Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Movement vs observations

I've seen and heard several studies indicating no perceptible correlation between weather and the amount of movement by deer. The apparent thought being they move in certain environments on certain days, but pretty much always move and hunters simply aren't in the right location if they aren't seeing deer. That runs contrary to what a lot people that I know believe. What do you think? What strategies could you use to your advantage to exploit the usage of different environments on different weather patterns? Put another way, where have you had success on rainy or windy or extremely hot days?

Hunt before/after cold fronts...i like before better

i think the barometric pressure change increases daytime movement

i agree with hunting before and after fronts. On windy days i like to be deeper in the woods, where it aint as windy. After a big rain i like to hunt run offs. Like where water runs out of a field or a drainage ditch, i guese they're eating all the seeds and acorns that get washed down.

There is a correlation with deer activity and weather, especially if human pressure is low. If pressure is high they don’t move much regardless of weather. Any time the temp drops 20+ degrees you better hunt.

Hopefully Matt Brock will come along and tell y'all his information on full moon movement. But a summery is that Full Moon is WAY less important than weather. Of course, pressure trumps all.

Don't buy those studies. If the barometer is moving , so is the game. Once a extreme weather pattern sets in , they often "lock down".

Although I agree with you guys based on my own experiences, the studies were from reputable sources. Of the 2 most recent ones that I listened to, I believe one was qdma and the other MSU. They suggested the amount of movement was unrelated to the weather but the sightings could have increased due to hunter behavior, areas the deer moved in, timing of rut, etc.

Here's a movement story. Bout 4 years ago right around Jan 1 my son and I were hunting one afternoon. A strong front was moving through , temps falling like a rock , snowing and sleeting. We were hunting about 1/4 mile apart. I saw several bucks right before dark along with several does. One dandy mature buck I almost shot. When we met back up after dark , my son was so shook up he could barely tell bout his hunt. He was covered up, said he saw the two biggest bucks he ever saw. He had the one we were after come right under him on his left, he's left handed when he tried to move on him he took off. That afternoon was magic ! It was weather related . BTW, our place IS NOT over hunted by any stretch. I've seen movement like that plenty of times, usually with drastically falling temps and snow and/or sleet , over 45 years of chasing them.

This is going to side track it all but what is " movement"? 10 yards? 100 yards? 1000 yards? If a buck is nocturnal, during the day he will still get up, stretch, relieve himself, and get a bite to eat. Might not go more than 10 yards. Is that movement? Or is movement when a high number of the herd is on their feet traveling? That is what I would call movement. But I have seen multiple deer stand up in a cutover and feed, never leave within 50 yards of where they started, then lay back down. Bunch of deer on their feet but didn't travel. People discuss "movement" and "rut" but the definition varies greatly from hunter to hunter.

Centralala, I agree with what you're saying. My interpretation was that it was in relationship to an individual deer's movement. For example if a deer moved 100 yds on a "prime" day, he/she would move roughly the same on a "poor" day. I could be wrong though. I was listening to a podcast and didn't have the exact parameters of the study in front of me.

It’s always been interesting listening to how other hunters view certain aspects of the hunt. Everyone hunts different and views things different, I think a lot of hunters get too caught up in what other hunters are doing and in turn can sometimes have a negative affect on their hunting “style”.


My best advice would be to keep a log book of each hunt with specifics including moon phase, weather, etc. look over each season in the off season (to help pass the time) and make changes based on YOUR observations in the area YOU hunt. Good luck

High percentage of the herd on there feet traveling, feeding etc. = good movement , IMO.

I second this

I wish I could predict the conditions.....

But, I am gonna say this and take however you want. I run 4 cell cams and have many friends who do the same. There are days when just all the sudden, they all start blowing up with pics. And, sometimes, the primary movers are Bucks! Even in the middle of the day in areas that are hunted and cameras run constantly. And, it is odd....these cameras may be miles apart and on different types of habitat. But, when it starts, it starts everywhere!

Problem is, the conditions that we humans notice are never really the same! It is often at midday under bluebird skies!! But, there absolutely HAS to be a correlation of some type.

It takes 4 hours, from what I read, for food to travel thru a deer's 4 chambered stomach, so a deer is going to feed every 4 hours no matter what the damn weather is doing. Being in the right spot is where it gets tricky. When its hot deer are not going to move as much, because it doesn't take as much food to keep them going. When its cold, they need more calories. High pressure deer still move, they just do it in thick, narly pockets. Some people cant seem to see deer at the zoo, much less in the woods. I see deer, most times before I ever hear them and a lot of times I never hear them. With smart phones, people spend a lot of time looking at their phone instead watching for deer. Me personally, I like 25-35 degrees, 5mph north wind, high pressure blue bird skies with the moon overhead. I just don't see the deer right before a front moves in. Now if we were in ohio or somewhere where it gets really cold with snow maybe I would see more movement.

If they move more when it's cold because they require more calories , why wouldn't the increase be weather related? Temps and their changes are a key part of weather. Also, I don't think they have a timer and feed every 4 hours like clockwork.

That is probably a great personal motivator that allows you sit and be attentive at all times.

However, the Biology/Science that you are basing it on is absolutely false! LOL

But, I do agree that many people are simply sitting and looking....not hunting!
And, I agree that people often just do not position themselves in the areas where deer are moving in the daytime!

So ya'll don't think deer feed when their hungry, because the barometric pressure or some other phenomenon tells them not to? I think deer move when they want to, how far they move, I think is pressure related.

Nobody is saying they lay around starving till the barometer moves, that's just silly. I'm saying drastic weather changes will increase movement / feeding.