Cold Weather Feeding Pattern

Facing the polar chill is a tough sell with hot turkey and football at home. But now that the holiday is over it's time to hunt! Lows the next few nights will be in the teens and 20s, and highs in central Iowa will struggle for the 30s Friday and 40s Saturday. These types of temperatures can kick activity up several notches as more deer move during the daylight, feeling that urge to pack on the pounds before true winter arrives. East facing slopes will become a deer magnet, as they try to warm up in the sun while staying out of the westerly winds (which will stay on the brisk side except for at dawn and dusk). Still hunting these haunts should prove productive especially if your early morning spots didn't pan out. But watch out for the backdraft effect hills will have on wind currents (see the graphic on the upper right of the blog). Otherwise, good field feeding has been observed lately, sometimes several hours before sunset in areas that aren't pressured much. I expect that to continue so you should see good activity both Friday and Saturday evenings. So if Black Friday shopping isn't your thing, go grab the shotgun, muzzleloader or bow and take advantage of the special antlerless season for deer. It starts Nov. 26th and ends Nov. 28th. I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, stay warm and good luck!