Love Cold Weather Hunting

[Swampwalker]

Agree with most everything posted. Love the solitude and quiet. My only regret is most of the deer, IMO, have gone nocturnal after the orange hordes have left the building. Hardly see a track. Hunting mostly private.

 

[woodsdog2]

Agree with most everything posted. Love the solitude and quiet. My only regret is most of the deer, IMO, have gone nocturnal after the orange hordes have left the building. Hardly see a track. Hunting mostly private.

Agree 100%! However I’m getting tons of pics but all at night now. So the buggers are pure survival experts!!

 

[bowhunthard88]

Am I the only guy REALLY likes late season hunting? I can't really explain why numb fingers and toes are something I look forward to every year but I really do like the late season hunts here in northern Michigan. My buddies all think I'm a looney but It's my favorite time of year to be out in the whitetail woods.

Pressure is down, snow is on the ground giving a white backdrop, no bugs, no rain (I'll take snow over rain every day of the week) and personally I love the challenge of sucking it up to meet the cold head on. The only downsides are the deer are definitely skittish after the orange army retreats and eventually the white stuff will get deep enough to prevent my access to some of my favorite hunting spots.

These last two days have reminded me how much I enjoy the winter hunts, including (not despite) numb fingers and toes. Morning temps have been right around 17-18F with light breezes. In spite of the heavy pressure of rifle season, I'm still seeing daylight deer, including bucks and enjoying every minute of it. Who's with me on this?

I live for late season! It'll be cold and usually windy, but the deer will be able to be patterned, and I have the gear systems to stay warm... Frozen blood before the arrow hits the ground anyone?

 

[Chrighton]

Golf weather is back here in SE MI. 55 yesterday and possibly 60 today. Boooo!

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Same here. Snow is all but gone and its raining and going to be in the 50's today. I want my cold weather back! Good news is its supposed to cool off again tomorrow with some snow showers.

 

[Swampwalker]

Same here. Snow is all but gone and its raining and going to be in the 50's today. I want my cold weather back! Good news is its supposed to cool off again tomorrow with some snow showers.

BB, you hunt mostly the state forests on the n/w side? You finding less tracks/ sign after Dec 1st? Enuff to keep you enthused?

 

[Islandshooter]

Southern born but love my annual trip to Nebraska! I‘m freezing in camp but toasty in the trees with the right clothing! As we used to say back in another life “don’t need no practice being miserable “. No snakes, skeeters, or gators to deal with either

 

[boyne bowhunter]

BB, you hunt mostly the state forests on the n/w side? You finding less tracks/ sign after Dec 1st? Enuff to keep you enthused?

I am hunting NW public. Deer are pretty nocturnal and seem to be traveling considerable distances to their current food sources (mostly acorns and beechnuts). In that regard they're still leaving a lot of tracks but daylight sightings are dependent on getting close to the bedding. I've had pretty good success finding does/fawns and young bucks but with APRs those bucks are off limits. I'm still hitting it pretty hard but I'm now disappointed that the snow is gone.