Opening Day!

Opening day is finally here, and what a beauty it will be! We are still in a dry pattern with cool nights and warm days, and the moon is still fairly bright which I think playing a major role in activity. Right now the moon rises around midnight and doesn't set until mid-afternoon, making late night through mid-morning feeding a likely bet. I have noted more morning activity on days when the moon is bright on my early walk in, and when it hangs in the sky throughout the hunt. Cool temps in the morning boosts deer activity even more! The afternoon will be warm, but a cold front is coming. It wont get here in time for the evening hunt, but the front will set the stage for a very cool Opening Weekend! This front could help nudge activity up a bit as the deer feel the pressure drop. Afternoon activity will be fair and most likely late. Good Luck!

Deercast:   Get Sunrise & Set times by clicking the link ----->

Sky Coverage:   Rise; Clear           Noon; Clear           Set;Thin Clouds
Temps:                Rise; 40-45         Noon; 69-73          Set; 73-77
Winds:                 Rise; NW 2-6     Noon; W 5-11       Set; W 4-8
Pressure Trend:  Rise; Steady Hi   Noon; Falling Hi     Set; Falling Lo

Right Around the Corner

Iowa deer bow hunting season is just days away, and the weather couldn't be better! It's a bit warm with highs in the 70s and 80s. The last few days I have seen much less feeding activity during the daylight hours in the evening, but the mornings have been great! The waning moon (Click on the link under Trail Cam Picture for the current moon phase) is still pretty bright and lingers in the western sky throughout the morning hours. Combined with the cool mornings, this is making early and mid-morning activity pretty good! The bachelor groups are starting to break up a bit, with the larger deer establishing more dominance, but I am still seeing 'waves' of bucks passing by the trail cams. If your in an area around known rubs or scrapes, stick around and your patience will likely pay off.

Deercast: Wed. 28th; we'll see temps in the mid 80s as winds switch WNW 10-20 late evening. It wont be the best to hunt, but transition areas or right next to bedding should still be ok. Thurs. 29th; It will be breezy throughout the morning with winds picking up NW 10-20. The pressure will be rising as high pressure moves in with clear skies and winds should relax by evening NNW 5-10. Opening Day Friday; High pressure is still overhead making for a chilly start in 40s with west wind 3-7mph! This will be a great morning to hunt! Winds will likely switch  from westerly to NE 10-15 for the evening, and a cold front will be backing in from the north. This might make the evening surprisingly good even though it will be warm (70s). Sunset activity should be fair especially NE of Des Moines! Keep tabs on the forecast with  Central Iowa's Most Accurate Forecast

Season is almost here, and the deer of a lifetime might be waiting right around the corner. Happy hunting!

Fall Feelin'

If this cool weather doesn't make you want to go afield and enjoy, you might start considering a new hobby! We have had a powerful cold front work through, and a quick temperature drop of 10-15 degrees for our highs will surely kick the deer activity up a notch. The waning, but nearly full, moon is also lingering well into the morning daylight hours and I have almost always seen good activity on those days.
Deercast: Friday, clearing skies but breezy & cooler. We'll see great morning activity and fair evening activity. Bigger bucks will be on their feet earlier moving more in the daylight thanks to the cool-down! NW Winds 15-25 switching to the west by afternoon 10-15 and light SW 5-10 by sunset. Saturday, another system is pushing in bringing chilly and rainy weather. Partly cloudy am, cloudy with showers by midday. Temperatures only in the 50s with a SE wind 5-10 in the am, switching the full 180 degrees and going NW 10-15 mid-am into the afternoon. Movement should be fantastic with cool air before the storm system! Get out and hunt (where legal :) ! Too bad archery season didn't start today, but it's only a week away!

The Countdown Continues

Welcome to the Outdoors Weather Guide Blog! We've got just over a week until October 1st  (the start of Iowa Archery Season) and I can hardly wait! With many hunting seasons already beginning, let's get straight to the good stuff; how weather impacts hunting. September weather can be a very fickle thing, but typically it is still relatively warm. Deer and other game are often glued to a lazy late-summer feeding pattern, and their movements often slow and subdued due to the heat. It makes sense. You probably wouldn't be all that excited about running around with a fur coat on in the Iowa heat and humidity either, right? That makes this month a good one to be mobile if you have a chance to go hunting or if you're just scouting and glassing. Cold snaps and foul weather like what we saw this past weekend are perfect days to get out and take a look around. Cold snaps put the deer on their feet, and the wet weather makes for great tracking to find those fresh prints and active trails. If you're not finding deer, its probably because their simply not there, or they only come by at night. Think cool, early and late and shady river bottoms. We've got some major weather systems cruising in the next few days, and the rapid pressure changes will be making the game move more now. Keep tabs on the weather with http://www.myabc5.com/