New Deer Hunter Questions

[Warzord8]

So I'm heading out for the second time tomorrow early before sunrise...the guys I go with like to hunt early (sunrise to about 10) and then late (4 to sunset)....I realize these are peak times but is it worth it to stick it out the whole day in the stand?? How active are the deer during the mid-day hours. I'm thinking about trying it out but would like to hear opinions from more experienced hunters..

My second question is how accurate is bore sighting...I went to a range to sight in my gun but had some issues with the scope so I wasn't able to get it done...I ended up having it bore sighted yesterday. What should I expect?

Thanks in advance.

[Heartman]

Boresighted, your rifle should hit a normal-sized paper plate at 25yds. Further than that, who knows, just keep your shots close - you should have taken it to a range to at least sight it in at 50yds.

[big drift]

Look at this way waht happens to all the deer when everyone is going in? Yes stay in your stand, folks will kick up deer and bucks are all still chasing does all day long.

A bore sighting will generally get you close (on paper) to your preferred point of impact. A quick range test some time this weekend will help to fine tune it. Unless you are able get to a range this afternoon or evening. Until then it is a crap shoot.

[Scott K]

I have seen many bucks during mid day, I would hunt as many hours as you can. The biggest buck I have seen in hunting in Wisconsin came in about 1:30, I wasnt ready for it, I was kicked back and gun resting on the tree, then never got a shot once I grabbed my gun.

Boresighting, isnt very good, do yourself, and the deer a favor and find a range and sight it in! Or see if one of your party has a spare gun for you to use until tomorrow afternoon when you can sight it in better. Good luck! Have fun! Be safe!

[Hitman54]

I've never shot a deer sitting in the cabin so I figure to improve my odds I stay in the woods as long as I can. If the weather allows you to I will stay out all day.

Secondly, taking a bore sighted gun into the woods can be dangerous. It will get you on paper at 25-30 yards but beyond that who knows. Take the previous advice and borrow a buddies gun for the morning hunt then sight your gun in that afternoon.

[BobT]

Last year my nephew shot his buck at 11:30am. 185# dressed, 10-points, 21.5" spread.

When I was working in the logging industry, contrary to popular belief the deer seemed to be most active during the midday hours. The second most active period was early morning. This information may be a bit tilted though because the activity I'm talking about was occurring in mid-winter and not during the rut. During the rut we didn't see all that many deer. I'm sure their habits change at different times of the year.

I personally have taken more deer during the midday hours from about 10:00am till about 2:00pm but then I make sure I'm in stand during that time period. Maybe all the other hunters moving in and out of the woods for lunch encouraged the activity and I was merely able to capitalize.

The point is, don't overlook midday.

Bob

[Jimmy from Cottage Grove]

We have hunted our property for over 25 years. The 4 biggest bucks ever shot down there were between 11 and 2

[FISHINGURU]

a few yrs ago and after much research i decided to sit in my bow stands as long as i could which would be normally around 11 or noon.

i used to leave my stand at around 9 or 10 which is still a nice sit for early season hunting.

its pretty well documented that big mature normally nocturnal bucks move mid day....after reading about it for yrs and thinking they were crazy i started to sit longer and there even has been times i just hunted 10 to 2.

i've seen more mature big bucks between 10-2 then any other times i've ever spent in the woods even though my times spent in the woods between 10 and 2 aren't even close to the hours i've spent out in the woods during traditional prime times like early morning and late afternoon.

it seems strange to see 130-180 class bucks just wondering around the woods at noon but yes it's real. wish i would of known about it 10 yrs ago.

the deer seem programmed to know that no one is in the woods at night or mid day....some of them old wise bucks just bed during primetime hunting hours and know it's safe to move mid day and night....well thats unless i'm out there....you should be out there too!

[harvey lee]

If I were to hunt a location that has alot of hunters in the woods, then my key time would be from 9am to 4 pm. All the hunters are coming and going and doing all the deer pushing for you. Also, if the bucks are in rut, they will move all day regardless of the time.

I would also really try to get somewhere and test fire the gun as one really has no idea where your bullets are going to hit. You need to know where your gun is firing as you owe it to the deer to put a good killing shot on it. How would one feel if they wounded a nice deer or a trophy buck because they didnt take a half hour to make sure their gun was shooting straight.

[Shack]

Not to mention, missing a trophy buck all together!

[BobT]

Well, what was I saying....don't ingnore the hours from 10:00am - 2:00pm. At 10:45am on Saturday morning my 14-year old nephew dropped a nice 10-pointer. I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say.

Had a good weekend. Saw plenty of deer. My brother-in-law took a small doe today as well. My brother and his boy, who were hunting in a different area this weekend, passed up two spikes and a couple does. The other two fellows he was hunting with each got their bucks.

I wasn't really hunting. I was along for the ride with my 13-year old daughter. She got to see one nice doe but elected not to take it. I guess she's looking for a buck so she can enter a big buck contest her school band director organized with his students. I wish her luck.

Bob

[uffdapete]

I learned from experience in SE MN those hours are very good because of all the hunter movement but I wondered if that would change in far northern MN with less pressure.

This year I took 1 at 9:30 and another at 2:00. Last year I took 1 at 1:00 and the year before that 1 at 12:30.

[Steve Foss]

I've hunted in the national forest outside Ely for four seasons. There's some pressure, but not nearly what you get in agricultural or high-traffic hunting areas.

Both the bucks I've taken in that time came at mid-day, around noon-1 p.m. They came while I was sitting in a specific location that looked good, not while I was moving around, and there were no other hunters anywhere near me. In both cases, the rut was in full swing.