Last week’s column on bipolar weather couldn't have been written at a better time. From 60 degrees to 11 inches of snow in just over 24 hours. We hunters have been cursed by the weather gods the past few seasons.
Imagine my surprise to see a toad hopping up to me in late November. That was a neat sight to see, but one that warns you of poor hunting conditions. It was so hot that I had to break out the bow season clothing again. I remember wishing for cooler temps and some snow. My wish came true much sooner than expected. The snow started falling around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, and by dark had accumulated at least nine inches. This would have gotten me excited, had there not been wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour. Wind-blown snow in the face definitely isn't one of my favorite conditions to hunt. . This lasted a couple days, then it finally broke. We were now starting to experience weather conducive to daytime deer movement, and things seemed to be looking up.
With a fresh coat of snow, hunters were finally able to see where the deer have been moving most heavily. I look forward to such conditions after a long warm spell. When it is hot out and the deer aren't moving, it's easy to think there are none around. After a fresh layer of snow has fallen, you see the truth. Many deer have been moving, just not many during daylight hours. It may take up to a week of cold and snow to break the nocturnal travel pattern. Just as things were getting better, Jack Frost gets the boot again. When situations like these happen, a change in strategy may be your only hope.
This past Sunday, my father and I set out for a morning hunt. On the way up the hill, we cut the tracks of a large buck. He had been roaming the thickets and woods all night looking for does. We got set up, but were both surprised to see nothing. On our way off of the hill, we had a little surprise. The buck had walked behind my father only about 100 yards away. Too bad it's so thick, that you couldn't have seen the deer from half that distance. I could see from the distance between his steps, that he was almost running. My wind had been taken to the thicket of a neighboring property. The buck must have smelled me, and circled below me to enter the thicket on our side of the fence.
This reminded me that sitting isn't the only way to get a deer. When they are glued to the bedding area, sometimes your only choice is to push them out, or go in to find them. I would rather sit on a stand than drive or stalk deer, but when they aren't moving, you have no other choice. You can either sit and see nothing, or be assertive and make something happen. We have been stricken with another warm spell, and I expect deer movement to be further suppressed. The truth is, you have the ability to see deer walking around during daylight on any day, it's just greatly decreased by warm temps. I'm ready to turn the tide and tip the scale in my favor.
Not only will I be changing my routine, but a change in firearms is also important. I typically hunt with a scoped rifle. While driving or still hunting, there is a high chance you may only get a running shot. This may not be a problem for a rifle shooter in open woods or a field situation, but in thick brushy areas, you will be at a disadvantage. Acquiring and taking down a moving target with a scoped rifle is beyond most shooters’ skill level already. Add to that the distraction of trees and brush in the way, and you have pretty much guaranteed a miss. I recommend an open-sight gun for such situations. I prefer to use the good ol’ 12 gauge. This gun shoots through brush well, and after years of duck hunting, is lightning-fast for me to cycle a second shot. I have also heard that lever actions are good for this application, but I have never tried one.
The moral of the story is you can't shoot what you don't see, you can't hit what you don't make a good shot at, and most importantly, you can't shoot one from the living room couch. If things aren't working, change things up a bit. If nothing else, it breaks up the monotony.
Good wishes and don't give up, give them something different.