warm weather...
 

sept 15th starts an early archery doe season. i got one spot im willing to blow for a doe hunt...and its got alot of deer. its a small apple orchard that has houses etc all around it and a large piece of woods feed it. the woods are super heavily hunted. im the only one that hunts the orchard...but still doubt i will see a legal shooter buck in there in daylight. heck...i hunted it a few different times last year and only seen 2 deer. both 1.5yo bucks...same day, same time lol. never seen a doe or anything else.

this doe season is earlier than the normal season...so i will be hunting it 3-4 weeks earlier than last year...prime apple time. should be good.

my question is...how do you bowhunt in the heat. say the highs are still 70-80...should i even bother hunting?? nights get cold...50s, but that day time temp is what worries me. mornings seem to be best in there for some reason. but will hunt there mornings and evenings just to see what comes out. i just dont know if i wanna shoot one knowing in a couple hours it will be 70+ degrees. how long do i got to find it before it goes bad? how do you guys down south deal with the heat in terms of recovering deer?? i never really had to worry...normally day temps dont break 60s..nights are 30-40s...i can leave them overnight and not worry most of the time..

RE: warm weather...
 

Mauser:

I've got a little bet going with huntingEd on who will take 2 in one day first. Thing is.....my opener is in less than 2 weeks....and I'd LOVE to hve some 70's temps to hunt in. It was 98, here, today. If I tag one....I'll give it sufficient time (if I don't see it go down).....and likely retrive it.....even if it's early in my hunt. I can't risk letting one lay for several hours......not even a few.

I'll still be out there, though........I'll just really take my time getting there.....and I'll probably hunt closer to some easy travel routes for ME. I still have a good shot at some deer, though. It's a long season.

RE: warm weather...
 

must be nice.... all yall early season people... oct 6 here, but hopefully some cooler temps.

RE: warm weather...
 

Hey Good Luck in the early youth hunt. Personally I wouldn't leave a deer lay too long that I planned on eating with those temperatures. I know when regular season opens, it's still fairly hot in SW P.A. so I usually skin the deer out and get it in the fridge as soon as possible. When it comes to how long before trying to recove a deer....well that depends a lot on shot placement. If it's a good solid hit, I usually wait 1/2 before tracking

RE: warm weather...
 

thanx guys...

i know a good solid hit and a quick track job is going to be important..but still kinda worries me to have a deer out there in 70 degree temps...but i guess compared to the south, im hunting in the COLD lol...just gotta be smart about what i do i guess...make the shot a good one and get to it asap..i know its going to be about an hour before its out of the woods AFTER it gutted no matter what though. gotta run to the truck, take the truck around the wood lot and drag the deer down the hollow out of the woods...dont wanna drag it up out of the orchard..to many neighbors that i dont feel the need to see what im doing..not a LONG drag out of the hollow..just going to take a little time i know..but right after that i can stuff her full of ice and take her to the butcher...well...home for pics..then to the butcher...it'll be my first bow kill...gotta have pics with me in it:D

snake...not a youth hunt...its an early doe archery season...just an FYI...special reg area in PA.

RE: warm weather...
 

When it gets really warm on Sept 15 (opening day of Bow Season) here in Missouri I dress lighter and hunt in the early mornings and late evenings.I haven't had the luck of getting a deer early in the season when it is warm but it is nice just to get out and see where the deer are traveling and be alone in the woods.I did get a Buck last year in October when it was still fairly warm and I shot it late in the evening so the Meat Packing House was closed...I field dressed my deer and stuffed it with 3 bags of ice in the garage til morning when the place was open.Most Meat Packing Companies around here open during Bow Season and it is family owned and sometimes they will meet you in the late evening to open up and store your deer so it doesn't ruin.Hopefully it will start cooling down by the middle of Sept. so it is more comfortable hunting. :(

RE: warm weather...
 

Even the first week of Oct. can be pretty warm here in PA. I like to go out early morning with just a set of X-Scent base layers and my ASAT 3D leafy suit. Keeps me from getting too sweaty walking to my stand and setting up my climber. Most mornings I am comfortable if the temperature is 55 or above. But ifthe temp isbelow that then I will drop the base layers in favor of my lightweight Savanna camo.

As for hunting I don't stay on stand later than 10am. By then it's usually warming up to the point where I'm getting too warm and the deer activity has stopped.

RE: warm weather...
 

Sometimes here in West it is pretty warm during the early archey season. You need to prepare for getting you animal skinned out and cooled down as soon as possible. Getting the hide off quickly is really important. Another thing I have done in the past is carry a can of black pepper in my pack. Once your animal is gutted sprinkle it liberally in the open cavity to keep the flies off of it until you can get it out of the woods. Then, get some ice on it or get it to adeep freeze or cooler as soon as possible.

RE: warm weather...
 

Dont walk as far maybe take your time getting to your stands so you dont sweat. Alot of scent away spray. I got 2 in one evening last year it was 80 degrees. I took my stuff to the truck put shorts on and drug them both out. They will be fine just take care of them a.s.a.p. Pack the chest with big bags of ice!