Who hunts the late season?

[maros91]

Who likes to go out in the snow and cold and chase Whitetails? If you have a late season plot or standing corn the action can be good.

[1eyeReD]

I like to. It's a little tough and can be humbling, but a few weeks after gun it seems like a whole new season of bowhunting (just a much shorter colder version). Gotta re-pattern them and get used to the cold.

Went out yesterday, saw nothing while in stand both morning and evening in two different spots. May be a little too soon (was in SE zone while late season gun was still open). I'll give it a few weeks and hopefully some snow on the ground to help me get an idea of where they're comin and goin.

[Bear55]

As long as I have a buck tag I am out there, always been a struggle with no ag in the area but I've learned to scout more and hunt less this time of year. Its going to pay off eventually.

[paceman]

If I don't connect with the muzzy I will be out a few times with the bow. I love hunting in the snow!

[mnguy152]

well if i dont have a deer yet i am lol. but i quit being picky then too

[Rippinlip]

Normally I am still going, but I am tagged out where I hunt, took a buck this past Saturday and with a the doe I harvested back in October. I am done.

My wife is still going and seeing deer.

Hoping she can close the deal here soon, she is starting to lose interest with the cold weather.

Been a long and busy fall for us, so I am just happy she is staying connected.

Still hunting over food source, but trying to get closer to their bedroom's this time of year.

[rkhinrichs]

I do most of my hunting late season. and the past two years i could of harvest but just got busted when i pulled back. I just try to find good trails the deer are using a lot between food and bedding in farm country.

Bear55- In the NE i find it hard to find a food source. Like you could say clear cut but i feel they just browse around them. what im trying to say is... In ag country there is corn, or bean fields to pin point a food source but up north its harder to pin point a food source. what do you do up here?

[slimngrizzly]

I haven't had to hunt late in a while... that late, late business is always tougher than a guy thinks its going to be! EVERYTHING makes noise! Toughest is just to get drawn on them. Im looking forward to the challenge again. Probably wont get to hunt much till the last week of Dec. though.

[MUSKY18]

I'm still at it! Sat last night and got myself chilled up a bit, but I have pictures of a couple of good bucks that made it through gun season, hoping they make it through muzzy season, or at least walk in front of me and my Elite during muzzy season! Either way, I'll be pushing it right up until the end of Dec unless I tag out. Ag fields are gone in my area, plowed under so trying to figure them out now is a bit of a challenge.

[MNpurple]

Still at it. One of the farms I hunt has a field that stayed wet too long this spring to get either corn or beans planted so a cover crop of rye grass was planted later in the season. Now with everything harvested and fields plowed under, here sits this bright green rye grass field on an otherwise brown, barren landscape. Anyone ever hunted rye, especially once there is a blanket of snow?

[Big Country]

Still at it north of Duluth. No agriculture here. Try and find the main trails used and post up. Almost got to draw back on a mature doe Friday. She stopped 40 yards out in a thick alder swamp and stayed grazing until lights out. I thoughorly enjoy the late season challenge. Going to try my friends 40 that is loaded with acorns, which is very unique to this area. Wasn't a lot of deer there early season, but hoping they migrate to the food. BC

[Scoot]

Yep, I love the late season. In particular, I like hunting on the days when it's so cold that only a fool would be out. Really cold temps get the deer moving earlier. It makes it tougher on the hunter, but the hunting tends to be better. To take a mature buck you typically need to get past quite a few does- the bucks follow the does out to feed an awful lot of the time late in the year.

[BLACKJACK]

I'll make it out a few more times, love being out at sunrise, watching, speculating whether that black blob is a deer - or a bush. Give the deer a couple weeks to get over the gun season, some snow and cold, and they'll fall into some reliable feeding patterns.

I think any deer you get in the late season is a trophy.

Biggest problem is trying to decide between bowhunting, early ice fishing, or getting the doggies out for a late season pheasant hunt!!! Decisions, decisions!!

[BLACKJACK]

In particular, I like hunting on the days when it's so cold that only a fool would be out.

You're a better man than I am, I was thinking with the extreme cold this weekend that I'd be spending more time in my shop!!! But if I'm not out then I'm pacing around the house at sunrise and sunset, watching for deer, wishing I was out hunting!!!

[Bear55]

Bear55- In the NE i find it hard to find a food source. Like you could say clear cut but i feel they just browse around them. what im trying to say is... In ag country there is corn, or bean fields to pin point a food source but up north its harder to pin point a food source. what do you do up here?

Any clearcut will do but you have to scout it out, there needs to be good late season bedding nearby, usually cedars or thick pines work the best for bedding this time of year.

Otherwise I have had luck if you can find a working logging operation, lots of treetops and food for them to much on. Finally you might try and just drive around and look for sign, I've driven 20 miles and never cut a track before so there is no reason to hunt an area unless you are finding a lot of fresh sign.

[maros91]

I took a deer in late Dec. some years ago. It was an unpicked corn field, deep snow and cold. You could have drove a semi on the path they had to the corn. I love late season if you can find the food and play the moon right.

[Musky Buck]

I would hunt late especially this year, lots of standing corn and low rifle kill kinda, now most of the corn is gone and I'd say muzzy and late bow this is the year to do it. I'm seeing a lot of deer lately and usually it's really bleak after rifle, they're not as nocturnal as some years in my areas so this is the year. Kinda bites my tag is gone, was almost hoping to not see a nice buck rifle hunting, but picking him up at the best butcher place I've ever tried north of Mora MN tonight.

[monstermoose78]

I am still at it. The neighbor left up some corn and the deer should start using that as a food source soon I hope.

[DonBo]

Thought I was done, but still kinda have the itch. If we get some decent weather yet, I might give it another try.

[walleyeking19]

I'm still gonna be trying. There really isnt any agricultural land around me so I'll just have to scout. Plus with this snow we got I wont be able to drive back to where I normally park so I'll just have to walk it. Hopefully I get lucky one day once it turns nice again

[Scoot]

You're a better man than I am...

I'm very doubtful I'm "better", but I have no doubt I'm dumber!

Because of some health problems it's tougher and tougher for me to stay warm late in the year. However, I'm too dumb to figure it out! I love late season hunting!!!

[surewood]

Tag in my pocket I'll be out til the last minute.

[deerminator]

Good luck. I have a bonus permit for the next area up. I may go out one more time or two. We shall see. My favorite hunt yet was mid-December two year ago when it was about -15. I went out for the last hour near an ag field and tagged a huge, mature doe. It was so cold when I field dressed her that I felt like I had the flu that night and all the next day. I was just so chilled to the bone. It also taught me the importance of practicing drawing in the cold. I felt like I was going to tear my arm out of my socket when I drew back that day.

[fivebucks]

Haven't gotten out all year yet but just bought archery tag and will go Friday evening and Saturday morning on some nice private land I got invited on. It will be cold but I will bundle up in my HBS and hope for does since I filled my buck tag already. At least with the snow I will see their movements and the cold should keep them moving around feeding.

[rbs]

I was out last night in the heavy mist and didn't see anything. I checked my camera and had 6 different bucks (4 shooters) come thru in the past couple weeks. 15th thru the 17th it was during mid day and now everything is at night. Might have to put up a ground blind closer to where they are bedding to get them in shooting light I guess. Also with the cold I might be more comfortable with the buddy heater in it...never done that before. Good luck everyone!