Hunting Halloween Week Will be a Treat

My Buck-O-Lantern

I love hunting around Halloween! This year the weather, Rut and moon conditions will all combine favorably to make the week of Halloween 2012 a real hunting treat.

Satellite view of Sandy's remnants.

Hurricane Sandy has washed ashore and weakened, but Iowa hunters will feel its impact in our weather. Sandy's westward progress and immense size has resulted in a band clouds about 1/2 the size of the continental US that can be seen all the way in eastern Iowa. At the surface, high barometric pressure has halted right over Iowa in an "atmospheric traffic jam" of sorts. This cool, Canadian high will have to wait for Sandy's remnants to move before it leaves Iowa. Other than the wind direction being a bit screwy, crisp mornings and light wind afternoons is perfect weather for hunting! Especially with the Rut brewing.

The Iowa Rut is here! Hunters are witnessing big bucks moving in broad daylight and bucks following does. This has all the earmarks of the Seeking Phase of the Rut blending into the Chasing Phase. This phase will last around one week placing Peak Breeding close to November 8th and Lockdown the week afterwards. Above is a graph of deer season activity levels for this year. I based this graph off of my experience, research and field notes but essentially this is just an educated-guess-opinion -a model of sorts. As such it is subject to environmental factors such as weather, human pressure, etc. (I'll talk more about my methods in another blog). In my estimation this Sunday, November 4th is near the peak of Rut activity. If that's correct, the next week to ten days should feature the best Rutting movement we'll see all year.

Rutting Full Moon viewed from Colorado. Photo submitted to ABC5.

Finally, the Rutting full moon is waning and the moon phase is becoming more favorable for hunting. Many hunters have been experiencing unusually slow hunts. One theory is the bright full moon nights experience high deer traffic. This natural "night light" has many mature animals going back to bed before the sun rises and waiting to leave their bedding areas until well after sunset. If the deer activity is highest when the moon is out, morning/midday hunts are going to become quite active with the moon rising at night and setting midday this weekend.


There is always something special to me about hunting on Halloween and with these great conditions I'll make time to hunt this week. So if you miss the day's of being rewarded for dressing up in a costume, join me. Don the camouflage, pretend to be an ugly bush and try not to scare the deer.

Happy Halloween from Heather and I!

Cold Weather Likely to Ignite Deer Activity

For the last several weeks bucks have been sparring, scraping and rubbing their way toward another Iowa deer breeding season. The Whitetail Rut is poised on the edge.

All we need is a good trigger to unleash the hunting excitement and it looks like we’ll get help this weekend from mother nature. It’s time to get the gear ready and put some boots on the ground. The next two to three weeks will feature some of the best Rut hunting we’ll see all year!

A powerful coldfront is on the move and it’s forecast to slam into Iowa on Thursday. We’ll see near record high temperatures plummet to 10-15 degrees below average. A strong Canadian high pressure will build in behind the front bringing frosty mornings and chilly afternoons. This is pretty much perfect weather for hunting and this cold system has pretty good timing -here's why.

Iowa deer will be coming out of the Pre Rut stages shortly and entering into the Seeking phase. This phase of the rut can offer some of the best stand hunting for Iowa archers as deer become more mobile during the daylight. Mature bucks will expand their “home” ranges and begin seeking out those does that are coming into Estrus and getting ready to breed. The longer they are on the hoof and the further they travel, the better your chances are of tagging a bruiser. One thing that really slows them down is heat. In terms of weather, warm temperatures may be the biggest Rut suppressor. So this cooldown couldn’t have better timing!

I expect good to excellent hunting weather this weekend. The best conditions should fall from October 26^th through October 29^th which is the Rutting full moon. We’ll warm up next week, so get out and enjoy it. Good luck! 

-Chris

Early Rut 2012

During the Whitetail rut, Iowa archers experience the type of hunting dreams are made of! With high volumes of deer movement and the normally wary mature Whitetail throwing caution to the wind, the rut is undoubtedly one of the best chances to get within range of a big mature buck! The rut is a complex weave of exciting and wild animal behavior stretched out for 60-90 days. To simplify things, most hunters generally break down into key phases, each with their own unique differences. 

Young Buck wandering a field in the daylight.

Iowa is still in the Pre-Rut phase (as of Oct. 17th). However, this year is different from most years. With an early “rutting moon” on the calendar, early frost, early Fall colors and record early harvest it appears likely that the rut will come early for Iowa this year as well. We are seeing this play out as surges of abnormally cool weather are leading to some of the strongest "pre-rut" behavior many hunters have seen in years. I expect most areas to start seeing the “seeking phase” by October 25^th –almost two full weeks ahead of last years pattern. If you’re planning a hunting excursion, keep this in mind!

Pre-Rut: This phase can be quite lengthy lasting for several weeks. As the temperatures cool, deer are becoming more active during daylight. Bucks are making scrapes, rubs and sparring with each other. Summertime bachelor groups are dispersing and dominance is established. Small bucks begin nudging does around as this phase transitions into the “seeking phase.”

Seeking: During the seeking phase, young bucks -as my friend likes to say “college boys”- begin pushing does around. They’re curious, but generally move from one doe to another without giving chase.  Mature bucks are also expanding their home range marking travel routes with scrapes and rubs and fights for territory and dominance become more common. You’ll catch them cruise a field edge or travel corridor, moving with steady purpose. This is an excellent time to be a stand hunter. Rattling and grunting work well in this phase. Travel corridors between bedding areas will often have numerous bucks cruising the loop looking for a girlfriend. Daylight action increases from the “pre-rut,” but deer are still generally predictable. Bucks begin to aggressively cut and hound does as this phase transitions to the “chasing” phase.

"Chase Phase" This is the phase most hunters associate with the rut. Mature deer are moving in broad daylight, and deer activity is nearly non-stop. Does are coming into estrous soon, and a buck will become her shadow once she’s ready. On stand, mature bucks magically appear and disappear with fighting, scraping and rubbing all commonplace. Fields that normally experienced regular feeding activity can often become frustratingly inconsistent. Big bucks are often extremely aggressive and vocal. They'll often respond to calls unless they’re with a doe.

"Peak Breeding" This usually occurs within a week of the Rutting Full Moon. This is the 2^nd full moon after the equinox. Physiological changes in does cause the majority of the doe herd to come into heat at nearly the same time (give or take a few days). This year the rutting full moon is October 29th which would place "peak breeding" around November 6th. One of the most frustrating characteristics of peak breeding is “lockdown.” Bucks are nearly twice the size of does, and they corral a doe that is nearly ready to breed often standing over her to keep watch and keep other bucks at bay. Breeding is a tough time to be on stand, as activity comes to a crashing halt just days after the frenzied “chasing” phase. To be successful, you might try being mobile and aggressive.

"Post-Rut" Activity levels ramp back up to a secondary peak, but both feeding and traveling can be irregular. I have had good luck with this phase of the rut. Fall back on a feeding pattern or sit on those morning travel corridors close to bedding… patience pays off well as does try to resume their daily routine. Mature bucks will frantically check the herd to make sure the job is done, and this could bring them right by your stand.

I look forward to the coming weeks and I hope you are too. As long as we can keep from heating the temps too high, I think Iowa is in line for one of the best ruts we’ve seen in years. Good Luck -Chris

A Hunter's Sunrise

First light... Possibility, opportunity and a new beginning.

Whether it’s the blue-green glow of first light on opening morning or the feeling of heavy antlers from the first buck in your hands –sportsmen are blessed with some special field “firsts”. Perhaps one of the most rewarding is taking someone on their first hunt, a gift I was recently given when my girlfriend Heather went on her first bow hunt for deer.

Target practice.

It all started about a year ago when she asked me if I’d take her sometime I go deer hunting. Of course, I happily accepted, but I honestly expected this well intentioned gesture to remain just that. There’s a lot of preparation leading up to hunting season and it’s easy to fall off the wagon after-all. We talked a bit and she decided on the more challenging prospect of bow hunting. So we bought a Bear Apprentice, tuned it and began to practice. Alongside her brother she then signed up for hunter’s education, taking the online course with one field day and a test. Both passed with high marks and we were ready for season to begin!

Hunter's Ed field day and test.

This year has been the busiest of my life and hunting has suffered. Between work schedules, weddings and remodeling the house there was just no time to hunt the archery opener. We had to exercise in patience waiting for the first shooting window on Saturday October 6^th. When the forecast rolled into range, I couldn’t be happier with a cold Canadian high pressure for the day. But cold temperatures can be a deal breaker for newbies, and Heather gets cold rather easily, so we really had to make sure to bundle up.

Cold but excited, Heather "experiences the wind."

The truck thermometer said 25F when we stepped out in the pre-dawn darkness. Our boots crunched through the frosty grass on the way to the stand. The hunting spot was a pair of hang-on stands in a cluster of Shagbark Hickory trees. I asked her how she was doing once we had our harnesses on in the tree stand and got thumbs up and a smile.

I’m used to hunting alone, and this was a new and truly wonderful experience for me! Sometimes we sat in silence, other times we whispered and quietly laughed. About two hours passed before the best part of the hunt. Two does and a fawn became the first deer of the hunting season as they magically appeared out of the woods. I noticed them first and described to Heather where they were. Once she found them her eyes got huge as she pointed at them saying, “There they are, I see them!”

Frosty silence.

We waited another hour and ended up seeing three more deer before the day was done. They stayed just a little too far away but we weren’t disappointed. Heather said that it didn’t matter that we didn’t take a shot -the suspenseful snap of a twig, and mysterious crunching leaves was exciting enough. I say anytime I can take a few hours to turn my mind loose in the wild outdoors is a good day afield. 

The scariest thing a deer will never see ;-)

I still remember the frosty morning of my first deer hunt as my Grandpa loaded up the truck. Sharing the outdoors with friends and family is what got me hooked on hunting 11 years ago. Being a part of Heather’s first hunt was truly rewarding. Whether it’s a son or daughter, boyfriend or girlfriend, friend or loved one if you have the chance -take someone hunting or fishing. Good luck, we hope to see you out there!

Great Opening Week/Weekend!

During the archery season few words bring drool to hunters' mouths like "cold front" or " Canadian High Pressure".

The impacts these weather systems have on wildlife is hard not to notice! The trees near your stand can be dreadfully quiet during those warm early fall days, but when the first surge of cold oozes from the Arctic - the hunting heats up. Well good news Iowa -we've got both in the forecast for opening week!

September was another warm and dry month in Iowa. The drought continued to impact our weather patterns with warm day's cool nights and little rain. Cold fronts that came roaring in with early frosts left quietly after only a few cool days. And now we're back to warm again! This past week was probably the most beautiful and tranquil weather we'll see all Fall. But chilly change is coming!

Well crummy weather for suburban weenies is actually great news for Iowa bowhunters as Iowa's first truly Winter-like airmass blasting into the state later this week. The initial cold front swings through with a quick-hitting barometric pressure change and some showers on Thursday. It will be a blustery day, and the cool wind will duke it out with the partial sunshine.

Northerly winds will continue to drive down the temperature and blast colorful leaves off the trees on Friday (Keep tabs on the wind forecast with the links on the right).  Morning activity will be more prolonged as the chilly air keeps deer from overheating in their fur parkas. Some lows in the state will be well below freezing by Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Friday the clouds will thicken giving the look of an approaching winter storm. When this happens, Whitetails will be hammering the fields and more big deer will be seen in the daylight.

If your time is limited, save your days for the end of the week as temperatures tumble! My pick for the over-all best day is Friday with a light, chilling rain possible in southern Iowa. Saturday will also be good as the heart of the cold settles in.

October is here, hunting season is here and a wide variety of weather will hit the Midwest opening week.

Good luck, enjoy and be safe!