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What late season food sources do they/I look for

boacephus

boacephus

New Member
All the crops are out, no alfalfa. The area by Iowa standards isn't hammered during shotgun seasons either. I haven't been out in awhile, will all the persimmons be gone? I suppose this would almost match up to big timber hunting, with out the big timber?? Bean stubble or corn stalks?? Thanks in advance for the tips, I normally hunt LM but typically it's sit where I will see a few does and hope a shooter walks by, my either sex tag usually goes on a doe, lol.
 
I usually don't pay attention to what they are eating, just where they are eating. Seems like if you can find a good group of deer hitting a field regularly in the late season, you will find a big one. Getting permission on pieces like this is usually the hard part but if you have land with any type of food on it and you don't let hunters do any pushes, you should be holding some late season deer.

Unpicked beans would be my favorite to hunt over though. Mainly because the visibility for the hunters sake. If I had a tower and the money I would leave late season standing corn though because the hunter will be able see and the deer will move all day with that cover. Food plots of alfalfa, turnips, biologic, wheat, milo, etc. during the late season... I know nothing about.
 
I don't have persimmons in my area other than ones I planted 3 years ago.
ALF-ALFA is a top one for me on "regular farmer's" land. I then go for BIG cut corn fields. Then cut beans. Problem is- if it's a good farmer- crops were out a while ago- if fields are big enough you're ok though since there will be enough left hopefully.
Now, on my place, I left 5 acres of standing corn and beans. *My own personal problem is we've killed a couple bucks off this place already so I feel guilty shooting another even though i'll have a tag. I guess if it's FULLY FULLY FULLLY mature I will.
**My vote is for standing beans as best late season food if you can do it!!!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: boacephus</div><div class="ubbcode-body">All the crops are out, no alfalfa.

Bean stubble or corn stalks?? </div></div>

Corn stubble would be my choice if there is no alfalfa and the beans have been cut. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: What late season food sources do they/I look f

Bean stubble has been pretty active around me but Im in Wisc.
However, I would consider an evening of scouting and driving around the fields you intend to hunt looking for tracked up fields and actual deer sightings. It sure wouldn't hurt to spotlight the fields where you can hunt also and locate groups, or the one buck you would really like to put a tag on. Generally, if the area ain't to tracked up, you can get on that bucks track the next day and get closer to his bedding area where he moves in daylight.
 
Re: What late season food sources do they/I look f

As flippin cold as it's been, I'd almost be looking at cover first, then food secondary. If you can find a thick stand of thermal cover that offers some north wind protection and borders ANY available food source, that's where I'd be looking.
 
Re: What late season food sources do they/I look f

With upwards of 16" of snow how can the deer possibly
find enough residual grain to fill their tank?

You would think with this cold they would burn more calories
than they could consume.

I am hoping they hit my winter rye plot.
 
Re: What late season food sources do they/I look f

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Iowabowtech</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As flippin cold as it's been, I'd almost be looking at cover first, then food secondary. If you can find a thick stand of thermal cover that offers some north wind protection and borders ANY available food source, that's where I'd be looking. </div></div>

That's been my experience this last week during 2nd gun season. Coming out of the heavy cover deep ditches or bottom land prairie grass fields about an hour before sunset, digging up acorns, grass or row crop stubble in adjacent areas.
Have seen up to 40 or so deer in one field. Gave up on all my normal movement stands and have been going out and digging in to fenceline snow drifts and waiting for them. Got 2 nice does last week that way. Good Luck.
 
Re: What late season food sources do they/I look f

With my late evening driving around, I have found them on any S facing hillsides, no matter what the crop. I'm pretty sure Thurs evening, I will be able to put my daughter in the blind with me and harvest a doe, a mature buck I will have to look for yet. I was thinking of asking permission for a new area, last week I seen over 50 deer browsing, I know atleast one had to be a mature buck, lol.

Oh yeah almost forgot, thanks for the tips
 
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