Best week?

[BSK]

For the area I hunt in SW TN, I have traditionally taken off work the first two weeks of rifle (Nov 23 - Dec 8 this year) and hunted every day. As for this season, I am seriously thinking about not setting my dates in stone, watching the weather closely, and hunting the "best weather days" per se between Nov 9 and Dec 8. Two to three years of less than desirable weather, temps and so-so daylight deer movement during my days off has driven me to consider this approach.

There's a lot to be said for that idea Andy. When breeding actually peaks, and when hunters will see peak rutting activity while hunting can often be two very different things. And in my opinion, weather is the major player in most differences.

 

[redblood]

week after Thanksgiving if u want to kill a mature buck

 

[redblood]

I was going to ask this. I am in mountgumery county and I am stumped. Should I take off first week of muzzy or last week of bow?

definitely muzzleloader. more efficient weapon

 

[thejetman]

I don't own a muzzle loader unfortunately. So its bow till big gun. I use my bow during ml season though. Its more of a matter of odds to me. I have to take the time off in November so it is what it Is really.

 

[W.Seay]

For the area I hunt in SW TN, I have traditionally taken off work the first two weeks of rifle (Nov 23 - Dec 8 this year) and hunted every day. As for this season, I am seriously thinking about not setting my dates in stone, watching the weather closely, and hunting the "best weather days" per se between Nov 9 and Dec 8. Two to three years of less than desirable weather, temps and so-so daylight deer movement during my days off has driven me to consider this approach.

Dang right!!

 

[redblood]

I don't own a muzzle loader unfortunately. So its bow till big gun. I use my bow during ml season though. Its more of a matter of odds to me. I have to take the time off in November so it is what it Is really.

would still go with muzzleloader. one week closer to peak rut

 

[catman529]

in my neck of the woods, the first or second week in November. A little farther south into Maury county, a week or so later.

 

[Bayou Buck]

In Perry County I would be in the woods November 16-20th if the weather is right and you want to kill a mature buck. I agree with Andy though that weather is more important. If there is a cold snap coming a few days late or a cold dreary day any time around those dates, you better be in the woods.

I think many people miss the their best chance at a mature buck because they are observing the behavior of immature bucks. The dates I gave above are the the best chances at a mature buck at my farm based on obersvation so far. If my goals are to only kill an immature buck, I would say hunt any time from mid November to the first week of December and you will see plenty youg bucks still chasing. As least this has been what I have obseved at my place.

 

[Living2Hunt]

First week of muzzleloader imo

 

[Mike Belt]

Last year we had better hunting weather prior to our typical seeking phase so I think we actually saw more bucks then than when we should have been seeing at that time. The culprit was the warm weather again. Over the years this warm weather blip has been happening more frequently from year to year. When I first started hunting you could almost count on Thanksgiving week being a colder version than we have now. Now it seems the "time" of the year is right but daytime temps stymie daytime movements while night time temps are cooler and the deer become almost totally nocturnal. The best bet is to have the ability to hunt anytime during this period hoping for colder weather to come so that you can take advantage of it. The problem is that even if you have the advantage of being able to hunt every day, often the weather doesn't break during this 2-3 week time frame and you end up missing your prime time hunting and have to settle for less than perfect conditions outside the "prime time". I hate it when that happens but you just have to deal with it.

 

[BSK]

in my neck of the woods, the first or second week in November.

For Williamson County (at least, the northern half), I agree.

 

[BSK]

Over the years this warm weather blip has been happening more frequently from year to year.

How many years over the last decade have we experienced a heat-wave during the opening week of MZ season? A bunch of them! Talk about a daylight activity killer...

 

[JCDEERMAN]

In Perry County I would be in the woods November 16-20th if the weather is right and you want to kill a mature buck. I agree with Andy though that weather is more important. If there is a cold snap coming a few days late or a cold dreary day any time around those dates, you better be in the woods.

I think many people miss the their best chance at a mature buck because they are observing the behavior of immature bucks. The dates I gave above are the the best chances at a mature buck at my farm based on obersvation so far. If my goals are to only kill an immature buck, I would say hunt any time from mid November to the first week of December and you will see plenty youg bucks still chasing. As least this has been what I have obseved at my place.

Good observation,BB and very interesting dates. We are in Hickman right close to the Perry County line and you always want to be in the woods the week leading up to the 21st. That has always been prime time for us....especially when there's a cold snap. If I had it my way, I'd be in the woods every day from Nov 13-21.

 

[plinker22]

In Tennessee, I mostly hunt Knox, Sevier and Cocke Counties.

Anyone have the "best dates" for my local? I am still trying to figure out the WHEN of that week or two?

 

[thejetman]

Well I got the second week of November off! Hopefully it pans out and the weather is cooperative!

 

[redblood]

i tell u a good way to decide. go to the trophy room, select the county you are going to hunt and scroll through and look at the harvest dates of the bucks that u desire to kill. we did that very thing with a wildlife management class i teach and found that the highest percentage of mature (of course that is difficult to define from a pic, but came up with measurable criteria) were killed from Nov. 26- Dec 3. That is using data from several years. Of course that coincides with a time when there is a lot of hunters in the woods using the best, most precise weapon.

 

[thejetman]

I picked the week according to moon cycle this year. That is according to my time 2 hunt app on my phone. Sooooooo we will see how this pans out.

 

[TN RDG RNR]

I would say Rhea County area from the beginning of rifle season to end of November would be a good time to be in the woods. Stewart County, I start hunting hard 1 November but around 10 November, I've saw more and bigger bucks.

 

[Good time Charlie]

I am convinced that thanks giving week is the GOLDEN week for our county.