Alright fellas this is actually the first year im keeping a journal and recording wind direction, dew point, barometer readings, day light time and moon phases.... what im asking from you guys is..the best scenario when you look at the weather.. What do you look at and what is a good barometer reading or do you guys look at dew point, humitidy?..heat index? What are the key components i should start to trend and keep record of...to see if i can start patterning these deer movements before the pre-rut starts to kick in at the end of this month..to the start of november..
i realize its kinda late to think your gonna start patterning these deer...because in a few weeks...they wont follow the same pattern..but .... this is for future reference....or actually just knowing weather wise ...that it would be a good night to hunt..with the conditions...
Ideally- A storm front moving in compliance with a dropping barometer.. 32 dropping to 30 ideally. High dew point, overcast skies with a temperature around 45-50 and a NW wind! :D wooweee.. gets me excited just thinking about it!
thanks GMMAT....i just trying to figure out ...what nights that have possible potential...this is something i really never looked at... I knew the temp. drop was one..from warm to cold...or storm fronts coming in..or right after...are good times...just trying to dig deep find out when the best times are to see deer..
Yep, anytime you can hunt before (or after, but I find it's better before) a cold front is good, falling barrometer is prefect for increase deer movements. Anything under 50 degrees (the colder the better) is usually when you'll find me burning a vacation day(s) and running to the stand. I don't like a lot of wind (10-15mph or less), from what I've seen they tend to be more comfortable moving when they can see/hear. Anytime late Oct-to mid Nov is the time to be out there because of the rutt...and I DON'T like hunting full moons. I hunt State Game Lands 95% of the time (I have no choice) and the deer always seem to move earlier in the am and later in the pm even when I've got groups patterned. I acutally have to change my hunting approach to get closer to the bedding areas on full moons, but that can be tricky if you only hunt in the am or pm. Getting in/out w/o getting busted can be frustrating... You can't kill anything if you aren't in the woods, so any day is better than none. Good luck w/ the journal, and the hunt...
For deer movement and feeding during Oct, I like to see unseasonably cool temps, temps 10-15 degrees cooler than the norm, a falling barometer, sliver of a moon.. cold and clear in the mornings. I also really like those evening hunts just after a prolonged Hvy Rain/wind storm.. those storms that shut off about 1 to 2 hours before dark. I have seen a lot of big whitetails get up and move early after these conditions have come and passed. During the Rut I absolutely love a falling barometer, drizzle and or light snow.. or again just prior too or after a hvy storm.. Post rut... give me ridiculous cold spells and at least a foot of snow on the ground... that drive deer to feed
Let's take my weekend forecast for an example. (I am asking more than telling) I plan on hunting Friday night and Sunday night. I would consider also hunting Saturday morning if I could get my butt out of bed. This is if I was hunting only on weather patterns. Edit Saturday night doesn't look bad either considering the colder temps. My thought process is Friday night is getting colder. Sunday night is cloudy with snow in the forcast over night. Does everyone agree?
