Late Season Tactics

[BoTheHunter]

I need help on hunting the late season here in ky. What is the best way to approach it, beeding, feeding, travel, or what? Thanks, Bo!

 

[Exhumis]

Greetings from your way eastern neighbor, northern Virginia! Rut here has pretty much died down but bucks will still be cruzing for a few late estrus does. Then the action dies down till about the late first week of December when we have a mini rut. Historically we've been almost in sync with you so take that for what it's worth. I start hunting food sources especially mast trees and any available browse. Depending on moisture in your area south facing slopes might have a bit more veg content but that hunting southern slopes is a myth as far as bedding areas. Hunt the wind.

 

[Blinginpse]

Find your food. With rut coming to a slow end deer will be transitioning back till about mid December then a small rut will come in till about Christmas or new years. Does that didnt breed and yearlings will heat. Bucks should drag along with the does but they got to eat to so will he driven by their stomachs also.

Also for cold mornings maybe or when snow is on look at your east south east places where sun hits first in the early part of the day. Deer will bed in these places on really cold days catching the early sun to help them warm themselves up but also be hidden. Deer cant fly so the sign will be there just got to piece together the puzzle. Good luck sir.

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[catman529]

For big bucks or deer in general?

Big bucks I don’t know much other than some will start to go back to their old patterns at the very end of season. Late estrous does or doe fawns that manage to come into heat will cause some occasional rut activity. Otherwise it’s food and safety

Deer in general it’s like pretty much any other time of year except the rut... bedding and food. The main difference will be bigger groups of deer (mainly doe/fawn groups), different food sources and possibly less food, and if you hunt high pressured areas, they will likely be shifting back to more ideal locations as the hunting pressure dies off.

Here’s an example of how one spot I hunt changes from early to mid to late season.

It’s a spot I’ve hunted a lot for several years. Public land Ag fields, lots of deer, lots of food and lots of bedding cover and woods around.

Early season, low pressure, bow only, deer still on ag field patterns, but rapidly switching to acorns.

Mid season, muzzleloader opens, people travel from across the state to hunt, some deer get killed, deer react to pressure by staying tighter to thickets and farther back in woods during the day. But the rut is heating up and anything can happen anywhere. Then rifle season opens, rut is still going, hunting pressure increases.

Late season, hunting pressure starts to slack off. Last week or so of season, doe groups start hitting the fields before dark regularly. I’ve seen a few younger bucks and a buddy of mine saw a couple shooters once on the last day of season, in an open field near the road. It’s cold, the deer are hungry, they know the hunters are gone (most of them) and they go back to their old evening patterns. If any acorns are left, those are also worth hunting.


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[BoTheHunter]

Greetings from your way eastern neighbor, northern Virginia! Rut here has pretty much died down but bucks will still be cruzing for a few late estrus does. Then the action dies down till about the late first week of December when we have a mini rut. Historically we've been almost in sync with you so take that for what it's worth. I start hunting food sources especially mast trees and any available browse. Depending on moisture in your area south facing slopes might have a bit more veg content but that hunting southern slopes is a myth as far as bedding areas. Hunt the wind.

Thanks man, what kind of trees are you talking about? Oaks? How can I get up in oaks with a loc-on or my saddle? What kind of browse are you talking about? What is your method of getting up in big oaks and how do you hunt them.

 

[Gator]

Food

 

[Exhumis]

Thanks man, what kind of trees are you talking about? Oaks? How can I get up in oaks with a loc-on or my saddle? What kind of browse are you talking about? What is your method of getting up in big oaks and how do you hunt them.

Oaks, hickory, Pecan, walnut etc. Anything that drops mast or something for deer to eat. I discovered a persimmon tree and man the deer hammer that. As for getting up in a tree, just climb that sucker. Most platforms will grip. I have 3 heliums with an aider, gets me plenty high. I'll hunt oaks near a bedding area, trail, funnel etc. Anything that brings deer close to it. They'll seek out the mast dropping trees as the browse dies off. Browse is leaves, twigs, buds etc. They love pine tips. Look at this site for more info.

Deer Browse

Deer Browse

www.nyantler-outdoors.com

.

 

[BTaylor]

Late season I will look for honeysuckle or dewberry patches in travel corridors, walk thru salad bar.

 

[robstewart]

Since I have a doe tag I’m going to bring my electronic caller (LEGAL in Ontario) and put it about 30 yards up wind and play fawn in distress and see what happens.


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[BoTheHunter]

Oaks, hickory, Pecan, walnut etc. Anything that drops mast or something for deer to eat. I discovered a persimmon tree and man the deer hammer that. As for getting up in a tree, just climb that sucker. Most platforms will grip. I have 3 heliums with an aider, gets me plenty high. I'll hunt oaks near a bedding area, trail, funnel etc. Anything that brings deer close to it. They'll seek out the mast dropping trees as the browse dies off. Browse is leaves, twigs, buds etc. They love pine tips. Look at this site for more info.

Deer Browse

Deer Browse

www.nyantler-outdoors.com

.

Thanks man! How do you find trees that are dropping right now? Also, how do you find bedding areas. Sorry for bombarding you man! I'm new to mobile hunting. Also, your sticks go around the massive oaks?

 

[michigandrake]

Not sure what winter looks like in Kentucky but up north late season hunting is all about food sources and thermal cover. Protected (from the wind) food sources are a sure bet late season and especially if there is protected bedding close by. When it is time for second rut the down wind edge of thermal bedding cover is a good bet if you are after the bucks that survived rifle season.

 

[Exhumis]

Most oaks drop around September to October, so the acorns will be on the ground now. Pecans and others are around same time. Sometimes they'll drop sooner or less depending on environmental conditions. Bedding areas depends on the area, hunting pressure, terrain, etc. Too much for me to list, read the above and learn how to read a map.
There's tons of info on the qdma website, look here. They also have a download able pdf file
https://www.qdma.com/tag/bedding-areas/.
Find a mentor if you can.

 

[Gator]

Thanks man! How do you find trees that are dropping right now? Also, how do you find bedding areas. Sorry for bombarding you man! I'm new to mobile hunting. Also, your sticks go around the massive oaks?

I seriously doubt any acorns will still be on the ground that will get eaten anyway.

 

[BoTheHunter]

Most oaks drop around September to October, so the acorns will be on the ground now. Pecans and others are around same time. Sometimes they'll drop sooner or less depending on environmental conditions. Bedding areas depends on the area, hunting pressure, terrain, etc. Too much for me to list, read the above and learn how to read a map.
There's tons of info on the qdma website, look here. They also have a download able pdf file
https://www.qdma.com/tag/bedding-areas/.
Find a mentor if you can.

Thanks man!!!!! Ill check it out!!

 

[BoTheHunter]

For big bucks or deer in general?

Big bucks I don’t know much other than some will start to go back to their old patterns at the very end of season. Late estrous does or doe fawns that manage to come into heat will cause some occasional rut activity. Otherwise it’s food and safety

Deer in general it’s like pretty much any other time of year except the rut... bedding and food. The main difference will be bigger groups of deer (mainly doe/fawn groups), different food sources and possibly less food, and if you hunt high pressured areas, they will likely be shifting back to more ideal locations as the hunting pressure dies off.

Here’s an example of how one spot I hunt changes from early to mid to late season.

It’s a spot I’ve hunted a lot for several years. Public land Ag fields, lots of deer, lots of food and lots of bedding cover and woods around.

Early season, low pressure, bow only, deer still on ag field patterns, but rapidly switching to acorns.

Mid season, muzzleloader opens, people travel from across the state to hunt, some deer get killed, deer react to pressure by staying tighter to thickets and farther back in woods during the day. But the rut is heating up and anything can happen anywhere. Then rifle season opens, rut is still going, hunting pressure increases.

Late season, hunting pressure starts to slack off. Last week or so of season, doe groups start hitting the fields before dark regularly. I’ve seen a few younger bucks and a buddy of mine saw a couple shooters once on the last day of season, in an open field near the road. It’s cold, the deer are hungry, they know the hunters are gone (most of them) and they go back to their old evening patterns. If any acorns are left, those are also worth hunting.


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Thanks @catman529!! Love your videos man! Especially the canoe hunting trip!