I don’t have any food plots or field edges to hunt. Normally mornings are the best for me since I am deep in bedding areas. There are crop fields in all directions of me and they don’t seem to concentrate on one field and I can’t hunt the fields anyway. How many of you guys hunt deep in the timber during afternoon sits during the rut? What has your experience been in afternoon timber sits? Are bucks cruising the timber until last light looking for does? Is it as productive as the morning?
bigbuckhunter88
PMA Member
I like timber in the afternoon personally. Had more luck with bucks chasing a hot doe by or bucks cruising doe bedding trying to pick up a hot ones scent trail leaving.
Wapsi Tree Rat
Well-Known Member
I also hunt doe bedding areas. Rarely do I see a buck in the summer. Bedding areas can be an amazing place to be in the mornings! Seems that first light till 1/2 hour after sunrise is the first flurry of activity.....but don't get down! 2 hours after sunrise seems to be the second rush hour where a mature buck will trail a doe from from those food sources, or just scent checking trails for a hotty. Main challenge I have is not bumping does on the way in. Don't disturb them if possible. They are the bait on your hook! 
As far as afternoons go, not a waste but definitely slower than morning. Afternoons/evening were made for food plots.
As far as afternoons go, not a waste but definitely slower than morning. Afternoons/evening were made for food plots.
I don’t have food plots and there ag fields everywhere. I wish I had food plots but not possible right now. I have made the switch to more interior timber off of bedding or staging areas. Late afternoons they will linger around the staging areas waiting for more darkness before heading out into the open fields. Not a bad option in my opinion.
sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
I mainly hunt a property that is hardwood timber and borders another bigger hardwoods. Crp borders it the the west,
River to the north. I by far see way more deer and bucks searching in the morning. If I can’t hunt a morning I really don’t care to even make the drive just to hunt in the pm.
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River to the north. I by far see way more deer and bucks searching in the morning. If I can’t hunt a morning I really don’t care to even make the drive just to hunt in the pm.
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203ntyp
PMA Member
I hunted a similar scenario for 20+ years or more. I agree mornings close to and down wind of bedding areas are awesome starting in late October. Once I found the sweet spot on that farm my success rate was 100% for 8 years in a row. As far as evenings I never ventured too close to bedding areas, I focused on staging areas as mentioned prior. Always saw deer the last hour to half hour of legal hunting time mingling and browsing 30 to 75 yards from the Ag fields. This allowed me the best evening opportunities and I was able to slip out once they moved into the fields. Good luck!
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Mornings seem better in the timber.
Once the does start hiding from the bucks I think timber hunts in the afternoon can be real good. Bucks will still check fields and plots but if they don't see anything they are back on the move. Twice in the last 2 years I've been sitting on plots while my target buck is on cam 150 yds away in the timber never showing up on the plot.