Just in case you are living on the beaches of SanTropei. It has been snowing incessantly here for the last two months. It is starting to freak me out.

I looked out my window this morning and the neighbor was walking there dog on the streetside snowbanks. Level with my 2nd floor bedroom window!!! Now if I am having a hard time all tucked up in here in a heated abode. What are the animals doing?

Now the deer traditionally yard as a defense against the snow and predators. But the traditional yards have been getting cut more and more. As the wood in them becomes worth more to the lumber companies and speculators than the deer, or the good PR is. They can always fall back on the usual statement that the deer have moved off and no longer stay in that area. But that is almost always caused by the same lumber company having cut off all the hardwoods near the yard. Forcing the deer to move out of the general area for a time to locate more food. They bring in the foresters who attest that the deer are not yarding there in the densities of the past and they get the permit to cut it. Now the yard is gone. So even if the food comes back the yard is gone forever.

So here sits this lonesome doe, no herd to gather around her as the coyotes move in. No fortrace in the swamps as they have always had. No inpentratable snows to guard them. The deer of this new Millenium have been orphaned by the state that swore to protect them. The “Sports” from away and the hunters of Maine have all been ripped off and duped. The guides who depend on the game have been lied to and schemed against. But still the state stands there all stalwart that all is well, hand out for more licenses and fees. While we know the truth. Even in thids day and age. Corporations and Quimbies have more of a say over our natural resources than the people of this state.

Unless we start protecting the entirety of our natural environment we will see it slip away. One acre at a time. Or one deal at a time. What kind of fool thinks trading old growth forest for cutovers is a deal needs a colonic to flush his mind out.

I started by complaining about how much snow we have gotten. The truth is the white stuff is like the political climate of Maine right now. Throw a big white sheet over the mess and soon people get snowblind. But when spring comes the mess is still there and the people who made it are now gone. Leaving the rest of us here to shovel through the BS to find the Earth we know is under it.

Now don’t be a state highway man and lean on your shovel when the time comes. Keep it in your hands and be ready. We can either use it to clean up the mess after they are done. Or we can bury them with it this election season. You decide. Can we risk the permanent loss of our hunting traditions and way of life for ill conceived political favoritism.

What would you do to win this!!!!     

Yes a Cuddeback Expert 3.0 digital video trail cam…… With stats like:

Here’s the deal. Tom Remington over at Maine Hunting Today and I had a conversation on the forum about MHT doing this contest. A bigger better advertised outfit. But Tom declined for one reason or the other.  So I picked up the challenge.

The contest is a simple one. Set your trail cam and get some really cool pics. Pick out the three best. Register with me via email and submit the pics as an attachment. When I receive your 10.00 entry fee in the mail I will post your pics for everyone to vote on. Now in the event you have more pics to enter. You submit them (via email) and pay an additional 2.00 per pic for them to be added. (Don’t forget to send the check.)

The contest will start as soon as we have 40 folks who want to win the prize. So if this is something you think you want to try for then email me over at aroostookbasser@yahoo.com           Subject…….Trailcam contest. 

 We need 40 players to “preregister and pay the fee” to afford the Cuddeback as pictured. If we raise more funds, I will upgrade the camera and or add a 2nd or 3rd place prize.

(Note: By preregistering you are still entitled to the three picture upload.  The earlier you register the more time you will have to get your pics. It will also insure this contest goes ahead as planned. In fact I will put a hold on all entries from being posted until we have reached the 40 we need. )

Once the initial 40 are entered I will announce an end date. Probably for sometime in late December or January.

In the event we do not get the 40 entries we need I will refund the funds to all entrants. But will still post their pics……….. just to see who got what on film. All they will get is braggin’ rights though.

IMPORTANT RULE#1: ONLY ENTRIES TIME AND DATE STAMPED FOR 2008 WIL BE ACCEPTED.

IMPORTANT RULE #2: THERE WILL BE NO TIES……. I get the final word and all votes are an open post here on NWW in the form of a comment. That means I get your name,email, and IP address. So just vote once for your favorite pic. Anyone not giving a full name and email will have their vote disqualified. All entries will be numbered…so just post what number you like best.

IMPORTANT RULE #3: Take some pics starting now, and have some fun. There will be no “classes” to this contest. All species are eligible, and humor will be much appreciated.

If you have any questions …..please post it here.

Region F: Penobscot Region

The East Grand ice fishing derby held January 29 and 30 continued the trend of great fishing on region F’s largest salmon lake. 50 Lake Trout were entered with the top 3 were 34″ 14 lbs 12 oz., 30″ 11 lbs 15 oz., 30″ 11 lbs 12 oz. 109 Salmon were entered, the top 3 being 23.5″ 5lbs., from East Grand Lake, 24″ 4lbs 12 oz., from Deering Lake, 23.25″ 3 lbs 10oz., from Deering Lake. 10 Brook Trout were entered largest being 15 ” 1 lb 12 oz.

This past weekend the Pushaw Lake Snowmobile club held its annual fishing derby on Pushaw Lake. Fisheries personnel were there to check the pike that were being entered. 1 Pike was entered in the derby the fish was 21″. Previous to this we have received 6 additional reports of pike being caught up to 26 ” by anglers this winter. This information leads us to believe that they are successfully reproducing in Pushaw. We are requesting that all pike caught be killed to help slow their expansion in the lake. If you have any information on pike caught or know of the origin of this illegal introduction please call us at 207 732 4131.

February 19 marks the start of the 43rd Annual Schoodic Lake fishing derby. For more information on this event contact Merle Harris at 943 7326. Or check it out on the web at www.prcmaine.org

This winter we are conducting a census of the anglers on Schoodic. We have observed some nice lake trout this weekend we observed 34 parties. The largest lake trout being 7+ lbs with 5 between 4 and 6 lbs. The smelt anglers are also having great luck. The smelts are showing next to shore all over the lake. Schoodic continues to be great fishing even though it was actually slower this weekend than what we have seen in the past weeks.

Cold stream continues to be producing excitement for the angler. The brook trout catches have declined since the beginning of the season but the lake trout are beginning to replace them. The occasional salmon make it well worth the trip.

Lower Togue continues to see light fishing pressure. Two parties were checked on Sunday and fishing was slow.

If you looking for fast action fishing to keep kids entertained, several families have been having some fun outings on Escutasis Lake in Burlington

Get out and enjoy all the Great Maine Outdoors and all it has to offer.

Brian Campbell, Fishery Biology Specialist

Region G: Aroostook County

Beautiful weather made for an excellent week to be out fishing, unfortunately in most cases the weather was better than the fishing. Weekend census on Long Lake shoed the fishing to be hit or miss, some catching fish-others just getting a tan. About two dozen salmon checked, three at 3lb 8oz being the largest weighed. We did verify one lucky angler catching a salmon at Long Lake last week weighing in at 10lb 1oz measuring 28 inches. Reports were received of a couple of 4 lb brook trout from Cross Lake and a 4 lb salmon from Square Lake.

With the warm weather, woods roads were breaking up and taking on the character of late March with mud and slop coating vehicle and snowsled trailers. Freezing conditions and a little snow will be welcomed to all traveling the back country to fish. Traveling on the lakes is great though with a light amount of snow, plenty of ice (still be cautious around inlets and outlets) and no slush. Snow is predicted for during the week so depending on amounts received, slush could start being a factor with increasing snow depth this far into the fishing season.

Dave Basley, Regional Fisheries Biologist

From Brent (Aroostookbasser)

In an effort to more accurately provide information for my readers I am now also listing the Penobscot reports. I will add Washington County if enough ask for it.

The Presidential rebate…..or spending stimulus package. Is a hot topic around most counters in the County. Stop by any conveniance store and someone is talking about how they will spend this money. Most of course just paid $3.22+ for gas, so part of this cash will end up in the gas tank, and heating oil tanks as well. Since the qualification is very liberal you can be pretty sure you will be seeing something.

Like most folks I have spent this “windfall” at least a dozen times. It could find it’s way into my flytying, or as new vest. Buy new paddles for my canoes. Life jackets for “company” and a dozen other places.

 In any event the cash will do what the President has set out for it to do. If you give me $600.00 to $1500.00 in expendable cash. I am going to spend it!!!

The ripple effect will  or won’t do as he hopes. I just know with heating oil high and gas pushing $3.22 a gallon plus. Now that’s prior to “Tourist Season” which drives the price all the higher. We are all looking for any break in the never ending rising costs of life here. So cut my check and send it here ASAP!!

Want to learn more about the rebate? Here’s a great article over at Kiplinger. The links there will take you to the IRS and Treasury websites…so you get the facts.

You know if the government gave us $600.00 to $1200.00 of our money back every election year…. we”ld probably vote more often.

Citi Merchant Services Refuses To Process Credit Card Sales For Firearms

Posted by Tom Remington on January 11, 2008

I have been hearing mumblings and grumblings lately that Citi Merchant Service and First Data Corp. had stopped accepting their credits cards used in the purchasing of guns. Thanks to a Black Bear Blog reader who alerted me, it seems that the National Shooting Sports Foundation has verified this to be true and explains what has happened.

The story has become a bit bigger than just the credit card processing. NSSF posted on their website information about this announcement by Citi. NSSF posted a copy of a letter sent to CDNN Sports, Inc., a company that sells firearms, from Citi Merchant Service. That letter stated that Citi was dropping CDNN and would not be processing any more of their firearms transactions.

Citi explained to Charlie Crawford of CDNN Sports, Inc. the reason they were being dumped.

“…..due to the sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment. Keep in mind that a violation of the Gun Control Act occurs when a gun offered online is sold to an individual in another state; the act prohibits selling a handgun to a resident of another state. Shipping across state lines is also banned, yet guns for sale online reach people across the country. We at Citi Merchant Service are unable to monitor or track adherence to these Gun Control laws.”

NSSF apparently posted this information at their website to inform readers and members of actions by Citi Merchant Service. At the same time, in a letter ultimately sent to Citi, Jake McGuigan, Director of Government Relations and Ted Novin, Director of Public Affairs for NSSF, believed this letter that was sent to CDNN Sports, Inc. had to have come from a single, perhaps even unauthorized employee of Citi Merchant Service, because it “contained so many errors that one could only deduce that it was an uniformed mistake that would consequently be corrected.”

In what to me anyway, seems to be a very childish move, First Data Corp. sent an email to NSSF as a plea to, “respectfully request that you remove the posting from your website regarding Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp.”

First Data Corp insisted the posting at NSSF site was inaccurate. They explain that the letter, of which NSSF posted on their website to CDNN Sports, Inc. from Citi Merchant Services and First Data Corp, “did a less than satisfactory job of expressing applicable policies.”

In their feeble attempt to right the record, First Data Corp explains why they won’t process cards for purchases of guns online. The company’s position is, “Our policy restrictions address only the sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment. Non face-to-face transactions occur when a cardholder is not present in front of a merchant and includes mail order and online purchases. It is our policy not to service merchants that make non face-to-face sales in a number of industries, including firearms.”

It became obvious to NSSF that Citi Merchant Service and First Data Corp either were just plain anti-gun or were ignorant of the laws or both. NSSF replied to the request to take down the website posting.

NSSF refused to take down the posting and explained that according to the information they had received, including the email sent to them, the information on their website was accurate.

NSSF will not remove its Web posting nor will we rescind or alter our story.

NSSF went on to tell them they obviously were totally ignorant of existing laws.

Your antigun corporate policy is based on ignorance of the law applicable to the sale of firearms.

It’s so bad that NSSF had to explain to CMS and FDC the legal industry processes they were interfering with.

Furthermore, the policy of First Data and Citi Merchant Services interferes with the receiving and shipping of inventory from and to federally licensed firearms retailers, distributors and manufacturers. This inventory supplies not only lawabiding Americans, but military and law enforcement agencies as well.

Got Citi?

Tom Remington

We neeed to thank people like Tom Remington and others, like “Camogirl” over at her Blog, for telling us about this. If you have CITI you are supporting this and other moves that threaten our traditions. Vote with your wallet………. shread the card!!!!

Region G – Aroostook County

The past two weekends have been spent in the headwaters of the Aroostook River surveying anglers at Millinocket and Millimagassett Lakes. These two lakes lie physically in the Enfield region but because they flow north, the sport fishery is managed out of Ashland. Most anglers are accessing these lakes from the Huber Road. Whereas landowner relations with sportsmen are a hot button topic, the Huber Company should be acknowledged for their effort to plow several areas along their main trucking road that are affording anglers the opportunity to safely park on this busy land management road.

In conducting this survey, we have received the cooperation of the Bureau of Parks and Lands to stay at their camp on Scraggly Lake while on official business. Personnel from the Enfield region are also surveying waters in the immediate area, so each weekend is an opportunity to share time with coworkers that would not ordinarily be available. The groomed snowsled trails going north and south from the Scraggly camp make for great traveling to the lakes – our thanks to the volunteers who are running the groomer to maintain these trails in great condition. This past weekend it was excellent travel conditions.

Several deer were observed walking or crossing the trails and one one Millimagassett Lake was bedded down on the snow, enjoying the warmth of the sun. A fox on Millimagassett Lake was making visits to two parties and was enjoying a feed of smelts that were being tossed his way. These were much favored over triscuits. I would consider a mature fox with its striking red coat, offset with the black legs and white tip of the tail, as one of the most handsome creatures in the Maine woods.
Unfortunately, the wildlife viewing was more active than the fishing – no doubt offset by the full moon during the week. A few togue, trout and a handful of smelts were measured at Millimagassett Lake on Saturday and a few salmon and a splake were seen at Millinocket Lake. Millimagassett Lake affords the opportunity to fish for togue, salmon, brook trout and smelts. The sport fishery in Millinocket Lake is primarily for salmon and splake.
– David J. Basley, Regional Fishery Biologist, Ashland

              Dave Kirkin and a beautiful Brown Trout

Ice Fishing in Maine and most Northern states is as old as human habitation here. And as you can see the fishing up here can be pretty good through the ice. If you can brave the cold and the snow. The advent of snow machines, snosleds. Changed fishing up here forever. Now you can travel many more miles in alot less time.

The trail systems also add to this adventurous expedition. Maine having one of the best trail systems in all of the Northeast. Not to mention having about the best undisturbed fishing in all of the Northeast. Is “the destination” for most of the east coast as far as serious sledders are concerned. Just ask any local sled club and they will tell you how far away some of our tourists are travelling to ride here.

                         Derek Legere with another Brownie     

There are a few things to keep in mind if decide to make the trip. You will need to find accomodations near the trails or figure on wasting additional time trailoring your sled to and from an access point. This is not a problem since most of the local hotels/motels are quick to guide you on trail locations and their proximity to them. Another thing is to bring along a portable ice fishing shack of the collapsible kind. There are some rentals around but do your homework.  The best for this kind of adventure are the ones housed in hard plastic shells that easily drag behing your sled.  Local clubs will assist you if asked on how best to get to any of the local, and yes even to some of the more remote lakes and ponds.  Be sure to pack plenty of food, gear and of course bait. Along with the tackle boxes, ice traps and jig’n poles.  A word to wise here, consult the laws on each body of water. What is okay here may be illegal over there.

                  Derek’s Big Brown from last year……..nice fish!          

The key to being a good ice fisherman is to be patient and know what is going on under the ice. Keeping the minnows alive and swimming doesn’t hurt either.  Depending upon the lake and the deths involved. the trout clan are near bottom in the early season and near the top in the latter part. This variation is caused by the thermal cline and the temperature inversion it causes. Later in the season it is said that the lake turns over. Which means the colder water settles to the bottom and the warmer water rises to the top. In the beginning the colder surface temps fed by the ice and freezing temps push the warmer water deeper. So you will have to fish deep. Then this reverses and the cold loving fish will come up shallower trying to find their ideal temperature. This transition to shallower water carries through to ice out.

Now depending on the species as well as the depth of the lake. Fish can be found from the bottom to the top as each species tries to locate it’s optimum temperature. Some fish like smallmouths are notorious for hanging suspended along the thermal cline in any depth. Looking for prey fish like smelts and shiners. The perches like the warmest water and will be in either extreme looking for it. Pickerel seem to be the hungriest of all the species and hit voraciously all season in all waters where they live. But the trouts and salmo clan are cold water lovers and will be in the cooler parts of the water column near bait fish passage areas.

                  Nice Pickerel….through the ice

Using sonar to locate structure will help you also locate baitfish and allow you to see where the fish are positioned in the water column. So I am an advocate of good electronics and I don’t think it takes away from the natural experience. In fact success breeds more activity and that makes us more active in our protection of the woods and waters we love.

The real key to having success is have fun. Relax, and when the fish aren’t biting take ride on the sled. But watch those flags !!! That big brown or state record Muskie is likely to hit when you are least ready.

Now I made it a point not to recommend any waters for a reason. The Northern half of Maine is so full of fishable water that I would be a fool to say that this one was better than that. You can fish close town on Nickerson or get way out there on St Croix or Square. Target stockers on Drews or bass on Mattawamkeag. Join the endless derbies on the Grande Lakes of the eastern border. Or pull lunker browns from the Hodgdon dead water. There are just so many places to fish, and so many great waters here. To list which is better than what would insult one or all of them.

Suffice it to say that you must decide what places you will fish and what you will fish for. Considering the near record snow of this season. I would say get out there and ride. But bring an extension for your auger and or a shovel. That snowpak on the ice is extra thick this year.

In closing I would like to thank Dave Kirkin for the use of some of his pictures for this piece. If you happen by the Maine Fishing Today forum, say hello to “Mehunter” and let him know you saw his pictures here.

If you have any good fishing stories or photos to share please foprward them to me at : aroostookbasser@yahoo.com care of NWW. I look forward to your emails or comments left for me here.

                                   Bear on the bait………  

In 2007 I had the distinct pleasure of learning a lot from a very serious bear guide. My buddy Ivan is the best all around guide I have ever met, and the best bear guide in Aroostook. It’s just that simple.

Ivan and I did some field-testing and research for an outfit out of Georgia. They make scents and such. As a direct result of that testing we were able to put four hunters in the trees, and kill four bear. That’s 100% success. Granted we aren’t running some big lodge and hiring bait runners and retired guides to set things up for us, like some of the other “operations”. That name alone tells me they are not true guide services, just commercial hunting “operations”. Ivan on the other hand runs a small outfit providing limited hunts and one on one service.

Just like the days of old in deer hunting circles. Scent tech for bears is just as legitimate. Now we have to convince reasonable people that bears live and die by their sense of smell. By that I mean we are using techniques that use scent to draw bears from greater distances than anyone has had the ability to before. We are now using products created by Ivan, and some stuff we were field-testing for another scent company.

 I will not use the name of the primary company due solely upon the fact that we are no longer getting the scents from them. Instead we are creating our own based in part upon the concepts learned from the commercial products. But enhanced through better understanding of how to use the products and what scents actually work on our bears.

The core of this article is based on the methods of success we employ. The first lesson is to read the sign correctly. Make sure you are on main travel route to begin with. Look for food sources you can confirm they are eating in. Look for scat and prints. Clawing and log shredding for grubs is normal activity as well. We also use trail cams to confirm the size and amount of bears using the area. A little “seeding” in the area will increase the movement in or near camera range.

Once you locate a bear route look for suitable treestand sites. In our case we use two ladders, or a ladder and a hanger stand. So we need two trees close together. Ideally, we are seeking a hunter’s seat and a filming seat.

If you hunt with bows and with guns as well. You need to consider range as a critical issue. This is the key factor in all stand placements for us. Remember that you can be too close to the bait and at 15 yards or less there is no room for anything to go wrong. The bears will pick up any movement or sound instantly. So if you are that close, the branches must be cleared, and the camo must be perfect too. Take anything for granted and get no bear.

So now you have a place and stands. Now you need to drag in a bear proof feeder like a blue plastic barrel or a steel garbage can. Chain it to a tree in the open, that has at least two smaller trees near to corral the barrel from being drug off. Or you can hang a five-gallon pail on a cable between two trees and make the bears have to work for it. The barrel is great in an area hard to get to and keep baited. But the 5-gallon pail is best for local sets. The pail also makes them stand still and offers the better shooting opportunity.

Now if you have done your homework you have located a supply of donuts/ bread and baked goods. Which I prefer to deal with, over using rotting meat and maggoty scraps.

Fill the bait container of choice and break out some used vegetable oil fresh from McDonalds or Burger King. Splash this oil all over the ground coming into and out of the bait site. Add into this, things like bacon grease on the bait to increase scent and draw them in. Maple syrup on the ground along with the oil adds to the tracking factor. The tracking factor: is the concept that bears will come into the bait, pick up scent from the bait area and then leave a scent trail when they go. Other bears will cross that trail and follow it back to the bait increasing traffic to the bait.

The key here is to keep all active baits fresh and well filled. The scent will draw more bears. They will eat old stale donuts if they are hungry. But they will be drawn from stale to fresh. Look at it this way. Do you want them on your bait or the other guy’s?

Here’s where I offend a few of my fellow baiters. Unless you are putting baits at least five miles apart. There is no really good reason for running more than 8 to 10 baits. I here about these guys running 20 or more baits in and around the same township. Then they complain the keep running up other guys baiting all over where they are. Back up! You have say ten to twenty baiters in any town. Multiply that by 20 and you have a township ringed with 400 baits!!!! Now you have all 20 complaining that some body is pulling bears off them. How do you figure? You have at best 50 bears in your township and they have 400 places to eat. See the problem, too much food. The bears just walk around the circuit hitting the freshest food sources. Making it impossible to realistically predict the when and where of the bear activities.

Baiting works on the principle of lack of food. If you have too much bait out there the bears are too hard to get into a routine. That is counter productive to everyone. The booming bear population means lots of hunting chances for all of us.

Knowing that most baiters are doing their own thing and will not heed my advice to scale back the number of baits. Means as a serious hunter I will apply my scent knowledge and create a bait site that outdraws theirs. In fact I am so sure of this methodology we use that we place baits intentionally to draw bears away from established bear sites we know are there. But we never get any closer than ¼ to ½ mile away. If I can cut a bear trail anyplace in this North Country, I can put in a Master Bait.

Sounds like a good slogan (……..you can just play around trying to draw Maine Bears to your baits…or you can MASTER BAIT.)

Got any bear stories or bait information to share.

Email me at : aroostookbasser@yahoo.com

Here in the post season I can reflect back to what a wonderful season I had this year. Not only did I get meat in the freezer. But I hunted hard and a lot. Got to see a lot of deer, including a huge albino doe. But the high point was helping a good friend drag out his deer as well.

In a period of three days I saw 17 deer in and around the area where we had treestands out. My buddy Ivan saw ten to twelve more deer beyond those. We cruised all over the backcountry and saw a lot of critters. Over the course of the season I figure I saw about 25 deer and “tracked up” another 10 to 12 more. All of these deer clearly distinct and different not repeat customers or confusions. So yes I must admit the deer herd in 2007 looked really strong and the deer were in great shape.

But how will it fair against record snows and the loss of traditional deeryards? 2008 could undo the gains of the last couple of seasons. I will have to admit that the coyote’s predation may be less of a factor than in past years. But that is due to the continued sport hunting and trapping. Hunters I know are looking harder to find fewer. That is definitely a good sign.

I will step back out onto the edge with my fellow hunters again and repeat what I have said in the past. There is no way we have a 2.5 to 1 buck to doe ratio in Aroostook County. On average we saw 5 to 6 does for every buck seen or tracked. Now that is a conservative estimate. The numbers could have been skewed to be even more does to bucks but not the other way around. Just sightings alone showed the ratio to be at least twice the stated ratio given by the state. These are not just my observations. Ask any hunter who logs more than four days in November, just Saturdays. They will tell you the same thing. 

I can honestly say that I logged close to 175 hours from late September to the end of November. Hunting the archery season and the gun season as well. In less than 75 days I was able to maximize my hunting by spending every free moment in the woods. Not an easy thing to do when you work two full time jobs and try to fit writing into the equation. The latter always getting the short end, I’m afraid.

According to my log, friends, and my own observations of course. On November 5th when I shot my deer the bucks were in the chase phase and rubs and scrapes were abandoned. Not one scrape was refreshed after that time that we were monitoring. Now you may want to argue the point but the facts speak for themselves. These deer were all moving from 10 to 2 in midday just as the solunar tables said they would. Still being active at night under the full moons influence even after it left.

That means in the North Country our rut came early, peaked sooner and was a non-factor earlier than in the southern part of the state. Now I have read some garbage here and there on the hunting forums from misdirected individuals stating that deer were peaking the last part of November. Sorry folks, that was the post rut here in the county. It may be peak in another area but not in Aroostook.  “Yes Virginia”, region does influence rut. More than we may have realized in the past. Here in Aroostook we are at the extreme Northern edge of the whitetails range. The deer up here are different. They are bigger bodied than those “German shepherd” sized southern deer. All stunted from over population. Weather and their changing environment also more easily influence them.

Here are a few ways to use that against them:

1. Hunt high on breezy days and stay out of valleys/ swamps and such.
2. Hunt the day before a storm, stay home the day of a storm, and hunt hard the day after.
3. Prior to a storm hunt the food source hardest, the bedding areas least.
4. Post storm deer are at the food sources.
5. Hunt saddles!!!!
6. Look for bedding areas near water barriers that limit human activity. The island in the middle of the swamp idea. The deer will always go there when pushed, or weather makes then hide.
7. Hunt the back corners of cuts near access roads. The undulating ground will conceal the corners from view from the road and the deer will feed there. While being a short hop or two from cover.
8. When hunting cuts, hunt downhill, so your scent rises back up behind you on the thermal air currents. (Hunt from south to north on normal weather, and alter your course to keep the wind on your left cheek.)
9. Hunt the open cuts from a ladder sand or tripod. If the full moon is in effect, hunt the midday hardest. Deer will be up feeding again from 10 to 2.   

I hope your season was as good as mine. If not, well I hope my observations can help you next year. The key is to try everything and stay adaptive. The one hard and fast rule of deer hunting is there are no hard and fast rules on deer hunting.

 Bnreece©2008