It wasn’t the epic Dust Bowl, but the 2012 drought in the United States was one of the worst on record. That year, a hunting buddy and I had booked an archery hunt in Illinois. Bad timing, but it couldn’t have been helped – nonresidents have to apply for a license in May.

Few weeks before our hunt was to begin, the outfitter contacted us. He said that there would be no corn standing because there would be no corn harvest. It had been so hot and dry that the corn hadn’t produced ears; local farmers had cut it and gathered it into bales, as a poor substitute for feeding their cattle.

The hunting was going to be tough, the outfitter said, because his stands locations were selected based on traditional deer movement. That deer movement was created and enhanced by the vast fields of standing corn.

We haven’t had a drought, but so far hunting during archery season has been challenged by heat. This past Monday I slipped slowly to a stand; slipping slowly so I wouldn’t arrive as a sweat ball. I had to wonder – what was it like being a deer, and moving around in that heavy coat? It was no wonder they were moving only at dusk or dawn.

Deer need a lot of water, and in a typical year they’re able to get lots of needed moisture from the foliage they eat. So, I thought, what’s a hunter to do? I did some scouting, walking creek beds and checking crossings. Loads of deer tracks peppered some areas, but when were they moving?

Plus, the trouble with creek crossings is that tree selection for the traditional lock-on, ladder or climbing stands may be limited. Often the areas around a creek or pond are thick with young growth, or tree species which are suitable for stands.

Hmmn. I’d been using a pop-up blind to hunt turkeys in the spring, and also to photograph deer during the spring and summer. I’d enjoyed hanging out in the blind, relaxing in a comfy chair. I’d always seen plenty of game – everything from chipmunks and squirrels to deer and even bear. I had whittled away many pleasant summer evenings in the blind, shooting seven groundhogs and even reading and snacking while waiting for the sunset.

I’ve decided to trust my existing stand locations, which have traditionally been the sites of plenty of deer sightings and opportunities. Sometime soon, we can hope that the hot weather breaks into frosty mornings and evenings, coinciding with increases in deer movement as the time of their rut approaches. I’ll be back in those stands sometime soon.

In the meantime, it seems that the deer have “gone to ground.” Well, I’ve decided to try the same thing. Until the weather breaks, conditions are right for ground blind ambushes near water sources. And the time is always right for comfy chairs.