The Windiest Day of The Year!

Get ready for powerful, long duration winds in central Iowa Tuesday! Sustained winds will be above blizzard strength, but not quite tropical storm force at 35-45mph... some gusts between Noon and 4pm will be above 60mph! That is some extraordinary wind strong enough to even cause some minor structural damage! So hunting... might be best spot and stalk. Either that, or seat belt yourself to the tree and take a barf bag because you will be swaying more than a ship in rough waters! Wind always makes the game spooky. Their sensitive hearing is overwhelmed and they are vulnerable. Deer will be hunkering down either in the thick, deep hollows where they can take some refuge from the relentless gusts, or they will be out in the open areas. I have often seen them in a small swale of tall grass, or a fence line with some cedar trees where they have a bit of a wind break and a great view. Field edges late-day should be productive. These winds will be borderline dangerous, but it could be a great time for you to brave a stalk and sneak up on the deer of a lifetime!
Deercast for Tuesday:
Sky:         Rise; Partly Cloudy   Noon; Cloudy            Set; Partly Cloudy
Temp:      Rise; 45-49               Noon; 53-57                Set; 49-54
Wind:      Rise; W 15-25          Noon; WNW 29-39     Set; WNW 27-39
Pressure: Rise; Very Lo, Rising  Noon; Very Lo, Rising  Set; Lo, Rising

The Warm Before The Storm

We have been really warm this month! Central Iowa has seen 90% of October with above normal high temps and only about 1/3 of an inch of rain! Once again the hunting weather problems on Monday will be temperatures and humidity, both of which will be high. So I think deer movement will be more nocturnal. But that's about to change! Strong storms will form in W. IA Monday evening along the leading edge of colder air. This air mass will blast through the area bringing chilly temperatures for a change, and that is sure to ignite some serious deer movement! In addition, the bright moon now Waning(past full) Gibbous (more than half) will be setting in the mid-morning hours. I've usually seen this scenario favor morning sits and deep-woods stands as the most productive. All this will combine with more pre-rutting activity currently being observed to make for a great end to the week and the month of October. Good luck!
Deercast for Monday:
Sky:       Rise; Mainly Cloudy  Noon; Mainly Cloudy Set; Partly Cloudy
Temp:    Rise; 49-53               Noon; 66-70              Set; 71-68
Wind:     Rise; SE 6-12           Noon; SE 12-20         Set; SE 14-22
Pressure:

A Storm is Brewin'

I've almost always observed more movement ahead of a storm, so the deer movement should be getting better, right? Well, not exactly... thanks to one thing- warm temperatures. Friday will start off clear and cool, and the morning should be a good one to hunt. But like we've seen many times this past month, the air will warm way up pushing highs into the 70s. The sky will fill with clouds by the evening, and it will look like a storm's moving in to you and the deer. So, I'll bet evening activity is still good even though it's warm. The problem comes this weekend, when most folks can actually get out and enjoy the woods. A big slug of moisture will swing in and that means rain chances, which can be good. But since the storm is moving up from the south, it will be dragging warm and humid air kicking and screaming up from the Gulf of Mexico (where it has been vacationing for the last 4 weeks) and planting it in Iowa. So despite having clouds and showers, the warm, sticky humidity will accompany this storm, and that might in turn slow activity down for the weekend. But get out there anyways and prove me wrong! A ground blind on Saturday morning would be a smart choice ;-)
Deercast for Friday:
Sky:          Rise; Scattered Clouds Noon; Few Thin     Set; Mostly Cloudy
Temp:       Rise; 38-43                 Noon; 65-69           Set; 66-69
Wind:        Rise; SE 4-7               Noon; S-SE 6-12    Set; SE 5-8
Pressure:   Rise; Steady Hi           Noon; Falling Hi       Set; Falling Hi

Harvest Time

The last several weeks have been above average and very dry. Des Moines checking in with the driest October so far! All of this means the harvest is being brought in very effectively and according to the US Department of Agriculture almost all of the soybeans and 66% of the corn has been harvested! So it's no wonder I've been seeing a lot of new faces in the woods with more deer showing up every day. Just the past few days more small bucks are sparing and checking does. The activity is really ramping up as we edge inside 10 days from November! The moon is pretty bright through most of the night, and over the next several mornings it will be hanging in the sky a bit longer each day. This should really make mornings the better time to hunt. Cool, clear mornings should be great in the deep woods stands but don't forget about the terrain currents when you're hunting those hollows!
Deercast for Thursday:
Sky:         Rise; Mainly Clear      Noon; Clear               Set; Few Thin
Temp:       Rise; 38-42               Noon; 56-59             Set; 58-55
Wind:        Rise; WNW 3-7      Noon; NW 5-10        Set; W 4-6
Pressure: Rise; Hi Rising            Noon; Hi Rising         Set; Hi Steady

Great Day for Hunting

If you've got a chance to sneak out of work Monday, it will be a great day to be in the stand! Comfortably cool temperatures will make for an enjoyable sit, and cloud cover with scattered light showers should keep the deer on the move a bit longer. Winds will be light, but steady, and the chill in the air and the way the sky will look will remind wildlife that winter is just around the corner, so food sources are a great spot to concentrate on. Travel corridors, especially those closer to bedding, should be a good bet for seeing a lot of activity almost all day. I have often noticed a "2nd wind" in the deer activity around mid morning with this type of weather, so if your out early, you might consider sticking it out until noon. Sometimes this pays off very nicely!
Deercast for Monday:
Sky:         Rise; Partly Cloudy  Noon; Mostly Cloudy   Set; Mostly Cloudy
Temp:      Rise; 43-46              Noon; 52-56               Set; 54-58
Wind:       Rise; ENE 4-8         Noon; NE 6-10           Set; NNE 5-9
Pressure:  Rise; Lo Steady      Noon; Lo Rising           Set; High Rising

Cool Temperatures, Better Hunting!

Finally we're going to be around average for our highs! A cold front has pushed through the state, and cooler air is filtering in as I type this! Sunday will be a nice day overall with sunshine and a steady cool breeze in the morning. Some clouds will begin to fill the sky by the afternoon and evening as our next storm system gears up out west. The cooler temps, northeasterly winds, and falling pressure plus some clouds should make for an excellent afternoon afield! These weather conditions have typically produced increased wildlife movement, so Sunday looks like a great day to get outdoors! Good luck!
Deercast for Sunday:
Sky:       Rise; Mainly Clear      Noon; Few Thin      Set; Mostly Cloudy
Temp:     Rise; 39-42                Noon; 53-58            Set; 58-61
Wind:      Rise; NNE 4-8          Noon; ENE 3-7        Set; E 2-6
Pressure: Rise; Hi Rising       Noon; Hi Steady        Set; Hi Falling

Forecasting Deer Movement Can be a Cloudy Situation

Cloud cover, and the type of clouds seems to influence movement much more with weak fronts. Yesterday's weak cold front stirred up a lot of dust, but not too much activity. The deer seemed to hang back from the fields in transition areas until dark. Earlier this week we had a similar weak front, but some clouds, showers and storms. I observed much more deer feeding activity that night than I saw last night with a no-cloud situation. Of course, this is pure conjecture, but it seems logical that the deer can recognize the signs of a storm moving in based on the clouds.

We'll have another front cruising through tomorrow, so watch the winds! They'll pull a 180 over the course of the day, but once again it will be warm, with little cloud cover. I'd forecast the best movement in the evening back in the deeper woods, as close to the bedding areas as you can get. And consider hunting the bottoms, since winds will be light. Daily thermals will take your scent downhill during deer happy-hour right at sunset! Feel free to post a comment and/or question if you have any? The more interactive this is, the more we can share and hopefully get one step closer to that trophy! And tell your friends about this, the more the merrier!
Deercast for Saturday:
Sky:          Rise; Clear        Noon; Mainly Clear  Set; Mainly Clear
Temp:       Rise; 42-46       Noon; 71-75            Set; 65-69
Wind:        Rise; SE 4         Noon; SW 8-12       Set; NW 8-10
Pressure:   Rise; Falling Hi  Noon;  Falling Lo     Set; Rising Lo

A Real Cold Front? Finally!

It's true, a bona-fide cold front is finally letting some cooler air loose from Canada and that will be in Iowa by Wednesday! Animal activity often picks up before a front, and this cold front will be cruising through central Iowa by 5pm. That's pretty bad timing for hunting a consistent wind but at this point it looks like the wind direction will only change 30 to 45 degrees, from the WNW to the NNW around 5pm. Even Tuesday morning, winds will be tricky. Thermal wind currents, like the illustration to the right, will be the biggest factor until about 8 or 9am when a light westerly wind takes over. It will be warm before this storm, and that might even be enough for a few hit or miss T-showers right along the front Tuesday evening. Odds are in your favor for staying dry, but if you see storm clouds to the west around 4-5pm, it might be a good idea to get out of the stand and brace for 15-20 minutes of rain. This evening's activity will be good with the front moving through, it would be better if there were more clouds and cooler temps though. That really cool weather is only a week or so out, long-range models are hinting at big changes by the end of October! Deercast for Tuesday:
Sky:          Rise; Mainly clear       Noon; Mainly Clear    Set; Partly Cloudy
Temp:        Rise; 50-55                Noon; 70-73              Set; 69-72
Wind:         Rise; SW to W 2-5    Noon; WNW 5-10    Set; NNW 10-15
Pressure:  Rise; Steady Lo          Noon; Rising Lo         Set; Rising Lo

Wildlife Barometers

Deer and other wildlife are pretty good barometers, and their activity can tell you if a storm is moving into the area. It has always been my experience there is a distinct increase in wild game movement before a storm system. Most of my best hunts and fishing trips were right before a front or low pressure moved in! It's almost as if the animals sense it coming and it makes them restless and usually eager to stockpile some food. If you think about it, the same thing happens with people right before a blizzard when we find our our grocery stores are packed! It's just a natural reaction when anticipating a big weather change. And we have a big storm just to our west. It will be casting clouds and lowering the pressure giving wildlife all the signs that a storm is coming. This should make for a pretty good day afield, despite the warm temperatures! One thing that will be tricky for Monday, the winds! They will be light and variable in many locals thanks to that storm nearby. I've got the latest forecast for central Iowa below, but as always things change so keep up-to-date with Central Iowa's Most Accurate Forecast with Chris and Brad by clicking the links under "Chris' Hunting  Weather Favorites."
Deercast for Monday:
Sky:        Rise; Thin Clouds   Noon; Mid-High Clouds   Set; Mid-High Clouds
Temp:      Rise; 57-61           Noon; 73-77                    Set; 72-75
Wind:       Rise; W 2-5          Noon; SW 3-7                 Set; S 4-6
Pressure:  Rise; Lo Steady    Noon; Lo Steady           Set; Lo Falling

Feeling the Heat

Near record temperatures can really turn deer nocturnal! But the season is wearing on, the harvest in full swing, and there is plenty of movement to be had. You just have to find it! Most daytime activity is confined now to sanctuaries or cool, shady hollows. Minimal movement can actually be a good thing though, since you can get out and scout or move stands around without spooking too much game! The pressure is also lowering a bit, and with a few more clouds on the horizon this subtle weather change should kick up a bit of activity.
Deercast for Sunday:
Sky:          Rise; Few Thin        Noon; Mainly Sunny  Set; Partly Cloudy
Temp:       Rise; 55-60             Noon; 74-77             Set; 72-75
Winds:      Rise; SW 4-7          Noon; S 5-12            Set; SW 3-7
Pressure: Rise; Lo Falling       Noon; Lo Falling        Set; Lo Steady

Stayin' Summer-like

We've got more summer-like temps in that forecast for the weekend. And with the hot weather, some places are really seeing slow deer activity! Other places, the deer movement is just as hot as the weather! Be sure to give yourself some extra time to get out and do some scouting on your way in and out of the stand to find those active areas! This weekend might be a bit warm for hunting, but it could make for a great opportunity to fine tune the details on your stand placement. Also, cool air settles into valleys, so if you have a stand in a big, shady draw, that might be the bucks first choice. These areas can be 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding terrain! Harvest continues unabated in this dry weather, so the odds of seeing a nice mature deer are going up every day!
Deercast for Saturday:
Sky:         Rise: Clear        Noon: Few Thin     Set: Partly Cloudy
Temp:      Rise: 55-62       Noon: 76-81          Set: 79-83
Wind:      Rise: SSW 5-10 Noon: S 6-14        Set: SSE 5-10
Pressure: Rise: Hi Falling    Noon: Lo Falling   Set: Lo Falling

Quick Shot

We've got a fast moving cold front blasting through the state this afternoon. The big thing when you hear meteorologists talking about fronts is 'change.' Fronts change the wind (sometimes reversing it), they change the pressure and often times when there's moisture, they change the sky cover or increase precip. chances, but primarily they change the temperature. This can make for tricky hunting conditions since you have to pay attention to the timing and all of it seems to be changing, but the payout can be great and in the form of heavy horns in your hands! Fronts and storm systems, especially the big ones, almost always increase the deer activity! Today's system is just a quick shot of 'cool' air, so no huge speed bumps are expected in the forecast, just some subtle changes that can make all the difference. Deer movement should be decent this evening if you're lucky enough to slip out of work early but it will be breezy. High pressure settles in tomorrow for a chilly, calm morning and a warm, tranquil afternoon. Movement should be great along travel corridors in the AM and in transition zones in the PM. As always, the harvest is helping hunters out by squeezing those deer out of the fields. It's an exciting time to get out and hunt! This evening: Skies will be mainly clear, winds will pick up from the NNW 12-18mph, Pressure will be low but rising and temps in the 70s.
Deercast for Thursday:
Sky:       Rise; Clear        Noon; Clear                Set; Clear
Temps:   Rise; 45-48      Noon; 66-70               Set; 65-69
Wind:     NW 3-6           Noon;WNW 5-10      Set; S Light
Pressure: Rise; Rising Hi Noon; Steady Hi Set;   Steady Hi

High Pressure Means Little Change

Wow, I hope you're getting out and enjoying this fantastic Fall weather! Here's Monday evening's forecast; Sky; Clear. Winds; SSE 3-7. Temp. 63 falling to 59. Pressure; Steady Hi. And the forecast will stay pretty much the same almost every day this week with light winds and cool temps at night, and warm and sunny afternoons. The good part about this stable weather pattern is; it's easier to pattern deer! The weather wont be changing their habits too much, so chances are if you're seeing activity stay put, it will pay off. But if you're not seeing much, be mobile and get out and do some interactive scouting either still hunting or spot and stalking to find areas that have good activity. Farmers are also taking advantage of this dry stretch and the harvest is well under-way. This adds an X-factor of unpredictability as deer are displaced from their summertime habitats! Expect to see more activity over the coming weeks. The warmer weather will subdue deer movement some, but it sure makes for a comfortable sit. Watch out for the light winds with high pressure, terrain effects will mess with the wind direction. The picture on the right and the blog below illustrates the effects. Good Luck!
Deercast for Tuesday:
Sky:        Rise; Clear        Noon; Clear           Set; Clear
Temps:   Rise; 39-43       Noon; 59-63          Set; 67-64
Winds:    Rise; SE 3-6     Noon; S 6-12        Set; SSE 5-9
Pressure: Steady Hi throughout the day.

Feelin' The Chill

We're feelin' that fall chill this weekend, isn't it great? A powerful cold front has swept on by, and a Canadian high pressure will settle overhead the next few days. High pressure tends to calm down the atmosphere, but it can really hype up the deer feeding activity! Field edges will be hot as temps cool quickly the next few evenings and travel corridors should be good with very chilly starts in the mornings. High pressure also means light winds which can really ruin a hunt. In the mornings, if possible I stay on hill/ridge tops due to the terrain creating a small wind current that flows uphill in the morning. During calm evenings, I feel more comfortable hunting closer to the bottom of the hill. As the temperature cools, the air sinks and flows like water towards the bottoms which adds a downhill component to the winds. In the mountains it's a common phenomenon, but it only really shows in Iowa when the winds are calm/light. Test it out tomorrow, it works! Good luck!
Deercast for Sunday
Sky:      Rise; Clear            Noon; Clear         Set; Mostly Clear
Temps: Rise; 31-37           Noon;  54-58       Set;  55-56
Wind:    Rise; NE 3-6        Noon; E 2-6         Set; ESE 2-7
Pressure: Rise; Steady Hi  Noon; Steady Hi  Set; Falling; Hi