What time of day for food plots?

[Darron]

This will be my first year really hunting over and/or around food plots. I have heard that hunters should only hunt around food plots in the afternoon so they do not bump deer in the morning while they are feeding in them? Is this true or are there exceptions?

[PotashRLS]

We only hunt our killing plots once in a while and only in the afternoon, except the rut. It is very important to plan your way in and out from all your stands.

[wtnhunt]

I have had success hunting plots both mornings and afternoons, but usually hunt inside the woods in the mornings. During our gun seasons you just never know though and if everything is right and the does are feeding in the mornings hunting a plot can really pay off. If you can get to the stands without bumping the deer you might be able to get away with morning hunts, however afternoons are in my experience a much more productive time to catch deer coming to feed in plots.

[Rhino]

I have had success hunting plots both mornings and afternoons, but usually hunt inside the woods in the mornings.

Same here but most of my hunting on food plots is during bow season. I prefer smaller plots for morning hunts during bow season too. By the time gun season comes around the deer have adjusted more to hunter pressure until the ruts over. I have a lot more confidence in my chances at seeing a mature buck in the woods both morning and afternoon after bow season from pre-rut until the post rut period kicks in. During the post rut period bucks are back to fattening up to recover from the riggors of the rut and food is scarce. That's when I'll spend some time back on the plots in the afternoons. Trail cameras come in real handy then tipping you off to which plots mature bucks are using during legal hunting hours.

afternoons are in my experience a much more productive time to catch deer coming to feed in plots.

Same here and the less hunter pressure there is, the earlier they will show up.

[redkneck]

Always have better luck with plots in the afternoon and woods in the morning. You can also hang it up on a frosty morning, the deer arent going to eat frosted grass. Hunt some food plots in the morning later in the season, and even come out of the woods sometimes at around ten or so and then have gone to hunt a plot in the middle of the day. You never know what you'll see during the rut. Like most have said, don't wear out your welcome at one stand. Our plots are pretty small and we're lucky enough to have a good hunter to plot ratio (about 3 plots to the hunter on avg) so we can move around quite a bit without pressuring deer. Also nice to hunt them long plots where you got them and get in and out undetected.

[WHISKEYSWAMP]

i have a few trail cam pics of a decent buck entering a food plot around 7:40am... if he keeps a similar pattern at the start of bow season I plan on getting into stand just after light that way I can slowly walk into the stand without bumping deer in the darkness... that's my plan for now anyway, could change after the next time I check my trail cam.

[Gator]

I've killed most of mine in the evenings, but both 6pts taken on my mom's land in Alabama came in the morning. Both times I left the house at 6am and was back at 7am to get the tractor. And it's a good 15 min walk up, and 5-10 down

[texas8point]

The mornings have been most productive for me

[Chrud]

It is very important to plan your way in and out from all your stands.

That is great advice.

My plots really don't start getting hit by the deer until it freezes. I've had the best luck in the afternoon in the pre-rut and post-rut. But the rut has been the best in the morning.

For what its worth, the buck I killed last year was shot about 40 minutes after I bumped a deer off my plot on the walk in. Even with bumping that deer, I saw a total of three deer in about 35 minutes or so on stand.

[Doc]

There really is no difference between hunting a food plot and hunting a hay field is there? I would guess whatever has worked in the case of a hay lot, would work on hunting a food plot.

Don't know that for a fact since I don't have any food plots, or haylots to hunt. So this is more of a question than a statement.

Doc

[JackedUpZ71]

I usually only hunt our food plots in the evenings during rifle season. During bow season it seems like I spook them everytime I'm leaving because I have to set up to close to the food plot.

[Chrud]

There really is no difference between hunting a food plot and hunting a hay field is there?

In my experience, yes there is a big difference between hunting a food plot and hunting a big crop field. But, my food plot is a lot closer to the whitetail's bedding area than any of the crop fields we have.

A seculded food plot in the woods typically has more deer activity that a crop field. And because food plots are usually closer to the bedding area, the deer usually spend a lot more time on the food plots in daylight hours than they do on crop fields.

I think your chances of success will be greater hunting a food plot rather than hunting a crop field. However, I think a food plot is more difficult to hunt. Because you are usually closer to the bedding area, you have a much greater chance of spooking deer while entering or leaving the plot. And because you are getting close to the bedding area, you have a higher risk of blowing your whole season if one deer catches your scent. Hunting food plots is really a "risk vs. reward" situation.

[Doc]

In my experience, yes there is a big difference between hunting a food plot and hunting a big crop field. But, my food plot is a lot closer to the whitetail's bedding area than any of the crop fields we have.

A seculded food plot in the woods typically has more deer activity that a crop field. And because food plots are usually closer to the bedding area, the deer usually spend a lot more time on the food plots in daylight hours than they do on crop fields.

I think your chances of success will be greater hunting a food plot rather than hunting a crop field. However, I think a food plot is more difficult to hunt. Because you are usually closer to the bedding area, you have a much greater chance of spooking deer while entering or leaving the plot. And because you are getting close to the bedding area, you have a higher risk of blowing your whole season if one deer catches your scent. Hunting food plots is really a "risk vs. reward" situation.

Yes, I guess in your case and the particular way that you position your food plots, I can see how that would be different than hunting ag fields. I guess I was being a little more wide ranging in my question as it relates to food plotters in general.

Doc

[NC8point]

I have always tried to hunt food plots in the afternoons and I will hubt the trails leaving the food plots going to bedding areas in the morning, but thats just my 2 cents, hope that might help you