Shooting mature bucks mid day

[StevieSacs]

I've always read that during the rut, the big boys start cruising around mid day.   

I just had a buddy tell me that almost all of his bucks were killed between October 27th-November 15th, and that 60% of them were killed between 10:30am-2:00pm

  I always hunt till about 10:00am and then get back into the stand around 2:00pm.   I try to avoid all day sits because my ADD starts kicking in and i can't stop fidgeting around after 4-5 hours. Because of this, I feel like an all day sit would probably be more harmful than good, but those numbers are impressive.   I may just do a few full day sits around that first week of November.   

I was wondering who else has seen or taken mature bucks mid day like that?

-SS

 

[BowmanMike]

Still waiting for that 1st mature buck...This is the year though.

[NYBowhunter]

All of the  older bucks my camp have shot were between 10am to 4:30pm.

[Lawdwaz]

8 minutes ago, StevieSacs said:

I've always read that during the rut, the big boys start cruising around mid day.   

I just had a buddy tell me that almost all of his bucks were killed between October 27th-November 15th, and that 60% of them were killed between 10:30am-2:00pm

  I always hunt till about 10:00am and then get back into the stand around 2:00pm.   I try to avoid all day sits because my ADD starts kicking in and i can't stop fidgeting around after 4-5 hours. Because of this, I feel like an all day sit would probably be more harmful than good, but those numbers are impressive.   I may just do a few full day sits around that first week of November.   

I was wondering who else has seen or taken mature bucks mid day like that?

-SS

 

Sure, seen and killed plenty of mature bucks from 10am-2pm.  

If you get bored, climb down and either go to another stand or run back to the truck and eat a snack/take a 30 minute break.

ya gotta be in it to win it

 

[Jeremy K]

I don't have much experience with killing mature bucks ,I have read it plenty of times though about them being out between 10-2

[grampy]

On the few mature bucks I've been fortunate enough to kill, I'd say 30% to 40% of them were killed between 10 and 2. With 10 to 12 being the sweet spot. Sometimes when I'm late getting out for whatever reason, and head in at 9 or 10, either I'll see them and put a stalk on. Or they are just cruising by, shortly after I get in and set up. And late in the season, when my buddy and I do small pushes to each other, that has paid off big too, during the mid day.

[moog5050]

I have had the most success in the early morning, but certainly have seen "mature" bucks from 10-2.  Strangely I have yet to have any late day experiences with older bucks and that is when many claim to be the best odds.  I guess I just need a few more years under my belt to see that.

[land 1]

i have  killed mid day and i got a friend who many times sleeps in and dosnt go out till 9am or so and sits till 2 or 3  weather is a big factor 

[BizCT]

Yes midday has produced. Until getting an xbow in 2011 and now a compound, I only hunted gun season for many years-same with my Dad. When hunting during gun season for many years I really only hunted weekends. While I haven't killed many "mature" bucks, my Dad certainly has and many of them have come between the 10-2pm hours. He has killed several while sitting there on the ground eating his lunch. In my opinion, if you have nothing to do in between morning and evening sits, you might as well stay in the woods. I think part of the success was that we used to hunt across the hill from a gun club and those guys were probably leaving the woods too early or coming in midday and pushing bucks to us.

[turkeyfeathers]

Zero mature bucks under my belt. But my assumption is if they're horned up and chasing does that any time is good during the rut. I have no peak window of feeling randy , why should they 

[Jeremy K]

I wonder if the mature bucks are patterning the hunters who typically leave for a lunch or if the doe stop moving and sends the bucks looking that has them moving during those times

[BizCT]

8 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Yes midday has produced. Until getting an xbow in 2011 and now a compound, I only hunted gun season for many years-same with my Dad. When hunting during gun season for many years I really only hunted weekends. While I haven't killed many "mature" bucks, my Dad certainly has and many of them have come between the 10-2pm hours. He has killed several while sitting there on the ground eating his lunch. In my opinion, if you have nothing to do in between morning and evening sits, you might as well stay in the woods. I think part of the success was that we used to hunt across the hill from a gun club and those guys were probably leaving the woods too early or coming in midday and pushing bucks to us.

Stevie - I know you hunt 3S, so here is some motivation to sit all day. These are all 3N bucks shot between 12:10pm - 2:40pm within a few miles of the 3S border.

4 out of the 5 were shot minutes after my Dad blew a bleat call midday out of boredom and they came charging in. 

Typically the gun season is the tale end of the rut in our area, so I can only image what you may see in early November.

Why haven't I killed bucks like these? the answer is simple, time. during gun season, I probably hunt 4-5 days, while my Dad will hunt 20+ days (dark-dark)

 

[StevieSacs]

Bizz, those are some great deer.

I was extremely lucky to shoot a great buck opening morning.  I haven't killed a deer in two years, so this changed my entire season.  Typically by October 17th, I would have about 10 sits under my belt, but this season I only have that one sit. 

 I always tell myself that i'd leave my best spots alone until the rut, but after a few sits with little activity, cash in on them early.   So this may actually be the first time that I leave my best area untouched until halloween weekend.   I typically get some incredible deer on camera, but never seen any in person (probably because they are patterning me walking in all the time).  

[BizCT]

34 minutes ago, StevieSacs said:

Bizz, those are some great deer.

I was extremely lucky to shoot a great buck opening morning.  I haven't killed a deer in two years, so this changed my entire season.  Typically by October 17th, I would have about 10 sits under my belt, but this season I only have that one sit. 

 I always tell myself that i'd leave my best spots alone until the rut, but after a few sits with little activity, cash in on them early.   So this may actually be the first time that I leave my best area untouched until halloween weekend.   I typically get some incredible deer on camera, but never seen any in person (probably because they are patterning me walking in all the time).  

Good Luck man! and you never know what deer are around, just not on cam!

[JRod 8G8H]

During the peak rut I've seen several mature bucks blast through the woods full speed, chasing everything in its path, late morning..  Right around that time we all want to climb down.. 10-11 ish.. I personally plan on doing semi-all day sits this year, only to get down for an hour or two, on Nov 8, 9, 10..Good luck!!

[genesee_mohican]

I've seen some beauties in November that were roaming around between 11am and 2pm. Even on warm days, and my theory on that is they ran hard all night, took a nap around sunup and by mid day had the urge to hound does again.   The number of days I can hunt during Nov are limited so I try to put some all day sits in when I can.

[Deadhunter25]

I have shot a few mature bucks and all have been the first week in Oct and one in CT opening day. i run many cameras and dont see too much of a difference in when big bucks move in 3S during the rut but i mostly hunt private land. I wonder if the bucks are moving midday because they have patterned the hunters or hunters coming down kick them up and/or the moon as well. Also maybe late morning early afternoon is when people will finish breakfast and go for a walk or jog in the woods. I dont have enough experience other than to theorize what are the reasons


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[WNYBuckHunter]

I did an all day sit yesterday, and remembered why I usually dont bother until late October. Once late October rolls areound, Im doing all day sits unless I absolutely cant. Last year i killed my buck on election day at around 4pm, but there was action going on all through the mid day, just not right by my stand. Another week and a half or so, and we will be right in the prime time to start all day sits!

[andr3wxmma]

I've had luck around 10 - 2 hunting anything because other hunters start moving and kick the deer to me.

 

[Buckmaster7600]

While sitting I have never killed a mature buck between 9-3. While tracking I have killed most of them between 10-1.


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[Swamp_bucks]

Never killed one between those hrs but i have seen plenty of them and other deer on their feet at those times. Mainly bucks, my dad swears by 10-2 he cant sit long so he will go in at that time rather than get up at 4 with me.

[Bionic]

My one,  and only big deer was killed at 10:43am.  

[BigVal]

Same here, only killed one over 2.5 and it was at 1 pm. 

[Zag]

Mine have all been mornings or evening kills. I'll admit it's tough for me to sit still all day long with out going nuts. Last 2 yrs I've taking a buck before my nov week vacation and never had opportunity for all day sits.

[NonTypical]

Deer feed approx every 6 hours. The does will get on their feet, but may not move too far. If a buck is on its feet at that time of year, looking for does is his first priority. 

I have seen plenty of mature bucks midday and been successful on quite a few. 

If I can't do an all day sit, I'll sit for 3/4 of a day. I'll head in early and sit until 2pm. Or I may sleep in and head in around 10 and sit until sunset. Those times between 10-2 have been very good to me.