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