the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

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How optimistic are you for the upcoming late season?

I'm a late season specialist with multiple successes
12
3%
I've taken more than one good late season buck
37
9%
Only one good, mature buck in the late season
48
11%
I haven't been successful on mature bucks in the late season
323
77%
 
Total votes: 420
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Brad
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Brad » Sat Nov 27, 2021 1:48 am

Optimistic for sure... but I'm almost always optimistic. I have not shot an antlered buck in the late season yet (only my 3rd season hunting) but I'm certainly going to give it a go.


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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby LukeTM » Sun Nov 28, 2021 1:49 pm

This year, I think my strategy will be to man up and knock on some doors. Folks around here always have an uncle or cousin that hunt their farm. I’ll bet that by January, they will be a bit more willing to permit access.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Red » Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 am

I've been fortunate to take a few good bucks late season. Whether it be a late doe come in heat or food on both private and public I usually have better luck on public late season
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Brad » Mon Nov 29, 2021 1:53 pm

Red wrote:I've been fortunate to take a few good bucks late season. Whether it be a late doe come in heat or food on both private and public I usually have better luck on public late season


I'd love to hear your recipe for success in late season, especially on public land. What are you looking for to decide it's a spot you should try to focus on?
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Red » Mon Nov 29, 2021 5:11 pm

I look for the most up to date fresh tracks and scat.food in close proximity to bedding.. Cold weather helps push them more to the fields and clear cuts and gets them up on there feet a litte earlier and makes them more predictable imo. When it's warmer I usually have to go up in the hills to find them. I just look for green browse in the fields with loads of fresh prints and scats and when I have to go up into the woods I look for pawing marks on the ground where they are digging up leftover acorns or mayb some type of briar patch that has alot of browse need to have some type of fresh tracks and scat around it. If it's the best food source they have bucks will be there. I've found late season bucks to be kind of hard headed and hard to run them off of their food that time of year especially if there ain't much of it around. In my opinion you have to have some type of bedding close to the food they don't like to travel far late season imo. Every now and again I will see some some doe feeding that has come in to heat late and it will have every buck in the area on her tail. That scenario don't happen every year for me though. I just cover alot of ground until I find the things I described. The temperature usually dictates where I look, but that just based on my own experience
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dewey » Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:29 pm

Since I killed my buck Oct 23 I’ve been laying pretty low and only hunted a few days since. Just doesn’t feel right hunting without a buck tag so thought I’m gonna up the challenge a bit and hunt this late season with traditional gear hoping to kill a doe. Been shooting the heck out of my old Bear Kodiak the last month and feel real confident with a 15 yard limit. Feels so good to get back to basics and just shoot instinctive with fingers again like I did in my early years. Killed a bunch of deer that way and really miss the simpler times. Just gonna have fun with it and see what happens. Looking forward to the challenge.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Chuck B » Tue Nov 30, 2021 1:20 am

Dewey wrote:Since I killed my buck Oct 23 I’ve been laying pretty low and only hunted a few days since. Just doesn’t feel right hunting without a buck tag so thought I’m gonna up the challenge a bit and hunt this late season with traditional gear hoping to kill a doe. Been shooting the heck out of my old Bear Kodiak the last month and feel real confident with a 15 yard limit. Feels so good to get back to basics and just shoot instinctive with fingers again like I did in my early years. Killed a bunch of deer that way and really miss the simpler times. Just gonna have fun with it and see what happens. Looking forward to the challenge.



Good luck Dewey and the rest of you. My bow and gun will be hung up the rest of the year. Two of my 3 kids bdays this month, Holliday “stuff”, Packer game, and my bow bucks tag is burned. I may get out for a geese hunt or two (have never hunted the fields this time of year) but that will be it.

Some of my favorite hunts have been zero degree December/January days. It’s just a challenge. Gotta stay warm enough and quiet enough for the deer to get close enough. And then have to be able to pull the shot off with fingers you can’t feel and snot running down your nose!
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby DeadHeadSpread » Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:13 pm

Just read all 14 pages of this thread. Did the same thing last year around this time. Good inspiration in all those posts to get out there in the late season. In PA the gun season is over and it’s 2 weeks until the late season muzzleloader and archery season opens. Game plan is to get out scouting the next 2 weekends since season isn’t open and come up with a plan to get out there and fill some tags! Pulling for some snow with no noisy crust.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:04 am

Dewey wrote:Since I killed my buck Oct 23 I’ve been laying pretty low and only hunted a few days since. Just doesn’t feel right hunting without a buck tag so thought I’m gonna up the challenge a bit and hunt this late season with traditional gear hoping to kill a doe. Been shooting the heck out of my old Bear Kodiak the last month and feel real confident with a 15 yard limit. Feels so good to get back to basics and just shoot instinctive with fingers again like I did in my early years. Killed a bunch of deer that way and really miss the simpler times. Just gonna have fun with it and see what happens. Looking forward to the challenge.



That’s a great idea Dewey
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:13 am

My outlook isn’t so great for this late season.

The snow is so deep I’m having a hard time getting in. Apparently I need bigger snowshoes but hard to navigate a lot of places with those. When I got to the side of the road where my truck was parked last night (snow mound over halfway up the door) I lost footing mostly due to exhaustion. Fell down onto the shoulder of the road and just laid there for a minute or two. I thought to myself this basically sums up my entire season.

Now we have a lot of 33-50 deg temps the next couple weeks which is basically the end of season. I’m not going to quit but don’t really have any great plans left either
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Mario » Wed Dec 15, 2021 12:50 am

I like the late season, maybe more for the challenge and the serenity of getting out in the cold. I wrote this article on some tactics I use https://www.huntingbeastgear.com/blogs/hunting-beast-gear-tactics/the-sound-of-silence-late-season-hunting

The Sound of Silence - Late Season Hunting

Mario Trafficante Jr - Hunting Beast Gear

Late season can mean many things depending on where you live in the country. In the Midwest we shuffle in the shorter days and cold North winds that create a much different environment for the hunter and the prey. I often wonder what it must be like to survive and sustain in subzero temperatures like the majestic whitetails we chase.

Getting out in the cold can test one’s physical and mental limits but can be very rewarding as it requires focus in your preparation, approach, and timing.

The cold of winter brings a crisp silence to the outdoors where every movement seems to echo across the landscape. Whether you're still chasing to fill your buck tag, working to put meat on the table, or just continuing to indulge in the natural world God has provided for us, there are some key tactics during late season that can keep you in the deer.

Stay Mobile

Mobile hunting can be a very critical component to success in the late season. Deer often begin to congregate in specific areas based on adjacent food sources and security of the elements. Quite often as a hunter you are either "in the deer" or "out of the deer", continuing to move your sets from hunt to hunt based on fresh tracks, sightings, changes in bedding, and alternate food sources can be key in locating the herd and securing your success.

Bedding

Bedding often changes in the late season as snow and ice drive deer out of traditional bedding areas and allow more predators in. During this time of year I see deer shift into areas that have protection from the wind, heavy snowfall and ice, access to alternate food sources, and exposure to the rising and falling sun. Deer absorb sunlight into their coats and utilize their fat stores to bed down in secluded areas for days to avoid the harsh conditions of winter. Pockets in cattails, red brush, conifers, and thick hillsides can provide the perfect areas for deer to hold up during harsh winter conditions. If you can find these areas and get close, you're typically in the game for the short movements they make in daylight.

Tracking and Sign

As a hunter a fresh snowfall can be a huge advantage for putting the pieces of the puzzle together between secure bedding and food sources. Mid morning after an evening snowfall I like to go for a walk cutting across tracks concentrating on the quantity, size, gate, and direction of the tracks. Tracks not only can give me insight into the size of the deer in the areas, but the number of deer in an area along with where they are heading to bed down for the evening. I focus on locating the well traveled trails in the snow, then set-up based on “quiet access”, window, and travel direction out of bedding. I’ve seen travel direction be dictated by adjacent food sources as much as a half mile away. Having a clear picture of how deer travel through an area can be key to your success.

Access & Set-Up

As I mentioned early, the crisp cold of the winter can make sound seem amplified as you creep through the woods. I take time to assess my access in-order to avoid alerting deer of my presence due to breaking ice, and crunching snow. Take your time setting up with small movements, and precise placement of your gear. Practicing your accent with heavier gloves and clothing can be key in your late season success. On my way in I often dress very light, carrying my warmer gear on my back with my stand and sticks. This allows me to move more easily through the snow reducing the amount of sweat I produce while walking in. Moisture can make you very cold in sub-zero conditions, where quite often you need to be on-stand and ready in those last 15 minutes of daylight. I like using a hang-on stand and climbing sticks because it allows me to make precise and simple movements upon setting up while staying quiet and still in the crisp winter air.

Food Sources

Deer can be much less active in the winter, at times dropping their metabolism to adjust for the lack of abundant food sources. Deer can survive the winter on a steady diet of remaining buds, twigs, stems, and small grasses. Deer are primarily browsers not grazers, so they will seek food sources both above and below the snow. In the absence of crop fields or food plots small conifers, cattails, red brush stems & buds, buckthorn, and saplings can all provide ample sustenance browsing for deer in the winter. Developing clear cuts can provide a lot of sapling browse as well. As the temperatures dip below zero deer will often move early close to bedding areas to begin browsing for sustenance. If you can locate these areas in or adjacent to bedding you will up your odds of locating those secluded giants in the cold.

Whatever your after I hope you get out and enjoy what the outdoors have to offer in the late season. Challenging yourself physically and mentally for the pursuit of whitetails can be a rewarding release from the day to day comforts of modern life.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Jimmy wallhanger » Wed Dec 15, 2021 1:48 am

LukeTM wrote:This year, I think my strategy will be to man up and knock on some doors. Folks around here always have an uncle or cousin that hunt their farm. I’ll bet that by January, they will be a bit more willing to permit access.


Im thinking the same, may bring my 3 year old daughter along for cutness factor and try to get some wives to say yes.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby LukeTM » Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:46 am

Jimmy wallhanger wrote:
LukeTM wrote:This year, I think my strategy will be to man up and knock on some doors. Folks around here always have an uncle or cousin that hunt their farm. I’ll bet that by January, they will be a bit more willing to permit access.


Im thinking the same, may bring my 3 year old daughter along for cutness factor and try to get some wives to say yes.


Haha if it works, can I babysit?
My buddy has two kids who are starting to show interest. We might capitalize on that to.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:07 am

Just saw 35 deer on a Girl Scout Camp soccer field in SE WI at 2:30 in the afternoon three days ago. This 200 acre girl scout camp is 100% off limits to hunting. One spot of public i hunt is just over a ridge from this spot, probably a half mile from that public swamp. I just walked that swamp last sunday, not a track in it. It’s a total ghost town but i also know it got absolutely hammered during Gun Deer this year because i kept tabs on it being it’s like 5 minutes from my house.

The deer have clearly just been pushed out of that public land and migrated to this untouched 200acre girl scout camp. I’ve always known the deer get pushed off public but this was just a glaring confirmation of that thought for me as there is no way that 200 acre woods supports that many deer permanently. I’ve always seen deer in there as i drive by but only a few at a time never a herd 35 strong. The public doesn’t look like there was a deer in there since gun season.

This is why i am not a huge fan of late season if you hunt public. Hard to kill a deer no matter what strategy you use or how vigilant you are if they’re just not there. Some will come back by late Jan but not a lot of them theyll winter on private imo.

WI DNR should go back to the season structure they had around the 90s before the went full on stupid over CWD. More seasons, longer seasons, more tags isn’t doing a thing except destroying the traditions of hunting.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby hunter_mike » Sat Dec 18, 2021 2:36 am

szwampdonkey wrote:Just saw 35 deer on a Girl Scout Camp soccer field in SE WI at 2:30 in the afternoon three days ago. This 200 acre girl scout camp is 100% off limits to hunting. One spot of public i hunt is just over a ridge from this spot, probably a half mile from that public swamp. I just walked that swamp last sunday, not a track in it. It’s a total ghost town but i also know it got absolutely hammered during Gun Deer this year because i kept tabs on it being it’s like 5 minutes from my house.

The deer have clearly just been pushed out of that public land and migrated to this untouched 200acre girl scout camp. I’ve always known the deer get pushed off public but this was just a glaring confirmation of that thought for me as there is no way that 200 acre woods supports that many deer permanently. I’ve always seen deer in there as i drive by but only a few at a time never a herd 35 strong. The public doesn’t look like there was a deer in there since gun season.

This is why i am not a huge fan of late season if you hunt public. Hard to kill a deer no matter what strategy you use or how vigilant you are if they’re just not there. Some will come back by late Jan but not a lot of them theyll winter on private imo.

WI DNR should go back to the season structure they had around the 90s before the went full on stupid over CWD. More seasons, longer seasons, more tags isn’t doing a thing except destroying the traditions of hunting.


Thanks for posting your observation swamp donk... I have had some similar observations in the past and i think its kind of a common pattern with some public pieces
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