Mid-day Hunting Activity

[Woodsman20]

Every year I hear the stories of mid-day (10AM-2PM) success and while I have tried it - including the infamous all day sits I have never had much luck other than intermittent activity during the rut. So I was just wondering for those of you that have had success, which for this thread is defined as sightings and/or harvest of a mature buck, I wanted to hear some of your stories:

- Was it in the hardwoods, cornfields, thick brush, or transition zones etc?

- What Times did you see the activity?

- What part of the season - rut, pre-rut, early season, post rut, opening weekend, middle of gun season or late gun season?

- Were you in stand/ground blind or still hunting?

- Do you think the deer was "bumped" by another person or was it natural movement and if so what type (scraping/feeding/chasing/searching/browsing)?

Thanks in advance for sharing your stories.

[crappyice]

Good topic. I wish I had something to add since my mid-day activity sounds like yours. I'll be stalking this one for some sage advice from the many full day hunters from the another recent thread

[TeeBugg]

I seem to have my best luck midday hunting a power line cut. I know they have to pass thru at somepoint. All stages of the rut but most times i see deer they seem to be feeding or bucks chasing does. The one power line cut i hunt is a transition from bedding to feeding areas. With that said alot of time i hunt all day deer seem to just be walking around, not really headed towards anything but doing whatever deer do.

[azhuntress]

I saw this buck (in my profile picture) last year on November 6 at 11:50 a.m. during one of my all day sits.  I knew he was in there as I had seen him twice before so I figured if I sat all day he'd have to come through sometime.  He was by himself most likely looking for a girlfriend.  I was hunting out of my climbing tree stand in a strip of woods that was only about 70 yards wide.  On one side of the strip of woods was approximately 30 acres of fields and the other side was approximately 50 acres of clear cut.  I figured he wouldn't want to be out in the field in the open and he probably wouldn't want to be in that clear cut since it was so thick (and then he wouldn't be able to see the girls).  Unfortunately I didn't get a shot at him that day as I was in the wrong tree but I finally bagged him on the 5th day of the rifle season at 8:30 a.m.  He was chasing a doe the day I shot him.     

[ItalianHunter5]

This is a story from 1989 but my father passed it along. His biggest deer ever and biggest point wise ever taken in the area that we know of he shot around 11 am. He had just gotten down from his stand and met up with my uncle, they were standing there talking in the middle of the woods, which happens to be a very big bedding area. He noticed a decent size tree moving on a day with no wind, he saw an opening and he put a good shot and dropped him right away. I personally haven't seen many deer mid-day but just like my father, there has been many people with good luck.

[nybuckboy]

I remember a few years ago (3 maybe) I said to my son that I have heard/read that big bucks move mid-day between 10 and 2. Let's go he said. We got in our stands at about 12 noon. At 1 I saw a big rack buck walking through the slash (young saplings along the woods edge) but he was behind me. I grunted at him a few times and he circled around me and blew at me several times. He was right between my son and I and neither of us could see him but both heard him. Never did see him.

[ATbuckhunter]

I shot this 10 pointer on my avatar at 11:45 am December 5th 2009 chasing a group of about 7 does. It wasn't an all day sit since i left around 10:20 to eat lunch walk a little. Good thing too because I wasn't on stand for more then 30 min before they came in.  

Edited November 7, 2013 by ATbuckhunter

[asav2013]

Killed my rifle buck at 1:45pm last year chasing a hot doe up out of a hardwoods revine onto a hardwoods flat almost bowl like, was sitting on the ground at the base of a tree,got there at 1:00,, 1:45 was dead, was flurring snow, none on the ground yet, was 2nd weekend of the season, 92" 2.5 yo 8 point, if it isn't the rut , there most likely to be seen between food and bed or on the food, only reason other then the rut to make them move, or people of course.

[Doc]

It sounds like most of the mid-day sightings are linked to the rut. So far this year, the only big bucks that I have seen are on my camera with pictures that were taken between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am.

[First-light]

That last full moon hunters moon, I was in all day and saw no mid day action. Earliest was 3 pm.

[FX62]

In my experience, the most influencing factors for mid day deer activity are the rut and human activity.  As the rut is heating up this year we are seeing smaller bucks throughout the day and the big boys are starting to show themselves during daylight hours.  This seems to be typical year to year for us.  Human activity can also "move" deer during the day especially farmers harvesting crops.  Food sources also play a role, but I've mostly seen does around them at mid day.  My biggest buck to date was shot at 12;15 on opening day as he walked across an open field toward me (i was in a tree stand).  He turned to head into the woods at 130yds offering a shot.  Trail cams can be a big asset in determining which areas have any mid day activity.  This guy finally showed himself during the day at 9:40 (8:40 daylight savings).

 

 

One things for sure - if you're not out there, you won't shoot one.

 

good luck,

Shawn

[A Sportsman]

When we hunt the catskill mountains there seems to be an uptick in movement during the mid day. It has nothing to do with other hunters moving them as there aren't any other hunters, or very few. We are primarily still hunting and sitting. Sometimes we do pushes of sections of land. But the biggest bucks we have killed have been on their feet on their own (not pushed). And just as information,I think the time of 1130 to 130 seems the best out of that 4 hour time period. At least that's how our numbers play out. And also as info since 2005 my group of 6 or 7 guys has shot 5 big bucks and 4 of the 5 were shot during those hours. The younger bucks that we got were more spread out time wise and more vulnerable to being pushed or driven from cover.

[growalot]

Like the others ...11 a.m.....one big 8 I shot was stolen when I went to get retrieval permission..no cells then...many out of range ...and one I shot at 30ft after a heavy snow fall...all just walking a long slowly looking around

[Doc]

Last time I checked the cameras (yesterday) out of 157 deer pictures, not a one of them (buck or doe) was in daylight hours. Not even one. That is a first for this year. That covered about one week of time.

[growalot]

lots of food and not bad temps yet Doc

[UpStateRedNeck]

I don't know about noon, but the mid morning hunt is where its at for travel routes, at least where I hunt (4G).

All my big bucks have come between 9 and 11 in the morning.  Specifically on logging roads hugging the side of the hill.  I feel like, at least where I hunt, that the big boys are lazy, they sleep in until 8 or 9, then get up and do some sniffing while on their way to lay up near their evening haunt.  Monday morning I passed on a little 6 point, 20 minutes later I heard a BIG deer on the way, but the wind swirled and his snuffler busted me.  This was at 9:30 or so.

[Doc]

lots of food and not bad temps yet Doc

Yeah, but all summer long including just a couple weeks ago, they have been wandering around all times of the day. This has been a rather sudden change Seems kind of weird.

[genesee_mohican]

This year my trail cameras where showing some adult bucks moving between 12 noon and 2:30 pm in Oct. Woods bordering tall grass and brush line.

 

A few years ago I was on an all day sit during first week of Nov, bow season and had a 125" eight point come up through wide open hard woods on the next ridge over 60 yds from me at 12 Noon.

 

A few years before that I was on an all day sit during opening day of gun in and area with light pressure overlooking a brush lot bordering dense woods and had a 119" 9 pt, 18 " spread walk leisurely by before I shot him. This was at 1PM when most guys are finishing up lunch back at the truck or camp. Glad I was out there.

[UpStateRedNeck]

I feel like, especially during opening day for gun, Mid day is GREAT just because everybody heading back in kicking up deer.  Shame I'm going to miss opening day this year >.<

[growalot]

at 2 a spike ran in front of the car...at 3 :35 I mouth grunted...forgot tube at home... a 4pt out of the neighbors woods to 34 yrds in front of me...he past me and stopped by the dogs kennel then head up across the road...at 4:45 a buck with out a rack or a aggressive doe ran 4 doe and two fawns around the field...no rack...big body and had same body posturing as a buck???kinda neat to watch it did eat like a buck with a back and forth head rolling like bucks do some times when they eat...if you know what I mean...

(sp)

Edited November 7, 2013 by growalot