Things are starting to heat up here in NW New Jersey. Out of curiosity, what time of day, in your experience, is most productive during the rut - morning or evening?

I don't know about NJ, but out here in the northwest we can expect action anytime when the rut is on. Our late season begins on November 10 where I hunt, and the bucks are always moving.

If I had to vote for just one...I would vote morning.

mornings<>

I like mornings, but I have seen a lot of activity after 10am as well.

Anytime during the rut.

If I only "rutted" once a year, I wouldn't eat or sleep! So I'm gonna go with anytime.

I take the first two weeks of November every year for vacation and most of my action is in the morning. Although I agree it could come anytime I like between 8 and 10am.

What works where you live may differ twenty miles down the road, not to mention 200 or 2000 miles. I say anytime there is shooting light.

During the rut, spend as much time in the tree as you and your schedule can stand.

My experience says anytime during the day. I prefer mornings but have seen them all day long during the rut.

No clue. On the MN rifle opener I never had to stay on stand past about 10:30 AM. After that, they could have had Guy Lombardo playing for all I know....

That's usually the first Saturday of November. Unless it's November 1st. Then they hold off a week, IIRC..

Anyway, if I could only hunt one day a year, it'd be right around the 7th and I'd stay as long as I could... or at least as long as I had to. I haven't had any luck with private land access yet this year, but I may just take a day off and go for a long walk.

No clue. On the MN rifle opener I never had to stay on stand past about 10:30 AM. After that, they could have had Guy Lombardo playing for all I know....

That's usually the first Saturday of November. Unless it's November 1st. Then they hold off a week, IIRC..

Anyway, if I could only hunt one day a year, it'd be right around the 7th and I'd stay as long as I could... or at least as long as I had to. I haven't had any luck with private land access yet this year, but I may just take a day off and go for a long walk.

This is a hard one I am to the S. around Flemington and they are pushing and looking at any times. I have had a lot of early morning activity on the cameras does first then differant Bucks haven't seen before. This cold snap will have then rutting hard for a couple days even in rain. You do know you don't get weeks of this stuff either. When you see them really active that might have been the hot time and you didn't realize it. These next 2 weeks are a good bet. Last week they were running hard deer all over the roads did you happen to notice that up country?

Fighting and rubs seemed to show overnight as well.

I hunt dark to dark during the rut and keep notes on all buck sightings. I see more big bucks from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. than at any other time of the day.

Anytime. You never know during the rut. My biggest bucks were shot at 12:30, 1:15, 3:15 and right at sunset. A couple of smaller ones in the morning a various times. Skeet

All I know is that I have never shot one while laying down on the couch.

RymanCat. I live in Branchville next to Stokes Forest. Took a nice (for me) 8 Monday morning up in Wantage but can't say they are really pushing. Was out this morning, a perfect morning by the way, and only saw a fawn. Thought they would be going crazy with the sharp drop in temp but not so. Just when you think you've got them figured out....There's always tomorrow.

Here in NE Oklahoma my experience is the week before Thanksgiving is when things get crazy. Lots of chasing goes on that week. It's good to stay in the stand all day. For me, I've seen more bucks beginning about 8:30am and then anytime after that.

Heres what guys don't understand and I have to admitt its not really easy to understand either at times. Because you don't see any deer or see them pushing says a few things, they are in another set of woods in other stagging areas. They got pushed out already in public area and moved to where theres less pressure your does? I have turned down a couple already as well as missed also. You never know they go from area to area where the does are congrigated.

In this stage you hunt the does. You see 1 does she might have been breed already and then thats the wrong doe to be on. You have to be there to see whats going on, theres no in between. When I don't see the deer in know they are in another set a woods that I am not in. If that goes on more than 2 days you have to go find your does again the bucks will be with them or won't be very far away usally.

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