Hoosier_Hunter1963

Saturday is the opening day of muzzleloader and a snow storm is supposed to blow in late Friday night and into Saturday. Will this be good, bad or have no affect on deer movement?

I realize that you can't kill a deer in bed or on the couch. We didn't see a great deal of movement during shotgun season, so maybe they will be settled down a little now.

Fellow hoosiers, are you going in the snow Saturday morning?

I have shot a couple in the snow, but it was just a light snow.

Thoughts?

cayugad

Good luck to you.. Hunting in a snow storm is a good way to sneak up on a deer.

popeandyoungchaser

JMO. If you don't have a lot of thermal cover in your hunting area and or you don't have room to cover alot of ground I would wait til about the time the storm is just ending. If its a bad one and is blowing hard, the deer will bed down and wait it out. Once it ends they will be up and moving. Focus on food sources, they will be hungry after the long wait. Some of my best hunts have been on the tail end of snow storms. I have killed deer during the storms but I often have to seek them out in a stalking situation, which is fun, but if you don't have the room to stalk or a limited number of bedding areas I would hold off.

Breechplug

I Hunt in the Snow and we get a-lot of it, have you seen today's news! Anyway if it's the (First) Snowfall of the Season there's usually NO Deer Movement with it. If there's Wind with the Snow then there Definately wont be ant Deer Moving, unless of course there Jumped or Pushed out of there cover from other Hunter's.
The Deer usually move right after the Storm calms down, that's the Best time to be in the woods, every Deer in the area will be up and moving, be on stand.
If you Hunt during the Snow Storm, I (Sneak and Peak) walk slowly and look for bedded Deer, they usually bed in a Pine Thicket, on the side of a Ravine, or in the woods where there's alot of blow downs or fallen trees. And after the Snow calms down get on some fresh tracks and look ahead of them and from side to side, never cocentrate on the Tracks but ahead. When a Deer beds he will usually have the wind to his back so he can smell what he cant see and he will be looking ahead at what he cant smell, he'll have a nice place picked out to run if he has to, he will see or smell you first, so look good, you just may catch him befor he see's or smells you. I usually catch them bedded on the sides of a Ravine during the Snow, you have a better chance at them this way as your above them and they wont look up unless they hear you. I Love the Snow for Hunting Deer, be sure to be on stand when it let's up and Good Luck!
(BP)

Gm54-120

I love hunting in the snow if its not windy or bitter cold. Especially if it started that night and its a slightly wet snow instead of drifting powder or "crunchy".

Im hoping for just the right conditions for the December ML season here otherwise im done.

Breechplug

As much as I like the (slightly wet) Snow to see exactly what the Deer Tracs are, big, small, wich way there going, as you wont see this with Powdery Snow. If the Snow is wet and you get a COLD Night the Snow will Freeze and develope a Crust over it and then your really screwed, you will sound like a Heard of Elephants walking on it, and every Deer for Miles will hear you comming.
It's even worse if it Snows then Warms up into the 40's and then you get the Cold Nights or Rains and re-Snows. I'll take the Powdery Snow and Cold Temps anyday, you can walk and sneak and peak on this kind of Snow and the Deer wont hear you. The Wet Snow get's Squeaky when you walk on it.
(BP)

Roger46982

I am going to hold out till Monday here in north central Indiana, I will have the whole square mile to myself.

ronlaughlin

Me too. It has seemed to me in years past, that the falling snow flakes absorb the noise i make whilst stumbling through the forest.

Noisy, crusty, crunchy, deep snow isn't quite so enjoyable to me.

The binocular i carry has to be shoved inside my coat, if it is snowing. This is a minor drawback, and i don't mind.

When hunting the tops of mountains during snow fall, one can't see landmarks. If one heads down the wrong drainage on the way back, one can easily end up some 35 road mile, or more, from the truck. Judicious use of a compass can keep this from happening; better yet the GPS.

Sewerdude

Im here in Northern Indiana, yea we got some snow coming........Alot of lake affect snow to! The winds are suppose to be light tomorrow with some snow......Im sure the deer will be moving , maybe more the usual . But the winds are going to pick up for Sunday though. Maybe 20-30 mph, I dont think there will much going on then...But tomorrow (Saturday)Ii think there will be some movement.....Good luck.....I'll be out tomorrow!