Hunting in Snow: Tips and Strategies for Adjusting to the Tough Elements!

Hunting in Snow Hunting in Snow: Tips and Strategies for Adjusting to the Tough Elements! thegearhunt.com

Snowfall is a priceless gift from nature. However, for hunters, snow is usually a game breaker. Don’t despair yet, you could turn the chances in your favor. Hunting in snow has advantages of its own. Hunters are natural trackers. The tracking is a significant part of the hunting sport which most hunters enjoy. Even though snow is a tough element, it might be a good thing too. Hunting in snow means that the temperatures are colder and your gear weight is increasing. Everything that moves on the snow has its own mark, which is the beauty in snow marks. Snow marks could also tell you when was the animal there. Nevertheless, you have to learn to track those marks and use them to your advantage. This article will do just that. It will provide strategies and tips for hunting in the snow and make you a better hunter. Even more so, the snow hunting is a great start for hunting beginners since there is less danger around.

Tips for snow hunting

Also, in winter times, leafs and weed are covered with snow, so a living creature is easier to be found. This means that the hiding is much harder and every animal could be noticed from far. The camouflage process is much harder. This article contains the pointers which will help you track and shoot your prey.

Take Advantage

Snow makes it harder for animals including deer, to find food sources, so as a hunter; you should take advantage of this fact. Also, since the winter temperatures are a lot lower, animals have a greater need for food. The only thing you should do is find some accessible places for deer to find food, and wait for your pray there. Keep in mind that snow hunting is also a dangerous activity. Guns and slippery fields are never a good combination.

However, there are also downsides to the snow hunting. Walking through the snow is very noisy which could scare off any animal, or you can slip and get injured. So the wise choice regarding this issue would be to pick the right spot for hunting and stay in that place. It is best, however, to choose a windy day which would make your tracking less noisy. Places around water could also hide the sound you are making, so sticking next to a water source is also a good pointer. If you have been hunting in snow before, you know that the main issue here is to camouflage the sounds you are making while walking in the snow.

What to Avoid

The reasonable choice here would be to avoid dense vegetation because of the snow. However, in this case, you should do the opposite. Instead of avoiding dense vegetation because of the inability to find any pray around you, you should go on and find yourself a hunting spot deep into the vegetation.

Knowing the behavior of deer is the easiest way to a successful hunt. Deer tend to stay still during a snow storm, but after that, they continue their activities. Now, there are different types of snow and your hunting success will greatly depend on this. The wet crunchy snow is better to avoid. This type of snow squeaks when you are walking, so your tracking could easily turn into chasing every animal in a mile radius. However, the dry snow is something you could work with. It is still squeaking when you walk, but the noise is definitely lower.

Snow means lower temperatures, so the most important thing is to get the right gear. All in all, hunting in snow is basically an easier activity since it requires less tracking. However, it is especially hard to hunt in a heavy snow. Animals are usually decreasing their activity in these conditions and they are only getting out of their shelter when they are in need of food. Deer usually look for food just before dark, so the best strategy to implement is going out few hours before it goes dark.

Shelter

The hunter’s shelter is another strategy which is important to consider. A tree stand is a great shelter for the snowy days. It allows you to have great visibility and the deer would not be able to see you that high if you manage to not make a sound or move too much. If your tree stand is between the trees, they will also keep your scent hidden, so you would have an even better luck hunting in the snow. However, in snowy conditions, be careful when moving in the tree stand since it can be pretty slippery and the height of the stand is making it even more dangerous. Make sure you make your stand safe before stepping onto the platform since the snow or ice is probably making it very slippery.

If ground blinds is a hunting strategy which is more of your style, you could use them in snowy weather too. By using them, you are avoiding the risk of slipping because of the snow and they will protect you from the tough elements. Ground blinds will keep the wind away, but also keep some of your scent inside. You will also be on the ground so you could move around freely. Make sure you adjust the blinds properly before getting in. If there is a heavy snow on the ground, adjusting them while hunting can make a great amount of noise. In spite of the advantages of this hunting strategy, using ground blinds on snow has its downsides. Besides decreasing the range of your visibility, ground blinds are usually made for you to be camouflaged with the surroundings. Snow camouflage, however, is nearly impossible to find. Comparing these hunting options, the ground blinds hunting is clearly the more convenient ones. Nevertheless, hunting from a tree stand is easier to set up and the equipment is effortless to attain.

Conclusion

Although these hunting strategies and tactics are a great place to start, you should mainly consider the weather conditions in your area and your convenience. With today’s equipment on the market, weather elements are easier to manipulate, however, fooling a deer requires much more practice and hunting experience!

If you have any questions or doubts, or you have something to add on the hunting in the snow subject, leave us a comment in the comment section below!