While winter, which seems endless, ends, the patience of the ponytail hunters diminishes as they struggle to chase away the woods. This year we still have a foot of snow in the woods, and it does not melt very fast. With nighttime temperatures in the mid-twenties or even teenagers, a forty-degree day does not melt a lot of snow.
YouTube is full of hangar hunting videos, and many of them show hunters spotting hangars with teeth standing in the snow. It sounds easy, and it would be if the snow was only two or three inches deep. Fat luck of that here. In fact, I was out today and in some places, the snow was still knee.
So, in these difficult conditions, can you, if you want, look for sheds in the snow? The chances of finding them may be slim if they are buried under the white stuff. But looking for a snowy field, I discovered several reasons to hunt sheds in the snow:
1. Focus on the thermal blanket
To survive, deer must conserve energy in winter. To do this, they are looking for thermal cover - areas where hemlock or thick pines grow. The thermal blanket gives deer at least three benefits. These trees act as a blanket, retaining the heat of the day all night long. They also act as an umbrella, catching snow in their limbs, so that the snow cover is not as deep beneath them. They also offer a windbreaker, minimizing the deer's exposure to biting winds. The southern slopes offer an added bonus - they are warmer than the northern slopes because the sun's rays are more direct. These are the reasons why deer gravitate towards the thermal blanket in winter. The snow does not necessarily melt here first. It may stay longer in protected areas where the sun does not pass, but first look in these areas and plan a return trip.
2. Do not jump on open fields
Fields are hard to hunt because they are often large, and deer can be anywhere. But early hunting while the snow is still present allows you to reduce the area considerably. This is because most fields have wind spots, either because of the contour of the earth or because of the way the wind blows around the adjacent cover. The deer will gravitate towards these windswept places where they do not need to wade in the snow. Although snow can be 10 to 12 inches deep in most fields, some spots are bare. Exposed weeds and weeds can be used to gain food effortlessly. This is important for deer because the less energy they use to find food, the less stress they have and the healthier they will be at the end of winter.
3. Look for deer beds
Deer will concentrate their activity in winter. When a deer breaks the track, the others follow a single file. You will often find plenty of deer droppings on these trails that look like a backyard, and they will take you directly to the bedding areas. In winter, deer will use the same beds over and over again and will melt the snow to the ground. You can not see woods until the snow around the beds melts, but now that you know where the beds are, you'll know where to look.
4. Look for isolated trees, especially fruit trees
These act as a mini-thermal blanket. The trunks absorb the heat of the sun and the snow cover around them is minimal. Deer are gravitating towards them. On apple trees, you will often see a shipping line where deer consume the tender tips of the branches during the winter. The act of biting and shaking these tips will often be just enough for the pot woods that are ready to fall.
The chances of finding shed woods are low while the ground is still white with snow, but that's no reason to stay out of the woods. By mid-March, most of the woods were sunk, and even if the snow still covers the ground, you may be lucky to find the most obvious - perhaps on the snow or in places where snow has almost disappeared. But even if you do not find them, you'll know the land better, increase your chances next time, and cover it faster. Finally, you'll beat the other hunters with your fist - your tracks in the snow will remind other hangar hunters that the area has been covered.
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