Deer only coming in at night? 8pm-5am

I am not the most experienced deer hunter, but I got on a lease this year where initially I was told there are no deer. Then I set up a camera, feeder, hog panels and start seeing them. Problem is they only come into the feeders between 8pm-5am. After almost two months of camera footage I have yet to see one in the daylight with a CuddyBack Attack IR.

I have my feeder throwing corn at 6am and 4pm. (I am going to check next weekend to make sure it is going off at the times it is set at.) First time using Primos Vault timing system.

Also, I am curious if the camera even takes pictures during the day. First time using a CuddyBack AttackIR.

Overall, just curious if anyone else has ever had a problem similar to this. Its definitely a first to me.

Thanks,

Justin,

Deer are nocturnal by nature and with the hot weather that is common for this time of year. I have 3 cams running on a first year lease and 90% of my photos are during dark. That being said, the cool front we got weekend before last, i had 3 straight days of daytime photos so they were on the move with the cooler wet weather. My place is on the Throckmorton Young county border.

4W

Let it cool down. They'll come around.

4Weight, Im in Graham, Young county as well. The hot weather was a concern to me as well.

I was just curious/anxious as there is a nice 10 coming in that I would like to get with a Bow. The past 5 years I have hunted at a buddies place in Menard and it didn't matter the type of weather we always seen deer/axis. Therefore that was why it peeked my curiousity when not seeing any during the day.

Thanks and I am hoping to see some deer during the day this weekend!!!

Thanks Asartor! Just anxious I guess.

I hunt Archer County, and like 4weight said, I was only getting night time pics until the cooler weather came in. Then

There's more daytime pics but I just like this feller. Hopefully No one shoots him this year and his antlers grow right/dont get damaged next year

Justin, I do agree mostly with the warm weather reason for lots of nighttime activity in Young county but I can tell you that it is pretty common out there too. I strongly suggest that you hunt the full archery season as I have generally seen some of my best morning and early evening buck pictures during Oct., especially mid-later Oct. when the cool fronts start blowing in. Beyond that, also plan to hunt extensively during the 1st 3 weeks of rifle season as after Thanksgiving the daytime buck activity really tails off, at least it has at my place in Murray near Graham the past 4 years I've had it. Nighttime pics persist pretty well throughout season. I have been told this by a handful of other hunters that I've come to meet out there as well.

Metromess hunting pressure presumably plays a part too. Interestingly, I can't say that ARs have really improved the occurrence of nighttime pics as I saw similar numbers of daytime bucks prior to ARs though the overall number of gunshots has dramatically decreased.

Mostly night pic during the heat of the summer but beginning to get more daylight activity now.

I hunt this area as well off of Hamilton Rd. in Throckmorton Co.. It's about a mile from the Young County line. We always get a lot of deer on camera before the season opens (90% at night) then it dwindles down from that point.

Where are you guys located?

Ringer, I'm near Murray Circle Rd., west of 578.

There are some really nice bucks out there for Northwest Texas but you have to be out there lots and have some good fortune as well in my opinion. Not like South Texas (lowfence) where I grew up and commonplace to see 20+ deer, multiple bucks per sitting.

Ringer,

My 320 is down by Coffee Flats. Mainly full cover and a small wheat field. Are you guys on Hamilton road as it bends towards the west or just north of 209. Hamilton road meanders a bit.

If you are going west on Murray Circle do you hunt the property to on the SW corner of Murray Circleand 578? There is also the place with the house on the left and a place on the right that has a ground stand looking down a fence line. You can PM if you want.

I've been getting a lot of pics during the day. This is my biggest so far.

That's a nice buck there Ringer!

Cold, wet weather and rut will really get 'em up and moving.

Thanks! I am hoping I have more photos of him the next time I'm able to go...A WEEK AFTER BOW SEASON STARTS! My son's birthday party is this weekend so I have to stay in town. The good thing is that I get to give him his new youth .243.

Ringer, that's a good one, maybe 4+ yo, mid 130s to 140 class.

Are you getting pics of squirrels/birds etc during the day?

That might be a clue that your camera isn't functioning properly if you're not.

Justin... I would adjust your morning feeding to 7:00 AM. I see no need to feed deer an hour before it gets light. If the deer come to the feeder after it goes off at 6:00 in the morning the corn will most likely be gone before you’re able to make out what's under the feeder.
You also stated that you’re feeding at 4:00 PM. IMO that is way too early. You are feeding deer at the heat of the day. This could be why you’re only getting night time pictures.
This is what I do and it seems to work good for me and has been for years.
Bow season feeding times
Morning feeding is @ 7:00 AM
Evening feeding is @ 6:30 PM
Rifle season feeding times (this is when we set the clocks back)
Morning feeding is @ 6:45 AM
Evening feeding is @ 4:30 PM
Doing this will help your odds of seeing deer during the daylight hours.
Good luck to ya buddy!!!

Ringer

Heck of a nice deer there. Good visiting with you. Good luck in October with your bow.
Interesting your not far and you a lot more hardwoods than me. I am mostly in mesquite and pear. Stay in touch!

M

I agree I would reset the feeder times, 6am it stays dark for a good hour and 430 right now seems a little early dont see many deer walking around in the heat of the day I would change it to 645 or 7pm JMO

I dont start getting consistent daytime photos of the older deer until the end of Oct. Before that it is rather sporadic. If it cools down, I will get daytime pics for a few days and once it warms back up they go nocturnal again. Be patient they are there and will show up eventually.

Trust me, our entire place doesn't isn't as thick as it is here. I wish it was. This just where I bow hunt. It's the thickest part of my whole place and it's only about 15-20acres. 90% of our place is sporatic mesquites and small clumps of oaks.

I've been hunting Archer County for quite some time now (12) years. I have deer coming all hours of the day and night. I guess it just depends on what part of the county you're in. We were about one of the only places in the county with water last year. We were covered up in deer. This year is no different.

We go off daylight savings the 4th of Nov. Feeders going off at 7:00 am and 4:30 pm are just about right when we do. I like to train my deer to eat at my convenience. It gets light enough to shoot at 7:00am and 4:30pm gives you time to track anything that you don't knock down.