Do you consider yourself to be a morning person or an evening person? When are you at your best? You should have an answer in your head. Now think like the animal you want to hunt. When are they most active? Is your animal most “alive” in the morning or early evening? You can do some research online, read books and/or ask fellow hunters about the habits of the animal(s) you hunt to find out a good answer to this question. You could be a morning person but the animal you want to hunt is best captured in the evening, and vice versa…
Hunting in the Morning
Why hunt in the morning? Well, elk and deer, for example, are two animals who like to move in dawn’s low light to finish feeding before bedding for much of their day. Hunters can hopefully discover them in the morning as the animals travel from their feeding area to their bedding area. One challenge of morning hunts, though, could be the lack of light. Animals can move almost undetected in the dark, so you’re more likely to physically see and notice them after sunrise. Meanwhile, if you do get a shot in, and there’s a bloodtrail, you can easily follow it during daylight, so that’s an advantage of a morning hunt. You’ll also find your kill before other predators do– hopefully– and field dressing chores are easier by daylight.
Hunting at Night
What about hunting at night? Typically, hunters have day jobs so they’re not available to hunt until evening hours. That’s fine because game animals tend to move during the final hours of daylight, making them easier to spot and shoot. They also often eat right before the sun goes down and before the temperature drops, so they can be found at a food/water source.
Really, anytime is the right time to hunt. A lot depends on the conditions— if it’s a really hot day, for instance, animals make their way to a water source at midday. Then there’s the rut season, when males are searching for females, and there’s a lot of “activity” going on out there.
Do you want to go on a guided hunt in rural PA? Guided deer and big game hunts are available at Tioga Ranch. Call 570-835-5341 to plan your trip.