lots of nighttime activity, but how do I get deer moving during legal shooting hours? (Northern NY)

I’m looking for some advice from more experienced deer hunters on how to improve my current setup.
I’m hunting a clearing surrounded by woods in northern New York. My house is about 150 yards away, and I have a small makeshift elevated platform/tree stand overlooking the clearing.
I’ve had several does showing up in the area, and one doe has appeared around roughly the same time on multiple evenings. I also have trail camera pictures of a 5-point buck, but he’s been showing up around 12:30 a.m. I haven’t gotten another picture of him since the first one about a week ago.
There are established trails that are definitely being used, and I’ve noticed apples on the ground in the area. I recently put up a hunting blind and have five trail cameras monitoring different spots. Since putting the blind up, activity on the cameras has slowed down, and I’m wondering if I disturbed the area.
I’m trying to figure out how to get a better chance at seeing deer during legal shooting hours, especially with the rut approaching.
A few things I’m wondering about:
Should I leave the area alone for a while to let the deer get comfortable again?
Would hunting the edges of the clearing or setting up closer to the trails be more effective?
Is it worth using a buck grunt, rattling antlers, or a doe bleat during legal shooting hours before rifle season?
How much could my entry route and wind direction be affecting deer movement?
Is there a realistic chance this buck starts moving during daylight as the rut gets closer, or should I focus on the does and other deer using the area?
I’m still learning, so I’d appreciate honest advice on what you would change about this setup. I’d rather make adjustments now than keep pressuring the area and ruin a good spot.
Thanks in advance!

Couldn’t get the right shot on anything today, but had a staring contest with this little one

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It will be like Christmas. I wonder what I will find. For sure, gloves, knives, maybe binos and maybe another rifle.
what else have you picked up??

Pic*

Quick afternoon trip to the Myrtle Grove WMA in Southern Maryland.

My girl is a noob and she really wants to get into this, any suggestions? I currently use a saddle should we do double platforms in the same tree?

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Thank you!

Trying to fill my bear tag for the first time this fall.
I spotted a mature mama bear and cub this evening. Super exciting and pumped that I found some bear, but I didn’t shoot because I wasn’t sure how old the cub was. My local regs say sows are protected if accompanied by cubs less than 1-year old.
The cub was noticeably smaller than mother bear but it wasn’t a tiny teddy bear cub. I just didn’t know how to accurately judge at 300+ yards.

I follow a Black bear hunting page on FB and some of the bears people shoot are pretty small. Some maybe the same size as this cub I saw, but again it’s hard to reference a photo to something you’re looking at through 10x binos at 325 yards.

Whats the deciding factor before shooting a mama bear to determine if the cub is over a year old?
Hoping I can find them again and get a better look.

I hunt a hilly oak area on Federal Land by my cabin a few times a year. I usually still hunt it all day as deer tend to run through it around noon during the rut. I hunted from sunup all day and only saw a few running does.

About 2 hours before sunset I hear a doe bleat (sounded exactly like a Can Call, like a sheep baa-ing). I thought it was another hunter about 100 yards up a hill behind a blow down. I sat down and finally get a glimpse and I see the rump of the doe shaking flies off. I had already used my doe tag so I could only shoot a buck with 4-points on a side. I move slightly but can't see more of the deer. It bleats about every 15-20 minutes. 100% sure it's a doe bleat. I sit there for about 90 minutes waiting for a buck to come in to the doe. I decide to try creeping around to see if a buck by chance is bedded by the doe, I get about 10 yards and catch a glimpse of antlers! I blow a grunt and the deer pulls his head from around the blowdown to look at me: It's an 8-point buck!

I was completely unprepared for a shot as I was standing to get a better view. It may be a pot shot for many, but a free-hand 100 yard shot on a bedded deer I could only see the top half of the deer on was too risky for me. I waited with my rifle up for what felt like 5 minutes until the deer stood up and I shot as soon as I could. Ended up shooting 3 times as he ran and hit him with 2. Down in 60 yards.

I've thought many times since then about how many "doe bleats" I've heard that were actually bucks. The weird thing was that it was almost too perfect of a doe bleat he was making, like I said I thought at first it had to be a hunter a can call.

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