Ciekot: Hunters can learn a lot in the snow
Extreme winter weather like the blizzard and cold snap we've just endured can be brutal for both man and beast, but when you get snow during deer season you have to take advantage of it. There's nothing quite like deer hunting in the snow, especially when it coincides with a gun season like it did this weekend.
You can see deer better now as their brown coats contrast with the white background. Deer must move, too, as they have to eat to stay warm. The big negative is that you've got to stay warm as well, and although many of us aren't used to dealing with these temperatures there are certainly enough synthetic fabrics and artificial heat systems to get us through a day afield.
I really don't need any more venison in the freezer, but with snow you've still got to get out and take advantage. Yes, it can be fun and productive, but snow is also a great teacher. Every single thing the deer have done is laid out in front of you; all you've got to do is follow their tracks. Where are they bedding? The snow will show you. Where are they feeding and what on? You'll see those facts in the snow.
Luckily when you go afield to see what the snow can teach you don't have to get up early and you don't have to sit still and freeze in a stand. Mid-day jaunts are just fine and you'll be doing enough moving to stay warm. When you have to push through drifts and deep snow you'll actually get too warm, so be careful not to put on too many clothes.
No matter how much you know about deer, even deer you're intimately familiar with, you'll learn something. I expected to find an abundance of tracks and sign around the spot I feed corn all season and that was the case, with tracks coming and going in every direction. I expected to see tracks on all the main trails in and out of the forest and thickets, and that was also the case.
More:Ciekot: Dismal success rates for Shore gun hunters during deer season
I also expected to see plenty of tracks in my plantings of radishes, turnips and oats, but was surprised to see very few. Snow too deep? Too much wind in the open food plots? I may never know, but it sent me looking to find where the deer were feeding. It didn't take long, thanks to the snow, to learn the deer had spent most of the night in thick cover browsing on greenbriar, grape vines and the buds of sweet gum and bayberry.
That's an important lesson I wouldn't have learned from any other teacher than snow and it will cause me to make several changes in the future. One is that I'll spend more time hunting natural browse, especially in the late season and during bad weather.
Second is that I'll spend more time and effort managing natural browse to make it better. A bag of fertilizer and some time with a chainsaw creating openings are two quick and effective methods to do just that.
Once again, even in the worst weather snow has been a great teacher. Get out there and learn from it.
More:Ciekot: Even with a gun, consider hunting deer in thick cover
Outdoor Calendar
Jan. 6-13: Delaware handgun deer season
Jan. 12-27: Maryland woodcock season
Jan. 12-14: 44th annual East Coast Fishermen's and Aquaculture Trade Expo, OC Convention Center, Ocean City, www.marylandwatermen.com.
Jan. 13-20: Delaware shotgun deer season
Jan. 22-27: Delaware late muzzleloader deer season
Through Jan. 27: Maryland and Delaware regular duck season
Through Jan. 28: Virginia regular duck and AP Canada goose seasons
Through Jan. 31: Maryland brant season
Through Jan. 31: Virginia tundra swan season
Feb. 3-11: Great American Outdoor Show, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pa., www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org
Through Feb. 3: Maryland and Delaware AP Canada goose seasons
Through Feb. 3: Maryland regular light/snow goose season
Feb. 16-18: Ocean City Seaside Boat Show, OC Convention Center, Ocean City, www.ocboatshow.com