Snow/Cold weather bowhunting?

[ashridge]

I just recently moved here from a southern state and so am new to cold/snow weather bowhunting. I have been hunting in Vinton and Hocking counties. I've been out over a dozen times since we moved here December 1 and I've only seen daylight deer activity two of those times, and this is in areas with a high deer population and lots of sign. I've also gotten after dark photos with my trail camera. What do these deer do when there is 6 inches of snow on the ground and the temps are in the 0 to 10 degrees range? They still have to eat, don't they? This last few days I've hardly cut any fresh tracks, it's almost like they're sitting tight and not moving at all until it warms up. How many days will they go without moving about in their "normal" routine to eat? How do I hunt them in this kind of weather?

Thanks for any helpful comments you can give.

ashridge

[Arrow 1]

This time of year they tend to bed very close to the feeding areas. Sometimes they will even bed in the feeding area if they are eating stuff like greenbriar. The less they move, the more energy they conserve. When it is really cold they may move mid-day when temps are warmest.

The other reason you may not be seeing them is because in January they tend to be in large groups or "yard up" as we say here in Ohio. And, this is usually at or near the best food source.

It may take a while to find them but, when you do, you should see several. Good luck.

[countyroad]

Arrow1 hit on some important points.
1. The deer are going to be herded up so when you do find some deer there is usually going to be plenty of them. Example: I saw a group of 18 on public ground just yesterday.
2. Food source!!! If you can find a corn field, or even better still standing corn you should be good to go. Example: The 18 I saw yesterday were hitting a little bit of standing corn. I know they've been in it regularily because I've seen their tracks for the past week. I also saw a group of 4 yesterday eating in a garden sized amount of standing corn that was on a different area of public ground.
3. I have seen midday movement in fields that leads me to believe that some are getting desperate for food with the snow.


I thought I was done for the season, but in the last few weeks while coyote hunting on public ground I've found some dynamite spots that I've been getting the itch to fill my last tag. I've never deer hunted public ground, and it seems like a good challenge. The challenge is making the shot, because I know the deer will be there.

P.S. If you feel like driving up here I can show where to go. Can't promise a buck though.

[ashridge]

Thanks for the comments. I have heard people around here talking about the deer "yarding" but the sign I've seen doesn't really seem to indicate that they're doing that in the areas I'm hunting. I'll see one or two sets of tracks together, and that's it. I've put in quite a bit of boot time and have yet to find (even in the last week with the cold and snow) any areas that it looks like there were a lot of deer together in a group. There's no standing crops of any kind on either of the properties I'm hunting, they're both primarily big woods.

countyroad, what's the habitat like up there where you're talking about? I'm guessing from your profile that it's somewhere in Holmes County, Amish country? I haven't been up to that area of Ohio as of yet.

ashridge

[DLC]

Food, food, and more food. Like the others also mentioned they will bed fairly close to the food source. I've have also seen alot of deer at mid-day out in feilds eating. As far as food, think corn, winter wheat, alfalfa, and even beans. I hunted last night and had 2 buttons and 2 does come into my food plot at 4:30. Then when I left at dark their were 11 deer in an alfalfa field, half of them bedded down. If your hunting big woods, maybe find an acorn tree that still has some acorns on the ground???

[Thunderflight]

If you really want to kill a deer start putting some corn out. If there aren't any other easy food sources they will flock to it.

TF

[countyroad]

Ashridge-
My private hunting area is in Amish Country. The public land I'm talking about is about 8 miles north of my private hunting land. The public ground has a ton of standing corn left on it. The one field is situated in the middle of the woods. It's only a couple acres, but the deer hit it hard. The morning after the snow the field was covered with deer tracks. I mean they were everywhere. I jumped 6 from their beds that I know of. There could easily have been more with the number of beds that I found.

[Airwave(OH)]

I was out driving around the other day about 4:00pm and in less than a mile block saw/counted over 120 deer. It was incredible. Then on the way home saw another 25. Also two Eagles, we've got eagles every where here now. At the woods I hunt I have yet to see a new track in the snow. There herded up for sure.

[M.Magis]

There seems to be a misconception about what "yarding" is. Deer do not "yard" when there is 6" of snow on the ground. Actually, I would be surprised if it ever really happened in Ohio. We just don't have the winters that the most northern states have. Yarding is a forced congregation of deer because of deep snow and a lack of food. That just doesn't really happen much in Ohio. They do, however, sometimes get into smaller groups. Maybe 10-14 in a group, but not all that often. What most people see and mistake for "yarding", is a large number of deer all in the same small area because of a preferred food source. This time of year they seem to key in on one particular food for whatever reason. A few weeks ago I had deer in the bean field every night. Then they all switched to a field I keep brush hogged and picked in the grass. Now, they're all walking right through the beans, across the road, to the neighbors winter wheat field. If you can find the food, you WILL find the deer.

[esox lucious]

ashridge, try hunting standing corn in a blizzard or very windy conditions, my favorites. The wind covers your mistakes. Deer will often bed in the sun on the lee side of a hill with a little brush during a very windy, sunny day. You can walk up on 'em and arrow them in their bed if you see them first. If to brushy to see anything thing, anticipate them being there and hunt accordingly. Low spots in corn fields may be too wet to plow. They'll be brushy and frequently deer will be there. Wind direction doesn't count for much when the deer are in standing corn.
Also, any tracks you see during a blizzard will be very fresh.
Learn to identify a white oak. Most oaks are red. White oak mast has lower tannin than red and deer will eat white oak 'corns first. However, there probably are no white oak acorns left by this time of year.
Also, deer can smell crab apples through a mile of snow if available. They'll dig down to get them. Although generally in urban, developed areas, crab apples are a gold mine and deer will use them during late season even if they are mushy or half rotten.

[Ohio Bill]

Ashridge.....Have you seen any of our BIG BUCKs yet.....I think you will be Very happy to hunt ohio after next years Rut.....Its awesome!!! Ive been putting piles of corn out in my field....just about every night I get 4 to 8 does come in right before dark..

[ashridge]

One of the properties I'm hunting is small and I'm pretty familiar with it. The other is very large and I'm still becoming familiar with it. I did quite a bit of scouting today and did locate where some of the deer are hanging out on the larger place. A few hundred yards from where I've been hunting I found a rather large honeysuckle thicket. There are lots of fresh tracks in there, and there is quite a bit of green honeysuckle still. I also jumped a few deer while scouting through there. Only a few decent sized trees, but I did find one that is in a good spot. Going to set up a stand tomorrow and have a last hurrah till season ends this weekend.

Thanks for the comments.

Joshua

p.s. here are pics of 2 different bucks I've gotten on my trail camera over the last few weeks. They should be pretty good next year.

http://www.huntinfo.com/fieldpics/ctbuck4.jpg

http://www.huntinfo.com/fieldpics/ctbuck2.jpg

[XX78]

It seems like they yard up a bit up here in the snowbelt. I cut 3 tracks in the 20 inches of compacted snowfall over the muzzleloader season this year, which is a little uncommon.

[DLC]

I took a doe last night as it was going to the alfalfa field that I mentioned in my ealier post. Found 2 good trails where they were crossing a lane then a tree line to get in the field. No good trees near by for a stand but I found a brush pile and tree to hide behind a draw before they could see me. 2 buttons lead the way, I let them get in the field, then a doe, drew on her but couldn't get a clear shot, then the last doe that I drew on and was able to put through a small clearing. At 12 yards on the ground with a bow I was glad to successfully take one that way. She ony went about 50 yds and piled up, heart shot!! :)

[countyroad]

Way to go!!! Congrats!! Pretty cool deal.

[Duffy]

Nicely done! Congratulations!

[Double drop]

good job letting the buttons walk and taking the doe! ground hunting is intense, aint it?
DD

[CritterGitter]

Congrats on the doe DLC.

Deer hunting this time of year is tough. There is no two ways about it. Ashridge it sounds and looks as though you are in a great area. You are set for next year. As Magis mentioned there just may not be a "magnet" food source there on that property that you hunt. Though, I am sure during next years early season and rut you will see lots of deer and probably one of those bucks you got a pic of with the deer cam.

CG

[ohiohunter]

Hunting during the snow and cold has advantages and disadvantages. With snow u can easily see where there traveling, from bedding to feeding. But, the cold makes it hard to stay out long. I would hang around feeding areas and hunt the east and west sides of the area, due too the sun heating the area up. I love hunting this time of the year, becasue tracking is so much easier.

[Arrow 1]

Killed from the ground with a real bow. That had to be exciting!!