Unsuccesul and weird weekend

[MNhunterr]

Well, this weekend was the rifle opener here in MN. The weather was terrible but it was cold, good for deer movement... or so it would seem.

Got to my stand at about 6, an hour before light hoping to catch a big 8 point my brother missed a few days earlier with his bow... No luck.

To my astonishment.... Not a single one of my family members that hunts our land (theres 5 of us) seen a single deer Saturday and Today. I never would have thought that we wouldn't see ANYTHING.... I'm very disappointed and am wondering what the deal was.

Do you think the wind was probably the reason? We have a ton of corn standing as well as scrub willow where they like to bed.... And the weather was cold and snowy.

Anyone else have comments or advice on what was wrong this weekend?

Edited November 9, 2008 by MNhunterr

[JakeE141414]

I am also from MN, but was not able to head out this weekend. Even though I didn't go, I heard a few reports from various places around MN. The deer were not moving much in the NW, but were moving pretty well straight W. Many of my buddies had difficulties seeing deer just like you did, but they each were able to at least see a couple. I would guess the wind played a big part because the deer just sat in their bedding areas almost all day. Hopefully next weekend is better!

[WHISKEYSWAMP]

did not see much this weekend in both places I hunted either... felt like a late season hunt with the rut being over. It was cool and a bit windy, maybe they were hunkered down.

[natethebowhunter]

The deer weren't moving here in southern wisconsin either. I had high hopes with the cold weather and the rut basically here, but only saw a couple does and they were moving pretty quickly. I'm not sure why they weren't moving, it was probably the winds.

[MNhunterr]

I'm pretty sure it was the weather system that moved through as well as the high winds. Next weekend isn't looking much better, looks like the same type of weather we had this weekend. Hopefully that will change!!!

I'm planning on going out all Tuesday, hopefully they will be up and moving then.

So odd that the deer are not moving at all, in many parts that is.

[Guest Brutal]

Yeah I hunt eastern MN over by namaji and between the 3 of us we didn't see a single deer. I did have a black bear come right under me 7:45 sat morning though. Between that cold front and there first snow they were bedded down and not moving. Kinda what I felt like doing lol. Hopefully next weekend if the weather is crappy at least maybe the winds won't be bursting to 30 mph all day.. Pretty sure the wind we had this weekend was what was keeping them hunkerd down.

[MNhunterr]

This rifle season has been a big ridiculous joke so far. Went out this last weekend both days for full day sits, not a single deer seen... by my entire family.

I didn't have work or school today so I thought I would go out... It was the most beautiful morning for deer hunting I've ever seen. It was about 15 degrees with no wind, getting to peak rut, almost full moon with a storm moving in. I set up on a stand that is on the edge of a big woods, in the middle is a small grass field, and on the left is a ton of willow scrub, basically a corridor for deer going to bed down.

I get there an hour before sunlight, perfect sky and all. I sat in that stand for 6 hours without seeing a thing and half way through it started to snow... WHAT IS WITH THE DEER THIS YEAR?!?!!?