Don’t get me wrong, it’s far better than not hunting. I just don’t have nearly the confidence in the evening as I do in the morning. I always see more deer in the morning and all but a couple of does have been shot in the morning.

Anyone feel the same or have the complete opposite sentiment?

If you're not seeing deer in evening you're not hunting evening appropriate spots. Back when I thought I was a serious deer killer I had a good idea of where different deer were at all times of day.

He didn't say he wasn't seeing deer in the evenings. He said he sees more in the morning.

Shooting something at dusk is a PITA, especially if it's management oriented. I'm 95% sure I'll knock something down tomorrow evening, but my time before my shoulder surgery is getting short and I've got MLD tags to fill. I'd much prefer to watch the sun go down from the porch, with a cigar in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

Sometimes I just hate to get up early, so I lean toward evening hunting. That said, I’d much rather shoot a deer in the morning. Tracking, if needed, is easier, as is the processing.

I’m slowly becoming my father, who finally quit morning hunting. It’s laziness…

Yeah that’s the other part of it. I’d much prefer to field-dress/process an animal at 9am than 9pm.

You're not alone. I'll still hunt every evening, but it's going to take something special for me to shoot close to dark.

Mostly hunt evenings here.

Have been in areas that's better in mornings,
Others better in evenings.

One of our blinds is notoriously a poor producer for shooters as well as deer numbers during evening sits. My astute boys have picked up on this and always send me to it when it’s an afternoon hunt. Dang kids!! The morning is entirely a different story, and has historically produced all but one of the bigger bucks on the property. I know exactly why that is I feel, but I haven’t told my kids why. Mornings hunts they are not given an option of where to go, They are told! I always pick the relegated evening blind they banish me to….most of the time.

I prefer the evening sit, or used to. Still learning many things about myself, I have come to find I really don’t like looking for deer after dark. I also don’t prefer messing with an animal after dark. I do prefer a sun rise to sunset but I’m much more a night owl than an early bird.

Success wise, I’m about 50/50 on morning vs. evening kills.

My barn has lights for processing and I’ve got thermal in case of tracking so popping one at last light is no issue.

Thermal for tracking…..how have I not thought of this??

Years ago I used to hunt evenings almost exclusively, not because I preferred evening, but because I seldom had enough available time in the morning, due to job requirements.

I do prefer mornings for a number of reasons. But to be honest I'll be out there at any time of day if I can and have a chance at bagging something, anything.

I find morning preferable because;
#1 more time for setting up a shot or stalking and for processing and retrieval,
#2 usually the light is better - better for aging eyes to see, game. tracks, sign ext.
#3 temp is usually lower - better for cooling a carcass.
#4 more chance help is available if needed. Mostly for Moose.
#5 I have more energy early in the day.
#6 animals are often in the open for longer in the early morning. in the evening many animals don't leave heavy cover until the light is almost gone.

That being said, I believe I have shot almost as many animals at mid day as I have in the morning.
I also will hunt different species at different times of day, in one day.
For example, I may hunt Geese in the morning, grouse from late morning to early afternoon and then hunt Moose just before dark. Moose respond to calling better late in the day then in the morning.

One thing I have learned, animals do not live by a set of rules, they react to the environment around them, moment by moment. And they can sense thing we can't.
An approaching storm for example. And they do alter behavior due to weather.

The best we can do in deciding what they will do is make an educated guess, while expecting the unexpected.

I prefer evening hunts but enjoy having plenty of daylight to clean whatever I take during morning hunts. Morning hunts also makes it easier to drop meat off at the processor.

I personally won't take a shot within 30 min of sunset. Never lost an animal yet and don't intend to start now. I want enough light to follow them up if needed. What others choose to do is up to them but that is the way I approach it.

Don’t have a preference, but it is way more exciting seeing a buck step out as the timer is ticking down and anticipation is building in the evening than it is anytime in the morning

We see more deer in the evenings but it sure messes up happy hour.

I enjoy the evening hunt more but I like shooting the deer in the morning.

I’ve always killed and seen more bucks in the morning than I have in the evenings. The exception is early bow season on a good food plot.

We hunt the evenings at times but concentrate on the morning hunts since that’s when all our shooters are on the move. Hunt when you can though, tomorrow’s not guaranteed and next week might not be be an option..

If you made me choose I would take evening over morning every time. Something about being in the woods for the last hour of daylight when the wind dies down and the birds and squirrels go quiet. Magic hour.

It is how nocturnal hog hunters have been recovering hogs for years. Thermal does not help so much for actual tracking per se, but for spotting downed animals, particularly when they have buried themself in a briar patch or heavy foliage.

I prefer morning hunts for the simple fact that it gets easier to locate and judge deer as the hunt goes on as opposed to more difficult with an evening hunt. That being said I’m about 50/50 on shooting deer. Almost all the deer we kill in Leon county are morning hunts and almost all deer killed at the house here Guadalupe county are evening deer.

This for me also.

I love hunting in the morning....I once had a t-short made with my favorite motto..."Anyone can get up early enough for sunset".

But I have actually found trailing a blood trail to be significantly easier in the dark. The blood is black where most of the red in nature washes out with a nice bright light.

I like both, enjoy seeing the outdoors come alive in mornings and enjoy it winding down some in evenings. Have seen big deer pretty equally amongst both but usually more rutting and chasing during mornings. Like others, I am less likely to let a late day shot go unless I feel pretty sure it's a short range kill shot and must be mature, nice buck. One too many retrieval jobs in the brush and prickly pear in South Texas will change your mind about late day, 200-300 yard shoulder, behind shoulder shots.