Deer hunt gets off to a slow start

It would seem Saturday provided perfect weather for the opening day of the deer hunt.

But gorgeous sunshine and warm temperatures don't make for ideal hunting conditions.

"It was a great day for folks to be out and about in the backcountry, but it's not the best weather for deer hunting," said Mark Hadley, spokesman for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "If the weather continues to be warm like this, what hunters need to do is get off the roads and get out and hike. … This is one of those years when the hunters will really have to work for it."

Hadley said reports from various checkpoints around the state indicate the number of deer taken is below average. After discussing what conservation officers and biologists have seen Saturday at checkpoints, he said the average was around six or seven deer.

"The indication is maybe the hunt is a little slow," he said, acknowledging that some hunters may not head home immediately after getting their deer.

When the weather is warmer than usual, deer tend to stay at higher elevations. They also scatter more, instead of huddling together when the temperatures start to drop.

"They are just back in the cover," said Hadley. "For the deer to come out of the cover, they have to have a reason."

DWR officials discussed these issues with hunters Saturday as the weather is predicted to stay unseasonably warm for the remainder of the hunt, which ends Oct. 25. The good news is that while finding the deer may be tougher, there are more deer to find because of the mild temperatures and abundance of food.

e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com