Best time for success

[Predator stocker]

What is the best time to be in the wood for the best success, morning or evening ?

 

[Fridaythe13th]

3 o'clock this year and 5 PM last year. Most of the groups elk have be been 10am and 5pm. But that just us.

 

[87TT]

I'd say daylime. They are where they are.

 

[Indian Summer]

I’ll say this.... first light is the best time to be out there. That doesn’t mean you’ll kill a bull then but that’s a great time to see elk still out feeding and if it’s cold maybe even bedding in the open before they move into cover. Locating elk is half the battle. Watch what they are doing, which way they are heading, what position in the herd the bull is etc. From there you can come up with a game plan and if you can’t get on them that morning you can get in position to call or ambush them mid day or be ready when they make a move that evening. Maybe even the next morning. If I miss the morning festivities I feel like my job will be much more difficult.

This is sundown on a bull that was spotted at sunrise the same day. It doesn’t always go as planned but if you get to work early eventually you’ll get your paycheck. As far as bugling action... roll the dice. I’ve had hot action at just about any hour. Some days they just feel like getting it on.

 

[jimmymcnulty]

I’d also agree based on my experience that First Light is the best time

 

[cnelk]

Mornings for me.

Why?
Thermals are consistent longer
It hardly ever rains in the morning
Mornings can be the setup for a good evening hunt

 

[One-shot]

It depends - on season, early, mid, late...hunting pressure, temps, precipitation/snow.... Typically there's the a.m. first light to say 10:00 window and then the p..m. window late afternoon to last legal shot. However, I got a cow at 12:30 p.m. along cliffside, another cow around 3:00 late hunt in heavy snow, and the bull in my pic early in a.m. not long after first light. I'e also seen bulls mid-day when I didn't have a tag for one.

 

[JG358]

Mornings seem to usually treat me better but I've had incounters and shot opportunities all times of the day.

 

[5MilesBack]

What is the best time to be in the wood for the best success, morning or evening ?

Yes.........and don't forget about mid day as well.

 

[WTFJohn]

Time only goes one way; you can always stay for the evening if you were there in the morning, but you can't go back in time and get there sooner. I've killed elk or had opportunities to kill elk at all times of the day, but I would rather be in position before legal light if I had to pick.

Elk activity is going to change based on the time of year, weather, pressure, etc...

 

[Backwoods89]

I generally feel the most optimistic early morning on the fresh start of a new day verses evenings. But like many have mentioned success can happen at any time in the field.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Depends on your hunting methods. We came really close to scoring a very large bull for our unit this year at around 11am. Wife had him at 60 yards and didn't get a shot in time. Had I been on point with a bull tag I'd have pics plastered all over this website.

 

[trophyhill]

I'm not saying I haven't had opportunities to kill in the morning or other times, but every elk I've killed has been sometime between 5 and dark. The advantage of that is less flies and bee's. The disadvantages are packing after dark and getting back to camp late. I'll take that trade off anytime!

 

[Jimss]

The biggest bull I ever shot was in the evening....even thought the elk were actually more active in the mornings on that particular hunt. I put the bull "to bed" in a group of trees that morning and had an overlook of the trees all day long (60 degree weather). He bugled his way out of the trees just before dark and I was ready for him!

I prefer to hunt open country. In sage rimrock country it may be possible to hunt all day long. A lot depends upon the conditions, terrain, and season. Elk may be active all day long if elk are in a rutting frenzy. If hunting super hot weather with a full moon your window of best opportunity may only be 1/2 hr early and late in the day.

The more time you can spend in the hills the better chance for success. Things can happen pretty fast and furious if you hunt hard all day long and are ready....you never know!

 

[AaronMColeman]

My thought is you have a better shot at shooting an elk in the forest than on the couch. I’ll hunt all day.

I was involved in four kills this year all different times, all different scenarios, all different, tactics.

Archery bull early season rut, call in, about half hour after sun rise.
Rifle bull, just post rut, cow party, half hour before sunset.
Rifle bull, post rut, spot and stalk, half hour before sunset.
Rifle cow yesterday, spot and stalk, about noon.

So it can happen any time, I like mornings so I have all day to pack out. I like evenings because I can sleep in. I like mid day because, why not?


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