hunting the opener heat

[Boar]

anyone going out on tuesday? gona be hot and humid and probabley slow things a bit. im up in the air, but we'll see

[fowldreams]

Our group plans on going just because we hunt state land . Come labor day weekend lots of 4 wheeler traffic I'm sure will make things more difficult for us. If I was on private I would wait for the next cool down.

[icehole10]

Our group plans on going just because we hunt state land . Come labor day weekend lots of 4 wheeler traffic I'm sure will make things more difficult for us. If I was on private I would wait for the next cool down.

Me too! As of yesterday our baits were still going strong. I will probably just sit for the last couple hours of the day, and hope that they show up a little early. Once the weekend rolls around, I probably wont be to eager to go sit, with all the traffic in the woods, im sure it will slow things up a bit!!

[jerkbait]

I plan to wait until the weekend myself. Although my weekend will start Thursday night. My biggest thing right now is I have mostly sow and cubs coming in. I think one of the baits has a new bear coming in. Also moved a bait on Saturday. Good luck all. This hot weather bites!

[DonBo]

If anyone is hunting in this heat, just make sure you have a plan to take care of the meat right away. Waiting till morning with lows in the 70's is a sure way to spoil your hard earned trophy.

Find a locker plant to hang it (probably in the middle of the night), or plan on quartering it and getting it into a fridge or cooler with plenty of ice.

Good luck!

 

[ClownColor]

For you meat locker / butcher people, what minimum temp can one hope to keep a bear/deer safe from spoiling if left overnight in the woods? I "thought" I heard 50's  but I can't remember...I remember running into this a few years back on an unusually warm November deer hunt. We didn't find the deer until the following morning. 

[Boar]

as far as I am concerned, none. make the shot and retreive it, i will not leave a bear overnight, it will spoil, 

[Coldtrack]

I have seen big bear with lots of fat start spoiling in less then 6 hours. Had a 400+ brought in at noon that was shot at daylight in the morning but took till noon to drag out and get to my cooler, fat was already bubbling and fizzing, I was gagging while skinning it.

[ClownColor]

as far as I am concerned, none. make the shot and retreive it, i will not leave a bear overnight, it will spoil, 

ok...that goes without saying

For you meat locker / butcher people, what minimum temp can one hope to keep a bear/deer safe from spoiling if left overnight in the woods? I "thought" I heard 50's  but I can't remember...

 

 

 

[certified jumbo]

I don't know officially what the butcher temp is for over night.  But, I would say its gonna be way to warm to wait till morning the next 4 ish days or so.

[Coldtrack]

Skinned bear go in my cooler that's set at 40 degrees. Things were slow up this way, local guide with 25 hunters killed two. I set tonight and never heard any shots.

[Boar]

I sat also, had to do opener, hear not shots where im at in 41 with halle. tough sit in 85 deree heat from 3 till830, but we perseverd. but no bear.  57 figured he had on circling but wouldnt comitt, thought he stunk so bad from sitting so longin a ball of order. gona get hotter, think im waiting till oler temps now.

[jerkbait]

No sit for me. Warm temps have the bears coming in late. going to feed them a little less and see what the weekend brings.

[LindellProStaf]

Too hot to be fun for me.

 

[Scoot]

With temps this warm do any of you hunt the AM instead of the PM?  I imagine it would offer a lower chance of seeing a bear, but a better chance of being comfortable in the stand?  Cooler temps in the early morning might have the critters on their feet though...

[Boar]

absolutley hunt the am, just didnt have that luxury this time, but when ive done it, Id always get in before sunrise.and I have shot AM bear, I do know that with hot temps,I feel it dont really mean a whole lot, some think its gona just shut them down, it'll slow things up some maybe depending on the bear, each one is different. they still gota eat, they still gota get up and mossey around, just because its hot dosent mean one should not hunt. mornings are the best option, and if ya sit in the evening then maybe one dosent need to be in stand as early as one normally would. one thing i know thats happing as I type is acorns are a dropping, and that I know is more of determining factor than heat. I one has done his home work, then his bait page has the three factors needed, food,, cover, WATER.  they are sitting in bogs laying low and cooling off, but they still need to eat.

granted, it wasnt as hot that day, buthot enough to hang out in the swamp for awhile before having a cheesy comestable chew chew.

and I dont believe at all what hen camera temps reads.

[jerkbait]

Yep, if the bears I had coming in would have trended the right way I would have sat. But the trend was going the wrong way. Hope it turns around. The only consistent bears are the sow with 3 cubs and she is not on my hit list. Keep hoping they will lure in big daddyo for din din.  

[Coldtrack]

Got tired of waiting for wind to change and had a decent bear on the bait yesterday from 6 to dark so I soaked down my hunting cloths with liquid smoke and tried it.........no good. New it was a no go when the coon on the bait stood on hind legs and winded me.

[Boar]

wind change is coming soon,

[Coldtrack]

This one came into the cooler last night after I had gone to bed. 306lb

[Boar]

thats a cooler?? Ral nice pumpkin!

[Coldtrack]

LOL,nope. That's my skinning room. Had another small one brought in. Bear sure are not hitting baits up hear now, neighbors group has 5 tags, 15 baits, only one bait hitting. He got a video of a bear rolling a log off and then laying in front of it and never took a bite, left and never returned that day.

Only one of mine is hitting now and that's every other day. Never had a slower opening week of bear coming into the cooler, only done 3, last season the first week I would be skinning until midnight or later with a line in the driveway.

[Boar]

best times a comin" ther was a 300 lber taken localy around me but its been, quiet. going out now to bait. see what happens.

[jerkbait]

Yes, we are off to a slow start. Was hoping to hunt this weekend some, but with the T-storms coming thru in the evening makes it hard to do. Right now one bait is getting hammered, but it is mostly a sow and cubs. There is another smaller bear coming into that one also now, but all are coming in late. Another bait is a little guy and he is inconsistent. Maybe the cooler weather next week will help. Good luck all!

[Port.Winterhawk]

Lucky to harvest a nice one opening day 7:15 pm. Just south of 300. As far as the heat it is imperative to get it skinned, fat "skinned" as well right now. I had it quartered and cooled by 10:30. Grilled one half of the back straps next evening. The cousin was up helping me bait, had Bear for his first time and was FLOORED. He could not believe how good it was.  Field care is a must. Can't treat those spectacular beasts like a deer. Getem cleaned and cool and its the best meat out there!