Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

My brother and I are supposed to go to Southern Ohio this weekend to deer hunt. It's supposed to be a little warm according to the forecast. For me that kind of kills the whole thing.

I'm sure like any other meat it doesn't take long to spoil. Do any of you hunt when it's warm outside?

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

The usual insects are bothersome, yes i do but only in the morning at its coolest. Ice chests with ice or dry ice when you put the meat in cooler fer travel. Best of luck.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I got my first doe on opening day here in Ohio. The temp was pretty warm so I knew extra precautions had to be taken. I made a perfect shot and recovered my deer 20 minutes after the shot and field dressed her right away. I had to fight off a swarm of flies that came in right away once I started. Once I got her in the truck I headed straight to the closest gas station and got 1 large bag and 1 small bag of ice. I put the large bag in the chest cavity and the smaller bag towards the rear. Then headed straight to the processors.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

When I hunt when it is warm out I take 3 1/2 gallon milk containers that have been filled with water and frozen. It keeps my lunch cold and if I get a deer I use it to cool down the deer. If I shot a deer in the evening and cannot get it to the processors till the next day I use 5 bags of ice and wrap it up in a tarp which is tied tightly closed and placed on the floor. 12 hours later the ice is still not completely melted. No peeking though, it lets the cold air out.

HH

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I have shot deer early and justed iced themuntil I can get to butcher. Like said above put on tarp and filled cavity with ice and the put a bag on the front shoulder area and some on the hams. I dislike shooting a deer anytime the flies can work faster then me! But two years ago I cut my own up for the first time and it was not bad at all to do. Last year I did not get to do it again to practice with. But this year I plan on having the deer in the fridge before the first night is over.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

This is a good topic, thanks for posting it. I wondered this also. "How to handle a deer in warm weather." This is my first year warm weather deer hunting. I always hung my deer for a couple days to bleed it and cool during cold weather. If it's too warm to hang it. How do you get all the extra blood from it? I was always told when I was younger that you need to "bleed" and "cool" your deer. Just curious.... thanks

chris

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I'm wondering if cool weather is going to get here this year. Oct and for our opener they're calling for mid to upper 80'S. No way you can walk in any distance and not scent the place up.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I have always used the bags of ice and wrapped them in a tarp. I also make sure that any water from the melting ice either stays in the bag or drains away quickly. I have never really noticed the difference between a deer hung for a few day or one cut the day it was dropped anyway.
When the weather is really warm I walk to my stand naked. Less chance of breaking a sweat and other hunters who may see you vacate the area pretty quickly.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

yes, this is a good topic to bring up. heat and the bugs, does anybody here use those bug repellers "Thermacell "or anything like it ? on opening day my son was flailing away at the bugs like he was on fire [:@]( we left the stand after about a hour of this ) he says he wont go again untill the bugs die. now i hunt turkey in the spring too so this thing would get used plenty, just need to know if its worth spending the money on.:D

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

Well being down here in the South, us boys have no choice but to hunt in warm weather. First couple of weeks were in the 90's and deer were still being killed. I'd prefer to hunt cooler weather but it's not up to me. When it's this warm you try to get the deer field dressed or take it toa processor as soon as possible.

As for a Thermocell I will swear by it. You can be covered up with bugs and within a few minutes of turning it on they are gone. I never leavehome without mine. There is still much debate whether or not the deer can smell it, but most will tell you that they have not noticed any ill effects of using a Thermocell.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I always try to process my deer within a hour of killing it when it is somewhat warm

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I've heard of the Thernacells. I may look into one. Thanks

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

I bought one a few weeks ago and only did some back yard testing and it worked. Took it to the swamp spot last Thursday when setting up a blind and it is top notch!! There was swarms around of them things and not a one one me!! It is definitely a early season tool to have! Took it out last night, but it was kinda rainy and windy so they where not out anyways.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

Thermacell Tip: Mal-Wart sells the same butane bottles for a fraction of the Thermacell price in the ladies hair curler dept.

Iget frosting buckets from the bakery at my Mal-Wart, use them only for putting meat in off of deer, ect. I hunt less than 8 miles from home, don't field dress or gut at all, just skin and butcher. It's too warm here most of the time to do anything else.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

It sounds like now is a good time to learn to quarter your deer if you don't already, first get the hide off, remove the backstraps and tenders, I put these in a seperate bag then remove the front quarters, bag em then the hinds bag each hind seperatly,"you will need a saw to cut the legs off and to remove the hinds" then into the cooler they go each in a seperate bag water tight , as not to let the water in .pack ice all around each bag, as the ice melts drain and add more , being prepared is the trick, a couple extra coolers full of block ice is a good idea . this is if you are away from home , also you could debone the quarters and put on ice thats what I do, takes less room in the cooler. good luck.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

Iread about thistip a while back and then realizeda major flaw when I was in the checkout line. While you can get the butane bottles for half the cost you cannot get the blue pads. Without the pads the butane is pretty useless. If only there was a substitute or if you could purchase the pads separately.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

Like I said, I've never fired mine up, but the guys here that do this regularly claim to run out of butane before pads.

RE: Deer hunting when it's warm out?
 

Good tips here fellows,

I plan to pack bags of ice in the cavity's, tarp it, get home and buttcher it and in the fridge it goes till the meat bleeds out for a couple of days. From ther it goes in th freezer minus the back strips which go to the grill.

Also, I got a PM that several deer have been found deed from EHD in Southern Ohio. I had never heard of it until I got a tip from a fellow hunter here. I looked it up and apparently it's a disease that seems to be spreading around some what this year.

Therma cell is a must here in Florida.I just butcher my deer in the back yard and get it into a cooler as fast as I can.We always hunt in warm weather,I love it when there is frost on the ground.

I use a Thermacell religiously. It works, no more detestable mosquitoes....

My second choice is "NO stinking bugs"with fresh earth smell added.Only problem with it is it can be sweated off.

If you are not willing to hunt in warm weather here in SE Alabama, you may as well not hunt. I have walked to my stand, in the dark ... mid January ... naked from the waist up, carrying my shirt and cap in my fanny pack becasue it was alreay 75F +/- and headed to the high 80's. This high temperatuures in January is indeed unusual for sure, even this far south. But 90F in mid-October is not. I have archery hunted in October when the midafternon temp approached 95F. Not "real fun" and for me, seldom productive.

Managing meat cooling as I see it is always to get as cooled down as fast as practical, and as soon as possible. I am going to be remote, I carry 10-15 gallons of tap water water, a small "garden sprayer" and a 90 qt. Igloo "Marine" ice chest filled with ice. I use the water to clean the deer, using the sprayer washer to give the water some dirt/hair removing force. I'll bury the meat in ice best I can and leave the drain plug open so that the melt water drains out. When the meat cools of enough for that to settles down, I'll close it off ... draining later at irregular intervals.

If I am at my camp, I load the deer and head on in ASAP ... where I have a skinning shed and a walk-in cooler. Makes it nice for sure.

Yeah, actually, I'd prefer hunting when it's warm than when it's cold. Deer are still kinda dumb still, doesn't get dark until 7:30, better camouflage in the tree while the leaves are still on.

Use a thermacell to keep the bugs away, and get your meat in the cooler ASAP.

Yes! It works also. They have an earth sent insert and it smells great. I sit in a wooden club stand and I put it on the base floor and sit back.

I also have the luxury of having a walk-in cooler at my hunt camp. When I get ready to go home, I pack a couple of bags of ice in the gut cavity and wrap it up with a tarp. My trip is around 3 hrs and the deer meat is nice and cold when I get to the processors house.

I am lucky in that my hunt club has a walkin cooler on the property. I gut it and in the cooler it goes. Now I do have a three hour drive home and I will get a couple of bags of ice and stick them inside the deer and wrap the deer up in a tarp. It works well. Ice does melt much and the meat is cooled down nicely.

Now as to Thermocell. I love it and also would not go in the woods with out it. I am using the earth scent now and last year I arrowed three does during bow and it was hot and buggy. The Thermocell didn't seem to bother the deer before I whacked them!!! :cool2: