OT: Deer hunting calendars

[NTDawg]

I haven't paid much attention to these calendars in the past. But I thought I would look at them this morning and might use them as a guide when I might take off work and do a little hunting. So far I have looked at these two and they are exactly the opposite. One has the 14th as a great day and the other has it as the lowest rated of the month one has the 19th as the best day of the month and the other has that day as average. Unless y'all can enlighten me I guess I will do what I normally do and pay more attention to the weather and the rut calendar and ignore these.

http://www.besttimestohunt.net/default.aspx

https://www.deerfeedingchart.com/best-hunting-times/39175

 

[ronpolk]

I’d probably just stick to weather and rut. I think those calendars are largely based on moon phase, which I guess makes sense in theory. I’ve just never known to have any a ton of success just following those calendars.

 

[sscjr1]

I've had success on "bad" days and not seen a thing on "good" days. I talk to those who hunt near me to see when they're chasing

 

[shoeless joe]

I have found that if the weather aligns with the “good” days then they can be great. But a good day with crappy weather ain’t no better than any other day.

 

[M R DAWGS]

In my area Dec 23th - Jan 10th is Prime Time, every year. I try to hunt as much as possible during that time period. 95% of my bucks have been killed during that span.

There is a MS rut map on MDWFP’s website that will give you the 14 days of the rut in your area. They have taken data from years of research to create it.

Deer are going to rut no matter the weather conditions. They may move better if it is nice out and cold, but if I can, I’ll go when hot and raining during those days.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

When I get to go,

I check for rain, ...

but, more important, when is official sun rise, and official sunset.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

This. If you catch a pressure change like after a front moves through on a good day you can really have a lot of success. Barometric pressure (high pressure) is just as important as moonphases.

 

[NTDawg]

This is probably a stupid question but is there a good place to see the forecast for changes in barometric pressure or do you just look at when the current readings change?

 

[uptowndawg]

The wunderground 10 day forecast is pretty good. Plots out temp, pressure, and wind all in the same view. Since they're plotted it helps you identify sharp changes in pressure.

 

[ronpolk]

This is probably a stupid question but is there a good place to see the forecast for changes in barometric pressure or do you just look at when the current readings change?

I have the hunt wise app on my phone. I got it for purposes of elk hunting on public land in Colorado but it’s useful around here too. I think I pay $40/annually for it but there are free features. It has weather forecast on it that includes barometric pressure. I think Onx is a good app too. Pretty useful if you do any public land hunting, which I don’t really do much in MS but for $40 it was worth keeping.

 

[idog]

moon phases have zero effect on deer movement. it's been proven by tracking deer with radio collars. it's a sales tactic. barometric pressure and extreme weather will affect movement though. rut is determined by the length of the day(amount of daylight).

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I check for rain, ...

but, more important, when is official sun rise, and official sunset.

The best days are cold, sunny days with little wind, if you find these during the rut or pre rut even better.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Just before Christmas Break thru the first week of January in NE MS was always the best when I lived there. If it was stormy around Thanksgiving I would see a lot of movement.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Shot a decent buck this afternoon. The number of deer that have been killed this season so far is pretty insane. The processor I use said they’ve already processed more deer this year than all of last year. There were 62 deer brought there on Sunday alone.

 

[ronpolk]

Shot a decent buck this afternoon. The number of deer that have been killed this season so far is pretty insane. The processor I use said they’ve already processed more deer this year than all of last year. There were 62 deer brought there on Sunday alone.

Congrats on the buck. You hunting on desoto county? I hunt in Madison and copiah county. We had good movement the first couple of weeks (starting with primitive weapon) but the last week and half has been slow.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Tate County mostly. Southwest of Arkabutla Lake.


View attachment 18859

 

[ronpolk]

Very nice deer... congrats

 

[FISHDAWG]

moon phases have zero effect on deer movement. it's been proven by tracking deer with radio collars. it's a sales tactic. barometric pressure and extreme weather will affect movement though. rut is determined by the length of the day(amount of daylight).

I just can't sign off on that ... I've watched moon phase and deer movement for almost 50 years and have learned there is a definite effect. Full moon means I climb into my stand around 10:30 - 11:00 am and hunt till about 3:30 unless it's during the rut and then all bets are off. Anything less than 75% full I hunt during the normal am / pm hours ... I think the radio collar thing shows they move around some but I would bet it's mostly with-in their bedding area.

 

[aTotal360]

"Can't eat them horns"

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Yeah but I can eat that backstrap.

 

[M R DAWGS]

Nice one, congratulations

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Good mature buck? Excellent!

Deer hunting is something Mississippi could really market for big dollar hunters. Really large deer herd.

People always talk about Texas especially in my area but they are kinda scrawny. Big racks scrawny crawling with ticks. I saw three large racked bucks in a field right off the tollway the other day. They will have to find a new home soon because I am pretty sure they are building the new 1 billion dollar campus very soon.

 

[M R DAWGS]

Good mature buck? Excellent!

Deer hunting is something Mississippi could really market for big dollar hunters. Really large deer herd.

People always talk about Texas especially in my area but they are kinda scrawny. Big racks scrawny crawling with ticks. I saw three large racked bucks in a field right off the tollway the other day. They will have to find a new home soon because I am pretty sure they are building the new 1 billion dollar campus very soon.

obviously a post from an out-of-stater and non-hunter.

I’m with you on most things but,

Why would we do that?? All of our deer have CWD**. NO outsiders needed.

We have enough hunting pressure as it is.

 

[coach66]

The higher the barometer the better the hunting

Especially if the temps are in the 40’s or less

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

There’s already a lot of out of state hunters deer hunting and a ton that duck hunt. Duck leases are big money.

 

[NTDawg]

The wunderground 10 day forecast is pretty good. Plots out temp, pressure, and wind all in the same view. Since they're plotted it helps you identify sharp changes in pressure.

When you posted this I downloaded the wunderground app and I couldn't find what you referring to but this weekend I discovered that their website is much easier. I found the 10 day forecast and I hope to be in the woods Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. On paper this should best conditions all year, cooler temps, high barometric pressure and the rut . Thanks for the help.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Just go to Texas and sit down 10 minutes before the feeder goes off on a bench with a nice shooting rest. You can pick out your buck from the dozen ready to feed and if you have a good scope, you can read his name tag on his collar. It's a real sportsman's delight*


ETA. I miss deer hunting in MS so bad. I went once in TX and was disgusted at the thought of hunting over an automatic feeder. Felt like hunting cattle.

 

[johnson86-1]

obviously a post from an out-of-stater and non-hunter.

I’m with you on most things but,

Why would we do that?? All of our deer have CWD**. NO outsiders needed.

We have enough hunting pressure as it is.

Is this reallky true? We have pressure on property prices, but I don't think as many people are hunting or taking as many deer as they used to?

ETA: Looks like the number of deer taken has dropped by a good bit although the data quality isn't great:

https://www.clarionledger.com/story...onic-wasting-disease-deer-hunting/2266577001/

 

[aTotal360]

People that don't hunt texas enough fail to realize that's the only way you'll see those deer.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Rut seems 2 weeks early this year...

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

It’s not that much different here though. I hunt most of the time in a field we planted with wheat and clover and they’re coming to eat just like there. There’s a lot of people that hunt near a feeder too. People bow hunt near acorn or persimmon trees.

 

[aTotal360]

Exactly. I love hearing hunters ***** about feeders, but hunt over food plots. It's all an "artificial attractant". If you want to be so natural in your ways, hunt with a handmade recurve while you're at it. Don't use a .308 that can knock the flea off a dog's back at 450 yards.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

There’s less hunting pressure for deer. Deer population is at a ridiculous level and are really overpopulated. As far as duck hunting, there’s way too much duck hunting but I understand, it’s easy money.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Exactly. I love hearing hunters ***** about feeders, but hunt over food plots. It's all an "artificial attractant". If you want to be so natural in your ways, hunt with a handmade recurve while you're at it. Don't use a .308 that can knock the flea off a dog's back at 450 yards.

I never had the privilege of hunting over food plots either. Public land hunting only for me. Enjoyed bow hunting Starr, Noxubee and Corps land in college. I guess I cheated by using a compound bow and a climbing stand though...

You do you, but I don't find much pleasure in trophy hunting over a timed feeder spitting out a non natural food source in order to train the deer to be in a certain area at a certain time. I could even get on board if there was a random timer that went off at different times with no predictablatity. But timed feeders? Population control. Sure. Putting a little meat on the table. Okay. Trophy hunting? No thanks. It feels more like deer ranching than hunting to me.

I think if a method of hunting is legal, to each their own. But for me, the feeling I got that first and only time hunting over a feeder reminded me of spotlighting deer in a bean field in Mississippi and then shooting it. It just felt wrong.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Although I will say the buck I shot in the earlier post was on a tree stand in the middle of the woods. I’ve got it near where two major trails run through a hardwood bottom. Big bucks around here don’t come out much in the open food plots at least not in the day time. Most of the time to trophy hunt you’re going to have to do your homework and be somewhere where they want to be.

 

[ronpolk]

Although I will say the buck I shot in the earlier post was on a tree stand in the middle of the woods. I’ve got it near where two major trails run through a hardwood bottom. Big bucks around here don’t come out much in the open food plots at least not in the day time. Most of the time to trophy hunt you’re going to have to do your homework and be somewhere where they want to be.

That’s my experience too. A mature buck where I hunt is not about to walk out in a food plot unless they are actively chasing a doe.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Same, I see more and better deer just hunting gas lines and logging roads where deer cross throughout the day than I ever have hunting food plots out in the open. May not have but 2-3 seconds to decide and shoot but at least I see them.

 

[johnson86-1]

People that don't hunt texas enough fail to realize that's the only way you'll see those deer.

??? Why are deer in texas harder to see without automatic timers?

No dog in the hunt either way; we need more people taking deer anywhere I could hunt so I don't care whether people track them down on foot and garrote them with vines they've woven together after leaving the house, or whether they drone them from the comfort of their living room.

Just curious as to why Texas is different as far as seeing deer.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Rut seems 2 weeks early this year...

Negative, people say this every year. Amount of daylight controls rut.

 

[aTotal360]

Because the country down there is really dense, chest high cactus and brush. I've hunted central and south Texas A LOT. Even in a 20 foot high tripod stand, you can't see them in the brush. You have to hunt senderos (roads). It's similar to hunting logging roads in the MS. The deer down there are smaller and move like ghosts.

Keep in mind, I'm not talking about high fence hunting. Their free range deer are 90% as weary as ours. Most of what people equate to "real" Texas hunting is what they saw on a VHS cassette in the late 90s. Usually that was some cheesy canned hunt at the Perlitz Ranch on a Realtree video. Disregard that stuff.