Weather affect on the juvenile hunt numbers???

[TN Larry]

I was reading the Catoosa thread about the low numbers and someone posted about looking at the overall juvie numbers this weekend. Curiosity killed the cat so off to the hunter's toolbox I went.

Here are the numbers from the past 5 years:

2023 - 2706
2022 - 3935
2021 - 4289
2020 - 6405
2019 - 3330

The numbers are 31% lower than 2022 and 34% lower than 2021 and 2022 combined. Any way you slice it, the numbers are lower. Could there be other factors like participation, acorn years, etc? It could be. Halloween effects it some as kids have to choose what to do, however in 2020, the hunt was on Halloween day.

In my opinion, the weather greatly affected daylight movement. My two kids still went, but sightings were very low vs what trail cams and actual sign showed. We are also still two weeks out to the best time to be in the woods in our area.

Just some information I looked up as the question was asked, and I was bored.

 

[Remington700]

I agree the weather Saturday was hot and humid turning into rain. Sunday was rain all day long. Throw in the full moon on top of that and it stunk all the way around. This weekend should be much better.

 

[TN Larry]

I agree the weather Saturday was hot and humid turning into rain. Sunday was rain all day long. Throw in the full moon on top of that and it stunk all the way around. This weekend should be much better.

We had no rain here and both days were hot and humid.

 

[muddyboots]

Yes I hate the last weekend of October for juvi.

 

[44 mag]

I think the full moon on top of the weather is what effected the hunt. My son was pretty bummed that we didn't see a deer but I told him that we still have all season. We will get him on one

 

[Tn Joe]

It was pretty slow for us both days, although we saw deer every hunt.

Wish we'd have had today's weather last Friday!

 

[hitek7]

Weather and abundance of acorns combined didn't help. I saw where it didn't hurt several though. Some good bucks killed.

 

[megalomaniac]

My trail cams were absolutely dead during daylight this past weekend. Deer just didn't move much in daylight with the temps and the bright full moon overhead during the evening. Got lots of pics at night, and several mature bucks at night this past weekend.

As much as I don't believe weather influences the quality of the hunt during the rut, I FIRMLY believe early season success (before Nov 10th) is ALL about weather.

 

[bloodtrailing]

You cannot expect to double the harvest in one year and not have some reset after.

 

[deerfever]

Weather was hot, full moon, acorns all over it was the perfect storm for the kills to be down all over. Just my opinion

 

[deerhunter10]

Yes we didn't see a deer. Trail cameras completely dead daylight wise.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I took my son and my dad took my nephew. We hunted the two best stands I have access to in terms of numbers of deer usually seen. Between us, we saw one deer right at daylight Saturday.

 

[Andy S.]

My trail cams were absolutely dead during daylight this past weekend. Deer just didn't move much in daylight with the temps and the bright full moon overhead during the evening.

Same for me in SW TN. Last 4-5 days have been EXTREMELY slow on my cameras, day and night. Few does and fawns OCCASIONALLY, but bucks have all but disappeared. Of course, this is a small window to analyze, but came at the worse time of the year for the kids who were in the woods.

 

[TRIGGER]

I didn't hear another shot all weekend. I thought that was weird.

 

[redblood]

Weather played a role but it was more than that. Kids would rather do other things and they have so many option. We crappie fished Saturday, slept in sunday and my son went yesterday afternoon and shot at a coyote. We opted to not shoot a doe due to heat

 

[Grandslam11]

I didn't hear another shot all weekend. I thought that was weird.

I never heard one either. I wore shorts in the blind last night. I was sweating and slapping mosquitos. We didn't see a deer in 2 of our 3 sits. Weather and moon just didn't work out this year.

Halloween is one the best days (historically) for new buck (deer that have never been on camera) movement on my farm. I cant wait to see what shows up with this weather coming in.

 

[TRIGGER]

I never heard one either. I wore shorts in the blind last night. I was sweating and slapping mosquitos. We didn't see a deer in 2 of our 3 sits. Weather and moon just didn't work out this year.

Halloween is one the best days (historically) for new buck (deer that have never been on camera) movement on my farm. I cant wait to see what shows up with this weather coming in.

We got in the blind at 1:00. Didn't see the first deer until 3:46 when a Buck chased a group of doe into the field he left with one of them but the other two stayed. After that we had deer around us until he shot a doe at 4:30. We had another group in the field when we came back with the truck.

 

[MickThompson]

Also keep in mind that any deer is legal on the youth hunt (unlike at Catoosa) and that youth are less likely to hold out, especially on a slow day, masking how poor it actually may have been.

 

[deerhunter10]

I'd also add we only heard one shot right at daylight Saturday morning.

 

[Squirle hunter]

Had covid didn't get to take my 3. But getting over it now and they will carrying smoke poles Saturday hope the best for them.