Live From The Woods 2022 - 2023 Edition!

[Zag]

Just saw an albino weasel. Weird and cool right?!

[First-light]

9 hours ago, Belo said:

There’s a lot of this going around this year.

Bucks don’t care, does warm temp bother you in the summer, etc etc.

Can you get a buck on a doe in this heat? Of course. But heat absolutely DOES affect their daytime rutting activity. How much hard work do you do on the hot days in august or do you wait for cool fall weather or evening?

Bucks will still rut, but they’ll wait till night. That’s the problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure they will do a lot more in the cooler night temps. But to say it shuts off completely, like some people say is wrong. Buck catches scent of a doe he is investigating. I shouldn't of said they don't care. Looks like we have some good hunting coming up, good luck!

[First-light]

3 minutes ago, Zag said:

Just saw an albino weasel. Weird and cool right?!

I was told they change color when we get close to snow. I found a dead white on in my shed. 

 

[E J]

Doe with triplets just passed by in range. It's getting darker out now. Not sure how long before the rain hits

[Moho81]

Sitting in a ground blind waiting on a deer….


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chrisw]

Just saw an albino weasel. Weird and cool right?!

Most likely an ermine, they change colors like snowshoes do.

Sent from my moto g fast using Tapatalk

[loworange88]

Nothing yet in 8Y.  This warm weather is not ideal.  Cameras we’re dead last night.  

[Fletch]

Yea it was 73 at 5:30 am
I went back to bed. I will skip this. Quick trip to Charlotte tomorrow and back Tuesday afternoon to vote and be back in the woods Wednesday morning. Good luck all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stubborn1VT]

Charlotte, NC or VT?

[johnplav]

This little guy hung out for a while.  

[YFKI1983]

Doe and spike with his nose to the ground so far.

Crazy how jumpy the doe was everytime there was a gust of wind.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[wolc123]

At 7:22, a 1.5 yr 4-Point crossed slowly by,  offering a 15 yard standing broadside shot, which I passed. Hopefully, that was the scout and big brother will show up soon.  That’s happened twice before from this same stand.  
 

 I didn’t try and take his picture , because I didn’t want to spook him, like I did with a spike up in the adk’s a few weeks ago. 

[billey100]

Out in 8j, south wind at this point in the year means all the stands I have for rut activity are no good.  We setup the pop up in a corner just to try something different.  Also it was supposed to rain and be windy but the rain missed and it's calmer than I thought.

Like someone else said I would have stayed in bed if it weren't for my kid being so excited for xbow.

We have seen so far this morning:

A trash panda

Four doe

A frog that literally hopped by the blind

Giant hawk in the tree in front of us

Trophy Tom

 

 

[turkeyfeathers]

39 minutes ago, Zag said:

Just saw an albino weasel. Weird and cool right?!

Ermine. Not albino but white phase after he changed from brown. Surprised he’s white already 

[stubborn1VT]

18 minutes ago, Fletch said:

Yea it was 73 at 5:30 am
I went back to bed. I will skip this. Quick trip to Charlotte tomorrow and back Tuesday afternoon to vote and be back in the woods Wednesday morning. Good luck all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Charlotte, NC or VT?

[E J]

Rain just went through. Looks like blue sky coming now.

[9jNYstarkOH]

Up in the pines sitting over three scrapes hoping a buck comes to freshen them up after last nights and this morning’s rain.

[dbHunterNY]

Feels like spring turkey season but not as cold at sunrise. Can't kill them from the couch during bow though. Over grown pasture at 2 o'clock, natural hardwood funnel to my left, thick brushy hole out front, and open hardwoods downwind at 4 oclock up the hill. This is always a mid morning activity spot. 7 bald heads so far.


Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

[stubborn1VT]

9 minutes ago, dbHunterNY said:

Feels like spring turkey season but not as cold at sunrise. Can't kill them from the couch during bow though. Over grown pasture at 2 o'clock, natural hardwood funnel to my left, thick brushy hole out front, and open hardwoods downwind at 4 oclock up the hill. This is always a mid morning activity spot. 7 bald heads so far.


Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 

How has your experience been with the hay wagon/blind setup?  I've thought of trying this myself.

[BowmanMike]

Up and in but not having high hopes,but I would love to be wrong. This is the highest I climbed in a good while,just had enough rope to get up here. Lone squirrel so far....

[Fletch]

Charlotte, NC or VT?

North Carolina


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Five Seasons]

I mostly agree but... Comparing how much work we do when it's hot out vs cool is not what happens in nature. Nature has a time clock, the does NEED to be bred in a short window in order to ensure good fawn survival in the spring. Deer cannot simply wait until it's cool enough for their comfort level. Bucks do not know what "waiting" is this time of year, they know one thing. I had bucks cruising at 3PM today, alone, at what was likely the warmest part of the day. I'm sure it does slow some does down more than it does bucks. I've seen as many bucks cruising mid day at 65-70° than at 40° this time of year. I think it matters more to the hunter than the deer. My .02...

Sent from my moto g fast using Tapatalk

To be clear, it’s not an absolute, I didn’t mean that. The rut is still on. They’re just humping more at night and around 8pm than what we would normally see during the day.

I had one of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen on camera at 2pm during the day this week lol. But I’m not seeing the typical 4 or 5 in the afternoon that you’d expect. Mostly mornings is when they’re moving and afternoons have been quiet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[The_Real_TCIII]

Ermine. Not albino but white phase after he changed from brown. Surprised he’s white already 

Another example of photoperiodism


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Five Seasons]

Exactly. It’s all about the amount and time of daylight in their eyes. A poor hunter will base their rut judgements on the youngest of the species and that’s the  poorest measuring stick. That show will go on but the mature breeders in the herds tell the true story. 

Again, I’m not saying that bucks aren’t rutting. I’m saying that their activity is affected. To completely discount the affect that record heat has on buck activity is moronic, even you know that. How much does it affect them is up for debate sure.

This isn’t some wild opinion Belo holds

https://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/warm-weather-rut-hunting-tactics#:~:text=Although%20the%20rut%20will%20still,to%20maximize%20your%20daytime%20sits.

https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/weather-conditions-affect-rut/272796

Argue with biologists and experts if you want, we know that’s your MO. Somehow the deer industry is paying these guys to tell you deer move more at night when it’s warm to get more research dollars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Five Seasons]

I'm sure they will do a lot more in the cooler night temps. But to say it shuts off completely, like some people say is wrong. Buck catches scent of a doe he is investigating. I shouldn't of said they don't care. Looks like we have some good hunting coming up, good luck!

We’re on the same page. Good luck to you too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk