Hunting, Weather and the Adirondacks

Weather in the Adirondacks can be tricky, especially during the hunting season.  If you come to these mountains to hunt, be prepared.  Forecast's change very suddenly in this region and higher elevations can be immersed in inclimate weather in no time at all.  Preparation is the key to your safety and the quality of your hunt. 

Hurricane force winds have been observed in this area on several occasions.  In July of 1995 a "micro-burst" leveled areas of the forest near Little Tupper and Cranberry Lakes.  A smaller remnant of Hurricane Floyd knocked out power for days in September of 1999 and laid thousands of trees on the forest floor.  Storms such as these provide needed food for whitetails in those areas. Combined with easier winters, this has contributed to strong herds in the areas affected.  

This winter (2002-03) is off to a tough start for the deer though.  Snowfall began in late October and has been accumulating steadily as the winter season has progressed.  It could be tough year for the deer this year should they tap out their wintering yard resources.  We'll see what happens and keep you updated here. 

It's not uncommon for early season weather to be warm.  Our regular deer hunting seasons starts in late October and often there is still plenty of fall foliage and leaves on the underbrush.  Hunters wait for killing frosts and rain showers to bring down the leaves and open up the woods. 

The western Adirondacks are susceptible to lake effect snowstorms as early as late October to early November.  It's not uncommon for these storms to leave a deep blanket of snow from Watertown to Old Forge and areas south.  2000 was not the coldest season on record but it sure wasn't the warmest either. Throw in a few dustings of snow and it was downright crunchy late in the season.  Sitting either in a stand or on a drive is for the hardiest and most patient hunters. 

Putting the weather puzzle together is a vital part to any hunt.  The contents of this page are tools placed here to assist you in that task.  Most New York State hunting seasons are sunrise to sunset.  Please note that the sunrise/set tables on this page are for Lake George, New York and will differ from region to region.  Use them only as a guide.  Many hunters plan their strategies and their vacations based on full moon cycles.  There has been some interesting writings on this topic and thus moon stages are included on this page.  

For more information on the weather or a local forecast check out some of the weather links listed above.