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How hot is too hot?

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
I've had a number of veteran hunters tell me that they won't go out deer hunting on opening day if it's too hot.

For you personally, how hot is too hot?
 

Riverdude

The Happy Hunting Grounds Beyond
Supporting Member
10,254
115
Ashtabula, Ohio
My feeling is it can't be too hot to harvest a deer, lets face it what about places south of us that stays warm year around.

I think the question is how do you handle the harvest if it is hot. Skin it, ice it up in the chest cavity and get it to a cooler ASAP and let it hang. Just my 2 cents.


Hi Dannmann. You still make me laugh and check your voice mail! Dang you call my Bro and not me from the woods. Sniff, sniff...........Boo, Who, Whoo....... :smiley_bbq:
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
I'll hunt not matter what. Fill the chest with bags of ice and get it broke down as quick as possible. But I will say if I know my processor is down south and its gonna be warm I'll let a doe go and wait for better conditions..
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
Wild horses couldn't keep me out of the woods on opening day. Been counting down for over 200 days. Even if'n it's hot hot hot.

I guess if you've been doing it for a long time you can take it or leave it....I just can't imagine that.

Dude, I just called cj to make him jealous:smiley_devil:
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Its all been said...I will be out there cause I can't get one sitting at home. Guess if it is oo hot I will just bee set up by a stream running through the property.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I'll usually be out there hunting no matter what the weather conditions are on opening day. But if it's hot, like 70 or above, I probably won't shoot anything unless it's a monster. It's just too much damn work and stress to rush around trying to prevent a deer from spoiling. The season is long, so I don't mind letting them go on a hot day... it's just not worth it for me.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
I'll usually be out there hunting no matter what the weather conditions are on opening day. But if it's hot, like 70 or above, I probably won't shoot anything unless it's a monster. It's just too much damn work and stress to rush around trying to prevent a deer from spoiling. The season is long, so I don't mind letting them go on a hot day... it's just not worth it for me.

I might be wrong but I think this is what Dan was looking for info about. On a nice 70+ degree temp day how long do you have before it spoils ?

I'm like Dan and a few others here that hunt alone and by the time I shoot a deer,gut it, and drag it out (No 4-wheeler and a good mile off the road) and take it to get tagged in the deer has been down for 1 1/2 hrs maybe 2hrs before we can start cutting and wrapping it up. I know the doe I shot last Oct. was only down for 20min. in 73 degree heat and had already started to bloat up a bit. I know when it gets to 70+ I won't even bother shooting one just because of the conditions and time involved stated above. I worry every year about shooting one and having it go bad before I can do anything with it. That's why I can't wait to find a 4-wheeler to haul my deer back up to the road :). Sure would make things a lot easier and cut the down time in half and that would make it a lot easier for me to decide to crack off an arrow at one lol.
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
something else to keep in mind, when it is cooler there are more hunters in the woods. If you hunt an area that recieves a lot of pressure, warmer days might be your chance to be alone in the woods.

Also, if I'm not mistaken deer movement slows down in higher temps anyway, hotter days will mean less deer to shoot at anyway.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
something else to keep in mind, when it is cooler there are more hunters in the woods. If you hunt an area that recieves a lot of pressure, warmer days might be your chance to be alone in the woods.

That's a great point. I like to hunt a public land spot close to home early in the season just to try and put a doe in the freezer. Hunting this particular area from October through gun season gets crowded, and the deer get scarce. Hot weather, or rainy weather will keep most of the hunters home on opening day. But hunt on a cool day and trucks are in every parking spot you can find.

So far I've killed 2 does here on opening day. Didn't hunt it last year, but it's always one of the options.

Plus like Matt said, "can't kill 'em on the couch."
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
A couple years ago I hunted in shorts at 84 degrees.
I got a big doe that afternoon. Ice is the key and so is a big cooler.
I skinned her out, de-boned her, slide the meat and carcass (with head attached) into the cooler on ice and checked her in the following morning.

No problems.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
I love the woods time but to me, 70+ temps are just not worth the hassel. Its a long season and I hunt all of em.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
Hi Dannmann. You still make me laugh and check your voice mail! Dang you call my Bro and not me from the woods. Sniff, sniff...........Boo, Who, Whoo....... :smiley_bbq:
:smiley_baby: :smiley_cry: :smiley_devil:

Dude, I just called cj to make him jealous:smiley_devil:


Dan... you seem to have better "adventures"
I think it was fuc*en great that you called me at work sunday while you were sitting in the woods.!!! I wish I could have had ya sit the phone down an wack another one too.
Thanks for taking me hunting with ya Dan. For a few min. I was there with ya! :smiley_blink:

PS: ya dig anything up for somewhere else?
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
:smiley_baby: :smiley_cry: :smiley_devil:




Dan... you seem to have better "adventures"
I think it was fuc*en great that you called me at work sunday while you were sitting in the woods.!!! I wish I could have had ya sit the phone down an wack another one too.
Thanks for taking me hunting with ya Dan. For a few min. I was there with ya! :smiley_blink:

PS: ya dig anything up for somewhere else?

Naw, can't accomplish that task till I get down to Adams County next weekend (so easy to hide bodies there....)
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Never too hot for me. Chop 'em up, ice 'em down and leave 'em in the ice for up to a week. IMO, it makes the meat much tastier!
 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
0
0
SE Ohio
Ditto. Ditto. And ditto...

Nothing will keep me out of the woods when I have the chance to hunt, especially not hot weather. I doubt I will shoot anything this weekend unless it requires a trip to the taxidermist. In weather above 60 degress, you need to get the guts out ASAP and ice it down and that makes for stress and work. I don't process my own deer, so killing one in the evening is not a good idea, hence the reason I'll only shoot a good buck in the evening until things cool down.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
Ditto. Ditto. And ditto...

Nothing will keep me out of the woods when I have the chance to hunt, especially not hot weather. I doubt I will shoot anything this weekend unless it requires a trip to the taxidermist. In weather above 60 degress, you need to get the guts out ASAP and ice it down and that makes for stress and work. I don't process my own deer, so killing one in the evening is not a good idea, hence the reason I'll only shoot a good buck in the evening until things cool down.

This weekend?