Best Times to Hunt

Most experienced hunters will tell you that early morning is the best time for spring turkey hunting. You can also have good success hunting midday and in the late afternoon, just before sunset.

The best time to hunt rabbits is typically during the winter months from November through February, which coincides with the legal season in most states. But within those months, there are prime times throughout the day to improve your odds of coming home with some rabbits!

With over 200 different species, squirrels are one of the most familiar rodents located all over the world. They're also among the most popular small game species to hunt, but when is the best time to hunt these animals? Most hunters agree that the fall months at dawn or dusk are the best times for squirrel hunts.

When should you plan a hunting trip to harvest a wild hog? The time of year and time of day can impact your success when hunting this species. For wild hogs, nights, cooler parts of the day, and winter months are typically the best times to hunt them.

Coyotes are extremely smart animals with keen eyesight and a strong sense of smell. Hunting them during the prime winter months (November–February) can be your best bet for catching one of these creatures.

Found in the mountains and forests of North America, Asia, and Europe, the brown bear covers the largest area of any bear in the world. Generally solitary animals, brown bears can be found in groups during feasting seasons such as the Alaskan Salmon run. 

Black bears are one of the most sought-after big game in North America. They can be found across most of Canada and in about 40 states in the U.S.

Hunting at the wrong time (or at a less-than-ideal time or at the spur of the moment) can be fun, but it's also likely to leave you heading home empty-handed.

You'll find a variety of waterfowl to hunt in North America, with the most common being mallards. These birds are frequently hunted throughout the U.S. near bodies of water like lakes, rivers, ponds, swamps, and coastlines.

The best time to hunt whitetail deer is during the rut in late October through mid-November, with dawn and dusk being the most productive windows every day of the season. Whitetail are crepuscular animals, meaning they are most active at twilight hours regardless of season.

Trophy mule deer are one of the most sought-after species of the North American big game. Unlike whitetail deer, mule deer are more commonly found in areas west of the Mississippi River and, more specifically, along the Rocky Mountain regions. 

Upland game is a term for hunting upland birds such as quail, pheasant, grouse, woodcock, prairie chicken, chukar, grey partridge, and others. These birds prefer to live on the ground in heavy cover, which is why dogs are often used to help find them while hunting.