Deer Movement Spikes with Recent Cold Front
In a previous post we discussed how barometric pressure can affect deer movement. Last weekend October 8th - 9th, we saw a prime example of what happens when you have a changing barometer. As a result of this weather pattern, there was a dramatic drop in temperature across the midwest, in some cases 20 degrees, making it an ideal weekend to be out deer hunting.
We talk a lot about these big weather fronts and how they can impact deer movement, but one thing we’re extremely excited about is the ability to further support these types of statements with the events that are recorded in the Quiver Hunting App.
Let’s walk through what the weather was doing that weekend and what type of activity was logged in the app.
Above is an image captured Friday morning 10/7/16 of the big cold front that was moving westward across the country towards the midwest.
This second image is a screenshot of the pressure trends across the country from that same morning. Again, a low pressure system was coming through, thus delivering a big drop in the temperature. After the low pressure system passed, we then saw a rising barometer throughout the rest of the weekend. This big of a swing in the weather should have the deer hunter in you salivating to get out into the woods.
So what happened as far as deer movement?
In analyzing the data recorded in Quiver that weekend, we see a 67% jump in the average amount of deer seen per hunt during the four days following the big temperature drop compared to the previous 9 day average.
The chart above shows the activity in the app in aggregate. The blue vertical bars represent the amount of hunts logged in the app, and the red line represents the amount of deer seen that day. Typically, that red line sits below the total amount of hunts logged because not every hunt results in an encounter. However, if you zero in on the weekend of 10/8, the amount of deer seen jumps above the total amount of hunts. Bingo!
The data confirms that Saturday October 8th experienced a larger than normal increase in deer activity compared to most typical days, which aligns with the massive cold front that came through. If you had to pick one day to hunt, Saturday was the day that had the most deer on their feet.
Although a lot of other factors can attribute to why deer move, the data doesn’t lie in showing us that on average more deer were seen per hunt during these shifting weather patterns. A big cold front moved in, the pressure was changing, and as a result, hunters using Quiver Hunting App recorded more deer seen. Interestingly enough, October 8th was the first day this season that we’ve seen this type of inverse in the data occur.
Analyzing trends and these types of patterns is something we are extremely excited about with Quiver. The more hunters we have out there using the app, the more robust our analysis becomes in trying to demystify the cause and effect of deer movement. If you’re already using Quiver, THANK YOU! If not, download it for free from iTunes today and give it a shot. It’s a great way to track your season and your contribution will help all of us become better hunters.