Late Season Timing...

Right around new years I was out in the woods clearing new shooting lanes, showing up around 3pm and pushed deer out of the field as I drove in. Then I've been seeing deer feeding at 3-4pm here and there. So what time do I need to be in my stand in order to be ready for deer in late season? I realized I am answering my own question to an extent, but I'm wondering also what time you guys get out in your stands... how do the deer schedules change in late season, etc? From my perspective, morning hunting is less productive than afternoon-evening hunting... can anyone else verify this?

Secondly... excuse the pun, but I couldn't help myself. I just got a new string put on my bow and had it tuned... but before the gentleman who did that took my string off, he checked the timing on my bow. I had never heard of it and probably should have! He hooked the string to the chain hanging from the ceiling and pulled my bow down. On one end of my bow the cam stop hit, but on the other end, it was about a 1/4in away from hitting... showing that my timing was way off! (Apparently this is caused by the strings stretching and is corrected by twisting them while in a bow press.)

It's amazing the difference when everything is set up right! I can only wonder if that contributed to missing the 3 deer earlier this season...

Although I haven't been out much this late season, I would agree that evening hunts are going to be more productive, in most cases. That is as long as it stays cold like it has been. When its really cold like this deer tend to feed when its warmer out, saving their energy for the cold nights to stay warm. IMO a good food source also plays a key role in deer movement in the late season. They are gonna want to find a good food source close to where they're bedding so they don't have to travel far between the 2. If you are seeing them between 3-4 pm, I would try to be in the stand by no later than 1 or so that way the woods (fields) have time to settle down.

I love late season hunting and I always hunt in the evenings. I get to my stand around 4 but I rarely ever see the deer until it's almost dark.

I think you have given sound advice... last night on the way home I counted 7 deer out feeding at 4:30, moving about as though it was normal. With temperatures dropping down to negative 4 last night, they are certainly moving early in the day to keep warm!

Now if only the wind would cooperate, I might be able to get some time in the stand! Saturday's forecast is 25mph winds all day long...