Whitetail weather

[Prairiekid]

I do a lot of commuting and during my commute I have been listening to a lot of Podcasts lately. My favourite one is probably Wired To Hunt. The reason I probably like this podcast more than the others is there is a wide variety of guest speakers and opinions. A bit better than some of the others which feel like they are just telling you why they are a better hunter than everyone else.

Anyways, there is usually a lot of discussion around cold fronts, barometric pressure, the rut, food sources and just overall weather.

I am wondering what guys in Alberta are using as their metrics to get out the door. First of all I assume many are like me, the first criteria is you have the day off work. Then of course if it is during the rut, you're trying to spend as much time out there as you can. But what else do you look at? Do you look at a barometer? If it is snowing or raining hard do you still head out? Do you try to wait until the precip clears and then head out? What about if it's windy? I generally just try to be out there if I can be out there and let the cards fall where they may, the wind will dictate where I go, but not if I go. But it would be nice to have the feeling sometimes that the cards are in your favour if that makes sense.

[35 whelen]

Hunt all day on the days you have off

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[Scouter]

During the rut the best strategy is to be in your stand rain or shine. Of course there are factors to put the odds in your favor but when rut time comes....

[Bulldog Edm]

The only days I dont go out is if its extreme weather like a blizzard or torrential downpour. I try to hunt before and after those. I was out in the wet snow last week. The deer were moving. Any day out beats a day on the couch.

[Passthru]

Only time I see a slow down on action with deer is very windy conditions.

[Smoky buck]

I hunt when I can but prefer cold dry days with little wind

Rain, heavy wind, and the full moon are what I hate

[Prairiekid]

I work a 4 on 4 off schedule. So I have a lot of options for days to hunt, often I can move stuff around so I can hunt the days I want, but because of non work commitments can’t hunt them all. Just trying to figure the best way to pick the days I hunt, especially before November. Once November rolls around I try to be out there as much as I can.

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by Prairiekid

I work a 4 on 4 off schedule. So I have a lot of options for days to hunt, often I can move stuff around so I can hunt the days I want, but because of non work commitments can’t hunt them all. Just trying to figure the best way to pick the days I hunt, especially before November. Once November rolls around I try to be out there as much as I can.

When the season is rolling, many forget that scouting is key to success.. Those 'days' you are unsure of, run some glass till your eyes bleed..

Many times I have stumbled onto some ghosts that I thought I had figured out.

Good luck.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Prairiekid

I work a 4 on 4 off schedule. So I have a lot of options for days to hunt, often I can move stuff around so I can hunt the days I want, but because of non work commitments can’t hunt them all. Just trying to figure the best way to pick the days I hunt, especially before November. Once November rolls around I try to be out there as much as I can.

Aviod full or large moon phases. Hunt the new moon which I think is the end of November

Outside of weather that is harder to predict the moon has a huge impact on daylight movement

[Sledhead71]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Aviod full or large moon phases. Hunt the new moon which I think is the end of November

Outside of weather that is harder to predict the moon has a huge impact on daylight movement

Why would the moon have such an impact on movement ?

[35 whelen]

November 12th will be the full moon the beaver Moon

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[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

Why would the moon have such an impact on movement ?

I started really paying attention to this 15years ago. Between taking note of deer sightings day to day and when out hunting there is definitely a difference in daylight movement. I find on full moons you get a much shorter window in the morning and evening. On a new moon or small moon I observe way more daylight movement. I have definitely had a noticeable difference in success paying attention to this. I will still go out and hunt on a full moon and have shot deer but if I am booking time of to hunt whitetail deer I will avoid the full moon every time.

I assume it’s the amount of light a full moon provides vs a small moon. My opinion a bright night makes it easier for deer to go about things. Clear skies are part of it to

All I know is I am not going to ignore my notes, observations, and increased success rate. Lots of things weather wise play a roll too this is just something else I pay attention to and is easier to predict well ahead of time if booking time off to hunt

I should add this is experience hunting bush whitetail and I have not put many days into private land deer

[Brbpuppy]

I hear 2 sides about moon phase activity. Lots of people saying that the full moon increases movement, and others saying the opposite. I don't notice a difference, but that's just me.

[KazIce]

Hey PK. This year I was in the same boat as you. Hunted for 20 years at random more or less with average results but a ton of great memories.

Since we started hunting a small parcel of land for whitetail I decided to see how all those things would affect deer movement. In my instance, it really hasn’t. I have seen increased feedings before & after heavy rain/snow. But I also believe the deer don’t bed in one place regularly, so sometimes you see them out and other times you don’t simply because they went to a different bedding area. But I think thats how the deer behave in my area, and I think different places probably get different outcomes which is why ppl swear up and down about what works for them even.

I’m on farmland just on the edge of the foothills; the biggest impact I saw on game movement was snowfall and overnight cold. I barely saw any game in September, and as the weather has gotten colder we have seen more deer feeding on what’s left of the alfalfa fields. So once the food in the hills is gone they move down I think. Last year we only rolled in on Nov 1 so we are learning more about how the season “comes together” this year.

I used to hunt whitetail by hunting clearings and thinking that larger sections of land give me a better chance at a deer since I can cover more ground. Now I want to hunt a small section of land and truly understand how things work in that area. It’s made my hunting of whitetail so much better than it ever was before. Also I have learned that in my area the last 2 hours of the day tend to be the best, but mornings can be better sometimes. Then the middle of the day is a crapshoot but sometimes you will get a chance.

Just go out as much as you can; pay attention to the moon the pressure and everything else and see what makes the deer tick in your area. Once your start to understand how things work you can plan better. Hope that helps.


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[Prairiekid]

Thanks for the replies. The last 4 years I have only hunted in WMU's or areas of WMU's without agriculture. I have found in these areas it is much more difficult to nail down where deer are bedding, what they are using for a food source and just to get a overall pattern. I have pattered some that I am fairly confident will be in a certain spot near a certain time, but I have little idea exactly where they were an hour before or a hour after I see them because I only get to see them for less than five minutes and then they are back in the brush.

[robson3954]

No responses that I saw today. Too hot and windy maybe.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by 35 whelen

Hunt all day on the days you have off

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Yup and the rut will happen with or without the cold snaps, the moon farts etc.....

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

Why would the moon have such an impact on movement ?

High or low tide.....bad time to hunt....keep it when the tides are in transition....trust me I got a pod cast

Just get out and pay attention to the area you hunt in.

[Cloudade]

Just got to watch and try. Today the weather is going to turn sour pretty soon, probably starting as i write this. Could hear a pin drop out there.

[slough shark]

I say get out as much as you can, that being said I’ve shot the majority of my big whitetails in -20 or colder