Go hunt or stay home?

Alright I work shift work and so I have a lot of days off during the week which is when I do most of my hunting. This year my wife went to work and I took on more responsibilities of getting our kids to and from school.

The question really is if you can't get to your stand in the morning till after the feeder goes off and after the sun has started coming up do you still go and hope you don't spoke the deer already there. If in the evenings your gonna have to get down an hour or so before it gets good and dark do you still go sit?

I've always been one of those if I can't crawl into the stand way before the sun comes up or the feeder goes off I don't go. If I can't stay till after the sun goes down and sneak out in the dark I didn't go. But now if I stick to those rules I'm gonna lose a lot of hunting days. So do you take the chance of coming in and out at odd times or come in and out at perfect times but hunt ot less?

Thanks,
James C.

You never know what will happen! A day in the stand is better than a day at home or work IMO

Change your feed timers to buy you more time and go when you can.

That's a good idea too!

Don't hunt your feeder. Find out where they come from and go to and catch them in between. I have seen more deer that way on my place. Especially in the rut where the bucks just cruise looking for hot does.

Western, that was a great idea. Go whenever you can go. Full moon periods, deer seem to move more during midday too.

Good idea and during full moon times I have killed some very good bucks between 10am and 2pm.

Both of the biggest bucks I have ever shot were taken in the early afternoon, one around 3 pm the other about 2:30 pm.

I would find a place to sit where I could get in/out without spooking the deer... yes you may have to walk instead of riding a utv truck etc.

yep, get the kids off to school and go hunt, stay till its time you need to leave to pick the kids up. I would likely plug in another spin late morning/early afternoon to get them accustom to it ... never know what you will find.

I can guarantee you one thing, you will have a lot more opportunities of getting a shot while in the stand than sitting at home watching soap operas while eating Cheetos

Just set your feeder to go off later in the morning.

Problem solved

I would leave the times the same as you have them now but add another one or two in the morning.

A few years ago I got home from work with 25 minutes left of shooting time.. crawled in the stand...ran deer off getting in it... a few minutes later a few different doe come and a buck right in after them... shot him and was done in about 12 minutes lol.

That's an awesome story!!!

Like others have said, I would at least get out and try. There is no chance of being successful from the couch! You never know what you're going to see nor when you are going to see it.

It is what it is so make the most of the time that you have. I like stxranchman's idea of adding some additional feeding times to what you have already and I would suggest maybe eventually eliminating the early morning feed that you'll miss once they start feeding at the later morning and mid day times that you added. There are some big bucks taken in the middle of the day. The best news is the time you will spend dropping and picking up the kids from school is some of the most priceless time you will ever spend with them. Cherish it and slow it down as much as you can. It will be gone faster then you could ever imagine.

2 years ago wake up late, get to the land, clang my rifle, sun is coming up, what the hell, might as well sit a while and relax. Get in stand, hunting woods with Oaks and acorns along trinity in Anderson county, no feeders. 10 minutes in tree stand, 8 point comes by heading for acorns, 40 yard shot with my 45-70. Down without another step. Back down ladder and so it goes, I'm thinking sit and relax, hunting Gods had other ideas.
Never skip a chance to be in the woods, that's when they come by, when your not there, everyone knows that. haha

I try to stay away from my feeders during bow season I've had spots where good bucks were coming in and my cousin who never hunted off a feeder will go and not even see them but they stop coming in. Seeing as we are both rifle first hunters we now agree that it's best not to risk messing up a good spot during bow season anymore, we have both killed with bow and guns and prefer to kill with rifle over bow any day so we find it best to lay off the feeders until real deer season starts and bow hunt other spots. Personally if I can't get out before daylight I take advantage and sleep in since I rarely get to and if I was to go out late if be a hypocrit because I find myself annoyed when I'm in the stand and another hunter drives through late so as a matter of principal if I can see the slightest bit of daylight I stay home until the evening hunt.

Absolutely. The rut is a time to stay on the stand all day, as many days as you can.

You certainly aren't going to shoot one if you are not there.

Hey I appreciate all the feedback y'all. Looks like I'll be crawling in the stand no matter what and hope me and the deer are on the same jacked up hunting schedules, lol. Like most have said, you never know what or when something will walk out and I can't kill one from the house. Just have to be extra sneaky.

Thanks
James C.