By Ben Romans

When you're hunting, is there any time better than sunrise? A few weeks ago I was on an elk hunting trip in the southwestern states. There were elk and coyotes making noise in nearly every direction. You would think I'd be running around like a kid in a candy store. But as the sun came up and mixed with the stars, I kept taking a minute or to two look over my shoulder in awe.

The same thing happened this past weekend when I was hunting mule deer not far from my home. I spent about an hour hiking in the dark, and when I reached the high point I was working toward, the sunrise started bouncing off the clouds. It was a terrific sight, and definitely put me in the mood to hunt-though after a few hours of not seeing any deer, morale was back around rock bottom.

So I guess that makes me a morning hunter. I like getting out when the air is cool. I wasn't always this way—I used to hunt a ranch where the routines of the whitetails was so specific, you could set your watch to their movements. What about you: Are you an early riser or an afternoon hunter? —Ben