When are most big bucks killed? | Mule Deer (2024)

What’s your theory on when big bucks are most vulnerable...regardless of the time of year?

That first 30 minutes of daylight is the most valuable time. A hunter needs to be where they need to be before daylight.

I always have more anticipation for early morning hunting, but my best success on big bucks has actually been the last 30 minutes of daylight.

most of the bucks ive shot have been late morning. right around that 10:00 hour. it seems everyone gives up for the day by then and thats when i start seeing bucks move from their morning bed to another bed. my favorite time.

I have pulled the trigger on 8 different bucks and 7 were in the first 2 hours of light. Maybe I don't hunt in the afternoons or during the day though

I hunt from daylight to about 1pm. I want to give myself enough time to get the meat out in daylight. Too old to haul it out in the dark.
I've gotten nice bucks all during my hunting hours. I'm a still hunter and sneaking into them works all day.

My two biggest bucks have been shot around 10am

I think this really depends on the time of year that you’re hunting.

For me its late morning. Most were found at first light and takes a while to get to them. I have this terrible habit of glassing waaaay off.

I hunt general season rifle and our general season units out here are very high pressured so most of the big mature bucks usually go completely nocturnal after they rub their velvet off so the ones that survive the early archery hunters can be really difficult to hunt so when and if I find a good mature buck it's best to find his bedding area and hunt him at sun up coming in or at sundown going out that is if your in to hunting big bucks

I’ve always had better luck at last light in the areas I hunt. Which makes for a crappy cleaning and pack out!

Depends. If the rut is on, i hunt all day, it can happen any time.

I think it has a lot to do with the moon phase as when it is full they are only out a little while in the morning and come out early in the afternoon. But for sure I think the morning is better overall

Most I’ve been a part of have been midday

When the bullet hits them.

I think every deer I've ever killed is between 10 am and sunset. I have never killed one first thing in the morning.

hunting season I think most are

When people are hunting them. My four biggest were at 8 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and right at last shooting light in the evening (don't remember the time).

January ??

Eastern plains.

My 4 biggest bucks were killed:
- about an hour after daylight
- about an hour before dark
- mid-morning
- about an hour before dark

My biggest was just after daylight, but have seen more big ones just before dark.

My better bucks are all between 8-10am or last hour of light. I feel like last hour of daylight they are the most vulnerable because they are coming out of hiding rather than heading to hiding like they are at first light. I am only speaking from a rifle hunter in October point of view. But this all can change with snow or hunting early bow or late rut.

unfortunately just after christmas.....

During hunting season typically

I was watching the clock on my phone for it to be officially legal shooting light on the best buck I ever killed. He was dead about ten seconds after being legal. I don’t typically hunt evenings.

I've seen big deer die pretty much every hour of the day. It all depends on the situation. My own biggest 4 died 11a.m.-5 p.m.

I bow hunt only and in my success through the years there really isn't one part of the day that has been better then the other. I have arrowed them mid morning, mid afternoon and evenings.

Yup I don’t think one time is any better than another, kill’m when ya find them. My biggest bucks have been between 8am and 1 pm. I think morning and evening seems better cause that’s when people are out the most. I know as a kid we always came in for lunch then back out towards evening but these days I’m glassing in the heat of the day even if I’m back at camp for lunch, found bucks from a chair with some food and soda going down but then it’s halted and stock begins!!

Any new input on this topic? I just shared a pic from the thread and thought it was a good one. My first post said the first 30 minutes of light was the best time. The buck I killed last year would have been into the dark timber within 1 hour of first light if I hadn’t caught him.

Middle of the night when people hit them on the road

The last 4 bucks I have killed, all except one were in that 10:00 am and 1:00 PM slot, the other happened to be very last light.

I took 2 mature bucks last fall. One spot and stalk about 45 minutes before dark, the other still hunting mid day. Spotted a giant early one morning too. So they’re all over the map.

I think there are other factors, mainly pressure, terrain and weather (maybe even moon phase). My 2 biggest bucks were killed at midday and 30 minutes before dark.

After My Recoil !!!

I have been lucky to take most of my bucks early in the morning

I guide mule deer hunts from late Aug to the end of Jan and 90% of the bucks we kill are either late morning or early afternoon. We spot them in the morning, get them bedded, make our stalk and then kill them when they do their late morning or early afternoon stretch. More often than not it's early afternoon.

Mine this past fall in Colorado was killed at noon basically. Spotted him mid morning bedded and by the time the shot was fired it was noon or so. Also happened to be 85 degrees that day, November 3rd. Election day. Man, that was a hot week during the full moon.

My best have come just before dark in the evening.