Modern Gun is finally over tomorrow!!

[BowtechHunting]

I just wanted to express my excitement that gun is over tomorrow night, and everything will be back to normal with a week or so. It seems every year during this time, my deer sightings plummet to almost nothing. I understand that this is part of my fault, ie change locations/ tactics or what have you, but I know I'm not the only one that feels like the October lull goes well into November. Deer are skittish and on the edge the whole time. I don't know about you guys, but I never been a fan of the rut and prefer late season bowhunting in the cold and snow over any other time of the season! So, what are your strategies come late season? Back to food? Field edges?

[dan]

My stratagie is simalar to early season... Hunting the bedding areas. I will keep a closer eye on food sources though, and glassing in the evening hours seems to be more productive, and the deer seem to stick to patterns better... Between gun season, muzzle loader season, and late gun season, it does get tough. Deer are on edge when guys with guns are constantly going after them... Regardless of the gun seasons I find the last week of december and into the 1st few days of January when our season ends to be the best time in late season to get a crack at a big buck. They seem to move much more in daylight and just go from food to bed and seem very killable...

[Dewey]

I am looking forward to gun season being over as well and ready for this month to end. This has been my worst November ever for deer sightings and even though I had most of the month off and hunted extremely hard I saw very few deer.
I will head out with my muzzleloader next weekend and then finally back to my bow. I have the last two weeks of December off and looking forward to this late season hunting because the last few years I have seen my largest bucks during this time. It's usually cold, hunting pressure is WAY down and the bucks finally settle down some and concentrate on feeding. I will be hunting bedding areas like Dan mentioned and hoping they get up early from their beds.

I have never killed a decent buck late season but this is my goal this year. Sure would be a great way to end the season with a last minute kill.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[bowhunter15]

My observations about the last bit of december are the same. Almost no pressure, and the deer become very patternable. But they remain on edge and won't tolerate ANY mistakes. You can't get away with nearly as much and I've been suprised to see just how little it takes to send a late season deer running. Its like they can see through trees!

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

I have never killed a decent buck late season but this is my goal this year. Sure would be a great way to end the season with a last minute kill.

I remember one particularily hard year I had. I just couldn't kill a big buck. I really put in an effort, and told myself that if I go buckless it won't be because I put in a lack of effort. I hunted hard right to the bitter end and actually shot my buck at closing time on the last day of the season. A nice 11 pointer. Hunt hard and good things still have a chance of happening.

[BowtechHunting]

I am looking forward to gun season being over as well and ready for this month to end. This has been my worst November ever for deer sightings and even though I had most of the month off and hunted extremely hard I saw very few deer.
I will head out with my muzzleloader next weekend and then finally back to my bow. I have the last two weeks of December off and looking forward to this late season hunting because the last few years I have seen my largest bucks during this time. It's usually cold, hunting pressure is WAY down and the bucks finally settle down some and concentrate on feeding. I will be hunting bedding areas like Dan mentioned and hoping they get up early from their beds.

I have never killed a decent buck late season but this is my goal this year. Sure would be a great way to end the season with a last minute kill.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I'm in KY and I feel the same way about this month. My brother and I both haven't seen much. Although he stuck a nice 8, but lost it, stuck a doe and lost it. It might be me, but I think he should get rid of the Rage Heads and go with Muzzy! But, hunting pressure around here has really been high, from what I hear. I have been working and too much on my plate to hunt hard. But, come December, I'll have a lot of free time and be able to get focused on putting some deer down.

[BowtechHunting]

My stratagie is simalar to early season... Hunting the bedding areas. I will keep a closer eye on food sources though, and glassing in the evening hours seems to be more productive, and the deer seem to stick to patterns better... Between gun season, muzzle loader season, and late gun season, it does get tough. Deer are on edge when guys with guns are constantly going after them... Regardless of the gun seasons I find the last week of december and into the 1st few days of January when our season ends to be the best time in late season to get a crack at a big buck. They seem to move much more in daylight and just go from food to bed and seem very killable...

My biggest problem is finding bedding areas. I watched your DVD's over and over picking up info, but I just don't come across them much. I may be looking in the wrong places. I have found a handful, but not like I should be finding them. The best one I found, like I mentioned, was by a pond. I hate to glass and watch it, just because it's a good hour from my home to hunt him. I have to go when the time is perfect and not make a mistake. Would you suggest a possible bump and dump? Run him out in the evening and go back in the early morning?

[Bucky]

I used to love WI rifle season... now not so much. Looking forward to muzzleloader... glad to see most of the bucks I have been following for a while are still alive according to cameras

[dan]

Would you suggest a possible bump and dump? Run him out in the evening and go back in the early morning?

Not if you already know where he beds... If your going to hunt him in the morning just get there before him and set up over looking his bed and carfully plan your entrance rought so he does not smell where you walked.

[GRFox]

I have never killed a decent buck late season but this is my goal this year. Sure would be a great way to end the season with a last minute kill.

I remember one particularily hard year I had. I just couldn't kill a big buck. I really put in an effort, and told myself that if I go buckless it won't be because I put in a lack of effort. I hunted hard right to the bitter end and actually shot my buck at closing time on the last day of the season. A nice 11 pointer. Hunt hard and good things still have a chance of happening.

I did this in 2008. Hunted hard till the bitter end and shot a buck (not a monster) on DDecember27, my last possible day to hunt.

I hope I can pull it off again this year.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dan]

Went over to Daves farm to give the gun season one last try today. The 84 year old neighbor came out to hunt when there was about 10 minutes of legal light left
I was positioned above a marsh bedding area on the downwind side of a cut cornfield that has a lot of corn on the ground. He set up on the up wind side of the cornfield with his scent blowing right into the bedding area where both of us were expecting deer to come from
So I can barly see him but its obvious he is watching the field. I don't often bring bino's but did this time cause I can see for a very long way from up top of this tree. So I look at the guy thru the 10x50's and the Dude is looking at me thru his scope with his rifle aimed right at me... Creepy old bastaard
That was enough for me... I left.

[BigHunt]

Went over to Daves farm to give the gun season one last try today. The 84 year old neighbor came out to hunt when there was about 10 minutes of legal light left
I was positioned above a marsh bedding area on the downwind side of a cut cornfield that has a lot of corn on the ground. He set up on the up wind side of the cornfield with his scent blowing right into the bedding area where both of us were expecting deer to come from
So I can barly see him but its obvious he is watching the field. I don't often bring bino's but did this time cause I can see for a very long way from up top of this tree. So I look at the guy thru the 10x50's and the Dude is looking at me thru his scope with his rifle aimed right at me... Creepy old bastaard
That was enough for me... I left.

gezze dude bad luck and scary moment

[BowtechHunting]

Went over to Daves farm to give the gun season one last try today. The 84 year old neighbor came out to hunt when there was about 10 minutes of legal light left
I was positioned above a marsh bedding area on the downwind side of a cut cornfield that has a lot of corn on the ground. He set up on the up wind side of the cornfield with his scent blowing right into the bedding area where both of us were expecting deer to come from
So I can barly see him but its obvious he is watching the field. I don't often bring bino's but did this time cause I can see for a very long way from up top of this tree. So I look at the guy thru the 10x50's and the Dude is looking at me thru his scope with his rifle aimed right at me... Creepy old bastaard
That was enough for me... I left.

Holy crap Dan!! My case in point. Rifle brings out the wacko's. Glad you didn't get hurt. Glad rifle is over....

[Dewey]

So I look at the guy thru the 10x50's and the Dude is looking at me thru his scope with his rifle aimed right at me... Creepy old bastaard
That was enough for me... I left.

Why do people do this?? I see and hear about this way too much. There are some real idiots out there!!

[dan]

Yea, to top that, I am pretty sure he did not have permission to shoot into the cornfield he was watching.