Most productive weather for hunting Mule Deer

H

HC

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I would be curious to hear opinions regarding the most productive weather for Mule Deer Hunting. For example, I love hunting during the rut. I like it in October when we get a good snow pushing the bucks out of the high country.

But what about hunting in mid September in the high country. What is the best weather for hunting for a big muley buck? Overcast? Rain & drizzle? cold, Crisp mornings? Sunny weather? What is the best case senario in the high country for locating and hunting a good buck?
 
I've done best on extremely cold mornings with a bright morning sun during the last week of the season (end of October and first few days of November). The deer seem much more active, tend to bed later and the bucks come out of the heavy cover to start following the does. I've hunted a lot of seasons were I've seen nothing for days at a time at the beginning of the season and have come back to the same areas at the end of the season and it seems like the deer are everywhere you look. I've never hunted in mid-September but I have scouted and found the deer fairly easy to spot early in the morning and late in the evening but as soon as the hunters start showing up a few days before the Oct rifle season the deer seem to disappear.
 
The weather in high country during september is crazy at least it is in washington. visibility is a must. alot of times we've been fogged in so it made glassing difficult. One time it was 75 degrees one day and when we woke up we had 6 inches of snow. Saw alot of deer that day. High country bucks seem to be active during morning and evening and even in between. not much pressure from anything and they are in their late summer routines and can be patterned. best advice from me is spend time glassing, alot of glassing. and glass some more.







Clyde
 
September high country hunting is alot like hunting a summer pattern. Weather can change wildly during that time of the year. If you're going to hunt deer during then hope for no real changes, no cold snaps and no snow. Not only can an early snow make your hunting area inaccessible cold snaps can cause the food sources to change and cause the deer to head down into timber and may be harder to hunt.
 
Just before or after a trash mover of a storm.
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Eric
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-12-06 AT 07:55AM (MST)[p]I believe any sort of storm system either coming our going tends to get the muleys moving.....as long as the storm doesn't dump too much precip.(rain or snow) then it seems like the animals just hunker down. That being said my favorite hunting weather is a slight drizzle or light rain showers with a lot of wind....the wind makes great sound cover thus making it easier for you to do the "sneak up dance!" If the wind is strong and squirrely enough you really don't have to worry about the animals scenting you either because in my experiences it tends to make the deer less reliant on their sense of smell.....or they they just can't pin you down as well using their nose....either way a strong squirrely wind seems like it's helped me out a time or two.
 
I love to hunt in a light drizzle. Keeps noise and scent down, the animals seem to like it... but a clear day following a couple of days socked in by severe weather is hard to beat either. I haven't noticed in this part of western Wyoming that snow makes much difference until there is a couple of feet up high. That didn't used to be the case, but I think the animals have gradually learned not to move down too soon. On the other hand there are often animals found low in the valleys when it is inordinately warm, but only in areas that are fairly land locked by private property. Don't know that animals are all that smart, but they are adaptable.
 
Late September a nice rain storm for the late morning and then stops about three in the afternoon.. Ive seen some big bucks come out to feed at this time of the afternoon.
 
Need to hunt,
I need to hunt with you a day or two. You like to hunt in the stuff I think is a waste of time. I rarely see animals when it is windy. I don't really like to hunt in a drizzle either. What kind of cover do you hunt during rain & wind? Do walk a lot? I like to glass and deer seem to stay home when it is windy & drizzley.
smelly
 
From my experiences, I have always seen animals in harsh weather. Be it snow, rain, a mix of both. Not when its pouring hard, but as mentioned above, a slight drizzle is perfect. In fact, I have killed numerous animals in this type of weather, and have also seen many feeding.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-12-06 AT 04:48PM (MST)[p]Smellybuck:

90% of the hunting I do is in heavy cover/timber on the eastern slopes of the Oregon cascades. The wind whipping thru the timber and brush really covers up any noise you may make. I do a lot of walking thru thinned stands and/or heavy timber during slightly damp/windy conditions. The deer and elk for that matter really get on the move in my neck of the woods during this type of weather. The areas I hunt don't allow a fellow to use optics to spot game from distances, the exception being a few clear cuts....but then the game always makes their way into the timber shortly after daylight anyway. I don't really get too much of a chance to hunt open country often but I really love timber hunting because you rarely see anyone else.
 
Califelkslayer:

You speak the truth! I may talk about my favorite hunting weather, but like the next person I try to get out as much and anytime I can get out....."adaptation" that is a good one!

I'm a lucky one, when I see it's raining up in the mountains and it's hunting season, my boss usually has no problem letting me take the the day off.
 
for Blacktails in northern California the best hunting is when the temps are below 95. :) Sometimes we get 3 or 4 days of good hunting in a season!

Steve
 
What about mid September Mule Deer, especially in the higher elevations? I have heard several ideas ranging from prefering a light rain to a dry overcast day, to sunny and nice but under 70 degrees. I guess I am referring to the preferred whether for looking for deer via binoculars and spotting scope. Thanks for the suggestions so far!
 
I dont hunt high country but it seems there are some sound advice here. I hunt the low lands and desert. I see alot have answered what I would put on a desert hunt. High winds and rain or snowing. They seem to hold more tighter and usually will put there back to the wind. They will always be in a draw with there backs to the wind. Easier to locate them. Just look so they could keep there backs to the wind.
Great advice all. Glad hunting is almost the same everywhere.

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There is nothing like hunting mid november with a few inches of fresh snow. I seem to do well on really windy days too, whatever time of year.
Jeff
 
Let me add to eelgrass' post. For blacktails in extreme N. Calif. the best hunting weather is the first good rainstorm of the deer season that is accompanied by lots of thunder, lightning, and wind. There's nothing better! The deer are on the move. . . guaranteed!
 
Need 2,
I'm glad we had this dialog. Maybe I don't see animals during the weather you like because they are in the timber - where I'm not! What you say makes a lot of sense. Few people know how to hunt timber here in Utah - myself included. Timber typically grows here on the thickest, steepest, slopes and the animals have all of the advantage for hiding. I can hear animals when I go through timber but I rarely see them. They are always alerted to me long before I'm even close. I think I'll change my windy day strategies, if the sound & smell is muffled then maybe that is the one time I could step on one in the timber. Thanks!
 

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