By the time y’all get a chance to read this, the hurricane out in the Gulf of Mexico will either have hit us hard or passed us by. Reckon I’ve no way of knowing which at this point. But a little high wind and heavy rains are of benefit to us hunters. Let me tell you why.
First off, the oaks are loaded with acorns right now. As they continue to fall sporadically, the deer will take advantage of that prime food source for months to come. But, with a big storm, the winds will strip the corns from the oaks and soak them to the point they will begin to rot.
There are so many acorns at the moment, a deer hasn’t got to get up and move very far before they fill their bellies on the mast and then lay back down. Makes it tough on a bowhunter hunting with passive techniques, such as blind or stand hunting. Makes for lots of boredom when the deer aren’t moving much.
At the moment, at least in my little corner of Brooksville, there are so many acorns that the deer completely ignore corn or other supplemental feeds offered, which takes them out of a predictable feeding pattern. So, once this newest mass of wind and rain passes through, the deer will be back visiting the corn piles and food plots once the acorns are gone.
The next advantage to a hunter is the water will fill up the swamps and drainages forcing the deer and hogs to seek higher ground. By concentrating the sounders of hogs onto higher ground, it creates a super opportunity to spot and stalk pigs as they rise to feed in the late evening. By keeping the dominant wind in your face and covering between yourself and your quarry, it is very possible to slip within range of the feeding porkers.
Hogs make so much noise as they move about, especially in a group, that their ears can be nearly useless as a defense. That nose though, that nose on them hogs is one of the very best in the animal kingdom, keep the wind in your favor while they feed upon the ridges, escaping the flood waters.
Just know, deer and hogs aren’t the only animals escaping the flood waters. Venomous snakes will be more readily encountered as any subterranean dens, which they prefer, are flooded as well. So, while you take advantage of the post-storm hunter’s opportunities, be aware that the snakes will be crawling and prepare for them.
The final advantage that the storms can have is, for instance, as when Hurricane Irma came through, I lost power for twenty-two days. How is that a benefit? Because if the power is out, you’ll be less likely to sit on the sofa clicking a remote. It’ll incentivize you to get up and go.
Now, I’m praying nobody gets hurt seriously and this threat simply passes us by, but I suppose I’ll have all the answers once this piece becomes public. In the meantime I’ll continue my prayers for all of you.
Any comments or questions, please give me a shout at [email protected]. As always, God Bless and good hunting!
