Monday, January 08, 2007
What A Difference A Day Makes
It snowed last night, and it was as if the deer were greeting the colder weather and the white stuff with enthusiasm. The difference between tonight and last night was like night and day.
Deer react to weather changes in somewhat predictable fashion. This is the first bit of snow we’ve had in nearly a month, and with the thermometer dipping into the mid-20s last night and again tonight, it’s quite probable that my ranch whitetails will be up and moving.
Humans get what often is called “cabin fever.” Deer do not experience human-like emotions, but I suspect they get into a rut just as we do. A prolonged spell of dreary weather with overcast skies and rain or drizzle is boring after nearly a month.
So, the weather change finally arrives, the thermometer tumbled several degrees, and it snowed four to six inches, and these changes jump-started a whitetails existence.
The snow is exciting for fawns that were born last spring. Fawns love to run and jump in the snow, and they remind me of children when they first get bundled up and go out to play in the snow.
A weather change is a welcome change of pace. Not only for humans but for whitetails as well. It tends to relieve a bit of pent-up stress, offers a welcome change of scenery, and for deer, it makes them move a bit more often during daylight hours.
There isn’t enough snow or cold weather to inconvenience a whitetail. They live outside in whatever weather Nature throws at them, but this is just a gentle reminder for them that winter has arrived.
Deer can still paw down through the snow to find food, and they can move wherever they want to go, but this puts a fine point on winter deer behavior. Cold and snow require deer to move more often to fill their belly and to stay warm.
The difference between yesterday and today is a complete change. Yesterday was just one more day of the same old thing, but the snow last night forced the animals to make a wholesale change in their habits.
Now, there is a much greater opportunity for the animals to move. It’s too bad this weather change didn’t come two weeks ago, but we play the cards that are dealt to us.
Students of whitetail movements, of which many are bow hunters, could have easily predicted this deer movement. If it stays cold tonight and snows a bit, as is forecast, there should be good deer movements again tomorrow.
I’ve studied deer movements for all of my 60+ hunting years, and anyone who watches deer with a religious fervor, and pays attention to changing weather patterns, can put their knowledge to sound use during the hunting seasons.
Some of the biggest deer movements come just before a dramatic weather change. It happened today, will probably happen tomorrow, and this could be a wise lesson for hunters to learn.
If deer are visible behind the house, watch them. If their habits suddenly change, look for a major shift in the weather or wind direction. I’ve seen a few times when deer moved when I didn’t expect them to, and other times when movements were probable, but the animals stayed in bed. No one is right all the time.
Nothing is 100 percent, but studying deer behavior and how their movements relate directly to weather patterns, is a lesson best learned through daily observation. —The Whitetail Wizard