Full Moon - Deer feed all night
Fog/Light rain - increased deer movement
Cold weather then a mid day thaw? Deer will move from 11 to 3ish
Deer bed in the corn during the daytime
Deer bed DOWNWIND to give their sniffers a chance at early warning, sight is next
Strong winds will delay a feeding cycle. They will resume when the wind calms
Winds at or above 14 mph stop deer
Warm spells curtails movement including the rut (but not as much on the rut)
Heavy snow/rain will halt deer movement, and put them into their beds. Try the corn.
Sub zero weather causes deer to feed at night
Unlike fish (fish before the front moves in), deer do NOT sense an approaching storm, so they maintain their usual feeding habits.
Do not use a cover scent, unless you haven't done your proper "scent free" cleaning procedures. If you and ALL of your equipment is scent free, then DO NOT use a cover scent. If you "smell invisible", then the deer will not know that you are there. IF however; you add a cover scent, it could bring the deer's attention towards you. It took me a long time to figure out that I "didn't want to smell like anything" ... after all those great advertisements telling me how great it was to smell like a pine tree (and other things). Using a cover scent could backfire. Situation 1: I'm clean and scent free, deer gets waked. Situation 2: I'm scent free, but I gob on a ton of pine tree cover, deer's nose rotates around and I get waked.
Have multiple sets of camo. Hang them out after each use to air dry and rotate their use. Use rubber boots. Use scent suppressing clothing such as contain AND/or scent lock. Brush you teeth with some (puke) baking soda. Eat/suck on apple bits quietly on stand. Aim, swallow, release.
Wash your clothes with baking soda. Yes the "other" washes work, but B.S. is cheap and works every bit as well. Remember, no technical razzel-dazzle here, just a pure marketing break through, HUMM, I've heard this Phrase Somewhere Else..... After your camo is clean, sprinkle the insides with B.S. and leave it until you get dressed.
Play with decoys. They are so hit or miss that I wouldn't depend on them. Play and have fun. Do use a tail wagging device.
Use an automatic feeder or drop feeder like the Pennco to get the deer coming into your area in a "routine" regular way.
Have multiple stand sites and feed stations (were legal).
Grow your own sugar beets and/or mangels. Grow them at home, or try a row or two up on your hunting land. They are field tough and grow well. Mangels grow mostly above ground so they are easy to harvest or just leave them for the deer to eat (have a stand set up!). Seed sources of mangels from the web... Try
Try mock scrapes. Use a dripper bag or check out the plans for building your own MEGA-DRIPPER on the plans page. Buy your urine from a source that is cheap like Housier Trapper Supply (317)881-3073 ....see archery page 2 for more info. That way you can use a ton and not go broke. Also, try some mock rubs. I'm getting good results with them.
Kill a buck or doe? Gut them carefully and save the bladder. The contents of this bladder is in a drip bag over a mock scrape. Two days later, there were deer tracks in the mock scrape......a very good start.
Throw-away your pse exploders, get a real bow.
