Extra Motivation to Sit the Midday Hours

[Landon DeKeyser]

So I have always been a fan of sitting all day once the rut hits, but sometimes have a hard time getting myself to do it. I often times find myself making excuses to head home for the midday hours of hunting. I'll admit, I just have a hard time sitting past 4 or 5 hours. Even when I know I should be doing it.

Here is an article a recently wrote about NOT sitting those midday hours and why I now regret it. I wrote this in hopes that it would encourage others to NOT make the same mistakes I did the last two weekends.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts! If you have some stories of killing deer mid day share them with me. I could use the extra motivation.

http://lifestylelost.com/index.php/2016/11/14/hunt-midday-hours-monster-whitetails/

In the words of the great Red Green "Remember, I'm pulling for ya. We're all in this together!"

Good luck to everyone!!

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I killed my whitetail buck last year at about noon.

 

[sbhooper]

I hate tree stands!!! I spent too many years hunting mulies. Now, it is hard for me to sit for three hours, let alone all day..

 

[schmalts]

It works, I've killed a lot of my deer between 9 and 2PM. It's just boring as hell. I used to do it and if I was in better trophy areas I probably still could but I'm not.

 

[noharleyyet]

The few times I've done it were interminable.

 

[DKO]

I pulled an all day hunt last week in Ohio and it was truly physically and mentally exhausting, I personally believe that the majority of hunters have a similar approach to hunting the early morning and late evening and become patternable. I used to hunt private land in WI every year and saw more deer at midday then any other time but like you mentioned it wasn't until the corn was off and there wasn't alot of hunting pressure being private. What none of us will really know is how many times we have bumped big deer coming off and getting back on stand, big bucks tend to just slip away undetected and are not as obvious as an imature deer or does that stop at 80yrds blowing their nose out. Super windy and rainy days will also get them on their feet midday which is oposite what most believe.

every trail camera pick we got of this deer was during daylight hours!


sorry for the crappy photo!

 

[Landon DeKeyser]

I pulled an all day hunt last week in Ohio and it was truly physically and mentally exhausting, I personally believe that the majority of hunters have a similar approach to hunting the early morning and late evening and become patternable. I used to hunt private land in WI every year and saw more deer at midday then any other time but like you mentioned it wasn't until the corn was off and there wasn't alot of hunting pressure being private. What none of us will really know is how many times we have bumped big deer coming off and getting back on stand, big bucks tend to just slip away undetected and are not as obvious as an imature deer or does that stop at 80yrds blowing their nose out. Super windy and rainy days will also get them on their feet midday which is oposite what most believe.

every trail camera pick we got of this deer was during daylight hours!
View attachment 64471

sorry for the crappy photo!

That a monster! Yeah I know it can be tough to sit all day, but its the wondering what I missed that really gets me. A comfortable stand is key, lots of snacks. I have seen a lot of big bucks during the midday hours and killed a couple as well. I understand its not for everyone. Definitely not something I always do, but it can really be worth it.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

I just mix in a midday nap from my glassing spots, maybe have some lunch or air out my socks or look for some new areas on my maps. I catch bucks up and moving to change their beds and sometimes find a good one cruising for does or running from hunters out walking around during the day. I usually don't see anything sitting in camp.

I'm not much of a stand hunter but I'm sure there's some ways to pass the time.

 

[rjlefty3]

I've never done it in a treestand, but I've done in a blind. Was in college so I brought notes/study material with me to help pass the time.

I've shot one of my bucks at 11AM, but honestly I don't sit into those times very often. Can be hard here, considering it's big woods, limited deer densities, and not many natural funnels. Could just be another excuse I use to justify it! I think if it'd find a funnel of some kind it'd make it easier, but still seems like a big mental challenge to overcome.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

I've tried mid-day and it has always been a bust.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[hunt1up]

I've killed 4 of my best whitetails between 12-2. I drink the midday cool-aid pretty hard, but it can be very boring. I've done quite a few all dayers this season. I've seen chasing and deer movement midday, just no shooters. When deer are moving all day it's easy to do, when they're not it's pretty lame.

Packing a good lunch, drinks, candy bars, and having a phone charger really helps. I try to break the day up into 3 chunks and manage each of them one at a time, as if it's a new hunt.

 

[NoWiser]

Unless it's raining hard and I'm soaking wet, I typically never get out of my stand. I hunt out of a climber that's decently comfortable and crawl up before light and come back down after dark. I hunt everything from farmland to big woods and over 80% of the deer I shoot are between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., including all of by biggest bucks. It's to the point that I have little faith in the early morning and evening hours. I start expecting to see deer about 9:00 in the morning. It's not always easy, but it's definitely nowhere near as hard as climbing a mountain chasing an elk. You just need the mindset every morning that you aren't going back to camp until either it's dark, or you kill a deer.

 

[danadrums]

My first deer last year was at about 2:00 pm.
Second one came the next day at about 9:30 am.
Both whitetails.
It *seems* to me that whitetails are more active all day than muleys, but that's just my impression. No real science behind it.
Worth every dime you paid for it.

--Dana

 

[Kevin W]

Motivational pic from this past Sunday; second day of Nebraska rifle season. Taken by my 15 yr old son, during the rut anytime of the day can yield a buck of your dreams. Or in this case a buck of my son's dreams. Kevin.

 

[rjlefty3]

I try to break the day up into 3 chunks and manage each of them one at a time, as if it's a new hunt.

Simple concept, but I've never thought of that. It would certainly help with the mental aspect of it. I'll have to try this!

 

[duckhunt]

I have a 4 hour max. Once I get uncomfortable I loose interest really fast. Nothing wrong with coming in, getting lunch, and maybe a cat nap. Go back out feeling refreshed and having fun again.

 

[fulldraw]

I can sit all day during the hard rut without any problem. This year I had 3 big cruisers chasing the same doe at noon , unfortunately they were just outside of bow range. When I start to get bored I just remember the rut only comes once a year and you cant shoot a big one from the couch.

 

[mtmander]

I find that the temp plays a big role in how I hunt during the rut , as I get cold I still hunt then sit