Deer don’t get cold like u and I do - they hav coat built for it
I been shut out way more in hot than cold
Just glad to be out here today hunting - beautiful
An old timer who had killed more big deer than I can remember told me this long time ago - u want the 3 Cs - clear (blue ski) - calm (steady light breeze in one direction) and cold - I find that most times to be true - high pressure barometer along w 3 Cs - deadly - we got a little bit of that going on today - not super strong but it is cool clear and calm
IMO, you hit on the real culprit with barometric pressure. I'll stop short of saying temperature doesn't matter at all, but I think most of the time it's not the temp, it's the pressure change that caused the temp change. Predominantly speaking, cold weather is a high pressure system, and you usually have those big high blue skies. I think most guys don't really think that deep, so they just say it's the "cold weather" that got the deer up and moving. It's like the dog on the porch that knows when a storm is coming, or your arthritic knee.
I suppose it might be different in other climates, but in Alabama I'd rather it be seasonably warmer than seasonably colder. I still have confidence in 70+ degrees, but if it dropped to the teens and a big heavy frost tonight, I think THAT shuts them down. But most hunters just like hunting in the colder temps, and I don't think it's really even about the expectancy of deer movement, it's just a subconscious thing.
And I think a sudden change either way is often problematic. In October during bow season, I want it to be 70 and stay 70.... I don't want it to suddenly drop to 30 tonight. Likewise, in January if it's been in the 30's, I want it to stay that way for several days.
And again, it's probably the pressure change that caused those temps to drop or rise, moreso than the temp.
Honestly, don't give deer human reasoning....they're animals born in the wild, live their whole lives in the wild, they don't know about A/C, it's just another day for them.
