UT. deer and the weather?

[flight]

I hunt the central region and we have not had snow up there for about 7 yrs, from all the reports I have seen it looks like there will be snow around 8,000 feet and lower. I was wondering what would the deer be doing? Will they go down low or hide in the thick timber? And would I be wasting my time climbing up high? Any advice would be great.

 

[NvrEnuf]

Weather reports are saying that we could get 1 to 3 feet here in the mountains by this weekend. I'll tell you what. Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have ever enrolled in the dedicated hunter program. No tag for me this year. I sure hope all the bucks don't end up getting slaughtered. My guess is a bunch of people will not even get out of their trucks and deal with the weather. That will reduce the pressure a bit but the people that are willing to wade through the snow will probably have a good chance at some nice bucks. I doubt the bigger bucks are going to be moving down much this early even if we do get that amount of snow. I'd just hunt em' right were you've been seeing em'. Good luck to all and be sure to leave at least one big one for me to hunt next year!

NvrEnuf

 

[ktc]

flight,

It will be interesting. Usually the pressure is less with big snow. I noticed up high that the deer are down a bit. Not way down, but off the very tippy top. Heavy snow seems to make for a good local news story and hunters in station wagons. We will probably have a death or two or at least someone will become lost and disoriented.

I hope the weather slows things down a bit. I don't think they will get slaughtered any more than usual. If anything they may get a break because of less pressure. That is what I think anyway.

Do what the last guy said, hunt where they have been. They will be there.

 

[woodruffhunter]

We have and currently are getting snow in Rich County. I am starting to regret not having a rifle tag this year.

 

[eyeguard]

Me too Wood!

I've got too much going on this year to be make it out (I'm moving this Friday, and my wife is due with our 2nd boy next week). In addition to how busy things have been lately, I'm going crazy because I'm not going to be in the hills this weekend! Come rain or shine (or snow), I'd be there. Personally, I think that rifle hunters are going to have a field day up there over the opener (for the ones who brave it). True, it probably won't be any more of a slaughter than usual, but IMO, the conditions couldn't be any more ideal. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if our party came away with at least a couple of nice 4s. I hate the thought of it since I can't be there. Ah well, there's always next year. I'll just have to put in double the energy & effort to make up for this one.

Good Luck to all! Hunt Smart, Safe, & be Ethical.

EG

"A man can be hard to find in the mountains, but you're welcome at my fire anytime."

 

[2_Point]

This is Utah's late cycle, having the hunt five days later than last year. Keeping that in mind I think the deer will be moving because of the weather, no doubt about it. The deer will be wanting to come lower just because we are closer to Nov. I would bet there will be a lot of good deer killed as they come out of the high country. The deer are showing up on our low country ranch and in our orchards the past few days, this weather will only make them come faster.

 

[rutnbuck]

Hang tough kido the weather could be a great thing. Later this year and so much weather. Chances are by the second weekend the big bucks might be moving in with the does. I just hunted Wyo. Wyo up North has had twice the weather we have had and the big bucks were still in the rim rock. Above timberline. Running in batchlur heards. That was the week ene of the 15th.
Small bucks were with does.
We took a whitetail and a nice mulie that was with a bunch of bucks.
Rut.