December tactics no ag

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Phillybuckhunter
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December tactics no ag

Unread postby Phillybuckhunter » Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:47 pm

What’s everybody focusing on in the tail end of December where there’s no AG fields around. Im in eastern PA mostly small wood lots. I’m having trouble locating a food source. I can’t narrow it down.


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headgear
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby headgear » Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:33 pm

I hunt bigwoods and don't have any killer food sources either, the few times I have had encounters late season is when I would go back to some of those prime bedding areas I hunted in the fall. Not sure they are all created equal in the late season but hopefully you have some snow because that can really help narrow things down.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:48 pm

I’d never done this....but through reading and talking to some northern Wisconsin locals....a preferred late season method is to find thermal cover they are using through snow tracking then find cedars or browes that they are using.
Disclaimer.... the other part of that story involves said locals using bait and hunting after hours. :roll:
But the whole snow tracking to thermal cover with cedars thing, I believe is a viable tactic.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:31 am

Night and day difference between late season with ag versus late season without ag. You will have to find the natural browse that still exists. In my area, mesquite and honey locust pods can be great draws when other browse dries up. In some parts of the country cedar thickets. If you can find overlooked acorns on the ground, hemlock...... it is tough to pattern deer on natural browse in late season. There is a reason guides and outfitters in ag country offer and sale out late season hunts. You don't see them near as often in non ag areas. I wish southern biologist would start being more aggressive in planting late season crops on public - perhaps they fear it would drive up doe kills and hurt the herd?
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby ODH » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:58 am

Phillybuckhunter wrote:What’s everybody focusing on in the tail end of December where there’s no AG fields around. Im in eastern PA mostly small wood lots. I’m having trouble locating a food source. I can’t narrow it down.


In the hardwoods look for any storm damaged/fallen trees and tops, anything that still has leaves on it. If you take a close look at these you will see where they are eating the ends of the small shoots. In NY they are also feeding on hemlock already and bedding in there too. I am seeing them feeding in these sections mid-morning and mid-afternoon so still plenty of daylight activity. But they are bedding right where they are feeding so getting to your spot without bumping them out is tough.

Get out after the next snow fall even if its after season and you'll see their tracks will give all this away. good luck
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ghoasthunter
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:44 am

im with everybody else stick with the micro climates you get in dark pines and hemlocks and cedar. i made a shift over last couple years thou and just simply drive farther too get into the ag its a more reliable pattern where you can target and ambush them going too and from. if im forced too hunt the micro climates i rely on fresh snow and soft ground or a long range weapon getting in tight too deer with a bow can be very tricky if not impossible without some out of box tactics like hunting with a partner and wind bumping or still hunting during a snow storm or high wind days. the deer just move too randomly for me too wait it out. best bet will probably be morning hunts in cover of darkness deer will venture out into more open woods this is your chance too slip in and catch them cumming back at day light if anything it could get you close enough too get a shot if your redye too sit all day. mature bucks will still use some of the primary buck beds of early if they have all the right things for them too survive the winter but getting in close is tough. your fighting frozen grounds and potato chip leaves. if you use wind or snow for cover you can get in close but the chance of the buck moving drops. rain and warm days can be magic though. ive scouted some a lot of the big buck hideaways late season and found that the bucks never go 200 yards from there beds some time. it literally looks like a army of tracks going every direction then going back too one bed. they move in these pockets all day at random but never put themselves in a vulnerable position. another thing you need too think about late season is night bedding some beds are done after dark. a mature buck only has one thing in mind late season survival he will mill around and eat when hes hungry then simply bed down sleep and chew his cud. if he does get up and venture out of his security its under the cover of darkness.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:54 am

ghoasthunter wrote:im with everybody else stick with the micro climates you get in dark pines and hemlocks and cedar. i made a shift over last couple years thou and just simply drive farther too get into the ag its a more reliable pattern where you can target and ambush them going too and from. if im forced too hunt the micro climates i rely on fresh snow and soft ground or a long range weapon getting in tight too deer with a bow can be very tricky if not impossible without some out of box tactics like hunting with a partner and wind bumping or still hunting during a snow storm or high wind days. the deer just move too randomly for me too wait it out. best bet will probably be morning hunts in cover of darkness deer will venture out into more open woods this is your chance too slip in and catch them cumming back at day light if anything it could get you close enough too get a shot if your redye too sit all day. mature bucks will still use some of the primary buck beds of early if they have all the right things for them too survive the winter but getting in close is tough. your fighting frozen grounds and potato chip leaves. if you use wind or snow for cover you can get in close but the chance of the buck moving drops. rain and warm days can be magic though. ive scouted some a lot of the big buck hideaways late season and found that the bucks never go 200 yards from there beds some time. it literally looks like a army of tracks going every direction then going back too one bed. they move in these pockets all day at random but never put themselves in a vulnerable position. another thing you need too think about late season is night bedding some beds are done after dark. a mature buck only has one thing in mind late season survival he will mill around and eat when hes hungry then simply bed down sleep and chew his cud. if he does get up and venture out of his security its under the cover of darkness.

one thing too remember with no ag is bucks will travel long distances too get too it 2 or 3 miles some times you will find buck beds near ag but they are actually night bedding then the buck will travel all the way back too his secure winter bedding in day light they have cover of darkness on there side this time of year. if you can find this you can camp him out and get your chance.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby brancher147 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:17 am

Eastern PA small wood lots I would guess they are feeding on whatever is in the clearings that are not woodlots if there is no acorns or browse in the woods. If there is acorns or browse in the woods then they are hitting that.

I hunt big woods mature forest (no ag) and with no acorns deer are really spread out and covering a lot of ground and just browsing along the way. I tracked a buck over a mile today on 3 ridges and he did not browse anything or feed at all he was just moving through. It's tough.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby G-Patt » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:48 am

Phillybuckhunter wrote:What’s everybody focusing on in the tail end of December where there’s no AG fields around. Im in eastern PA mostly small wood lots. I’m having trouble locating a food source. I can’t narrow it down.


You and I are in the same boat. I live in southwest Ohio and hunt exclusively public land with no ag, fair chase/ no baiting allowed. I do a combo of spot and stalk and scouting this time of season and never plan to tree hunt like I do earlier in the season unless I do my homework as I'll describe. Get a pair of 10 x 42 binoculars or better and target cedar thickets and south-facing slopes. Secondary targets would include leeward hills regardless of south facing with thermal/grass/bush cover, especially if it's windy. Pick a windy or wet day for cover and move as slow as possible and glass as much as you can. When you spot a deer, watch it for behaviors (feeding, bedding, staging, late rut, etc..) and try to figure out what it's doing and why. Pay attention to wind direction and whether or not if it's sunny or overcast and temp. Make notes. If the deer is bedded, slowly stalk in on a crosswind because they are generally facing downwind looking at you when the wind is in your favor. Your other option is to simply use the intel you've gathered to ambush at a later date with similar conditions. This works great and a reason to tree hunt this area. Once I spot a deer, my excitement goes through the roof, and it's so fun trying to outsmart or outplay the deer. I lose at this game a lot more times than not, but the amount of intel I get from it is priceless, and yes, I get to win some of the time. I get so stoked this time of year. Good luck!
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby greenhorndave » Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:11 am

That is great stuff GPatt
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Phillybuckhunter
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby Phillybuckhunter » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:24 pm

Also I notice on this small property I hunt pretty much all the bucks have left. Compared to Oct and Nov it’s a desert. I’m waiting on the first snowfall to gather a lot of intel. God these animals fascinate me smh.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:12 pm

G-Patt wrote:
Phillybuckhunter wrote:What’s everybody focusing on in the tail end of December where there’s no AG fields around. Im in eastern PA mostly small wood lots. I’m having trouble locating a food source. I can’t narrow it down.


You and I are in the same boat. I live in southwest Ohio and hunt exclusively public land with no ag, fair chase/ no baiting allowed. I do a combo of spot and stalk and scouting this time of season and never plan to tree hunt like I do earlier in the season unless I do my homework as I'll describe. Get a pair of 10 x 42 binoculars or better and target cedar thickets and south-facing slopes. Secondary targets would include leeward hills regardless of south facing with thermal/grass/bush cover, especially if it's windy. Pick a windy or wet day for cover and move as slow as possible and glass as much as you can. When you spot a deer, watch it for behaviors (feeding, bedding, staging, late rut, etc..) and try to figure out what it's doing and why. Pay attention to wind direction and whether or not if it's sunny or overcast and temp. Make notes. If the deer is bedded, slowly stalk in on a crosswind because they are generally facing downwind looking at you when the wind is in your favor. Your other option is to simply use the intel you've gathered to ambush at a later date with similar conditions. This works great and a reason to tree hunt this area. Once I spot a deer, my excitement goes through the roof, and it's so fun trying to outsmart or outplay the deer. I lose at this game a lot more times than not, but the amount of intel I get from it is priceless, and yes, I get to win some of the time. I get so stoked this time of year. Good luck!



Also, SW Ohio. Spot on advice. Most of my buddies get discouraged hunting public late season because of so much surrounding private having ag. From what I see, about 50-60% of the herd does move to private ag and beds out of reach. However, there are annual bedding areas on public that will hold mature bucks. 2 hunts, 2 mature bucks located since Sunday basically using G-Patt’s tactics around known bedding areas.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby EllieTheChubb » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:26 pm

I'll second downed hardwood tops. Especially maple which seem to not only be preferred but more common to come down in early winter storms. Beyond that... Cedar
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:35 pm

Phillybuckhunter wrote:What’s everybody focusing on in the tail end of December where there’s no AG fields around. Im in eastern PA mostly small wood lots. I’m having trouble locating a food source. I can’t narrow it down.

like others have said, BEDDING! we don't have snow on the ground any more, but scout now before the season opens back up. I don't know exactly how "suburban" you are hunting but it should be real easy to find them this time of year. they get very predictable when the food starts to get scarce, I know that when i have found the burbs bedding it looked and smelled like a barn yard, just beat down. The burbs deer are a different animal, theyll survive eating peoples landscaping and using their normal summer bedding providing that is giving them what they need for cover.
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Re: December tactics no ag

Unread postby tbowers » Sat Dec 15, 2018 7:29 am

By me where there is no ag left standing, every oak tree is completely torn up as the deer are hitting them and pawing thru the snow to get to the acorns. It was such a bumper crop this year that there were still a ton left on the ground. That said, i have sat over a couple big oaks within Aspen/Poplar thickets that looked dynamite and havent seen a deer. Not sure if they are hitting it at night or what


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