{"id":5117,"date":"2018-08-09T23:41:22","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T23:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/?p=5117"},"modified":"2018-08-10T05:45:22","modified_gmt":"2018-08-10T05:45:22","slug":"how-to-hunt-early-season-deer-in-hot-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/how-to-hunt-early-season-deer-in-hot-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Hunt Early Season Deer in Hot Weather"},"content":{"rendered":"
Hunting the early-season offers a ton of advantages that late November just can’t match. It’s the only time he year you a chance of getting a buck in full velvet and you’ll probably catch a little bit of the rut. If you’re going to hunt the early-season at some point you’re going to have to deal with the heat. And it’s going to affect the way you hunt. Here are some things to consider when the hunting gets hot.<\/p>\n
Just like you or me the heat is going to affect how do you respond to their environment. They are not going to be as active so you’ll see a serious lack of deer movement. That’s why knowing how to do preseason scouting<\/a> is all the more crucial.<\/p>\n When deer aren’t coming to you you’ll have to go to them. That means finding their bedding areas, food plots and water sources.<\/p>\n The past couple years I’ve hunted the early bow seasons (going after velvet bucks<\/a>) out of state and boy did I have to make a lot of changes to the way I hunt. Growing up in Ohio meant that I was used to hunting in serious cold weather climates.<\/p>\n I ended up having to rethink all of my hunting gear and go switch things up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When most people consider hunting undergarments their thing about the cold. Many of the same principles that keep hunters dry during the winter will also work during the summer.<\/p>\n Begin with loosefitting camo undergarments as part of your layering process. Then from there add a shirt and light jacket. The goal is to be able to strip down if you get too hot while still having a camo appearance.<\/p>\n Before you go out into the field you’ll have to consider your wardrobe. I ended up having to rethink all of my hunting gear and go switch things up.<\/p>\n My father wears\u00a0Sitka’s Equinox Jacket<\/a> which is perfect for extremely hot weather, but it’s pricey.\u00a0 \u00a0I don’t have the same kind of cash he has so most of the time I’ll go out in a lightweight Bug Tamer Suit<\/a>, camo shorts and a t-shirt. It feels light and breezy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By far the biggest disadvantage hunters have in the heat is the lack of deer movement. Early in the season deer are still naturally in their summer patterns.<\/p>\n That means they’ll be feeding mostly at night when it’s cooler. You’ll have short windows of opportunity when they’re up during daylight hours.<\/p>\n Early-season typically means setting up on food sources. That means you’re only going to be able to hunt early afternoon.<\/p>\n Trying to get into your stand early will just spook the deer and lead to a boring day. That means you’ll only have a window of 2 to 3 hours a day to hunt.<\/p>\n It really is crazy that during a weeklong hunt you might only be out in the field for 10-15 hours.<\/p>\n Some of us just can’t wait till noon to go out hunting. I get ants in my pants just thinking about it.<\/p>\n Hunting the early morning means you’ll have to find funnels. Try and look between food sources and bedding areas if you get up early.<\/p>\n You can also set up near water sources. Going to water sources is key. After a long night in the hot weather deer wake up and had straight towards water.<\/p>\n Just keep in mind that deer love to bed near water sources. Don’t bump into them on the way to your stand.<\/p>\n No matter what you do set control is going to be a huge issue. Obviously you’re going to sweat a lot more in the summer heat than you would in the fall. Things tend to get a little bit stinky when I’m out in the field.<\/p>\n You need to make sure that the scent isn’t drifting into the feeding and bedding areas. That means both when you’re in your stand and walking to it.Give yourself a lot of time taking it slow so you don’t work up a sweat.<\/p>\n Wash all your clothes with a scent killing detergent<\/a> and use scent killer spray liberally<\/a>\u00a0as a last resort. I also like to run a small ozone generator in my backpack as well.\u00a0 A cheap mobile Ozone generator like this Boneview Unit<\/a> will really cut down your scent.<\/p>\n You really need to think before you get out there about deer movement patterns and staying comfortable and scent free. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to deal with this heat. Just make sure you take advantage of that short window that might present itself.<\/p>\n If you’ve only ever done fall and winter hunts you might overlook bloodsucking insects. Ticks and mosquitoes run rampant during the early-season. You need to take preventative measures to avoid getting bitten.<\/p>\nYou’ll Have to Make Adjustments<\/h3>\n
Consider Your Wardrobe<\/h3>\n
Deer Get Lazy in The Heat<\/h4>\n
Hunt The Food Sources<\/h3>\n
How To Hunt The Mornings<\/h4>\n
Focus on Scent Control<\/h3>\n
Take Advantage of Your Opportunities<\/h4>\n
Watch Out For Ticks and Mosquitos<\/h3>\n