Single digit or below deer movement in December

[bowbutt1]

what time of day do bucks (and does) tend to move on extremely cold days? How early should I be on stand?

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[cedarsavage]

Here I've observed mostly mid day movement, but I live in a different situation than most people. During the rut I also get more midday movement than anything else but I have not experienced that in other places

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[Lockdown]

When it's really cold I see the does start moving 2 hours before dark. Sometimes earlier. Big boys are usually last light like always.

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[Jonny]

Depends where you hunt and how high the pressure has been on the deer. If you find deer that weren't pressured for a couple of weeks, I would say sit all day if possible. My coldest days I saw deer all day while I was sitting. Eventually I couldn't take the cold anymore. If it is in the single digits or below, deer need to move to stay warm, and find food. Sitting the last couple of hours of the day would probably be the best but if you can handle the cold, don't shy away from sitting longer. If it is a high pressure area and gun season just ended, I would only do evening hunts, similar times to an early season evening hunt.

[justin84]

Here I've observed mostly mid day movement, but I live in a different situation than most people. During the rut I also get more midday movement than anything else but I have not experienced that in other places

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What is your situation like? Big woods?

[bowbutt2]

Central Mn farm/woods mix. No crops, poor acorn drop. Deer are traveling to adjacent farms that have corn or picked soybeans. Some have relocated. Residents seem to travel there at first/last light on normal Dec. temps. When it's - 9 to + 5 I figured they won"t move much until later morning around bedding and start heading toward food maybe 30 minutes earlier. Not much pressure here. Some near the food sources.

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[JoeRE]

They usually get back to their beds by first light. Beds are in very secure areas after many months of hunting pressure but in bitter cold temps deer need thermal cover as well - pines and cedars around here and favoring south facing slopes. Deer need a ton of food in bitter cold so once temperatures get down to single digits they are eating all day.

Older deer stick to security cover in daylight and don't expose themselves until last light still but they are moving around and browsing all day. If they stay in their beds they run out of energy and freeze to death. Hunt the perimeter of bedding with good browse around you and you probably will see deer moving around all day long. The challenge is getting close w/o clearing the area out...

Bucks are more pattern-able with cold weather late season than any other time but that doesn't mean tagging one is easy. Usually finding a good buck is the hardest part. That's very hard unless you have a big chunk of ground all to yourself.

I have estimated I scout around about 2000 acres for every mature buck I find on land that has been hunted by both gun and bow hunters late season. And I know that's better than many places.

[Stanley]

I often drive around and just watch what goes on. Deer will yard up when the temps and weather get bad. You can see what they are doing and move in from there. Doesn't always work but it is a pretty low impact scout. Sometimes boot leather is trumped by rubber tires.

I remember about 25 years ago I was scouting with my boat. The river was pure slush my boat motor overheated because the water pump slushed up. It was bitter cold.

[mainebowhunter]

Personally...during this time of year, I see all movement last .5 hour of the day. Does not seem to matter the temps. I remember in 2012, had no buck tags left. So I was seeing how late I could get to my set without bumping deer. 1hr of stand time and killed a donkey head of a doe. 45minutes, I spooked them coming out of their bed.

Tonight, its my last night. Had a 4.5yr old show up last night, right in the last 5minutes. Too dark to shoot. Going to move back closer to the bed and hope I don't bump the deer that are there. I am in the timber. No ag. Deer are feeding on acorns. Does are moving about 20-30min before dark. It happens just about every dec 1-15. If I am on the deer, they do not show until last .5hr.

And where I find one deer, I find more. MD was crazy. Maine does not have the same amount of deer so 4-6 deer is a good group. MD my buddy was seeing 20+ all herding up. It also means, when you bust one, you bust them all.

I just am not ready to be done hunting Saturday. Some of you guys are just getting fired up and shifting gears for the last late season push. Jealous.

[Stanley]

Personally...during this time of year, I see all movement last .5 hour of the day. Does not seem to matter the temps. I remember in 2012, had no buck tags left. So I was seeing how late I could get to my set without bumping deer. 1hr of stand time and killed a donkey head of a doe. 45minutes, I spooked them coming out of their bed.

Tonight, its my last night. Had a 4.5yr old show up last night, right in the last 5minutes. Too dark to shoot. Going to move back closer to the bed and hope I don't bump the deer that are there. I am in the timber. No ag. Deer are feeding on acorns. Does are moving about 20-30min before dark. It happens just about every dec 1-15. If I am on the deer, they do not show until last .5hr.

And where I find one deer, I find more. MD was crazy. Maine does not have the same amount of deer so 4-6 deer is a good group. MD my buddy was seeing 20+ all herding up. It also means, when you bust one, you bust them all.

I just am not ready to be done hunting Saturday. Some of you guys are just getting fired up and shifting gears for the last late season push. Jealous.

I agree with this.

[tgreeno]

I think if the deer are in thick secure cover they may move all day. But on the public I hunt, movement is still just before dark.

It's after the gun season, so I'm going to run & gun to try to find where they ended up.

[Lockdown]

Personally...during this time of year, I see all movement last .5 hour of the day. Does not seem to matter the temps. I remember in 2012, had no buck tags left. So I was seeing how late I could get to my set without bumping deer. 1hr of stand time and killed a donkey head of a doe. 45minutes, I spooked them coming out of their bed.

Tonight, its my last night. Had a 4.5yr old show up last night, right in the last 5minutes. Too dark to shoot. Going to move back closer to the bed and hope I don't bump the deer that are there. I am in the timber. No ag. Deer are feeding on acorns. Does are moving about 20-30min before dark. It happens just about every dec 1-15. If I am on the deer, they do not show until last .5hr.

And where I find one deer, I find more. MD was crazy. Maine does not have the same amount of deer so 4-6 deer is a good group. MD my buddy was seeing 20+ all herding up. It also means, when you bust one, you bust them all.

I just am not ready to be done hunting Saturday. Some of you guys are just getting fired up and shifting gears for the last late season push. Jealous.

I agree with this.

I also agree the "flurry" happens at last light. My 2 hr comment was regarding the early risers and trying to get on stand without bumping a single deer.

Cold weather is where it's at as far as getting them to forget about recent gun pressure. If it stays fairly mild they lay low for weeks. Bitter cold and you'll see good movement within a week IMO.

I love late season with lots of snow and cold... They move like clockwork. Not an easy time to tag a mature buck though. Lots of noses to get past.

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[cedarsavage]

Here I've observed mostly mid day movement, but I live in a different situation than most people. During the rut I also get more midday movement than anything else but I have not experienced that in other places

[ Post made via iPhone ]

What is your situation like? Big woods?

Big woods, semi mountain, low population density lots of predators moderate to low hunting pressure

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[vtbuck]

The last hour is usually magic if it's cold and there's snow on the ground. Food is key.

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[JoeRE]

Yea my comments about all day movement were geared toward hunting around bedding. I see deer up and browsing all day when the weather is cold - but no its not like they are moving any distance. They are sticking to the thick stuff.

I agree bed to primary food source pattern is still last light in cold weather.

Even in bitter cold temps there is a big difference between what young deer do and the oldest bucks, does too for that matter. I have watched younger deer stay out in ag fields feeding all day in subzero temps. They never left the food source. I don't think I have seen a buck over 2 years old do that though.

And Stanley I agree tire rubber beats boot leather in flatter country anyway!