No not that one...the other one... Do you guys/gals hunt on opening week regardless of the conditions? Do you feel it is more important to be in the stand then to worry about the moon phase or the temps? I'm not talking about wind. That is not what this is about. If the temps are not cool, the moon is full, do you still hunt opening week? or do you wait until the 15th when you have a new moon and two weeks more to cool down? Feedback appreciated. Stories of hunts in both conditions welcomed. Thanks!
I went this AM just because it was opening day I didn't see a deer and the cameras have been quiet in the AM there is a good chance I sleep in tomorrow :D Evenings are still good right now on food sources. I believe your best chance at a buck is the first week so yes I hunt no matter the conditions.
Right now bucks are in the summer pattern and if they continue, can be predictable before they disappear before the rut, I'd never let anything short of the wrong wind keep me from hunting a patterned buck beginning of the season.
If I am not at work and season is in, I am hunting! Because you never know what can happen! I have killed a lot of deer when I made myself go while common sense was trying to tell me to stay home! Time on the stand trumps everything!
I put a reminder in my calendar that pops up every Sept 30th reminding me that my favorite day of the year is Oct 1st. I have killed deer in the first week of the season multiple times and there have been instances that it has been 90 degrees and I've killed one and its been in the 30s opening week and I've killed them. For me the important thing is to be in a tree!
I'll be out next Friday no matter the moon phase or weather conditions here in MD. It's opening day, no questions asked. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
I wait til mid October before i start. I always kill something the week of Halloween. But right now its dove season for me.
The last two years I've shot my bucks both on the tuesday of the second week of the season...If I have time off I'm on stand...temps have played a role more than anything for me on those early season hunts as far as seeing deer goes...but that may just be that stand because on my other spot you'll see deer everyday regardless of wind, temp etc.
I went today more just to be out, but I didn't hunt my best spots because I don't want to stink them up while it's this hot. I feel like I lost 5 gallons of sweat. It was 76 when I got into the stand a little after 5 and humid as all get out. Not the conditions I like to hunt, but this is the first opener I've been able to hunt in 3 years. I did see deer in the morning and evening but nothing I want to mess with in this heat.
Personally, I get in the stand every chance I get. Unless it's raining. I have killed deer in hot weather as well as very windy weather. You can't kill deer if you aren't in the woods "just sayin".
I will hunt twice in October just to get the bugs out of my game, like noise in the stand,fumbling with my gear at the tree base in the morning. Basically getting back in tune. Then November 1 it's every morning till I lay one down. I used this strategy for the past 5 years and been successful. Night and day actually compared to hunting the crap out of October.
Early on deer hunting I rarely stepped in the woods prior to Halloween. Since I began learning how to scout correctly and read sign I've had many years where I was tagged out in IL by mid-October with 2 decent bucks at the taxi. The deer do not dissappear off the face of the Earth during the "lull" of October. They just are not getting out into the open fields until nighttime where most of the deer hunters are set-up. I've gotta admit hunting the early season is not always the most enjoyable with the higher temps, bugs and recreational vehicles ripping around where I hunt, but the rewards can be that mature buck you might be after.
If I'm not in the woods on opening day its because they put me in the ground. I don't wait for this day all year to stay home because of the heat. I saw pictures on here yesterday of a nice 10 pt. Still in velvet that was taken on opening day. That is enough motivation for me to brave the poor conditions.
I did'nt wait this long to sit at home,so yes I'd be out.Even if you try a new spot it's worth getting out and exploring,shot a deer last year on the ground in a new area that I thought had potential.It was a fat doe but that same area produced a nice 9 point a couple of weeks later.Good luck.
Thanks everyone! It's so hard for me, I've never had any luck the first week of the season. However, I am hunting a new spot. I know you can't kill one if you don't go.
As soon as season starts I'm out hunting every weekend and during the week every chance I get. I don't have enough hunting time to be able to be picky about the moon, but of course even if I had all the time in the world I would still be out hunting no matter the moon phase.
I hunt earn-a-buck property and the does are only dumb the first couple days. After that it can be a real challenge to kill your antlerless. So, unless it's a constant downpour or windstorm... I plan to hit it opening day. If I had all season to to kill a buck on private property, I wouldn't go out in crummy conditions.
i dont really care about conditions opening day/ week, if its 10 feet of snow or 10 inches of rain or 100 degrees or 40 mph winds ill be hunting no matter what, if its raining ill usssually hunt a ground blind, i have stands set up for all winds and ill deffinetly be hunting this opening day!!!
