HOW TO HUNT DEER IN A SNOWSTORM
Snow Storm: Ideal Condition for Hunting Deer?
 Editor’s
Note: While hunting with Norman LeBrun of Quebec, Canada,
I learned that snowstorms provide one of the best times
to hunt deer. Why? Because, "you can track the
deer more easily because you can quickly determine the
freshness of the tracks by the amount of snow in them
and estimate how far you are from the deer. You also
know where to look for the deer. They move when snow
lessens and usually feed in thick cover on the moss
on the sides of the trees. If I can pick any weather
condition for hunting deer, I'll choose a snowstorm,"
Lebrun explained to me. This week, I'll share all the
secrets I learned about hunting for deer in a snowstorm.
 I
never had seen a whiteout before, but the snow fell
so hard as I hunted Anticosti Island, I only could see
white. I couldn't spot the road, find the timber or
even see my tracks. My guide, Norman LeBrun of Quebec,
Canada, however, had faced this kind of storm often.
"I know of a cabin not far from here," LeBrun
said. "We can stay there until the storm eases."
We walked only about 200 yards and found a small cabin
stocked with provisions. As our fellow hunter, Tony
Zappia of Massena, New York, LeBrun and I cooked lunch,
I looked out the window and saw what looked like a white
sheet of snow. But after two hours, the intensity of
the storm weakened, and LeBrun suggested we resume our
hunting. "The snow's still coming down like a torn
feather pillow," I told LeBrun. "I can't believe
you think deer will move in this snowstorm." "They
not only will move," LeBrun said, "but they'll
be much easier to find. Although deer may not move in
a whiteout, they will begin to walk and feed as soon
as the storm lessens."
We returned to our vehicle and slowly drove down the
backwoods- logging
road. We only had ridden a quarter of a mile when LeBrun
got out of the car and motioned for me to follow him.
He had spotted fresh deer tracks in the snow. "Get
your gun, John. The deer's not more than five minutes
ahead of us. By looking at the size of his tracks, I
can tell he must be a nice buck. If you'll hurry, we
can catch up with him and take him." I retrieved
my.243 from the gun rack in the truck. Zappia already
had taken his two bucks the day before. We followed
LeBrun through the falling snow. When we had walked
150 yards from the truck, LeBrun squatted, pointed and
whispered, "There's your buck."
 As
I followed LeBrun's gaze under the evergreens, I spotted
a brown line parallel to the ground. Then I could see
the black circle of the deer's eye and finally, his
ivory-colored antlers. The deer stood no more than 40
yards from us when I took the shot. After jumping three
times, the 9 point piled up in the snow. "Snowstorms
provide one of the best times to hunt deer," LeBrun
explained. "You can track them more easily because
you can quickly determine the freshness of the tracks
by the amount of snow in them and estimate how far you
are from the deer. You also know where to look for the
deer. They move when snow lessens and usually feed in
thick cover on the moss on the sides of the trees. If
I can pick any weather condition for hunting deer, I'll
choose a snowstorm."
TOMORROW: HEAR NO EVIL - SEE NO EVIL
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