Early or late season deer

[FishingWebGuy]

Just wondering what your experiences are with early vs late season deer. I know it's not an equal division but I think of pre-firearms season as early and post-firearms as late -- maybe there is a better distinction.

Anyhow, when do you typically have the highest percentage of harvest or at least harvestable opportunities per outing?

Last year I didn't get a chance to get out in December and would like to this year. Just kinda wondering if people have more success or less later in the year.

[Wanderer]

Simple math says you have more opportunity earlier before the deer get taken to other people's houses.

I have had some real good hunting in December in the past but last year was a real snoozer for me. I don't know if it had to do with all the snow or if the typical bedding/feeding pattern changed but I just didn't see much.

My personal take is it depends on the land you're hunting whether it be best earlier or later since so many variables come into play such as food, cover, water, access for you, access for others, and how well it gets hunted throught the season.

For me the December woods have a unique character that I won't pass up if I can help it.

[BuckmasterG]

Personally, I've hunted fairly hard from Archery open-close the past 5 years, and have had the most success in October. I know late season is suppose to be the best for harvesting a mountable deer, but there's something about October 13th that I will never miss that day in a stand if I can help it.

[Bear55]

The early season is the easy answer, a lot more deer movement and a lot more un-pressured deer in the woods to hunt. I would even say the first two weeks of bow season is some of the best hunting along with the end of Oct and early Nov.

I have yet to master my late season bow hunts and rarely even see a deer because it sure seems like they are nocturnal where I hunt. Like others have said a lot of late season depends on the area you hunt so you will have to do some scouting to find out where the deer are hanging out.

[Rippinlip]

I see probably more deer early for the time I spend in the stands. Probably not as many shot opporunities, just too much foliage to ensure good placement and sometimes deer show up when I should be shooting instead of watching.

I have better shot opportunities and closer range shots the last 2 weeks of October, maybe for a couple of reasons, 1 is I make it a point to spend more time in my stands at this point than any other time..more butt time=more deer opportunities.

My late season success has been limited while bow hunting, areas I hunt are not real good "wintering" areas.

[matchset]

if you can find a late season food destination food source (corn,soybeans,milo), in my opinion there is no better hunting!

the deer are in survival mode after a rigerous rut, they need calories! if you can hunt a food source, i'd have to choose late season!

but i'd have to agree with BuckMasterG, October is magic!

here is my 2009 archery buck, October 30th!

[FishingWebGuy]

What are late season food sources in timber country up North? We don't have corn, soybeans, oak trees, or any other unique food sources -- just the food that is everywhere like grass, twigs, bark and shoots.

Are those summer food sources still the food for winter? I can't think of anything else in the area they could possibly eat. Or why they would move from one area to another when they are all practically the same (i.e. aspen, pines, fur and cedar with an occasional maple or ash).

Are there any other winter draws besides food?

[leech~~]

What are late season food sources in timber country up North? We don't have corn, soybeans, oak trees, or any other unique food sources -- just the food that is everywhere like grass, twigs, bark and shoots.

Are those summer food sources still the food for winter? I can't think of anything else in the area they could possibly eat. Or why they would move from one area to another when they are all practically the same (i.e. aspen, pines, fur and cedar with an occasional maple or ash).

Are there any other winter draws besides food?

FWG, if there are Deer in your hunting area at all they have to eat something. Talk to a CO or find a local logger they may have some ideas. Cedar, aspen shoots or clear cut browse maybe it but they are eating something. Keep "scouting" for the answer and you may end up with the hot spot!

[Bear55]

The deer up north will sometimes follow the loggers around and eat the tops of the tree they cut, other then that its a lot of browse and whatever else they can find.

[HNTNBUX]

I think it really depends on where you hunt. I have hunted in places that really turned on late season with deep snow and an isolated food source. But I have hunted other places that I have never seen a deer after the gun season.

Overall I have killed more deer in the described early season. From opening day all through October is good and of course early November being the most productive for me.

[Finlander]

Tried to bowhunt late season last year when I had time, but the snow storms and brutally cold weather kept me in the fish house!

[Wanderer]

Are there any other winter draws besides food?

COVER. They need to be sheltered from the elements to survive as well.

Snow on the ground is your best ally in December. The woods tell you much more with snow on the ground than without. You can see further, pick out movement better, and just flat out see where the deer are travelling, bedding, just plain living. Crusty snow makes hunting tough but fresh powder and a set of snow cammys can make you feel undetectable.

In my experience hunting the big woods the deer heard up in the aforementioned "wintering" areas. Often, when you find one, you've found them all.

[bigbucks]

I'd have to say early by far for me. I've killed two bow deer post firearms season out of thirty, so pretty lopsided for me.

Killed more deer in roughly the last two weeks of Sept & first week of November that I have in the whole month of October. With September being my highest month. I'd say by far the most opps come in Sept & Nov, but I have passed on a lot of small bucks in October that were very shootable.

My impression has always been that morning is better than evening in November & evening better than morning prior to that. The sightings would maybe support that theory, but my harvest #'s don't support morning vs. evening either way in any month, except December when I simply won't hunt mornings... October I've shot twice as many in the evenings as mornings, but I'm not sure 6-3 is a big enough test set.

[InTheNorthwoods]

In my opinion, late season holds some of the greatest opportunity at killing a great deer and at seeing lots of deer. The biggest problem with late season hunting is that if you have 10 hunters hunting in a 10 mile area on separate pieces of land the hunting can be phenominal for 1 or 2 hunters and the other 8 may be hunting deerless properties. During the remainder of the season, all 10 hunters are more likely to have decent hunting as the deer are far more dispersed throughout the area.

Late season is all about finding the active food source and hunting it only in the evenings. When its cold and snowy the deer become a slave to their stomachs and every deer - including the big mature deer - will have to eat at some point.

[Meat-Run]

October is the best month right up till the Friday before the gun opener, after that it gets a little slow and really tuff for my area that I hunt. My goal this year is to kill all my deer by October 31st (Halloween night).

mr

[Rippinlip]

I agree witht the last post, I want to be done by Halloween night, if I ain't i will continue to go, but I want to be done.

[luckey]

First of all, Great deer picture there, matchset! That is a great looking deer. I'd like to hear your story.

I probably do more bow hunting in October so that's when I see/shoot the most deer. Like others, I try not to miss any hunting opportunities during the last two weeks of October. I haven't done too much bow hunting in December for a variety of reasons. After hunting September, October and November, my desire to go stand in a tree has waned a bit. The cold, wind and snow don't help either. But the main reason I don't hunt much in December is because the freezer is full.

This is a picture of my November 1, 2009 buck (see quiver attached)

[BuckmasterG]

Impressive deer Matchset and you also luckey. I would have to agree with bigbucks, evenings have been my best opportunities for deer in all months except November. In November is seems like any part of the day can be hot, even noon hours.

[BuckmasterG]

...btw luckey it's not often you see a bowhunter hunting in blue jeans

[harvey lee]

Over the years, I have hunted the middle of October for my best hunts for seeing and harvesting deer. My bucks have come either the first few weeks of the season or the rut time period.

Up until the pre rut, I will hunt mainly food sources and when the rut comes, I hunt areas with the highest doe populations as the bucks won't be to far away.

[B.R.O.]

...btw luckey it's not often you see a bowhunter hunting in blue jeans

You mean the T.V guy's are wrong? To get a big buck I didn't need to spend thousands to have scent blocker suits,sprays,soaps,deodorants, boots,gloves,face masks,socks,unders,and gum?

Ive actually taken most of my deer with jeans or wool pants on,,,,look at the old time hunters pics, what did they do before the gadgets and gimmicks? The old man always told me, the less you move the more deer you will see, wear knee high rubber boots and watch/play the wind.

[VMS]

I would have to say early season...in fact, my best day has been the morning before rifle season starts. Cannot get any closer to the rut than that and in the area I have hunted, there is almost no pressure until the "pumpkin parade" starts the next morning.

If I had to choose, it would be the last week of October through opening day of Rifle season...

Steve

[luckey]

Yes, those are jeans. I have to admit it, I do have scentlok clothes, but I wasn't wearing them the day I shot this buck. The scentlok outfit keeps me warm and dry but I haven't noticed a difference as far as deer not smelling me. I have not killed a deer with my bow after the gun season. It's not because the deer are skittish it's mostly because by then I may have lost a little of the desire to go stand in the cold.

[mrklean]

i love late season hunting on corn fields or bean fields, i think beans are my fav, but if you play the numbers game early season is your best chance to get a deer before the gun hunters mow the herds down

[B.R.O.]

Yes, those are jeans. I have to admit it, I do have scentlok clothes, but I wasn't wearing them the day I shot this buck. The scentlok outfit keeps me warm and dry but I haven't noticed a difference as far as deer not smelling me. I have not killed a deer with my bow after the gun season. It's not because the deer are skittish it's mostly because by then I may have lost a little of the desire to go stand in the cold.

Your obviously a good enough man in the woods to hunt and kill without them. probably why you don't notice a difference... Same with me on the early season but I think its a combination of the deer being skittish and me not liking to hunt in the cold along with a bad attitude about the pressured deer.

Very nice deer by the way, a trophy in any bow-hunters book. How about giving us the story of how the hunt went?? I for one would love to hear it.