Following Hurricane Matthew’s descent on North Carolina last weekend many hunters are unsure of how this might affect rifle season, which began on October 15th. The good news is the deer have been moving very well throughout bow season and many NC and SC hunters have stuck deer before October. The bad news is many areas will be difficult to get to, many stands will need to be repaired and many hunting preparations will be put on the back burner due to the chaos caused by the flooding.

There are limbs and huge puddles everywhere and deer stands will need repair, but do not let that deter you. With all of the rain, wind, and flooding the deer were bedded down for a while. The harsh conditions did not allow them to feed and be active like normal. Now that the storm has passed, there is no doubt that they will be moving. When hunting, I would focus more on open areas and fields. The woods may hold deer this time of year because it is not extremely cold yet, but due to the limbs and trees down, focusing on big patches of land will be more efficient. The deer have also moved to higher ground so I suggest avoiding hunting near swamp bottoms where they have most likely moved out for a little bit, to return in a few days. Hunt nears crests and hills if possible as, the deer are going to avoid standing water as much as possible.

Last weekends’ weather can either serve as a blessing and a curse for deer hunters. The storm might have pushed all of the deer out of your hunting grounds, or caused new deer to flee to your property. If you have taken your trail cameras down for the season, I suggest you put them back up. If you still have them up, check them frequently, especially during this time of the year. You need to look for new deer and be on the lookout for new patterns of your old deer. This storm combined with colder weather moving in, specifically in the mornings, is switching up deer’s activity patterns.

I have heard that the hunting has been better in the afternoons than in the mornings, according to numerous muzzleloader hunters in the Edgecombe and Nash county area. If the weather permits, in a few weeks the deer hunting could be very promising midday. It just depends on how cold it gets and when the rut starts to kick in.

“I think this season has a lot of potential to be good. I am going to try and hunt everyday after school to increase my odds at an old bruiser. The food plots are coming up nicely, even with the extreme flooding. I can’t wait to get in the stand”, says Senior Parker Ferebee. Many RMA students are eager to see what the season has to hold. I plan on hunting a lot during the month of November to try and tag a big buck. If this winter brings more cold weather in than last year, November is a very promising month.

This week’s tip relates to buying deer hunting ammunition. Most hunters use a center fire rifle as their means of cleanly and efficiently killing a deer. These guns are very accurate and most require quality cartridges to get the job done. When buying your deer hunting rounds in multiple boxes, check the inside of the boxes before you buy. There will be a 5-10 digit number relating to the day and place it they were made. This is called a lot number. You want to make sure the boxes all have the same lot number, to ensure they were all made the exact same way and on the same date. This will improve consistency in accuracy and can make a huge different, especially at longer ranges.