morning or afternoon hunts

I started this year's bow season late. So far only an afternoon hunt. Heard nothing but leaf-blowers from the neighbors. Over the years, it seems for me the mornings are not productive for whitetails (Archery anyway). I guess they're just not moving or perhaps I'm just not bringing my A-game early. I'm interested in hearing other opinions on this...
 
I've had the most sightings during the early morning - right during or shortly after shooting hours open.

This.....
I've had MUCH better luck, historically, between 6 and 11am and then I have ever had in the afternoons. I believe I have only taken 2 deer in the afternoon. One was pushed, one was dumb luck.
 
I like both equally but once gun season opens I see a lot more big bucks moving in the 10-1500 time frame.
 
Also it all depends completely on your stand/blind location if your posted up, and knowing the deer's patterns.

Example: I have a beautiful wooden box stand (I'm actually sitting in it watching a few does as I type this). It is located in thick woods that border some old pasture fields on a intersecting trail. During the day the deer bed down between my starting location and the stand so hunting it in the afternoon is difficult to do without spooking them out. So what I usually do is wait in the edge of the fields in the afternoon because that is where the deer go towards dusk. The box stand is excellent for morning/afternoon because I catch them coming to bed down and actually overlook their relaxation zone during the day. This works excellent because the does go into the thick woods to bed down and they act as a natural decoy for me all day.
 
I do both Eary AM you got to really sneek quietly in the dark but you get to track in daylight. PM you can see and sneek but you got to track in the dark or hope the yotes don't get your kill Get your cameras out and look for patterns of travel and time and hunt accordingly
dave
 
All day if you can I have had deer bumped to me by guys leaving at noon for lunch

This. You don't get anything if you're not outside. Except for those times when they wander right out by your house...my old man walked out to leave for work one morning and saw a huge buck standing there in his yard. He walked back inside, called off work, grabbed a rifle, walked back outside and shot it. </horatio_puts_on_shades>
 
Dark-To-Dark.... I've shot deer at first light...mid day...and last fading light! ...if I have the full day, I make the most of it! [smile] ...Again, you won't get a deer sitting on your couch.
 
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