Great info here, curious were those deer bedded or they came out to feed during that mid morning window?
One was bedded, one was in the middle of a newer wide open cut with a doe at noon, one was with 3 does advertising to them, walking around lip curling, etc… all in the full sun. The bedded buck stayed bedded in one little pocket that stayed in the shade until 11, he finally got up when the sun hit him.
today I hadn’t seen a deer and a little forky came walking through with purpose, then straight up a cliff, as I watched him wondering what he was doing I panned into another deer… a good buck. That forky squared off with the big buck then straight up attacked him.. one of the craziest things I have seen… that was the earliest in a few years at 9:45.
I’m certainly not saying start late, just don’t leave too early. I think bucks bed and get up when the sun hits them and feed their way to bed, or lay back down in the cut… there are tons of spots in any given cut that could hide a deer or 10. Most of the first light bucks I have shot were glassed up bedded.
I watch quite a few deer die every year, and the traditional catch a buck in the open at first or last light just doesn’t equal what I see… I see most bucks, of all ages, at 9-12am, with some at first light and some in the afternoons… it’s hard to be that patient looking at the same country, but I do, because I would feel like a slacker leaving early like I used to, because the patterns I see.
I think we walk by a lot of bucks… find sign that excites you and TRUST the sign… you are better off being patient sitting over the best sign you have found.
I used to cover ground, run all over and glass several cuts per morning, and I did fine, but I enjoy finding sign that excites me and hunt that buck, especially if you are hunting a certain kind of buck… but if you are looking for any buck, it’s still a very good mindset, because you know you are hunting where a buck is currently making sign.
today I was hunting a spot with 1 clear cut, no other options, and it was just under 5 miles… I used to not be willing to hunt a spot without other close options
lots of ways to skin a cat, just my perspective