hunting in the morning

[shawn28]

I am just wondering what I do wrong every year. I only get a week or so out of the year to hunt at my dads camp in northern ny up near massena. So I hunt that week no matter what the weather is like morning and night from a tree stand..my question why is it I never see deer during the morning hunt. I am usually in my stand about 30-40 minutes before legal shooting time so everything can calm down and sit 2-3 hrs after sunrise..I have tried different stands on the property but just dont seem to see deer...any idea why this might be?

[joe snag]

This is just common in northern nY,do alittle scouting in the area ,you might even have to move to another spot or property,I've been out 9 times morning and afternoon and seen 3 so far.

[upstatehunter]

There are more areas that are time specific in the northern NY zones....Where there is a lot of agriculture or a larger population density, the deer usually will go to feed on one trail and might travel a mile or more and return to bedding areas on another trail.
Plus with fewer food sources that are large, a whitetail will eat a little and move on to another. Unlike a large corn field, where they may spend the entire night feeding. Add to that smaller pods of deer and you are going to have to work on finding where they are today....and try to pattern them.....they may not be there again for a couple days...when they work back to it.
Plus hunting pressure added to that may just change times they move....Here a little pressure and they pattern us well...they stay out of the area until they know we aren't there....Try changing it up, and sit your stand from 8-1 one day....you might find they are just coming through after you normally leave your stand.....

[Hollywood]

I had a stand I hunted on opening day (S tier) for 20 years. Hunted all day on most openers. I never shot a deer before 9:30 am and rarely saw much after 3pm but between 9:30 and 1pm you wanted to  be ready. I always said I should just sleep in & go in at 9...but I never could do it!

[aquaassassin]

That is just how it is up here in the northeast! Until the seek and chase pre-rut starts mornings for the most part suck! We just dont have the feeding areas for them to come back from in the AM. It can still be done though just need patience and time. I have done it!