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Question for the biologist

Posted By: ford150man

Question for the biologist - 12/01/15 05:25 PM

I saw in another thread where someone mentioned they had had about 3 days straight of rain. Has any study been done on how long a deer will stay bedded down in inclement weather? If I was planning on hunting I went pretty much regardless of weather. I always figured they had to get up sometime. As a result I've killed deer in downpours, lightning storms (wasn't out there by choice, I was waiting out a storm), high winds, etc... I always joked that a deer would either get up and move or drown in their beds.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/01/15 09:27 PM

I'm not sure if there's a legitimate scientific study on the subject, but my observations have been that deer move regardless. They're going to move in rain, even moderate to heavy rain. I killed a nice buck in a downpour two years ago. Saw several deer that day. I've had several other days with many deer sighted in moderate rains too. I don't see many deer in the south in any kind of significant snow event though. They seem to shut down.
Posted By: Gobble4me757

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/01/15 09:46 PM

I have hunted down in coffeville/clarke co bout 6/7 years ago when the first snow theyve had in 20 years came in...I killed a buck but the snow was partially melted when I killed it...the other deer my brother saw, everytime they walked they got more skittish due to the sound of walking in the snow. They would jump and act all funny he said because they've never seen anything like it
Posted By: sumpter_al

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/02/15 04:34 PM

Deer dont care about rain. Its not like they dont get wet when bedded down.

Wind on the other hand will make them lay. My father in law would stalk deer on windy days. He would walk into the wind. He said deer always face the wind so they can see what they smell. He just went slow and studied everything around him before he took another step. He killed several deer that way.

I do not have the patience to walk 300 yards in 6 hours.
Posted By: BhamFred

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/02/15 05:16 PM

old deer will bed looking downwind so they can see what they cannot smell.
Posted By: bowtarist

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/02/15 06:36 PM


Originally Posted By: BhamFred
old deer will bed looking downwind so they can see what they cannot smell.


x2

A mature deer will (most of the time) walk into the wind headed for his bed and j hook around into it, that way he can watch his back trail and smell and hear danger from behind.
Posted By: bowtarist

Re: Question for the biologist - 12/02/15 06:40 PM

The deer I've observed in and after a long rain event have mainly been in thick pines and thick cedars. I see it every time right here at my house when we have several days of rain. They'll come out to feed when it slacks off and go right back in there til its over.
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