I was talking to a good friend of mine on the phone the other day. Tracy Pedretti and I have known each other for a number of years now. We both love turkey hunting but when deer season rolls around that dominates the conversation. I was telling about a deer hunting tip that I happened across at some point, that seems a little different than the norm. Do you know that when hunting whitetail deer during or close to the peak of the rut, one of the best times to be in your hunting stand is around 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.? Why Tracy asked me, a large trophy buck that has been chasing the does all night (nocturnal activity, especially during certain moon phases) will usually bed down just before daybreak and sleep a while.
After a trophy buck has rested a little, he is ready to check out his girlfriends again, right around mid-day. Where are a lot of hunters around mid-day…? That’s right, back at camp snoozing off their mid-day brunch. Point being; if you must leave your stand you might be better off to do it just before other hunter’s feel the need to do it. If I feel the need to get off my hunting stand, I will force myself to leave after the first hour or so and be back within an hour.
A lot of days I have used this during what hunters call “lockdown” when bucks spend much of their time bedded with a hot doe. For me to feel like this will work I will need to get back in my stand before mid-morning. Now when other hunter’s feel the need to move about, and stumble back to camp for brunch and some nap time, you’ll be back in your stand waiting for that trophy deer to come around looking for his sweetie and a little afternoon delight.
Tracy said that often when he takes new, youth or late sleeping hunters turkey hunting. He has always told people who say “I would love to go turkey hunting but I don’t want to get up early” he would tell them “that’s fine I’ll pick you up after 8AM”. Why does this work? Well the bottom line is really deer and turkey alike, are on their feet all times of the day. Sure more so than others but it only takes that one opportunity to make a hunt the successful one.
