A Good Winter Hunt

[RednekF350]

I had a great morning in the woods. Got to throw some lead and I missed one.
Mercury was reading 3 when I left the house.
I still hunted the edge of a big maple swamp along Great Swamp Branch and around 7:30 I had a parade of deer come across the swamp.
You could hear them coming from a mile. It sounded like they were walking on
broken plate glass.
Unfortunately I had no trees to hide behind and I had no shooting lanes other than a 6" opening through greenbriar and blueberry.
I dropped to my knees and shot through it but clipped a tree and away they went.
Peaceful morning in the woods though. Owls were hooting along the branch when I walked in in the dark, heard some wood ducks cackling at dawn, and followed some fresh fox tracks for awhile.
I stayed till about 9:30 and went home to do some domestic crap and I went back out at 2:30 in the snow storm.
I hunted the same area but I guess they were hunkered down for the blizzard.
Just got back and the Grand Dad is tasting smooth.
Good day to be alive in the pines.
Scott

 

[wis bang]

A good day in the woods beats anything else, even when you can't get a good shot!

 

[Teegate]

That domestic crap can ruin a good day!

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Where do they go on a night like tonite Scott? I always have a vision of them curled under either laurel bushes or really thick green briar. I wonder if they ever get cold?

 

[wis bang]

I've walked up on reciently vacated deer beds in the snow, they curl up and the snow covers them, great natural insulation. sometimes they get behind a log or other similar windbreak.

 

[RednekF350]

Yes Bob they do get cold and I have come across frozen yearlings twice along Sleeper Branch.
This was about 12 years ago during an extended cold snap. It was near the Rockwood area which is probably one of the poorest quality food source areas in the pines.
When there is not a lot of food to keep their metabolism cranking, they can't keep the engine running.
As a rule of thumb, deer will bed as close as possible to their food source as the weather gets colder. If they are still getting hunting pressure though, they will still travel quite a distance for food.
In one area near my house they are bedding under dense scrub oaks in snow beds right now. They are within 150 yards of their nightly feeding areas but they are not being bothered during the day.
In another area where they still see some hunting pressure, they are still trekking into the swamps to bed after feeding at night. Maybe a half to three quarters of a mile away.
In general you will find them along the edges of swamps on a leeward slope and on dry hummocks in the middle of swamps when they are being pushed hard.
I will start to see them rooting for acorns in the snow this week in open oak areas. It is humbling to see what they have to endure to make it to spring.
Scott