Hunting In Snow

[dh.hamilton1]

Probably a dumb question but gonna ask anyway.

I typically don’t hunt in the snow, mainly due to not getting any until late December and I’m usually done hunting by then but we currently have a few inches on the ground now.

Still have a few opportunities to rifle hunt as well as bow hunt before the end of the month and the seasons end. I’ve only filled one doe tag with my rifle so far.

How do tactics change for eastern whitetail in hill country once snow is on the ground and temperatures are at or below freezing?

I understand snow can be helpful to see tracks and bedding areas but what type of cover and land features should I be focused on?

I know food sources also play a big role.


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[Q_Sertorius]

I just still hunt when there is snow on the ground. Deer are much easier to spot and you can move quietly. If they are not scraping up snow to find acorns, they will usually be bedded down in hollows or other places out of the wind.

Edit - I don’t change my tactics. I just plan on being able to see deer more easily.

 

[JCMCUBIC]

We don't get a lot of snow here but had a little snowfall and cold weather last year. I had plans to still hunt it...until I tried. The top was hard and crusted. Each step was like breaking glass bottles on concrete. Cleared a spot and sat down. Didn't see anything except a bobcat and it wasn't breaking through the top layer.

 

[Macintosh]

If its crusty its hard. But generally tracking is super fun. You need space, so a big chunk of public is best. And it can be difficult to tell one track from another, so areas with LOW deer density are best, again often favoring a big chunk of public. If you get into a “barnyard” of tracks where your deer is mixed in with other deer, its hard to sort it out.
Basically in the AM you go to where a buck will be late at night or super early—if any rut is still happening then go to where a buck will be checking for a doe in estrus, etc. Plan a walking route to check out as many of those areas as possible. Try to walk perpendicular to where a buck will travel to intersect tracks. Find a fresh buck track (a fresh track that is big, or better yet one with a scrape or rub or antler mark in the snow where you can connect it to a specific track), and follow it. When you find the deer, shoot it.
It’s as simple as that.

 

[Nine Banger]

We don't get a lot of snow here but had a little snowfall and cold weather last year. I had plans to still hunt it...until I tried. The top was hard and crusted. Each step was like breaking glass bottles on concrete. Cleared a spot and sat down. Didn't see anything except a bobcat and it wasn't breaking through the top layer.

Reminds me of my first and only bear hunt.

I was sinking up to my knees, falling and having palpitations and she was cruising on top of the snow.

 

[Yoder]

I just did this yesterday in crunchy snow in hill country. I sat until 8 on a ridge top. Then still hunted for about three hours. I stayed on the ridge tops so I could see the ledge down below. I had pretty good success taking a few steps, waiting a couple seconds and hitting my grunt call. Then scanning with binos. I saw four doe. I missed two and had one in my scope with no shot. Snow camo might help. I think softly hitting the grunt call throws them off a little bit