]

Nice top DarkCloud. I hunt woodlands in between sloughs/bedding areas and cornfields this time of year. Opened my morning in a blind this morning with the light rain, which intesnified. Nothing this morning but I've seen deer in the morning this time of year and the trail cams prove it. I just usually miss the right days.