What time of day do deer stop moving?
Deer tend to sleep during the day, roughly between the hours of 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm. A night scope for AR15 will definitely come in handy during these hours. Deer are highly active during the hours just before dark.
Deer are most active in the morning and evening, which is why many hunters consider these hours the best time to hunt deer. With some exceptions, deer mostly sleep during the day and move more at night.
Time of Day: For whitetail deer the most active times typically occur around dawn and dusk, with periodic increases in activity overnight. Plan ahead and get out there during the right time of day to increase your chances of success.
Deer move most in low-light conditions, so be sure you're sitting at dawn and dusk to boost your chances. If you're not seeing deer, you might be reaching your treestand too late and leaving too early. Get settled at least a half-hour before you expect deer to move.
Air temperature's affect on deer activity goes straight to the phenomenon Alsheimer dubbed as “The Fur Factor.” It basically states that deer living north of the 40th parallel shut down when temperatures exceed 45 degrees.
Deer are creatures of habit and may bed in the same location repeatedly. One exception is during periods of the rut when bucks are on the move searching for estrus does and defending their hierarchy.
But when you've waited all year to spend time in the field, deer hunting all day is the best way to maximize your chances of bagging a buck, especially the biggest ones out there that seem to morph into ghosts when you most hope to see them.
In 1971, the Jordan Buck was sent to Pennsylvania to be officially scored by a Boone & Crockett judges' panel. The deer was declared a new world record with a final net typical score of 206 1/8 points.
Fleeting glimpse of an adult white-tailed deer, known as N17003, that traveled the longest distance ever recorded by a UNH researcher — averaging 8 1/2 miles per day for 22 days.
There are times when deer move throughout the day, but they usually bed during the day and at night. If there is increased hunting pressure, you may see that movement decrease. Deer may tend towards shorter distances and time of movement during hunting season.
How long will a buck stay in one area?
Life of the Buck: As mentioned, bucks will sometimes stay with does for 12 to 24 hours because they still emit pheromones synonymous with peak estrus. That said, once the doe is no longer receptive, most bucks leave them in search of the next hot doe.
"Deer do have a mid-day activity period, before, during and after the rut," Steffen said. "As we would expect, studies show that deer movement peaks just before and after dawn and just before and after dark. But those studies also show considerable deer movement at mid-day.