How did the weather treat you this year?

[tollster]

Wet, not to cold, heated insoles did well. I think first Saturday was the wettest I had been in many years during deer season, required a full strip on two rifles. I liked the temperatures, but deer movement was sluggish for the most part.

[firebird.77]

For me the worst thing was the wind. I see deer in rain or snow, but wind not much.

I believe this is true too. Last Saturday ALL of the deer were hunkered down in the thicket. Luckily, I had a hunting partner that pushed them to me...all of a sudden I had two dozen deer coming my way.



I have more experience squirrel hunting. I have learned to not even burn the fuel driving to a gamelands if the wind is predicted over 7 MPH (ok, I will go if it's 9-10 but don't expect a full game bag).


From what I have learned here, elsewhere, plus my experience is that the main difference is that with wind, the deer/squirrel cannot hear as well, and thus feel more vulnerable to predators.

[mosseater]

I wrote this season off (so far) as the worst in recent, and distant, memory. Lack of deer, pissy rain, dampness (my God, the dampness!). I saw the same mother and two yearlings Sat. I've been seeing since archery. She laid down below in the thick stuff and the two kids came up to my stand to forage and play. Between the crick in my neck from looking around the tree, the cold toes (at 35 degrees! Dampness!) the wind from the west at 3-5mph all day, the fact that I was confident when the trio disappeared back into the thick stuff that would be all I saw the rest of the day, I did something I NEVER do.....I went home at 3:30 pm!

Been a long year so far without much sucess, and while I might not be getting any younger, I'm getting a tad wiser when the odds get stacked against me. Took me two hours to feel warm again after I got home. The wind-driven moisture was intense and relentless. Hoping for some dry, crackling cold snow for muzzle loader.