Late Season bucks (Old Buck's input desired!)

[Baby-G]

I in years past mainly focused on hunting for big bucks in the late/october and november months. The older I get the more I hunt in the late season. A couple of months back I read an article by Bill Winke (my favorite writer on hunting white-tails or archery in general) about him comparing when he harvested his big bucks and when some of the top hunters in the white-tail world harvested theirs. He noticed that he wasn't harvesting as big of bucks as Stan Pott's or Miles Keller and found out they were harvesting there biggest white-tails in the late season (after the rut or end of November).

I first would like to say Bill Winke holds his own with about anyone on the big bucks he arrows, so he was probably being a little modest. Winke also brought up a great point though of these guys shooting the big bucks you don't see during the rut, but do see in the late season after everything has calmed down. A couple of years ago I would have said that the late season pretty much stinks here in KY, due to all of the gun pressure that the deer have to endure during the month of November. Since I hunt so much out of state I don't always fill my tag early in KY, so I have been hunting alot in the late season. I personnally see really big bucks in the late season, the weird thing is I see bucks that know one ever has seen in my area, they just pop up from no where. If your on a good food source the late season is awesome about one hour a night around my home! I was curious how everyone else does in the late season? I have personnally harvested the majority of my oldest and biggest bucks after the rut, in what would be considered the late season in the past couple of years. I hope everyone will reply that has experience hunting the late season and would love to know if old buck has any luck in the late season. Especially since he is friends with Bill Winke, who is the person that inspired me to consider things a little deeper.



Hunt smart in a good location and its hard telling what will show up for you!

 

[deadeye]

I have hunted late season many times and even our late muzzleloader season which is end of Dec - Jan 10. I have not had much luck due to the fact that on our small property we do not have a good food source. Only acorns and they have been scarce the last few years. From driving around others property I agree that late season can be productive right before dark.

I still think anytime out hunting is great and recommend going every chance one can get.

 

[bowman]

I have seen some of my biggst bucks in area right around Thanksgiving, which is generally thought of as the tale end of the rut. I think these big boys don't have to cruz much when ample does are in estrous in early November but as fewer and fewer are receptive later, they go crusing. My realization to this came one Thanksgiving while traveling from one family members home to another. I saw a definate booner traveling between two blocks of timber that were a mile apart. I think Winke is on to something. I don't see the amount of rut activity late as I do earlier but I see bigger ones. I scheduled my vacation a little later this year for this reason.

 

[Ghost]

I must agree with Bowman, I too have seen some big mature bucks nose to the ground and crusing in late November. As the number of does that are receptive become less, the bucks will expand their search to a much larger area. This could be the very reason a huge buck appears that you have not seen all season.
Later in December, after the initial volley of gun season is also a great time to see huge mature bucks. First year does that were not receptive during November can come into estrous this time of year. I save my landowner tag for late second gun season for this purpose. Last year on December 20th I had a great buck chasing a young doe all over the timber. After getting his attention with my grunt call, he pinned his ears, postured up, and came in like soap on a string.

What a great hunt!

 

[badgerbowdude]

I've taken my biggest bucks just prior to the rut taking off, as the bucks start coming out a bit earlier. As a result, I haven't hunted too much for bucks late season.

However, I do doe-hunt the late season in Wisconsin. The reason its easeir to hunt is that food sources are more scarce, so deer get a bit more concentrated. But, more than that, its the cold weather. People are inside and it only takes a few days after the gun hunters and bird hunters go home for the deer to learn the woods are safe and they can get into a routine. Therefore, if you see a nice buck, he's likely to be there the next day and the day after that if you don't disturb him. I love late season hunting. Despite the cold weather (and the cold maganifying any sound you make), I love the serenity. There's something about a super-cold, clear, crisp, deep blue sky around dusk, especially when contrasted against the black fingers of the trees and limbs and snow.

But mainly, I like late season because there's very little human activity - no sounds of gunshots from bird or waterfowl hunters, no lawn mowers, no sound of screaming kids playing outside a quarter mile away, no idiot neighbor a half mile away who blares his radio all weekend when he does his yardwork, no generator from the guy's cabin across the marsh. All you hear is the sound of the winds whistling through the branches and the sound of your breath. And occasionally, the sound of a grunt, a rack knocking on a branch, and the crunch of deer coming your way.

 

[Maggs]

Man B-bowdude, You just painted a picture in my mind with that description. You should think about writing an article or two for the site! Maggs

 

[Liv4Rut]

last late muzzleloader i hunted 11 times and saw 34 bucks with 20 of them being pope and young or better. i hunted on a route from a food source to a bedding area in the mornings, and the bucks would always filter through around 8 in the morning. then at night i always hunted food sources, alfalfa and corn. late season can be awesome if the winter is really really cold and the deer have to come out to eat early. the last few years the winter hasnt been as cold and as much snow as i like so i hope this year it is below zero a couple of weeks and there is six inches of snow on the ground to make those big boys itching to get to the fields before dark, goodluck this year!!!

 

[Old Buck]

Baby-G,

Sorry to not respond earlier. I've spent a lot of this week in the woods and just found this thread. While reading replies up to this point I've been very impressed again with the knowledge of the people on this site. I agree with virtually everything said so I'll mainly review a few key points.

One, I agree that Bill Winke is a very knowledgeable writer and one of the most serious and effective bowhunters I know. When I've got a problem with equipment or shooting he is one of the first people I contact. He is also a great information source on virtually any aspect of the whitetail world.

Second, my experience is that after the peak of rut some of the biggest, oldest bucks show up. As mentioned these are often deer that haven't been seen before in the area and may never be seen again. I think the really old bucks (5 1/2 +) have been through the rut enough they know what is coming, when it will happen and what they are going to do about it. In my area I think most of the breeding takes place from November 10-15 every year. At that time there are a lot of does in heat and hunting a particular buck is difficult though there is a lot of activity and a really fun time to be out. About November 17 hot does are getting a little harder to come across. The old bucks are still fired up and they are out poking around looking for late does. Though I see less total mid-day buck activity this is a prime time to run across that old buck you've never seen before.

Another great point several have brought up is the late season food sources. For this time to be most effective you need a couple of conditions. One is little disturbance. The farther from a busy gun season the better. The other is cold weather. If it is a warm winter like we sometimes have in Iowa the deer stay dispersed. With little or no snow food is easier to find. When snow is deep covering much of the food and temperatures are low so deer are looking for carbs an undisturbed food source can attract a lot of attention. LIV4RUT nailed this one.

Hope that helps. I don't know how much things change as you go to other parts of the country with different weather patterns and different food sources.

Good luck and good hunting!
Old Buck

 

[scout]

What do you think of sorgum as a late season food source? The state has planted alot of it on a public hunting area I'm attempting to score on. I hope to wack a doe or two in the late season here. I think its mostly intended for birds.

 

[Baby-G]

Thanks for the input, Old Buck! I was kind of curious if you had harvested any of those big mature bucks in the late season? I am guessing your probably done by then and only harvest does in the lates season.

I do have food plots out just for the late season. Here in KY where I live there isn't much corn or soybeans, so I have out quite a bit of it and some very lush lidino clover, winter wheat and alfafa. Last year it worked excellent, I harvested a basic 8 that went over 160" and the year before I was seeing a 160" plus 10 pointer (but never got him) almost every evening. I hunt hard here in KY, but do to me being very picky I never see any big bucks before the late season? I guess that's good their isn't many people out there in late December and January where I live, so I got them to myself. Hope everyone has a successful week and gets that big one they are after.

 

[Old Buck]

Scout,
From my experience sorgum is not a prefered food for deer though they will eat it when higher preference food sources are depleated.

Baby-G,
I would think those foods would attract lots of attention in the late season. I haven't taken many late bucks. I'm usually trying to put them in front of one of my kids or my wife. Also I'm usually exhausted after hunting hard for so long and need to get caught up at home/work.

Old Buck