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Field Guide -Deer

6 Ways to Successfully Hunt Deer in Hot Weather

By Matthew Saganski - September 30, 2023

You are prepared, primed, and ready to hunt cold fronts all season long. You plan your schedule and time your days off around them. And then it happens—you get a bunch of hot weather days smack dab in the middle of your schedule. 

You are prepared, primed, and ready to hunt cold fronts all season long. You plan your schedule and time your days off around them. And then it happens—you get a bunch of hot weather days smack dab in the middle of your schedule. You still want to get out in the woods. And you still can. Because there are ample opportunities to turn a bad, hot weather day into a great day to be in the deer woods.  Follow along for 6 ways to successfully hunt deer in hot weather.

1. Water on the Way to Food


Having water on your property is not enough. Consider this: deer have been sitting in their bedding area hot and thirsty all day long. The first thing you need to ensure is not only that there is a water source on the property, but that there is a water source on the property that’s on their way to their afternoon food source. >“A water source on the way to an afternoon feeding source is one of the best spots to hunt in hot weather.”

 

Whether you're looking for a water source on public land or you're building a water hole on private land, if that water source is on the way to an afternoon feeding spot, it doesn't matter if it's hot weather, during the rut, or in mid-December—deer are going to hit that water source and they're going to hit it consistently.  

2. Moist, Lush Evening Food Sources—Fruits


There is a big difference in the amount of moisture in a crab apple, pear, or plum compared to the hard, dry acorns that rain down in hot weather. Deer love moist, lush, soft mass fruits, particularly those not already available to them in their bedding area. So look for that crab apple tree on the way to an evening food source just outside a bedding area. This offers a great opportunity to find a buck in hot weather. >“Deer love moist, lush, soft mass fruits, so look for that crab apple tree on the way to an evening food source.”

3. Moist, Lush Evening Food Sources—High-Quality Greens


Equally important is the availability of high-quality greens. If you’re on private land, corn, brassica crops, and late-planted beans, peas, and light oats top-dressed with rye or wheat make up an excellent food plot foundation, because they’re the exact opposite of the types of food available where the deer have been bedding in all day. Match your high-quality greens to your location, the size of your plots, and the size of the herd in your area. On public land, search for moisture-laden forages, such as a lush swamp edge, for the greens deer seek. >“Offer high-quality greens deer don’t have where they bed ”

 


4. Shaded Feeding Spots


To really see some good movement, seek shaded food sources—areas where deer can stay back in the shadows and don't have to expose themselves out in the sun. Once they get to these locations, they can dine in shaded temperatures without the sun beating down on them prior to going out later into more open spaces under the cover of darkness.  >“Find a small, shaded food plot on the way to a big food plot to have a great opportunity to get on deer even in hot weather. ”

5. Bedding Staging Area


We love hunting cool weather because not only do bucks move earlier, they also move more often throughout the day.   On the contrary, when you have a hot day, bucks are not going to move no matter what the moon phase, barometric pressure, or anything tells you. Even if it’s in the middle of the prime rut, during daylight in hot weather, bucks typically don’t leave their bedding areas until the last second.   A bedding staging area is the first piece of secure cover that a buck filters into when he exits his bedding area. It has nice flat ground with a bunch of rubs and scrapes, and from there he heads to a food source three or four hundred yards away.  >“A bedding staging area is the first piece of secure cover that a buck filters into when he exits his bedding area.”

 

You're getting them not when they’re in their bedding area in the afternoon, because you’re going to spook them when you get in there. You’re not getting them during funnel movement, which collects bedding area bucks from all locations down to one spot before they go into a food source. You’re 50 yards away up and over a ridge, or you’re around a thick corner where you can sneak into a stand location, and you're hunting a buck as he first emerges from his bedding area. 

6. Holes in the Rain


During warm weather days, you may also get rain showers, sometimes all day long, and those drops make a bunch of noise in the woods and stress out deer.   Look for holes in the rain—periods of dry weather in between rain showers. There's a good chance deer will be on the move during these rain breaks because they've been pressed down during the bad weather, with their keen sense of sound taken away. Any time one of their senses are taken away, whether it’s smell, sight, or sound, they’re not going to move as much. And the reverse is true as well. When their senses are fully equipped, you are more likely to see good movement. >“Look for holes in the rain—periods of dry weather in between rain showers— when it is quieter in the woods and deer are more likely to be on the move.” One thing you can rely on to help determine exactly what day and time you should be in the woods is HuntCast. It allows you to look at a 7-10 day window and make good decisions on great weather days, giving you the highest chance of success.

HOW TO HUNT DEER IN HOT WEATHER—PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER


If you use these six tips, you're going to be well on your way to conquering hot weather this deer season:   1. Locate or design a water source that’s on the way to an afternoon feeding source.  2. Find or design food plots with moist, lush, soft mass fruits, such as apples, pears, and pumpkins.  3. Locate or design food plots with high-quality greens, such as corn, brassica crops, and late-planted beans and peas.  4. Find a small, shaded food plot that’s on the way to a big open food plot.  5. Locate a bedding staging area—the first piece of secure cover a buck filters into when he exits his bedding area.  6. Look for holes in the rain—periods of dry weather in between rain showers when deer are less stressed by rain and storm noise and are on the move.  Whether you consider yourself a master hunter or an Average Joe, use these proven strategies and tips to turn a bad, hot weather day into a great day to be in the deer woods. Good luck, hunters. Keep an eye on your app, your sights on the big bucks ... and shoot straight.

 

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