When is the best time to go into the woods? Before or after sunrise?

[Lilcountry1313]

When is the best time to go into the woods? Before or after sunrise?

[.30-06Hunter]

I like to be in the woods and set up about 30-40 minutes before daylight. This gives things time to settle down from you coming in. I have never had great luck in the evening. I have never had any luck in the mornings if I got in after sunrise.

[buckskinner96]

Before sunrise deer are most active right before sunrise and right before sunset. You can also watch the beauty of the sunrise

[.30-06Hunter]

Buckskinner is right there is nothing like watching the sunrise in the woods. It's like watching the world wake up around you. As hunters we are all so fortunate to be apart of that. So many people are too busy in life and will never witness anything like that.

[Lilcountry1313]

When should I pack it in and call it a day?

[Lilcountry1313]

Thank you fellars. I have caught many sunrises in the woods and apon the waters. And seeing nature come to life is very beautiful thing to witness

[Sarge01]

I go to my stand 1 hour before daylight and don't leave my stand until it is too dark that I have to use a light to see to get out of the woods.

[themadflyfisher]

Like those above I like to be in my stand and set up at least 30-45 minutes before daylight. I have walked in to see deer in the light of my headlamp bedded down 20 yards from my stand and they watched me climb into my stand only to then get up at daylight and walk right under me without ever looking up. That would've never happened after daybreak. Deer are a lot less skiddish when it's dark.

[scratchgolf72]

30 minutes before daylight at a minimum...if you cant make it in before sunrise all you do is bust into the woods alerting every living thing of your presence...you will not have much success.

[Lilcountry1313]

I have to take my little girl to school.so I'm in 30 mins after sunrise, it's a raw deal but education is more important. Plus I'm very quit while walking in the forest. I have walked up on deer. Manly young deer and does.i know you can't eat horns but killing a baby or very young deer doesn't sit right with me. And if its not a doe day I then I can't kill it. Thank you again fellars for y'all advice

[FirstBubba]

Any time you can get to hunt is a good time to be in the woods!

[FrugeBlues]

I have taken all 3 of my deer at the same exact time this season, 5:45pm. I too usually get to my stand about 30 minutes before sunrise and just after sunset (saw a boar around there this season so I'm too nervous to stay any later). But again around the same time I killed my 3 deer, I took an off day and just went to sit in my stand sight see, I got to watch a doe and her three fawns, a spike and my 8 point half rack.

[SCBuilder66]

Here in kansas you can legally shoot 30 minutes before the official sunrise. I find that 45 minutes or so before the official sunup is ideal for 2 reasons. It gives everything enough time to calm down to utilize all shooting light, and secondly; deer have excellent eye sight, hearing, and smell, but in theat few minutes before sunup where it is in between daylight and darkness they do not see as well. I have walked within 20 feet of deer on the way to my stand without them knowing I am a hunter. If you don't alarm them, you are way more likely to fill a tag.

[Shannon Webb]

You have to determine WHEN you can hunt. If you can only hunt morning OR afternoon, then during the pre-rut and rut I would hunt in the afternoon, the rest of the season I would hunt morning.

If you can sit all day, then do it.

I use a 30x30 rule - If sunrise is at 7, you can start "hunting" at 6:30 means you needs to be in your stand by 6 am to let everything settle down, etc.

[tleichty1989]

I think I would agree with everything that was said here. A lot of times right before sun set is the hardest for me to stay seated and vigilant. More often I find my self thinking about whats going to be on the dinner table. One such time I got so worked up and hungry that I stood up and started to make a move out of cover. Right when I stood up out of the corner of my eye I saw a buck making his way toward my cover. I slowly sat back down he didn't see or hear me. I ended up missing my shot on that dear and as I recall I probably would have if I would have stayed calm and not have moved.