Less than Perfect Weather for Gun Opener

[Treewalker87]

Saturday is the gun opener in NY. They are calling for 15-25 mph SSW winds, rainfall near 1/4" and a high low of 49/35 -not ideal. The land I hunt has many large cattail swamps mixed with hardwoods, areas of scrub brush thickets, and patches of mature pines surrounded by AG (which is harvested).

Normally that wind direction + opening day puts me about 80 yards from a large section of mature pines, in a swampy transition with scrub brush that connects a marsh with a hardwoods bowl. I set up in the bowl and can shoot into the transition in front and hardwoods behind me.

How would you hunt conditions like this? In high wind and rain would you hunt swamp islands or concentrate where there is overhead cover like in the areas of dense pines? Would you stick to downwind of doe bedding like during rut or just look into the thickest low brush cover there is? Help me overthink this!

[weatherdude]

Saturday is the gun opener in NY. They are calling for 15-25 mph SSW winds, rainfall near 1/4" and a high low of 49/35 -not ideal. The land I hunt has many large cattail swamps mixed with hardwoods, areas of scrub brush thickets, and patches of mature pines surrounded by AG (which is harvested).

Normally that wind direction + opening day puts me about 80 yards from a large section of mature pines, in a swampy transition with scrub brush that connects a marsh with a hardwoods bowl. I set up in the bowl and can shoot into the transition in front and hardwoods behind me.

How would you hunt conditions like this? In high wind and rain would you hunt swamp islands or concentrate where there is overhead cover like in the areas of dense pines? Would you stick to downwind of doe bedding like during rut or just look into the thickest low brush cover there is? Help me overthink this!

It really depends how unusual that is for your area. If those winds and temperatures are near normal for that area then hunt as usual. If not, think about what it is about those conditions that make a deer uncomfortable and setup accordingly. On rainy days I like to find areas that have more of a canopy because it seems like the deer prefer that as much as we do. I've seen bucks travel in high winds and have also sat all day in high winds and didn't see a single deer. If it were me, I'd probably set up on entry/exit trails to bedding that have some overhead cover. Bucks that aren't locked down with does are still going to be out scent checking regardless of the weather. If it's absolutely pouring they will probably hunker down until the rain lets up a bit. Movement always seems to be pretty good right after precip ceases though.

[matt1336]

I’d still hunt the cats no doubt. Try to get the wind in your face as much as you can. Go slow and use deer trials to get around. Pay attention to the dogwood and any other tree/shrub that’s growing in there. You can walk right up to them sometimes

[brancher147]

That kind of weather I would still hunt no doubt. Sounds great to me, coming from someone that likes to still hunt. Maybe try a new area you have been wanting to try, that is great weather for sneaking around unnoticed.

[northeast beast]

I think the weather is ideal for the deer and not ideal for us. I found opening day in NY hunting marshes....find that thick cover and get near it. Deer are everywhere opening and they are going to be getting in that thick stuff all day as guys move around and push them in there. I really think weather on opening day is not a factor like bow...pressure is the important thing....good luck I'll be posted up on an island myself that historically holds the best opportunity on orange army openin day

[Treewalker87]

Compared to how its been over the past two weeks that is about 10 degrees warmer and 10 mph more windy.

I agree that I want to get away from other known hunter pressure, which is where my usual opening day spot is. I do have an island stand that I only hunted once in mid October and saw nothing out of. There was good sign in there- scrapes, rubs, tons of trails.

The stand is on a pine/ thick end of the island that overlooks the cats and there are a few isolated strips of brush and shrubs that are visible. There is known buck bed about 20 yards from the stand, but the wind would be blowing right to it. It is a good vantage point to view into those areas of high ground and red brush. Maybe I'll get there early and let the other hunters push them in to me.

Still hunting on opening day just doesn't sound like a good idea in my area.