Keep Your Cool for Warm Weather Whitetail

70's are great to enjoy with a cold one and the grill going, but often not very productive for hunting big game in Iowa. Warm temperatures often bring daylight deer movement to a screeching halt, especially in areas where human activity and pressure is present. Think 'cool' and hunt the microclimates to increase your odds of success.



Small changes in topography can create big changes in temperature

The sun angle keeps getting lower, and the nights are getting cooler and longer. This leads to some very interesting micro-climates that could make the difference between seeing nothing and sneaking up on a trophy. A micro-climate is a dramatically different set of weather conditions in a relatively small area usually caused by the terrain shape and vegetation. An example on a warm, sunny day would be the south facing slopes of a hill vs. the north facing slope. The side facing the sun could be in the 80s, while the opposite slope could still be hanging on to the morning cool and only in the 50s. Don't believe me? Take your thermometer off the garage and with you the next time you hunt on a sunny day. Set it up on the side of the tree facing the sun and leave it for 20 minutes. Then hang it on the shady side of the tree and once again leave it for 20 minutes. There's going to be a big difference in temperature, perhaps as much as 40 or 50 degrees! Animals that wear a heavy winter coat all year round know about these variations very well, and on hot days they'll focus on deep valleys and north facing hillsides. If you can throw in some cedar trees or a thick canopy of forest vegetation, plus some nearby water to drink -the deer will be there! You should be too.

The good news is, the warm weather wont last too long. We are in a very active pattern, with the thermometer swinging wildly from hot to cold and back again. Each wave of either extreme is only going to last 2-4 days before the pendulum swings back again. My long-range forecast (found below in "Wild Ride for Fall") calls for more of the same -dynamic swings that will keep both hunters and game on their toes (or hooves). So don't use the heat as an excuse not to get out and enjoy this fantastic weather hunting. Just change your strategy a bit. It wont be long before wind chills and freezing rain give us an even better reason to stay in the comfort of the living room!