Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018 - 39

Three firearms openers ago, I was
surprised by a talented doe - with two
youngsters in tow - that ran to safety
across the top of the mountain at firstlight. She hugged cover like a savvy
veteran. Last year on the firearms
opener, while hunting with a DMAP
tag, I watched her do it again.
This doe had a plan, established and
proven over the openers she'd survived.
She had a knack - or time-proven technique - for hoofing around danger.
The best part of this doe's connection
to me is that each time after she passed,
I took keeper bucks within minutes. I'd
be happy to see her again this fall.

PERSONAL MOTIVES
I have heard for most of my hunting
life that it's a waste of time to hunt deer
on windy days - they won't move.
But the truth is, they do.
Usually you'll hunt by yourself on
such days. But in the past five years,
I've taken a 7-point buck with the bow
and a big doe with an inline hunting in
October's front-moving winds.
The buck was following a band of
flat-tops. The doe was out by herself.
But all were on the move in canopybending gusts that require ensuring
your fall-restraint equipment is in order.
The recent Game Commission-Penn
State deer-forest study uncovered
greater whitetail movement in the wind.
It reported not only did bucks
increase their movement on windy
days, it only took a slight breeze to get
them moving more. Bucks seemed to
like stronger winds, though. Females
really didn't care or had no preference,
they just went.
It makes sense that deer move in the
wind in fall, because it's a time when
DECEMBER 2018

deer really need to eat a lot to store
energy for winter.
Rarely do they blow off a chance
to eat in a ripened cornfield or when
acorns are on the ground - wind also
knocks them down. Such time-sensitive
commodities last only so long.
But if you don't prove to yourself
that deer do move in the wind, you'll
be missing opportunities you shouldn't.
So, hunt a few windy evenings or
mornings this fall to get to the bottom
of it. You just might be pleasantly surprised, especially if your hunting time
is limited.
Another misnomer about deer is
that they won't move when it's warm,
because they're in their winter coats.
They do. But if you do hunt in the heat,
be prepared to make a perfect shot and
process the carcass fast. Heat can spoil
venison quickly.
Deer are on the landscape doing their
thing in almost all kinds of weather. It's
up to the hunter to join them. Some opt
to stay home, to hunt in more comfortable weather. And that's fine, hunting
for most of us is, after all, recreation.
I often do the same on frigid mornings. On those days, it's almost impossible to carry afield what you need to
stay warm. It's also too hard to stay still
and sound travels faster.
But the firearms opener and Saturdays are custom-made for stand hunters
who can wait for other hunters to start
sneaking around and pushing deer.
I'll tough it out in the cold for that
kind of help. Finding time and places to
hunt and sorting out deer behavior are
matters that accompany us throughout
our hunting careers. Believe what deer
show you and hunt as often and as many
places as you can. Then you'll know
what works best for you!
39

Pennsylvania Game News - December 2018

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