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Those of us with bow tags left

Shredder

Shredder

Life Member
It looks like the bow season is winding down toward the shotgun frenzy and the deer numbers (namely buck numbers) will drop off in areas with a lot of pressure. For most, they see the shotgun season opener as the end of the bow season and nobody really likes to get out and sit on stand in the cold weather for a buck that may not be there anymore. Years ago, I used to think that there was no hope in getting out and arrowing a big buck but as some have seen here on the site, there are some giant sheds found in the spring and a fair number at that. Where do these bucks go to survive the winter? We ask ourselves that every year.....

To me, late season can be just as productive as early season as the bucks reform into small groups and search for the best food source in hopes of surviving the winter. Where did you find that giant shed last year??? was there a group of sheds found near a specific thicket??? These are the places you should focus your initial attention to. As soon as gun season is over, the deer are still scared to death but still need to eat and getting on a hot food source can be the ticket for late season success. There is the chances of snow which leaves fresh sign in the wide open, minimal abundance of good forage, and the occational fawn doe coming into heat. This will usually get the big boys on thier feet and moving in daylight again.

I guess my reason for the post was to keep the tagless motivated that there is still the possibility of a great buck harvest and that the Big Buck contest is still up for grabs. Besides, the largest typical (190+ inch clean 10) I had ever seen was Jan 9, 2000 at 3pm in a wide open field....Good luck to those still hunting with a bow in the late season
 
Thanks Shredder for positive thoughts. And you are certainly right re: your advice.
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I took the day off from hunting to recharge my body, and re-think my hunting strategies. I must say it was somewhat difficult to do with a tag burning a hole in my pocket.

I have spent part of the day looking at aerial photos. I will be back out there tomorrow, and I do have a new plan.
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I'm with you shredder, to me the next best thing to the rut is in the last ten days of the season in january. If the weather is nasty enough the deer will show theirselves before dark, and I have had some of my most exciting hunts during this time of year. also the mornings are really really good, I usually set up just before the brink of a big bedding area, which is usually in big pine thickets. I remember two years ago I had 12 bucks come in on jan 10th, I had a big ten pointer come in and I shot and he just stood their and here I shot a big branch I was trying to shoot thru, my buddy was hunting on the other end of the block and he had 9 bucks walk by him that morning, but unfortunately he couldn't get a shot thru the thick stuff. I think the big ones are actually easier to hunt this time of year, because they want to eat bad, the hardest part is just finding where they are eating. goodluck to everyone
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I will be checking out the late season action noted by the members as I most likely will be trying to fill my bow tag after the shotgun seasons also. I do have access to some private land with standing corn (which will be left there through late season) and also know some public land close by with standing corn also. I would love to take a buck in late season (a new experience for me).
 
I'm with ya Shredder. I love hunting the late season. We need some good snow on the ground and a good food source and just maybe a big boy will hit the ground. I still have 3 doe tags in my pocket so buck or no buck, the late season looks to be a great time.
 
I kinda need a shove had 3 does in a hay field. I think they all moved closer to corn. Need to move a stand
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Hey thanks shredder.. I have my non res iowa tag left and was getting bummed but like you say you never know when they will come by.. Thanks
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Thanks for the encouragement.Im in the same boat as some of the rest of you. Ive got one any sex tag still in my pocket, just dying to put it on a nice buck. Filled both my doe tags earlier. Ive been hunting hard all month, but havent connected yet on a nice one. Im just about to the point where I would take another doe if the chance presented itself. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I keep thinking, maybe today will be the day.
 
If you get some snow on top of them, really keep an eye on the alfalfa fields. Year in and year out I've noticed that deer will move out of these fields in mid to late November, but they're like a magnet once they get snow on them. A farmer friend of mine says his cattle are the same way...they love to graze in a mowed alfalfa field with a little moisture (rain or snow) on it.

If we could somehow get a little of the white stuff up here, I know this is what I'll be keying on during late muzzleloader season. Good luck!

NWBuck
 
This will be my first shot at hunting late season. I moved my stand two weeks ago to a hill side with corn on the top and bottom. The deer were really using this area pre-rut. I am looking forward to getting out after Christmas.

I hunt in NE Iowa. There are several farms that are not hunted near-by. We have good carry over from year to year simply because there is always a quiet spot for the big deer to go when the lead starts flying. The areas that do get hunted are hard to push and harder to block. I am looking at it as the start of a second season.
 
Kansas Rifle season opens today... It runs for 9 days and then the bow season opens back up until 12/31.... Right now I still have my "Any Deer" tag and will hunt that last 2 weeks hard. Thanks for the encouraging words Shredder!!!

On a side note, I took a friend to one of my properties last night and he killed a real big doe!!! Great shot just before the end of the first Kansas bow season....

Mark...
 
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