Weird late season in the Upper Midwest?

[greenhorndave]

I hunted and scouted in cold and nasty at the end of the late season last year. What I thought what I saw then was going to be valuable for this late season, but the weather is radically different this year. It's more like a typical November from a temperature and snow standpoint in Southern WI.

I'm about to go on a last-ditch push to tag out and I'm wondering what people are seeing. I know of bedding areas, but they were used with significant snow on the ground and brutal temps, but we don't have either right now.

Are you seeing the usual late-season (January) bedding and feeding areas being used, or is it something different? If so, like what? Are they've still utilizing the real wet areas?

In any case, I'm simply not seeing many deer period right now. Nothing in the fields, not many crossing the roads. Bizarre year.

[Jdw]

It might not be related to the weather.

Around here food sources are seldom the same two years in a row so I usually wait multiple years for patterns to repeat themselves.

[Dewey]

Seems like a pretty typical mild late season to me. Been hunting hard and seeing deer but without real frigid weather the older bucks just haven’t felt the urgency to move in daylight yet. Most of the movement I am seeing is when shining well after dark. With snow down for a week or so the deer sign is pretty obvious now. They are there just need to figure out where they are bedding. This is likely different than last year at this time. Unfortunately I ran out of time in my area. Season closed yesterday.

[Jonny]

This year sucks. I should be driving on lakes and not thinking about if my Honda outboard will fire on the first or second pull after “winterizing”.

Cmon cold

[JAK]

I was on some pretty hot sign. Then they cut the standing corn and not even half the sign there used to be in that spot. Didnt have anything real big patterned on it though.

[cspot]

I am not upper midwest, but this warm wet weather has negatively impacted the deer that we typically see this time of year. It has been weird.

[NorthStar]

This year sucks. I should be driving on lakes and not thinking about if my Honda outboard will fire on the first or second pull after “winterizing”.

Cmon cold

Agreed but at least you have a Honda outboard, ha!

[Jonny]

This year sucks. I should be driving on lakes and not thinking about if my Honda outboard will fire on the first or second pull after “winterizing”.

Cmon cold

Agreed but at least you have a Honda outboard, ha!

Greatest motor ever made. Zero maintenance, zero issues for 15 years straight. Always fires up in mid March for me when I need it

[Dewey]

This year sucks. I should be driving on lakes and not thinking about if my Honda outboard will fire on the first or second pull after “winterizing”.

Cmon cold

Agreed but at least you have a Honda outboard, ha!

Greatest motor ever made. Zero maintenance, zero issues for 15 years straight. Always fires up in mid March for me when I need it

So does my Mercury.

[Jonny]

This year sucks. I should be driving on lakes and not thinking about if my Honda outboard will fire on the first or second pull after “winterizing”.

Cmon cold

Agreed but at least you have a Honda outboard, ha!

Greatest motor ever made. Zero maintenance, zero issues for 15 years straight. Always fires up in mid March for me when I need it

So does my Mercury.

I always thought you swim for your fish just like you do for bucks

I do know a couple guys with Mercury’s that run like tops and are older than I am. Have seen some lemons but that happens with every brand

[mauser06]

We are expiriecing the same sorta mess in Pennsylvania.


I'm still finding deer where I always do...or where I expect to...in the late season. Late season food sources. Deer are grouped up and hammering the food. The does and Young bucks actually don't seem to be moving much despite pretty mild weather. The deer where I am hunting are in a tough place though...there was nearly no mast this year and they are going into winter in rough shape. We typically don't experience winter kills...but if winter sets in and we get deep snow or snow with ice on top, I'd expect to see some winter kill.

[Dewey]

This weekend they were digging for red oaks buried in the leaves. Usually they don’t desire them with corn and other crops around but will go back to them again when everything else is gone.

[greenhorndave]

Good to know. I’d think they’d be hitting ag harder but sign don’t lie...

[Denisboyko22]

I hunted and scouted in cold and nasty at the end of the late season last year. What I thought what I saw then was going to be valuable for this late season, but the weather is radically different this year. It's more like a typical November from a temperature and snow standpoint in Southern WI.

I'm about to go on a last-ditch push to tag out and I'm wondering what people are seeing. I know of bedding areas, but they were used with significant snow on the ground and brutal temps, but we don't have either right now.

Are you seeing the usual late-season (January) bedding and feeding areas being used, or is it something different? If so, like what? Are they've still utilizing the real wet areas?

In any case, I'm simply not seeing many deer period right now. Nothing in the fields, not many crossing the roads. Bizarre year.

Have you tried shining at all? I got some very valuable Intel after I hunted by driving and shining fields right after dark and I knew immediately where the deer were late season from that

[greenhorndave]

I hunted and scouted in cold and nasty at the end of the late season last year. What I thought what I saw then was going to be valuable for this late season, but the weather is radically different this year. It's more like a typical November from a temperature and snow standpoint in Southern WI.

I'm about to go on a last-ditch push to tag out and I'm wondering what people are seeing. I know of bedding areas, but they were used with significant snow on the ground and brutal temps, but we don't have either right now.

Are you seeing the usual late-season (January) bedding and feeding areas being used, or is it something different? If so, like what? Are they've still utilizing the real wet areas?

In any case, I'm simply not seeing many deer period right now. Nothing in the fields, not many crossing the roads. Bizarre year.

Have you tried shining at all? I got some very valuable Intel after I hunted by driving and shining fields right after dark and I knew immediately where the deer were late season from that

I have in some areas, but the prime area I have been hunting is not conducive to shining. Terrain does not cooperate nor does the trees, etc.