Weekend weather for blacktails

[Angry Perch]

Any thoughts on how the heavy rain will affect the blacktails? A far cry from clear skies and full moon a week ago.

[OutHouse]

Can't speak to it directly but if the are anything like whitetails I think heavy rain is bad, but light rain causes more movement and thus good hunting conditions.

[L8NITE]

Just got home from hunting...they were out moving this morning. The rain and wind dont stop them from eating but they are a little jumpy lol Besides it keeps the fair weather guys out of the woods

[npaull]

For blacktails, I'm really a firm believer that basically the worse the weather the better the hunting. It's almost worthless to hunt them when it's sunny and still. This rain is AWESOME for blacktail. Get out there.

It's so much easier to hunt them when there's a lot of rain noise to cover your motion. And they move much more during the day.

[boneaddict]

THeres a reason I dont film very many large blacktails.  Hint, its not because I'm afraid to go after them. Its because cameras dont like WET weather, but they do.

[4fletch]

Killed a few during the rain, doesn't seem to bother them if not at all

[Whisker Biscuit]

They're not pansies, like whitetails.   The crappier the weather, the better the hunting.

[boneaddict]

as funny as that sounds, thats pretty much the truth.

[fishnfur]

Here's what I've heard/read/assimilated on rain and BTs (and it may be totally wrong - but I'm never afraid to pass on some bad information): 

I'm not sure they love rain (or even better - wind and rain) as much as it makes them nervous when they are bedded in the timber.  As we hunters know, the sound of rain covers our noise and allows us to travel with much more stealth in the deer woods.  Also, a steady rain is pretty good at knocking down scent, both of which leaves the deer lacking a couple important senses it uses as primary defense against predators.  When it is really windy and rainy (think blowing tree tops, knocking tree top trunks, limbs crashing down in the forest etc.), the deer are now overburdened with so much noise that they feel defenseless in the smell and hearing sense categories, which requires that they stand up and use their last defense against predators: sight! 

So when it gets ugly out there, BT hunters go in the woods because they see more deer (because the deer are now standing up or up moving to safer/quieter localities, or feeding quickly before the real storm hits etc.)  Early in the season, they'll often just wait out the mild rains in their beds.  If it is cold out, the rain also cools their bodies which requires they replace the calories and thus, feed more often.  Add in the coming rut and bucks beginning to cruise for does - late October rains can be just what the doctor ordered for finding deer up and moving during the daylight hours.

[JakeLand]

I’ll take rain and mild wind every day of blacktail season! Blue skies are for napping

[444Marlin]

I read a post on one forum that someone was saying Roosevelt elk don't like the rain or don't move at all when it's raining.  My reply was, "...that means they wouldn't move from late September until June!"

I think the same goes for blacktail.  They really could care less about rain. 

[slowhand]

I have seen more Deer in rough weather than any other time. A windy heavy rain is about as good as it gets for a black tail hunter.

[Martinhunter]

In my opinion from what I've experienced over the years is the deer are up and moving around feeding at the start of bad weather and at the end of the storm. If Its raining hard for multiple days they hunker down and don't move much at least during daylight hours. Just from what I've learned in the area I hunt BT's.

[opdinkslayer]

 

I’ve found that before nasty,a break in nasty or right after nasty is most productive for hunting.

A couple things about nasty weather I’ve figured out over 35 years of blacktail hunting. When it’s storming they are either on the rapid move going somewhere or they find some bigger reprod to lay up in to get out of the wind/rain. Using optics on nasty days is a challenge. Deer move more all day on days with weather.

Having said that I’ve killed my best buck on a bluebird day & our biggest numbers seen days have come without rain as well. So go figure🤷‍♂️ Fact is they only give you so many days/weekends a season so you have to play the hand that’s dealt & be out there. Personally I love a nasty night followed by calming winds & showers at daybreak. We will see what this weekend brings as I saw a pic of a big buck taken yesterday late morning during some............breaks in the rainy weather.

[Soady]

 
Exactly right, black tails move during and between the breaks during nasty weather either going to refuge or getting up and stretching, browsing or moving again to better refuge. With the foul weather gear we enjoy today why not use it and get after them? As the previous poster said you only get so many days. During modern season I scout black tail bucks during foul weather as my muzzy season is just around the corner in some of the best foul weather all year

When I know where they’re going and coming from my odds go up considerably leaving me more time to concentrate on their home ground refuge. After all the pressure they are getting all from the early season hunters they are no longer on their early preseason scouting areas. Toss in foul weather and they move into those areas. 
Good luck to all!

[JimmyHoffa]

Agree, they do things a little differently depending on the weather they're dealt.  Adjust and hunt accordingly.  Colder than normal, heavy rain, high winds....anything different from 50 degrees/partly cloudy/no wind.

[The Marquis]

Anybody ever hunted blacktail in the thunderstorm?

[Spuddieselwwu]

Anybody ever hunted blacktail in the thunderstorm?

Yes - shot my first blacktail in a thunder/wind/hail storm.  Oct 30, 2012.   It was crazy.  Was slow creeping through an alder patch trail and looked off the trail 40 yards and he literally stood up from his bed, shook off like a dog would and I popped him.  He didn't know I was there until he heard my safety come off.  He ran 50 yds and expired in a super steep creek - was a PITA getting him out of there - but fun.

[npaull]

I'm not sure they love rain (or even better - wind and rain) as much as it makes them nervous when they are bedded in the timber.  As we hunters know, the sound of rain covers our noise and allows us to travel with much more stealth in the deer woods.  Also, a steady rain is pretty good at knocking down scent, both of which leaves the deer lacking a couple important senses it uses as primary defense against predators.  When it is really windy and rainy (think blowing tree tops, knocking tree top trunks, limbs crashing down in the forest etc.), the deer are now overburdened with so much noise that they feel defenseless in the smell and hearing sense categories, which requires that they stand up and use their last defense against predators: sight!

So when it gets ugly out there, BT hunters go in the woods because they see more deer (because the deer are now standing up or up moving to safer/quieter localities, or feeding quickly before the real storm hits etc.)  Early in the season, they'll often just wait out the mild rains in their beds.  If it is cold out, the rain also cools their bodies which requires they replace the calories and thus, feed more often.  Add in the coming rut and bucks beginning to cruise for does - late October rains can be just what the doctor ordered for finding deer up and moving during the daylight hours.

I think this is likely spot-on. Regardless of whether they "like" it or "hate" it because they have to be more in the open, the fact is they are MUCH more visible and MUCH more approachable/stalkable in bad weather. The weekend hunting is going to be awesome.

[opdinkslayer]

The big key no matter the weather is to be where the dear are to begin with. If you miss on that you just end up getting wet with no benefit.

[fishnfur]

Good input from hunters with many years experience on which to base their conclusions.  Ultimately though, it seems nearly impossible to guess exactly how the deer will respond to a specific weather event. 

Things that factor into how a deer responds to a storm likely include: 

Rate of barometric pressure drop.
Terrain of the area in question
Wind direction in relation to the terrain
Wind speed
Time of day
Rate of rainfall
Probably about twenty other factors as well. 

Being flexible and considering alternate strategies is probably huge in bad weather.  Some people like to hunt ridge tops in the changing winds because the deer will often get up and re-bed on the other side of the ridge as winds change.  Some like hunting cuts when it gets ugly, 'cause the deer bail out of the timber when the wind is blasting. Many huge mature bucks are taken from small forest opening during massive storms, because they apparently go there to stand and watch for predators while the storm is raging.  '

 It is a well known fact that deer are often very active just prior to and just after a major storm.  In the middle of a constant storm with little change in wind direction or other factors, you may just be up against it until things change a bit.  I have yet to see a buck up and moving in really bad weather, so while I spit this stuff out, I cannot say with first-hand knowledge that it is correct.  Looking like it is going to be a nasty day tomorrow.  Good luck all!

[Turner89]

A couple Halloween's ago was a nasty day. I decided to get up on this knob in the middle of a 5 year old cut.  I approached with the 15-20mph wind and rain in my face. I got about 30-40ft from the top and realized there was a 2 point bedded down at the top. He never knew I was there until I threw a stick at him.  It was early in the morning and wanted his dad.
 I got skunked that year

[PolarBear]

I have killed a bunch of blacktails in 40+ mph winds and torrential downpours.  My buck from last year was killed on one of those days. I have 8 friend who killed 3 points or better during that nasty storm yesterday (Thursday the 17th).  It's not fun hunting in the crap but the results can be spectacular.  The added bonus is most of the other "hunters" are at home or afraid to leave the comfort of their rig.

[fishnfur]

A couple Halloween's ago was a nasty day. I decided to get up on this knob in the middle of a 5 year old cut.  I approached with the 15-20mph wind and rain in my face. I got about 30-40ft from the top and realized there was a 2 point bedded down at the top. He never knew I was there until I threw a stick at him.  It was early in the morning and wanted his dad.
 I got skunked that year

I think that was four Halloweens ago.  Nasty, nasty day.  I went into big timber next to four year old reprod.  I didn't see jack all afternoon, got soaked and went home early 'cause I was too cold to hunt   I heard three hunters shots from the reprod while I was sucking in the timber.  Bad choice (again) but learned to always have a spare set of dry gear when I hunt, just in case!

Polar Bear, I was thinking of you when I mentioned the ridge tops.  Seems storms this early in the season have more unpredictable, less favorable results.  What do you think?

[X-Force]

Little antidotal but I live well within town and had a spike and doe in my yard at 3 this afternoon and saw a doe and 3 pt in the county on my way into work for some OT. Blacktail  should be really good this weekend.

[fishnfur]

Weird how the weather didn't match up to the forecast.  Go figure!  I was expecting 16 mph winds with gusts to 24 all afternoon, but it was calm and sunny until 6:00 PM.  Active in the morning but dead from 10:00 AM  until last light.  Saw a couple of bucks that would have died a few years ago.  They still walk the planet.