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To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
#3598584
09/24/12 03:09 AM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 167
andyj9881
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 167 |
Hey guys, I was wanting to get some exprience based opinions. As I am so anxiously awaiting opening day, I have been reading lots and lots of hunting articles. I have come across several that have suggested to not hunt the mornings during the early season if you are after a big buck.
The reasoning they give is that you may bump the mature bucks on the way to your stand because they are still feeding at that time. They suggest to only hunt the afternoons during early October when it is still warm.
What do you all think? I know that I'm going to have a hard time staying in camp on opening morning.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: andyj9881]
#3598625
09/24/12 03:23 AM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,814
quackaholic1
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,814 |
Hogwash! There are a lot of big bucks killed early in the morning and in the middle of the day. So if you wait to go hunting until afternoon you would miss any possibility of shooting a big buck in the morning and you may bump a big deer during the midday. IMO if you want the best possible chance of shooting a big buck you need to be in your stand before daylight and leave after dark.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: andyj9881]
#3598639
09/24/12 03:26 AM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138
shaymac
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138 |
i would try and find an entrance to your stand that doesnt go threw the food source in the area... then jus head out early and take your ever loving sweet time to get to your stand.... im not gonna skip morning hunting personally... because that would b the morning the brute walked by at 20 yards... but do make sure u are slow n quite on the way to the stand
Slow is smooth and smooth is accurate. "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: quackaholic1]
#3598642
09/24/12 03:26 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,988
txtrophy85
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,988 |
I'd def. hunt the morning.
It's cooler and the animals will move more.
FYI I put very little stock in what the print in field and stream and outdoor life.
I read an article yesterday in OL that stated the rut in south Texas was from late jan-early feb. they missed it by a month
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: quackaholic1]
#3598645
09/24/12 03:27 AM
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,925
DFWPI
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,925 |
That's so they can go in and shoot your buck My thing is, hunt when you can and often as you can. You can't see a deer if you are still in camp, or wherever you may be.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: quackaholic1]
#3598646
09/24/12 03:27 AM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138
shaymac
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138 |
Hogwash! There are a lot of big bucks killed early in the morning and in the middle of the day. So if you wait to go hunting until afternoon you would miss any possibility of shooting a big buck in the morning and you may bump a big deer during the midday. IMO if you want the best possible chance of shooting a big buck you need to be in your stand before daylight and leave after dark. x2
Slow is smooth and smooth is accurate. "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: shaymac]
#3599492
09/24/12 03:10 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 577
millerliteliker
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 577 |
This is a complicated question. There are definitely some set ups that are harder to get into before daylight without bumping deer - the most obvious is food plots or other feeding areas (areas heavy in acorn mast). Those set ups are ones that I definitely would hesitate to go into in the early AM. For those, a better AM position would be the travel routes from the food source back to the bedding areas.
If you are hunting timed feeders (with a typical 7am feeding) then I would not hesitate to get into position well before they go off - like maybe 5:30am for a 7am "feeding time".
You may indeed bump some deer staging for the feeding, but even if you do more will come in after you have already gotten to your tree stand or ground blind.
Rifle hunters don't have to worry about this. I can remember when I did alot of rifle hunting I could walk up to my elevated box blind, see deer at the feeder, climb up into the blind, and proceed to hunt. You don't have that luxury when bow hunting. That's what makes it fun!
Mathews Z7 Bow for Whitetail and Hogs Remington R-15 .223 REM for predators I also like to "hunt" sporting clays with my Benelli SuperSport!
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: millerliteliker]
#3599812
09/24/12 05:04 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 883
TX_Hoghunter
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 883 |
I disagree. Here is one I killed last year early season in the morning. I think as long as you use common sense in getting to and from your stand you will be good. -john
Time to catch a hog..........
A friend of Ken's
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: TX_Hoghunter]
#3599862
09/24/12 05:14 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,740
passthru
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,740 |
I do. Can't kill them in camp. I try to go to the lease enough and be around my set ups enough that they know about human activity.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: passthru]
#3599865
09/24/12 05:16 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
Get in early and let things calm down....they will be back. I have better luck in the mornings than afternoons most the time in early season since its usually a lower temp
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: Navasot]
#3599886
09/24/12 05:21 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,988
txtrophy85
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31,988 |
I get into my bow setups 30 min before daylight and and 25-30 min before the evening feed
We have a lot of deer and your odds of spooking one walking in are high.
One way to fix it is have a vehicle drop you off each time. I like to walk and if I spook a deer, so be it. A lot of times the deer I spook comes back anyway
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: txtrophy85]
#3600371
09/24/12 08:08 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1
NTXRageCager
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1 |
Reading articles can often be misleading depending on the area you hunt may by completely different than where the author is referring to. I absolutely recommend hunting mornings if you have evidence from your game cams that a shooter is a regular to the area. Regarding spooking deer on the way into your setup can always be a problem. But what I make sure and do is find the other side in which the deer enter from to approach my setup. But sometimes this is not possible from the layout of the land. I had the same issue on my best set too last opening day. The deer literally entered shooting range 10 yards from my stand. So what i made sure to do is rake out all the tall grass away from the tree and the trail leading up to the stand so i prevent making a bunch of noise. It may not seem like it but it makes a huge difference on the wickedly quiet october mornings. Last year I had a bruiser on camera and took all the precautions to be as careful and quiet getting in to my set and ending up having the hunt of my life and harvested the beast that scored 161. Im new to this site but love it! So ready for opening morning. Good luck to you!
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: NTXRageCager]
#3601285
09/25/12 12:50 AM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,917
Bear Charge
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,917 |
"Democracy is a sheep and two lions voting. Liberty is a well armed sheep contesting the vote." Ben Franklin
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: Bear Charge]
#3601388
09/25/12 01:18 AM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138
shaymac
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 138 |
regardless if u aint in the stand that morning you aint shootn a buck that morning..... jus depends on what you want as an outcome imo
Slow is smooth and smooth is accurate. "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: TX_Hoghunter]
#3601535
09/25/12 01:58 AM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 968
Alec Castonguay
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 968 |
I disagree. Here is one I killed last year early season in the morning. I think as long as you use common sense in getting to and from your stand you will be good. -john Nice deer
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: Alec Castonguay]
#3602502
09/25/12 01:51 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 883
TX_Hoghunter
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 883 |
Time to catch a hog..........
A friend of Ken's
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: TX_Hoghunter]
#3605915
09/26/12 11:43 AM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 103
.220swiftsniper
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 103 |
If you ain't out hunting you ain't hunting....
Time isn't your enemy untill you kill it..
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: .220swiftsniper]
#3605986
09/26/12 12:21 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,456
bjankowski
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,456 |
Either way I won’t be hunting this week end; I was diagnosed with Pneumonia yesterday and the doc is trying to keep me out of the hospital. I have stay in bed until Monday. Yuck!
Good Luck to all of you hunting this week end.
Bob <><
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: bjankowski]
#3606003
09/26/12 12:26 PM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 35,894
txshntr
T-Rex Arms
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T-Rex Arms
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 35,894 |
Hope you get better soon Bob Nice buck Hoghunter I wouldn't miss the morning hunt. As was said before, plan the best route to your stand, get there early and enjoy the hunt.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: txshntr]
#3606149
09/26/12 01:28 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,573
dlrz71
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,573 |
Get well soon Bob!
Watching the world come to life is the best part.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: txshntr]
#3606152
09/26/12 01:29 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,740
passthru
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,740 |
I missed opening day three times. Back injury, shoulder injury and heart attack. Sucked on all three. Hope you get better soon Bob but I will think about you while in the stand.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: bjankowski]
#3607843
09/26/12 09:05 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 11,252
Pope&Young
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 11,252 |
Either way I won’t be hunting this week end; I was diagnosed with Pneumonia yesterday and the doc is trying to keep me out of the hospital. I have stay in bed until Monday. Yuck!
Good Luck to all of you hunting this week end.
Bob <>< In your case it’s better to listen to your doctor. Get well soon buddy!!! And best of luck to you once you’re able to get back into the woods!!!
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: Pope&Young]
#3608319
09/27/12 12:23 AM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,456
bjankowski
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,456 |
Thanks guys; Ya'll have fun, I've hunted a lot in my younger days. I was going to the lake house and recover but my wife told me I wouldn't be sitting still (and she's right), so I guess I'll just be doing a little picking and grinning this week end. Music is my other love.
Last edited by bjankowski; 09/27/12 12:26 AM.
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: bjankowski]
#3609524
09/27/12 10:54 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 32,525
kmon11
junior
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junior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 32,525 |
In all but a few places I think the OP read some hogwash. Those places would be setups on large fields with defined bedding cover where the deer would likely be in the fields and not a good way to get between them and the bedding cover without spooking them. For almost all hunting though I think that is just crazy. Plus I prefer to take my deer in the mornings. Blood trails are easier to follow in daylight and processing is easier in the day as well.
More important IMO is to pay attention to the wind and not hunt a setup if it is wrong, go in early and enjoy the world waking up, and enjoy the hunt.
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true Mainstream news might be fun to watch
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Re: To hunt... Or not to hunt (early season mornings)
[Re: bjankowski]
#3609527
09/27/12 10:56 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 32,525
kmon11
junior
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junior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 32,525 |
Thanks guys; Ya'll have fun, I've hunted a lot in my younger days. I was going to the lake house and recover but my wife told me I wouldn't be sitting still (and she's right), so I guess I'll just be doing a little picking and grinning this week end. Music is my other love. Stay in get well so you can get out and enjoy the hunting. A little picking and grinning can ease the delay to the start of season. Prayers up for a speedy recovery.
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true Mainstream news might be fun to watch
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