LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-07 AT 01:28PM (MST)[p]
"That is not enough snow to matter. They move for the loving or multiple feet of snow not just a skiff."
It depends on where youre at. That's the snake river country so those deer, along the river mostly stay high until later in the year and more snow pushes them, however, I would not be surprised to find a big buck 1/3 of the way down from the top, just below or that the snow line in the timber. . . .
I speak only from my observations of the years. I never have tracked one deer over a lifetime to see how it behaves. But, I believe that there is NO rule of thumb. . . no doubt a couple of inches likely wont move ALL the deer, it's different in different areas and even in one area from one year to the next, but snow, wind, rain, sun, and sex all will, at one time or another, singularly, or in combination move deer.
Like others are saying, it all depends. I've seen bucks move out in as little as a few inches, I've also seen them move out in a few feet, all within the same area and within the same time period. They generally dont all move at once, unless just after a huge multi day storm. . .
I've seen monster bucks move with little snow while the smaller one's stay high, all within the same area's year in and year out. . .
I have come to the conclusion that they are where you find them, and that the only thing I can count on is that I'll have to work my ass off to figure out what the hell they are doing, and i will NO doubt have to make adjustments from day to day and hour to hour based on what I'm seeing in the field.
Dont let anyone tell you that they exactly know what deer do and when, deer are like elk, once you think you have them figured out, they change the game. . .
This is not to say the guys writing books are all wrong, those books are full of useful information, but I'll bet Mike Eastman knows of areas that year in and year out are similar, but he also can tell you about areas where the deer have changed habbits. . . . you can count on one thing, they change. . . the only rule is that you wont kill the buck of a lifetime from the hotel room in downtown denver . . . .