Morning or Evening

[RavensdaleYoungBuck]

I know everyone has their stories and people get an animal at all times of the day, but I was wondering do y'all think it's better to hunt elk in the morning or the evening? This is my second year hunting and I have been out mostly during the evening.

[gotcha]

Killed most of mine between 10 and 2.

[334OKH]

Mine have all been between 930 or 10 and noon. Except this year and that was about 5pm.  I have never been too eager to get out before first light. I'm not saying it's not worth it. just stating what has worked for me.

[WSU]

Morning for me. 

[npaull]

As much as I hate to get up early, I've always found morning better than any other time. Except I gotta say I've shot a fair number of deer around 11AM.

[pashok23]

Morning for me.

[WSU]

I should say that by morning I mean daylight.  If that means hitting the woods at 3 or 4 a.m. to be where the elk are at daylight, so be it.  They are most consistently out and about right at daylight.

[wall of wood camp]

Mine have been about fifty fifty although I prefer the morning kills that way you have all day to get them packed out. I hate feeling rushed to get them field dressed and quartered racing the clock of darkness. If I could only hunt morning or evening I would have to pick morning

[Bean Counter]

my crew always seem to get them in the evening, but during bugling my focus has always been mornings. They bugle like crazy through sunrise.

[Elknut1]

For us, Morning by a mile, that is for elk especially during our archery hunts.

  ElkNut1

[kentrek]

For us, Morning by a mile, that is for elk especially during our archery hunts.

  ElkNut1

  

[Nice Racks]

I've hunted elk for three years now and have killed two. Last year was a cow in the late evening and this year was a bull at 8 am. I agree that shooting one in the morning is a heck of a lot easier for the recovery and pack out.

[coachcw]

morning is good . but when bulls have cows you can get them away from there ladies 9-11 am . in the evening you can catch elk moving on to or grazing the open slopes its a good time if your waiting for them but can be tough to close the gap before dark . plus tracking wounded or arrowed elk at night can be tough. never let on sit over night everyone ive seen was spoiled .

[4fletch]

Overnight at 0 degrees they will spoil

[Eli346]

 I've killed all of my elk in the morning. I like the extra time to pack them out and take care of the meat. I've never really spotted an elk on an evening hunt that I could have put down and felt good about finding him and getting him out in time to do him justice.

[duckmen1]

I've taken 3 elk. 1 cow during a modern tag. First light.
1cow and 1 bull during archery in the evening for both.
This year was on more elk than ever and had seen them in mornings mid day and evenings every day we hunted. But no shot.
Prefer as everyone else does to tag out in morning.

[Stein]

Morning is better for me as mentioned above.  Two of my three last animals were taken just before legal shooting ended.  Where I hunt I do see way, way more elk in the morning but the deer and antelope seem to be more active in the afternoon.  I think it is somewhat regional and depends on what other hunters are doing.

[Big6bull]

I like evening hunts the best. I would prefer to get a kill in the evening, quartering and skinning  him up while it's starting to cool down and pack all night while it's not 70 degrees out... Get good head lamps and several extra batteries. I go prepared with the possibility of being out there late. be ready for the commitment!