No Lunch Breaks
Do you like to hunt the early morning hours, take a break for lunch (or a nap), and then return to the woods for the evening hunt? This is the pattern of the vast majority of hunters, especially bowhunters. I know I used to hunt this way all the time.
You might be surprised to learn that you really hurt your chances when you take that lunch break. According to research from Charles Alsheimer and Wayne Laroche, deer sightings between 9 a.m. and noon are second in number only to the daylight to 9 a.m. period, and far higher than the 3 p.m. to dark sightings. Even more revealing is the fact that buck sightings during the 9 a.m. to noon time period are great, and almost equal to the daylight to 9 a.m. period.
Expert bowhunter, John Eberhart confirmed this in his interview with me. He said that his absolute favorite time to hunt is midday during the rut phases. He's killed far more big bucks during this time of day than any other.
Give it a try next season. Plan to stay on your stand throughout midday during the rut. You might be rewarded for your persistence with a big buck.
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