My long planned four day trip to NW Texas for deer lease hunting is comming up this weekend. Of course the forecast is for a total nose dive in temps (highs in the 40's and a 30-40% chance of rain each freaking day Sat.-Tu.

Usually we sit out rain and nasty conditions at home, but as I have cash invested here and it will be the only trip until Dec. long after rut, I feel obligated to try and hunt regardless. What chance do you think the deer might actually be out in front of blinds/feeders in such conditions? There is an outside chance I could move up to Thurs. and Friday, but it might cost me my job ).

Thanks,

Unless the weather appears to be so severe that it looks like a major thunderstorm or tornado, I hunt.

Look at it this way, the deer are in the weather 24/7. You have limited time to connect. Hunt and hunt hard. If for some reason the deer have altered their normal feeding patterns. Walk the property smartly with the wind in your favor and spot and stalk. This is what I do here in the midwest in the standing corn fields if it's too windy to stay in a tree stand.

If you get wet and miserable, you can always take a hot shower. Remove your stock and oil up the gun, then start it all over the next day. Hunt, and hunt hard. You'll be glad you did.

Here in Ohio and KY, I'd estimate that less than 30% of the time, rain has affected deer feeding patterns. They still have to eat.

I have been blessed with about 8 wall hangers simply because I chose to stay out in the bad weather. 3 of these are the biggest deer I've ever seen while hunting.

I am in the very southern part of the Texas Panhandle. If you are hunting around our area I feel confident the deer will be moving. A change in weather patterns to get colder has been great hunting for me in the past. Let us know the general area you will be hunting at and I'll give you the latest local conditions.

befus,

I'll put it to ya this way: The best bucks I've been able to harvest where on cold, rainy, misty mornings and evenings. I know about the weather your are talking about and I can not wait to get to the camp friday evening. Our MLer season opens Sat. and I am gonna hunt em' Sat.-Mon. I believe they are going to be moving.

I think you should go.

You might want to check w/ the fellas that hunt in that particular area and see what their luck has been like in those conditions. The deer ther may not move much in bad conditions but, they love it here.

Good Luck, I hope you get a Bruiser.

Reloader

This year I got a spike half a mile out of camp after hunting two days in 40 F rain. My buddies got tired of the weather; my shot woke them up an hour after lunch.

Still hunt, expect fast shots and don't overdress. If you get cold when you stop moving, you're dressed properly. This year I wore a waxed-cotton rain hat, a GoreTex jacket, football player's gloves, LW polypro long johns, ripstop fatigue pants and a cartridge belt. That's it. Don't forget scope caps, put on dry socks at lunch and tell us how you did. Hope this helps, Okie John.

I was in Wyoming a few years back on an antelope hunt and on the radio they said "Afternoon temperatures to the low 70's and breezes to 40 mph" Breezes? The chamber of commerce must sponsor the weather reports.