Hunting Tips For A Weather-Front Buck

As I walked the two-thirds of a mile back to the tree where my portable stand was hung, it seemed as though you could see every star in the sky. It was 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 27, and about 24 degrees. I walked in slowly, as to not make any unnecessary noise, or get overheated. 

Pulling my ought-six up into the tree, I thought about the weather report for the upcoming day. A huge warm front was coming, and was expected to arrive at about three in the afternoon. As I hunted all day in late November, I had a rain jacket with me. As it turned out, I didn’t need it because the day turned into the most awesome example of the weather influencing deer movement that I have ever witnessed. 

During a heavy rainstorm, bucks are likely to bed down in clearcuts or overgrown fields—away from the sound of water dripping off trees, which impairs their hearing.

Right at daybreak, a small 8-pointer came strolling down a trail, heading for a thick, overgrown 50-acre field that was his bedding area. At 8:30, a doe and two fawns came down the same trail. That was it until 2 p.m. 

By this time, the sky had turned charcoal gray on the western horizon. It was as if a line was drawn between blue sky and clouds that were almost black. A LOT of water was coming. The barometric pressure had dropped and the temperature and humidity had risen dramatically. It was, I imagine, around 60 degrees. Y’all have been there—one of those days when you could feel the rain approaching. 

At 2:05, a small 6-point came out of the bedding cover around 100 yards away. 

By 2:30 p.m., 22 more deer were up and moving in every direction, heading toward food sources. I shot number 23, a beautiful 8-pointer with a 22-inch spread. The buck was 3 1/2 years old and weighed 183 pounds, dressed.

The author with a 3 1/2-year-old 8-point buck he shot just hours ahead of the arrival of a massive weather front.

I got him out to the truck at 4:15 p.m., just as it began to pour. From that point, it rained like pouring water out of a boot for three straight days. I think the final tally was 8 inches. 

Since that day, I have experienced several occasions where massive cold or warm weather fronts have initiated a deer movement and feeding frenzy. Needless to say, if several days of hard rain are in the forecast, it’s a good idea to be in your stand during the hours before they arrive. The barometric pressure, I think, alerts the deer to the fact that they better feed now, because it is going to pour for awhile. Deer, especially mature bucks, don’t particularly like to move about in a hard rain. I think the three main reasons for this are: 

• They can’t hear as well with water dripping off all the vegetation. 

• Their ability to scent predators is impaired, because scent does not carry as well in a downpour. With no breeze, the scent goes straight down to the ground. 

• I also think that mature bucks have the instincts to know that if they visit a scrape to urinate during a heavy rain, it’s to no avail, as the rain immediately washes the scent away. 

Because of these reasons, during a downpour is the perfect time to stalk your deer. I don’t usually do this because I’m afraid of bumping a monster buck without getting a shot—and then he is outta there, possibly for the rest of the season. But I have several friends who like stalking in the rain, and they are very successful in filling their freezers under these conditions. 

The best bedding areas to hunt in heavy rain are overgrown fields and recent clearcuts (less than 3 years old), as the deer seem to prefer these because they may be able to hear better without water dripping off tall, mature vegetation around them. Of course, hunt into the wind, if there is a breeze, and concentrate on spotting parts of a deer, such as an antler or ear, rather than the entire animal. The key to success is to hunt slowly. My friends stalk slowly enough to cover only about 150 yards in an hour. 

Outside of a crystal-clear, 20-degree morning after a warm spell, my favorite time to hunt is in a light drizzle with a slight, but directional, breeze. If it is a cold rain following a hot, dry period, so much the better. After being baked by oppressive heat, the deer enjoy the cool, wet conditions as much as we do. Always be in your stand before the rain arrives. If you wait until it begins, there is a good chance you’ll bump a deer getting into your tree stand or ground blind. During deer season, I try to listen to the weather on at least one news broadcast, and I also have one of those weather radios that gives the NOAA forecasts (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). They are invaluable, as they give you the local weather and detailed hourly reports on approaching fronts and wind conditions. They are also very accurate most of the time. The radios are inexpensive, and most department stores have them in stock. 

If it is going to start drizzling at five in the morning, of course I can’t realistically get to my stand at 2 a.m. Moving around at this time might alert a mature buck to my presence. If it has been raining for several hours, I usually wait until almost daylight, then try to stay out of feeding areas and hunt those stands I have that are right on top of where I think a big buck may be bedded. I know the stand sites well enough that I don’t use a light walking in, and the wet conditions allow you to approach an area very quietly—areas you could never slip in to in dry conditions without alerting the deer with a lot of noise. Hopefully, I will catch a buck coming in to bed down at first light, or going out to feed around noon. Yes, I try to stay in the stand from daylight until dark in this type of weather, as the deer often move all day long. During the rut, the bucks seem to know there is increased doe movement, and this initiates more movement on their part.

The first four or five hours after a massive front moves through can also be magic. We have all been out there on that first “bluebird” day after several days of hard rain, and, if the day is not extraordinarily windy, have seen greatly increased deer activity.

I can remember climbing into my portable stand, located on the edge of a clearcut and an oak flat, in early October. The weather person said the torrential downpour was going to end around early afternoon. I was in the tree at 10 a.m., I was hoping he was right. The water was beginning to seep down my neck, little by little. I was hunting with a bow and had decided that if the twin of Milo’s world-record buck walked by, I would not chance a shot until it stopped raining. I feel that it is unethical to take a bow shot when you know the blood trail is going to be washed out in a matter of minutes—and it was drowning frogs that day. But at 1:15 p.m. the skies cleared, the temperature dropped—big time—and the sun popped out from behind the few remaining clouds.

At 1:45 p.m. nine deer emerged from the clearcut into the hardwoods to feast on some white-oak acorns that littered the ground. A huge num- ber of acorns had fallen due to the rain that had accompanied the rain storm. 

Again, try to get in your stand before the rain stops in this situation. No matter what rain gear you wear, you are probably going to get a little wet, but you will be there ahead of the deer, and any scent you deposited walking into the stand will be dissipated by the rain. 

Six of the nine deer were does or fawns, and three appeared to be yearling 6-points. When the biggest, longest-nosed doe presented a 12-yard broadside shot, I hit the release. The deer went about 100 yards and started to stagger. It was a 4 1/2-year-old nanny that weighed 136 pounds. 

While waiting the 20 minutes I allow before going after a well-hit deer, two more bucks came out of the clearcut and began feeding, a yearling spike and a forkhorn. 

During early bow season, with all the heat and humidity, I look forward to hunting after a cooling thunderstorm. And no, when there is light- ning in the air, I don’t get into my stand before or during a storm. The thought of my bow’s riser being melted into my hand assures me that I’ll wait until the fireworks are over. 

Food plots are awesome after a thunder-boomer, especially an Aschynomene (deer vetch) plot. The leaves “close” during the storm, then open again to absorb the sunlight. When this occurs, the sugar content in the plant is very high, and the deer realize this. Be cautious as you approach your stand, as the deer will also be moving toward the food plots as soon as the heavy rain stops. 

I usually wear a rain suit that is made of a soft, quiet material (saddle cloth). The plastics make way too much noise. It’s no doubt worth get- ting a little wet if conditions are ideal because Mr. Big is more likely to mess up and present you with a shot!

Wet or dry, I hope you get that mature buck or doe you are hunting this year. And when you are heading hunting, take a youngster along, as they are the future of our sport and environment.