Warm Weather Rut

idcwby

Administrator
Jun 23, 2015
2,053
4,991
Idaho
Hey everyone, this is the first year that I've hunted the rut with weather like this. Usually there is snow on ground and the does are herded up. This year we don't have any snow and can't find any herds.

Does anyone got any tips on how to hunt in conditions like this? We are having a hard time finding any deer, I'm not sure if there still high or have already moved down to winter ground.

Thanks,
idcwby
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,070
8,347
70
Gypsum, Co
If the deer in your area are like a lot of them that I have seen elsewhere such as Utah and Colorado you might need to go low to find them. In Utah I counted over 300 deer in one field one evening just before their hunt in October which was 3000' lower than the top of the mountain that they came off of. The same here in Colorado, a lot of the deer have come down without the snow pushing them down.
 

Colorado T

Active Member
Aug 28, 2011
455
114
Littleton, CO
I just got back from a hunt and they were moved down low and starting to herd up. We spent 1/2 a day up higher and didn't see anything. The weather was pretty warm and they were out moving around mid-day.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,074
4,301
82
Dolores, Colorado
Down here in the SW part of Co, the does are herded up and the bigger bucks are starting to stick with them. An apple orchard across the road from me has at least 75 and maybe 100 deer in it. There are 2 bigger bucks 20"+, 4x4, 4x3 and several smaller 3x3 and several forkies. Necks starting to swell up and sparing with each other.

Weather is sunny and warm, around 70, down to 30 at night. Snow forecast for Thur.
 

idcwby

Administrator
Jun 23, 2015
2,053
4,991
Idaho
We ended up finding some deer up high, but all the does were only in groups of 3-4 and some lone bucks traveling by themselves. It has been an interesting year with the warm weather and trying to learn how to hunt in it.

Thanks,
idcwby
 

ore hunter

Very Active Member
Jul 25, 2014
699
114
don't know where your unit is in Idaho,but I just got back from 52a and they are not there,,,took 5 days just to find my first deer,,,tag soup w the late muzz hunt I had been looking forward to this year.i guess 52a must be even more weather dependant than I thought.9 days for 11 deer total sucks.
 

IDELKFVR

Active Member
Dec 15, 2013
271
0
EMMETT,IDAHO
I was in 45 the other day and deer were all over way down low. I think they moved down because its that time of year and not because of snow. There was no snow where we were. But the deer didn't seem to be rutting very hard. so I agree been kind of a weird this year.