Back40

Here in SC I have a hard time seeing deer when the temps get below 30. I hunt clearcuts so I would think the warmth of the sun would draw deer but it's not unitl the temp get's to around 30 that I start to see deer. Do southern deer stay bedded when the temps drop below 30?

TxCowboy

Back40, I've seen similar things here in East Texas. When the high temps get below 40. When we aren't seening deer we always say that we need a cold front to blow thru. But to be honest, we don't really see deer then either.lol Biologist say that when the temps get colder deer will move more to create warmth and they will have to eat more to create more energy, thus the sightings should go up. However, I just don't see that happening around here much. Yesterday for example.... our high was 40 and it was over cast all day. That is pretty cold here so I thought it would be a great day to go hunting. I hunted yesterday evening and didn't see a deer. About an hour before sunset the clouds broke and cleared off and the sun came out. By dark it was in the mid 30's, still I didn't see a deer, nor where there any deer in our food plots in our pasture. Just seems odd.

I seem to see more deer on cold over cast days, rather than cold blue-bird days. I don't know why? Anyway, I know I have been of absolutly no help but I feel your pain. I hunt the "big woods" and finding the deer in thousands of acres of continous thick nasty woods is tuff. Good luck!

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Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

Tazman

In Va. I have found the deer will bed down in real cold weather initially, but if it is going to get colder or it stays cold they will return to almost their normal routines. With snow on the ground they will be moving earlier and later than normal because food is not as readily available so they need to feed longer to get full. If it is windy hunt wind breaks, any terrain or trees that block the wind and even better if it is exposed to the sun.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

TxCowboy

Taz......what's snow???<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.