Meteorological Conditions
The weather conditions each day dictate to a great extent when and where animals move. Knowing the best conditions in which to expect game to move and feed, and where to find them allows you to hunt more productively. The flexible parameters given apply to upper Midwest deer, but should apply to most areas with comparable weather conditions.

Available Light

Type Reaction
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Overcast Stay later in the morning Deer and elk move in low light because it makes them feel
and come out earlier in secure during daylight hours.
the evening than normal.

Sunny Leave open areas earlier
in the morning and come
out later in the evening
than normal.

Morning Leave earlier than normal. Dawn and dusk moonlight make game feel insecure.
moonlight

Evening Come out later than normal.
moonlight

All night May cause increased Moonlight allows game and predators to see and feed at
moonlight movement. night. Deer may move during the day to avoid predators.
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Wind Speed Movement
___________________________________________________________________________________________
0-5 mph Best

6-10 mph Some

11-15 mph Limited During high winds animals have a hard time hearing and
smelling, they feed and bed on the downwind side of hills
30+ mph Minimal and woods. They often use benches 1/3 of the way down the
hill, in the calm pocket where winds are less. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Shifting/gusty winds usually cause deer to seek cover but they nervously bed and move throughout the day.

Thermal Time
Currents
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Rising Morning Sunlight causes air to warm and rise. In hills or mountains game will bed uphill during the day to catch rising scent.

Falling Evening Darkness cools air causing downward currents. Game may bed low at night to catch falling scents. As they move uphill in the morning they catch the scents that are still falling.
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Daytime Temperature or Dewpoint (temperature and humidity combined)

Degrees Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
0-9 Restricts movement to late In extreme cold game may move during the day in low light
morning and early evening. conditions when air is warm. They may bed in areas open to the sun.

10-19 Some late and early
morning movement.

20-49 Normal morning and
evening movement.

50+ Restricts movement to Winter coats make heat uncomfortable for game.
darkness and cool air.
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Daytime Wind-chill

Degrees Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
-0 Restricts movement. The combination of wind and low temperature has the same effect as low temperature. Game feed and bed on the down wind side of woods and hills
0-9 May move late morning
and early evening when
temperatures are warmest.

10-19 Some movement.

20+ Good movement.
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During high temperatures or dewpoint, wind speeds that create a lower wind-chill or dewpoint may increase deer movement during normal movement times, especially if there is cloud cover.

Precipitation

Daytime
Type Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Fog, drizzle Good movement. Light precipitation reduces the amount of light and makes game feel
lt. rain, lt. snow secure during the day.

Moderate to Minimal movement. Precipitation is uncomfortable and causes animals to lose heat.
heavy rain and
snow.

Heavy rain or Restricts movement. Reduces the ability to see and hear. Game seek cover.
snow, sleet, hail
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Barometric
Pressure Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Rising Good movement. Foretells good, possibly milder, weather after a storm.
Game will feed.

Falling Good Movement. Foretells inclement weather. Game may be able to feel changes and
feed before the storm.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Because fish and birds have air sacs in their bodies they may have the ability to feel barometric pressure changes. Geese are known to feed and begin to flock two days prior to the arrival of a storm, then migrate with advancing cold fronts.
Hunters claim deer also feed heavily prior to a storm. During my study I found no correlation with rising or falling barometric pressure. I did find that more deer were seen when there were abrupt barometric changes. Deer were frequently seen feeding after storms let up, especially if they lasted a day or more. I found no evidence that deer began to feed prior to the arrival of a storm, suggesting that they knew a storm was approaching. Even if deer could predict a storm, the occurrence of feeding deer would be a better predictor of the storm than changes in barometric pressure would be of predicting deer movement.

The Daily Deer Movement Indicator
As a result of my studies I devised the Daily Deer Movement Indicator, which will help you decide whether or not to hunt each day, and where to hunt, based on the current weather conditions in your area. One to two hours before you hunt you check the current weather conditions, mark the appropriate scores on the Indicator and, based on the score, decide whether or not you want to hunt that day. The accompanying information on the Indicator then suggests the best places to hunt based on the weather conditions.

If you are interested in more deer hunting tips, or more whitetail biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about white-tailed deer log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in your area click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart.

This article is an excerpt from the Whitetail Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2005 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2005 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail:TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com