Opening Weekend Forecast: Get Ready

[UTGrad]

Lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s with high pressure and clear skies. Be prepared to show up at the processor and the freezer is full. I bet it will be a good weekend what say you?

 

[timberjack86]

Lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s with high pressure and clear skies. Be prepared to show up at the processor and the freezer is full. I bet it will be a good weekend what say you?

Agreed!! Couldn't ask for better weather, and I have 3 days off this weekend!!

 

[kornbread]

It's gonna be my first time in the woods this year. Hopefully I can get a tag punched.

 

[Chiflyguy]

I think it's gonna be insane.
Watched a buck chase two does next door.
While I was grinding venison

 

[double browtine]

I bet it will sound like WW3 on Saturday no matter where you are hunting. I think it might be a high opening weekend harvest due to the weather. I agree with all the processors being full. I have always done my own. So glad my dad taught me at a young age how to skin and quarter one up.

 

[Jcalder]

All my big deer activity is still at night. Had my best luck Monday with the heavy frost. Seen several deer, just nothing worth shooting. Did have one big doe, but I'm not after her yet. After today I expect it to pick up and stay up.

 

[Shooter77]

I hope so, I'm off Friday till Monday after Thanksgiving.

 

[MUP]

Great weather for the next two weeks looks like! Good luck guys!

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

This past weekend was awesome! I am hoping the cold weather keeps the deer moving.

 

[timberjack86]

It's gonna be my first time in the woods this year. Hopefully I can get a tag punched.

Good luck buddy!

 

[Hduke86]

I'll be out there and hoping for some deer movement. If I have another pack of coyotes come by well…… bang bang bang bang and I'll be just as happy if I shot a doe or buck with dead coyotes in their place.

 

[kornbread]

Good luck buddy!

Same to you

 

[BSK]

I hope so. So far we're having the worst season ever.

 

[Gravey]

I'll be out Friday - Sunday and hope the switch gets turned on. Didn't see anything last weekend while sitting on stand and didn't hear a single shot which is odd.

 

[JeepKuntry]

Back to East Tn public land. Who knows what will happen but that's why it's hunting. Looking forward to the temps. Not looking forward to packing the extra layers in for the morning sit.

 

[m.Creek]

I hope so. So far we're having the worst season ever.

How so?
The deer movement is slow on the property that I hunt, compared to last year

 

[TboneD]

Back to East Tn public land. Who knows what will happen but that's why it's hunting. Looking forward to the temps. Not looking forward to packing the extra layers in for the morning sit.

I'm with you. My Michelin man jacket really keeps me warm on stand but makes my load so much heavier and bulkier. Guess I need to find a better mid-weight jacket and rely on layers more.

 

[BSK]

How so?
The deer movement is slow on the property that I hunt, compared to last year

Bucks never moved up out of the bottomlands into the hill country (where I hunt). Part of it is that a few oaks in the bottoms produced acorns while none in the hills did. Second, adjoining duck clubs have not flooded their impoundments, leaving hundreds of acres of standing corn the deer can get at.

In October, we only photographed 16 different bucks using the property (mostly yearlings and 2 1/2s). That's a record low over 23 years of data. So far, in November, only 19. Not a record low, but very low. The average over 23 years is 26.

Last year we had six 3 1/2 year-old bucks using the property during November, and 3 mature bucks. This year, just four 3 1/2s and one mature buck (that is just a giant spike).

Daylight movement has been VERY limited, both in hunter sightings and what I'm seeing on trail-cam. Scraping is minimal and rubbing almost non-existent.

 

[BSK]

Below is a graph of the number of unique older (2 1/2+) bucks we've inventoried on trail-camera for each month of the fall from 2009 until this year. The average over that time for each month, as well as the minimum and maximum number for each month are indicated by the lines, and the purple bars are the number for this year. This year, our September numbers matched the record low. October was only 1 above the record low. So far in November, we're matching the record low. Just been a terrible year.

 

[Ski]

Below is a graph of the number of unique older (2 1/2+) bucks we've inventoried on trail-camera for each month of the fall from 2009 until this year. The average over that time for each month, as well as the minimum and maximum number for each month are indicated by the lines, and the purple bars are the number for this year. This year, our September numbers matched the record low. October was only 1 above the record low. So far in November, we're matching the record low. Just been a terrible year.

That's rough. I can't say I'm seeing anything much different. I'm still getting some buck encounters but I'm hunting real hard to get them. Cams aren't showing much this season.