An all-day deer hunt requires a lot of patience, determination, and stubbornness. The weather can be miserable, tree stands can be uncomfortable, and deer movement can be stagnant. With those kinds of conditions, is it even worth it to deer hunt all day? Well, the simple answer is yes!
Deer hunting all day long increases time spent in the woods, which leads to more opportunities to kill deer. However, all-day sits are much more successful during the rut than at any other point during hunting season. When deer aren’t rutting, the odds of killing them between 10am-2pm is low.
If you’re like me, you want to increase your odds of success as much as possible without wasting time. You probably also want to enjoy your hunts and avoid hunter burn-out. If that sounds like you, this article is written for you and is my recommendation for when and where to hunt all day for deer. Furthermore, I describe when all day hunts should be avoided.
When to deer hunt all day
All day deer hunts should mostly take place during the peak-rut when weather temperatures have dropped, and wind directions are favorable for the hunting location. However, all day sits outside the timing of the rut are a good idea if a specific buck has shown signs of mid-day movement. It’s also a good idea to hunt all day if a hunter decides to hunt within an area that has high odds of spooking deer when entering or exiting the area, such as a deer sanctuary.
I hunt all day long several times during deer season. However, these are the conditions need to exist for me to justify spending an entire day in the deer woods:
1. During the rut
It makes sense to hunt all day when deer are rutting because they are more active during that time of year than any other point during deer season. However, the rut is several weeks long if we include the amount of time between the start of the pre-rut until the end of the post-rut. My all days sits mostly take place during the peak-rut when activity is highest.
2. When a specific buck has shown a pattern of midday movement
I can justify an all-day sit if I have identified an annual pattern on a buck that’s moving through an area on a specific date and he has a history of moving during the middle of the day. Additionally, if I have recent trail camera information within the last 48 hours showing a buck moving during the middle of the day, I may decide to hunt all day depending on the situation.
3. When hunting areas with a high risk of bumping deer upon entry/exit
Many hunting locations are difficult to enter, exit, and hunt without bumping deer and pushing them out of the area. If a hunter plans on sitting in the same tree for a morning hunt and an evening hunt on the same day, it’s best to just sit in one place and hunt all day. This will reduce the odds of bumping deer and increases the odds of success.
Hunting within deer sanctuaries is risky business, so try to save those hunts for the peak-rut when there is a temperature drop in the weather and the wind conditions are perfect. Click the link to learn when you should enter a deer sanctuary.
4. When you’re bored but have a bulletproof stand or you don’t mind burning out the area
Let face it, some people need to be in the woods all the time. I personally don’t think that’s a great use of time and it can actually hurt our odds of success if the same deer herd is being hunted repeatedly.
If hunters want to hunt all day because they’re bored, then hunt a spot that doesn’t matter if it gets burned out or not. Hunt a spot that will never get hunted again that deer season or a spot that can be left alone for several weeks before returning to it.
The other option is hunting a spot that has bulletproof access, where deer are highly unlikely to be educated by hunting pressure. Bulletproof spots can be hunted nearly every single day without negatively impacting the quality of the hunts because deer don’t know they are being hunted.
When to NOT deer hunt all day
Deer hunters should avoid all-day hunts outside of the rut (early and late season). All-day sits should also be avoided during warm weather days or if the wind shifts and starts blowing towards an area where deer are likely to be.
I avoid all-day sits throughout most of deer season because I don’t want to waste my time. I also don’t want to educate deer before it’s the best time to kill them. Therefore, I recommend not hunting all day under these conditions:
1. If it’s early or late season
Unless I have a specific buck patterned, I never hunt all day during the early or late season. The odds of deer moving midday, and within shooting range, are very unlikely to happen during the early and late season.
2. If the weather is warm
Warm weather days are typically not great days for daylight deer activity. Deer movement is already expected to be somewhat slow on warm days, but the midday movement is probably going to be non-existent.
3. If the wind shifts or is blowing in a bad direction
Hunters should end their hunt, or relocate to a different stand, if the wind suddenly shifts and starts blowing toward areas where deer are expected to be.
4. If the hunting location doesn’t offer decent odds of success
Hunters shouldn’t spend all day hunting if they don’t have spots that offer a moderate opportunity of success throughout the entire day.
Can you hunt near food pots in the evenings and bedding in the mornings? Can you hunt over funnels, pinch points, and transition areas between bedding and food? Do you get trail camera pictures of deer moving during the middle of the day? If you can’t answer yes to either of these questions, it’s probably best to not hunt all day long.
Where to hunt all day
Serious deer hunters know that deer move from their bedding areas to feeding locations in the evenings and then back to bedding in the mornings.
Deer hunters who plan on hunting all day should choose spots that are pinch points, funnels, transition zones, and/or close to bedding and food.
There are very few tree stand locations that hunt great all day long. Some spots hunt better in the mornings, evenings, or during the middle of the day. Tree stands that hunt great all day long are usually located on the edge of cover or within cover. That’s because the majority of daylight deer movement happens within the woods or security cover.
If a property doesn’t have hunting locations that produce good deer movement all day long, consider hunting from multiple locations throughout the day. For example, hunt a bedding area or transition zone for most of the day and then relocate closer to food sources for the evening hunt.
Each time a hunter moves to a different spot comes with the risk of being seen or smelled by deer. It’s important to have a good entry and exit strategy for each hunting location.
Bonus tips for deer hunting all day
1. Keep yourself comfortable
- Use a comfortable tree stand with a good seat and foot rest
- Dress warm and stay dry
- Use hand warmers and boot covers
2. Keep your mind occupied
- Use your smartphone to entertain yourself, but keep a watchful eye on your surroundings
- Keep an external battery charger and charging cable with you so your phone doesn’t die
3. Eat snacks throughout the day
- Protein bars, candy bars, nuts, jerky, sandwich, etc.
4. Stay hydrated
- Water, Gatorade, etc.
- I usually take a 5-hour Energy Shot to drink around noon
