Hunting in the Snow

This past week it snowed all across the state of Indiana. In my area we got about four inches. Although it is cold, the snow is very beneficial to hunters. First of all, most animals have fur that is designed to blend in with trees, grass, and leaves. The white snow makes wild animals stand out like a sore thumb.

Not only can you see the animals better but you can see their tracks. Being able to see the tracks is most helpful for deer hunting. The snow allows you to see exactly where the deer are traveling and how long ago they were in the area based on how fresh the tracks are. For squirrel you can determine how much they are moving based on the number of tracks in the snow. If the snow has been on the ground for awhile and there aren’t many tracks then you are probably wasting your time.

The snow is also helpful for tracking an animal after you shoot it. Deer can run up to 200 yards after being shot and the snow allows the blood trail to easily be seen, leading you right to your kill. Also rabbit will sometimes jump into a bush after being shot and the blood will clearly give them away.

Even though the snow means it is going to be a cold hunt, it greatly has its benefits to making your hunt more successful. I haven’t had a chance to go hunting in the snow, but hopefully there will still be some snow around next weekend for me to hunt in.