deer hunting in 20"+ of snow?

**XD40coyote** · December 20th, 2009, 08:24 PM

So how do you do it? Seems they would yard up pretty much in this, so unless you can stalk up to where they are yarded up, I wouldn't think they would move too much to go wandering where they normally do.

I was invited to muzzleoader hunt this large property nearby, but the tour I got shows a very long walk to the stands if the land manager can't drive you to near them unless he plows out every trail and dirt roadway! Yes he said he would drive me to near where the stands are, but that was before this snow dump.

My own "personal" deer are holed up somewhere, saw some tracks, but they were filled in pretty well and smoothed over indicating they moved during the storm. I made some trails and remade my fox sets down at the bottom LOL. Those sets have walls around them! But heck, foxes love snow, but hate deep snow, so if there's a trail broken through they WILL walk it. More than likley there will be fired traps and deer prints LOL. Hmm, need to get that borrowed muzzeloader over here to hunt with and put a big corn pile out in the trail going down the hill!

**Lycanthrope** · December 20th, 2009, 08:30 PM

They'll travel, but then stick close to food. Deer don't struggle near as much in 20" of snow as we do. Stands of heavy pines near a field is a good bet by my experience.

Lycandon'tbotherstillhuntingthrope

**akapjr** · December 20th, 2009, 08:36 PM

I deer hunted yesterday in the falling snow.Did not see any sign of deer but got within 15 yards of a sleeping bear.It eventually got up,stumbled around & just walked away.Never saw me.First bear I ever saw while hunting.Snapped its picture with my cell phone.

**God's Country** · December 20th, 2009, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

They'll travel, but then stick close to food. Deer don't struggle near as much in 20" of snow as we do. Stands of heavy pines near a field is a good bet by my experience.

Lycandon'tbotherstillhuntingthrope

That's what I would do.
Find a good stand of pines close to a food souce.

**dk99358** · December 20th, 2009, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by XD40coyote

So how do you do it? Seems they would yard up pretty much in this, so unless you can stalk up to where they are yarded up, I wouldn't think they would move too much to go wandering where they normally do.

Snowshoes! We had a 40 incher back in '93. It hit the last Thursday of buck season and didn't quit snowing until Saturday. I used my showshoes for doe season and could get around quite well. A guy offered me $50 for them, I said NO WAY!

In all seriousness, upstate Pa. commonly has that much snow on the ground the whole winter. The deer get around fine. The suggestions about pines have merit. I would also suggest any other thick cover, downed tree tops, and sunny slopes.

Dale

**D10** · December 20th, 2009, 10:02 PM

Got a nice one on the first day at 85 yards or so. Where I hunt there are several spots where deer like to go. I have been lucky at that same spot for about 3 straight years.

I used to hunt, here in Westmoreland, on a different location. Every day a couple hunters came straight from work to try and get a deer.

The deer could smell them a mile away........and so could I

. Needless to say that they always went home empty handed.

It seems that there are only very few good hunters left, that understand what it takes to get a doe or a buck on the first day.

**dc dalton** · December 20th, 2009, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by dk99358

Snowshoes!

^^ THIS ^^

I hunted winter bow for years and there is nothing like a good set of snowshoes to help you get around and they tend to keep you a lot quieter than 'crunching' through the snow in boots.

One of my favorite spots to find them in weather like this was mountain laurel patches ... damn near every good patch of that is being used as shelter for at least a deer or two.