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

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Dec 18, 2021 3:08 am

hunter_mike wrote:
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



Definitely makes it tough hunting late season frigid temps when you’re pretty sure the deer are a half mile away on private.

That being said it’s not impossible as i have seen deer come back to public after gun deer but it seems it’s later than mid to late December. Talking more like late Jan if you’re in an area you’re allowed to bowhunt that late. I killed a doe two years ago on public 75 yards from the parking lot out of a tree i could see my truck from on Jan 28. It was definitely “dating the fat chick” and i felt ridiculous but there was a well run trail in the snow saying that’s where i needed to be and it worked.

So if you want a late season kill i’m thinking it might be best to just stay out of your spots pretty much all of Dec and let them calm down after all the gun deer pressure with a plan to hunt the hot sign mid to late Jan if you’re able.


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

Unread postby Bperdue21 » Sat Dec 18, 2021 1:24 pm

Looks like it isn’t going to get very cold at least if the forecast is correct. I like it to be bitter cold so the deer move. Other issue here is where are the bear dogs running? Not sure how much effect the have or how long it lasts, but pressure is pressure.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Jan 18, 2022 6:32 am

I am definitely an early season hunter. In these past few seasons iv hunted late and these are my observations ;

1 - I hate the lack of cover. I feel like I cant get high enough in the tree and in the hills that is difficult. Iv learned to sacrifice a shooting lane for a tree w great cover. Access can very tough bc of it and everything is so loud.

2 - The deer are extremely vocal! I have never heard deer call as much as they do in Dec & January. Blind calling has really worked in my favor too. I would suggest it to anyone. The sound definitely carries well.

3 - They are grouped up and feed thru much slower than the rest of the season. It makes it tough to beat so many deer. On the positive side, iv never seen so many deer at once. I can lose track of counting deer but then not see a single buck..

4 - They can move early in the day and more often do to the weather. Iv learned to get to the stand earlier.

5 - Wind. I see more consistent currents bc of the lack of leaves but it cuts right thru me. The wind speeds can be faster normal too. The right gear is definitely needed to hunt it consistently. Another issue I have is getting too warm walking in but too cold the last hour.

In general, I hate it! Lol But it is great
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Brad
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Brad » Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:43 am

<DK> wrote:I am definitely an early season hunter. In these past few seasons iv hunted late and these are my observations ;

1 - I hate the lack of cover. I feel like I cant get high enough in the tree and in the hills that is difficult. Iv learned to sacrifice a shooting lane for a tree w great cover. Access can very tough bc of it and everything is so loud.

2 - The deer are extremely vocal! I have never heard deer call as much as they do in Dec & January. Blind calling has really worked in my favor too. I would suggest it to anyone. The sound definitely carries well.

3 - They are grouped up and feed thru much slower than the rest of the season. It makes it tough to beat so many deer. On the positive side, iv never seen so many deer at once. I can lose track of counting deer but then not see a single buck..

4 - They can move early in the day and more often do to the weather. Iv learned to get to the stand earlier.

5 - Wind. I see more consistent currents bc of the lack of leaves but it cuts right thru me. The wind speeds can be faster normal too. The right gear is definitely needed to hunt it consistently. Another issue I have is getting too warm walking in but too cold the last hour.

In general, I hate it! Lol But it is great



I too am an "early season hunter". I absolutely love hunting in the heat before the majority of bow hunters even consider getting out in the woods. But I agree that late season has much more to offer than I previously believed. In my previous 2 seasons I went out opening day of rifle season in mid november then didn't go out again through the rest of the 10-11 day rifle season and would not go back out at all until around mid december or later because I just assumed any deer left would be hiding after the woods were pounded by the orange army. Well this year I went out several times during the rifle season and saw multiple bucks, including a miss on a nice one with my rifle, and one that was browsing right on the trail 20-30 yds in front of us as I was chatting with some other hunters on the way out to our spot.

as far as your first point, i started to think my best bets were setting up with cedars or brushy trees to my back to break up my outline. The spot I shot a big old doe on Jan 4th (last day of our "alternative" firearm season ) I decided there wasn't any way I could be up in a tree without being way to easy to spot. The trees were all too thin and not enough back cover if in a tree. I was able to find a spot where I set up my platform up against a tree, where there were enough trees next to and behind me to keep me hidden as long as I was still. It worked out very well. Depending on where you are going, sometimes it's better to go during windy days for better access, or just go in extra early and get out slowly, or after a rain when it's not as loud. Not always ideal, but where there's a will, there's a way, and to me hunting is almost always better than not hunting.

The most vocal buck I have ever heard was pushing does on December 19th, when I thought most of that would be done in most spots. I did not get out as much as I would have liked during December and January, but can definitely say I plan to get out more during that time in the upcoming years.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby gsquared23 » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:45 pm

I like the early season and the late season. Both have fewer hunters and both key in on food without the randomness of the rut. Also mornings are junk, so I don’t feel bad sleeping in. All that being said, late season is the best for consistent movement especially around a cold front.

Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:05 am

gsquared23 wrote:Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.


Agreed. Easterly winds usually get the bucks moving for me as well
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby G-Patt » Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:34 am

Not a fan of late season. By then, the freezer is usually full, and I'm trying to get caught up on the squirrel hunting I missed out on in Oct and Nov. :lol: Plus it's too cold to stay still for longer than an hour. But if the freezer has room for one more, I guess I'll suck it up and put on my big boy pants. I can usually find does and yearling bucks on public in late season, but usually not a mature buck. I'm not yet hitting in that league.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:15 am

I didn’t see a buck the entire late season but did see quite a few does/fawns mostly when I was scouting around the outskirts of bedding areas. No big deal since I didn’t have a buck tag anyway but still would have been nice to pattern a few. My motivation to hunt was much less not being able to kill a buck. I was still out there on the coldest days trying to kill a doe but they stayed out of range of my recurve.

Seasons done so while scouting Saturday I dove right into the bedding area the buck I killed came from and busted out two shooters at 15 yards. Flushed them like pheasants exactly where I thought they would be. One was bigger than anything I had on cam so that’s a good feeling going into next season. 8-)
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Brad » Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:30 pm

<DK> wrote:
gsquared23 wrote:Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.


Agreed. Easterly winds usually get the bucks moving for me as well



I remember watching this video about East winds and found the theory interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hZfYXhPcyc
I killed one buck on a SE wind, but otherwise not sure if I've seen anything that confirms East winds get them moving.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Jan 26, 2022 7:10 am

Brad wrote:
<DK> wrote:
gsquared23 wrote:Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.


Agreed. Easterly winds usually get the bucks moving for me as well



I remember watching this video about East winds and found the theory interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hZfYXhPcyc
I killed one buck on a SE wind, but otherwise not sure if I've seen anything that confirms East winds get them moving.


In general, our dominant winds for our area are NW/SE. I think windyty.com shows the break down percentages. Every year is different and tropical storms can change everything. Im sure it also varies per property but when I get E/NE, trail cams definitely show a lot of activity and the big ones moving. Even after dark they are still moving different than there usual habits. Its also usually a short amount of time the winds stay E so I try to capitalize every time.

If I had to choose days to call into work it would be first N wind of a cold front and a perfect E wind day.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Brad » Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:27 am

<DK> wrote:
Brad wrote:
<DK> wrote:
gsquared23 wrote:Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.


Agreed. Easterly winds usually get the bucks moving for me as well



I remember watching this video about East winds and found the theory interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hZfYXhPcyc
I killed one buck on a SE wind, but otherwise not sure if I've seen anything that confirms East winds get them moving.


In general, our dominant winds for our area are NW/SE. I think windyty.com shows the break down percentages. Every year is different and tropical storms can change everything. Im sure it also varies per property but when I get E/NE, trail cams definitely show a lot of activity and the big ones moving. Even after dark they are still moving different than there usual habits. Its also usually a short amount of time the winds stay E so I try to capitalize every time.

If I had to choose days to call into work it would be first N wind of a cold front and a perfect E wind day.


Yea, I feel like we have a predominantly SW or SSW wind, but SE and W to NW are not uncommon. I definitely agree E & NE winds are the one I notice the least frequently, but I need to better understand of how to take advantage of those situations. I assume the idea is that you have a buck patterned, and you'd be likely to get busted trying to hunt him if it's a SW, W or NW wind variant, but on an E wind you can take advantage, assuming he continues to follow his pattern. Seems like a simple concept if that's all there is to it, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems on paper.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dpoole90 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:34 am

gsquared23 wrote:I like the early season and the late season. Both have fewer hunters and both key in on food without the randomness of the rut. Also mornings are junk, so I don’t feel bad sleeping in. All that being said, late season is the best for consistent movement especially around a cold front.

Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.

I'm in central IL and have noticed the same... east winds usually get the bucks moving.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:46 am

Dpoole90 wrote:
gsquared23 wrote:I like the early season and the late season. Both have fewer hunters and both key in on food without the randomness of the rut. Also mornings are junk, so I don’t feel bad sleeping in. All that being said, late season is the best for consistent movement especially around a cold front.

Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.

I'm in central IL and have noticed the same... east winds usually get the bucks moving.

Makes perfect sense. East winds are usually associated with some type of storm front pushing thru. Depending on the type of weather or duration of it this will really get deer up and moving to feed earlier in daylight.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:12 am

I don’t remember what I voted but I’d put great now. I like early season and I now love late season. Shot my biggest this yr in late season ;) and had an opportunity at a diff shooter the day before in a different location. It is tough hunting but give me December over November. I’d take October over November as well.

I love it when nobody else is in the woods and you get deer on somewhat of a pattern.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dpoole90 » Thu Jan 27, 2022 2:40 pm

Dewey wrote:
Dpoole90 wrote:
gsquared23 wrote:I like the early season and the late season. Both have fewer hunters and both key in on food without the randomness of the rut. Also mornings are junk, so I don’t feel bad sleeping in. All that being said, late season is the best for consistent movement especially around a cold front.

Another learning experience for me was a Northeast wind. I shot 4 deer this year (two were mature bucks) on a Northeast wind. That can’t be a coincidence.

I'm in central IL and have noticed the same... east winds usually get the bucks moving.

Makes perfect sense. East winds are usually associated with some type of storm front pushing thru. Depending on the type of weather or duration of it this will really get deer up and moving to feed earlier in daylight.

Thats very true... I know a guy that swears by hunting with an east wind and I used to think he was crazy and would rarely hunt with an east wind cause I never had any setups pre scouted for an east wind, now I have a handful of them and they almost always produce good buck movement.


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