Who hunts the late season?

[paceman]

Hopefully after all this snow followed by strong winds subsides I will be able to get back to my good winter spots. I have a feeling I will be hoofing through deep snow/drifts quite a ways...

[Scoot]

I had seven slick heads at 15 yards tonight, but the front deer never gave me a good shot. Either she was quarting towards me or there were deer behind her. I had both kids with me and after about ten minutes my daughter couldn't take it anymore- she said "Are you gonna shoot?" and the doe heard her. It ran off about 40 yards away and never gave me another chance. A yearling doe was at about 25 yards a little later, but she never offered a shot either. Finally, an unseen deer got downwind of us with about 15 minutes of light left. It snorted a dozen times and all the deer ran off. No blood on an arrow, but a really fun night with the kids! Also, very encouraging for the next few sits!

[MattL]

Sounds like fun, Scoot. I really like the late season, but it tends to interfere with ice fishing. I'm thinking I'm gonna set my sights on a doe soon and get the ice fishing gear out now that the lakes are frozen. 2 of the last 3 years I hunted right up til the last minutes of the season.

[WalleyeBIZ]

Nothing better than getting out there in the snow camo!! Don't always get to wear it, so I have to take advantage of the new snow!!

[sticknstring]

Saw 5 tonight... Dropped the string at 445 and sent one aimlessly over his back! Stopped him w a bleat and watched him duck before my arrow even got there! Still some late rut activity occuring. These temps are brutal though. Good luck guys... Our days are numbered.

[mainbutter]

Anyone else still going? This thread's been quiet for over a week. I'm heading out for what might be my last hunt of the season, regardless if I fill a tag. I'm looking forward to my first late season deer, it's so ridiculously scenic out in the snow-covered woods.

[paceman]

Still out when I Can. been seeing a few deer but nothing I want to take. Woods are full of tracks so just have to keep plugging along. eventually it will happen.

[eyedr]

Headed out to a bedding area in Wisconsin a week from today. Was ready to pack it in for the year but now I'm pretty excited to give it one more try.

[slimngrizzly]

Im letting things sit while the 2nd phase of the orange army is out yet. Some times it seems theres more guys muzzleloading than gun hunting.

[mainbutter]

No luck today, haven't seen a single animal except a few tiny tweety birds and an eagle that gave me a close up view when he soared overhead. Nary a squirrel to be had, much less any deer. Tons of tracks, a bedding area right outside our shack up here, but they are obviously spending their saturday morning/early afternoon elsewhere.

[phorn]

Alot of people who didn't get one the gun season get there second chance the smoke pole season. I'm not sure if I agree with it or not. But bow hunters also get the chance. Whos right and whos wrong. I guess thats a whole different topic. : )

[WalleyeBIZ]

I'm still hunting also!! Battling the cold!! Will probably go at least 6 more times this year!! Seeing plenty of deer, Usually to far or late!!

[slimngrizzly]

Alot of people who didn't get one the gun season get there second chance the smoke pole season. I'm not sure if I agree with it or not. But bow hunters also get the chance. Whos right and whos wrong. I guess thats a whole different topic. : )

Oh im not against it! I dont mind grabbing the smokepole myself now and then. Its just at this point, I almost get more excited about whats living for next year. And its nice to give them a break in a few spots while they are still getting gunned heavy. Ive seen a lot of deer during the cold here. Well see what happens if it begins warming up.

[HunterLee]

My cousin ended up leaving about 5-8 acres of standing corn and its a magnet, pulled my cameras today after they pushed it and found one really nice 11 or 12pt that is a first timer and a ok 10 which will be a easy shooter next year as well as a handful of small ones.

Its not a very big woods but we have been real careful on pressure and they pushed out 69 deer.

The bad thing is that only one buck came out that i seen. As long as winter or the wolves get them all it should be good next year. I assume my brother will try it out a few times towards the end of the year

[engfish]

I have been out three times this month and have seen a fair number of does--more than I have seen earlier in the season. The problem now is that they have the advantage of sight checking those stands; the mature does are tough to fool.

The snow camo blind is our last ace to play. We just need a southeast wind--Wednesday's forecast.

In my mind, there is nothing better than hunting on a 25 degree day with snow on the ground.

[rkhinrichs]

went out Saturday morning for a couple hours and nothing boy the snow looks so pretty!

[maros91]

Just gained permission from a lady to bow hunt the final 2 weeks. The deer are going through property to get to a picked corn field. Put my blind out this morning and there is a cattle path going to the corn. Kind of excited. Can't hunt till Monday.

[Musky Buck]

May be worth your while to scout a night and not sit a night and try to get permission hopefully, if your sit is giving you a bad vibe. I've been watching a true monster buck since rifle ended and it just stinks. I'd say he lost a 1/4 pound during the rut as he's just a beast size wise and his neck is thick and the other deer don't mind him eating with them at all. When he comes out it's usually 4:30PM. He feeds just off a road that I would assume dozens of people have seen him yet I got 0 people asking to muzzleload him and 0 late bow hunters asking and I don't have that cornfield posted or anything, I don't get it a 10 pointer likely 18" spread, heavy set of horns and easily dress in the 220 range, he's a horse for sure. The big ? is would I grant permission on this 4.5 year old buck ? I really should set my t-cam up again and get a good picture of him, there's 1 spot where they enter the field happens to be 40 yards from my stand, wish I would've hunted that stand this year and not 120 miles away in OT county, daing. Keep at it, it could happen yet. Deer have really been on a long wandering around tour lately so it could change whats in your spots each day, hunt that last legal shooting hour seems to be all the movement we're seeing.

[1eyeReD]

Went this past Sat to a place with a decent sized field of standing corn. 1st time hunting here and WOW is all I have to say. Tons of deer. Was covered in does bout the last 20 min of light but as usual I was one or two trails off and the closest group of does walked by at 45 yds which was out of my range of confidence in the frigid breeze.

It was amazing how they popped out from everywhere and walked around me on both sides and headed to the field, but not one came within bow range. However, just my luck, a forkie buck came up out of the swamp and walked in facing me all the way up to the base of my tree. Was so tempting... Had him in range for about 5 min and I came so close to pulling back, but had to talk myself out of it. Had he stood broadside any longer I may have just done it to punch my main archery tag and call it quits. He gave me about 30 seconds of broadside at about 15 yds and then proceeded to come up to the base of the tree to sniff the tree and snow. That 30 seconds of broadside had me arguing with my conscience pretty loudly in my head. "Shoot! No no.. Shoot! No, don't. Save him for next year. Too easy, just shoot! Noooo!!!" After sniffing my tree and the snow on the ground he then busted me with a staring match that seemed to last all the way up until dark before he jumped back and proceeded to slowly walk out to about 50 yds and then headed to the field.

I waited til well after dark to get out as to not spook the heard but had to walk along the fence line next to the field back to the truck anyway. During my walk out, a few spooked and blew, but there were some eyes glowing within 30 yds just curiously watching as I headed back to the truck. Must've seen a total of 15 deer during those last 20 min of light and more trickled through while I was packing up my climber then of course there were who knows how many already in the field that came from the other side.

Hoping to get out again. I'd be more than happy to punch the tag on one of them does I saw.

[maros91]

The lady said they come through about 5pm. She said they used to come through about 4:30pm. This pattern goes perfect with the moon. Got my blind out, let it rest a week, then they should be coming through about 4:45. Didn't ask her if there was anything big running around. A guy about half mike down the road that I asked for permission and said no said there's a 13pt. Running around. Be nice if he wandered my way.

[Musky Buck]

1 eye red you're graduating into a different level of what success means to you. You certainly wouldn't have shot that fork in the acorns on bow opener so why dust him just because it's near the end of the season. If you have does like that where you're hunting your chance will come anyway and maybe a huge buck steps out of that corn for you, you never know. It was tough some for me to burn my tags, was in your shoes with a fork, last night of muzzy, I shot but 30 feet in a different direction as I have an old school muzzy and the only way to empty it is to shoot it, but I learned more about deer and deer hunting by going deerless more so than the easy years where he just comes by and you end it early.

[Musky Buck]

Think I just typed an issue, when it comes to easy vs. not. When it quits coming easy then what ? That's why I have 12 deer stands in 4 counties, can't do anything because of pressure, can't do this or that so what can I control nowadays ? Where I hunt when I hunt how I hunt and the volume of stands I need to be consistent. Scouting and I mean that during season, what I see before season really matters little once we all hit the woods I need to decipher my best chance, best county, etc. from looking at sign made during season and gut instincts and what 29 years of doing it has taught me. I think for many 1eyered the last few years have not been easy so now what do I do blame the DNR or someone else for my lack of preparing for the tough years, there they sit in a giant box stand that every deer in the township is aware of and opening day comes and goes and now it's going to get tough, do these people have a ladder stand option that may work best for a different wind or after you've overhunted that boxstand ? Do I like maintaining 12 stands of course not, come next November 8th though I'll be in good shape, already trimming lanes never too wide, deer hate wide lanes for the most part at least where I hunt even if they go through them if they're mature at all they know it doesn't have a safe feel, I just want 1 window into that trail or area, I don't want to make drastic changes to it. That's why so many must connect opening day or else the deer will avoid those shooting lanes/box stands and go extra nocturnal, especially places where you don't get a lot of new deer movement but you got local deer that know our moves darn near before we make em. Good luck, tons of standing corn up yet, hoping to see a few snow shots so good luck guys.

[1eyeReD]

Thanks Musky Buck. I mainly hunt public so I know all too well about the whole scouting during season thing. And yes, trying to cover as much ground and different properties across a large region can be exhausting, but we gotta do this to get on deer. Over the years, as I've expanded my options in the different properties I hunt, at the same time, spending countless hours "trial-hunting" them, I've come to learn a lot about these properties and how deer move during different parts of the seasons. Hopefully, we all punch a tag by end of season and I hope mine will be a plump doe!

* Edit *

I hope mine will be a big ol' buck, but will take a plump doe if given the opportunity

[1eyeReD]

You certainly wouldn't have shot that fork in the acorns on bow opener so why dust him just because it's near the end of the season.

Ha! Were you one of the voices in my head that night? Almost the same exact words!!!

[LABS4ME]

Got out last night. Bought an IWOM suit. Ended up not getting as cold as they forecasted and by the time I moved my stand I wasn't on it long enough to really need it.

I'm tentatively planning on going back up Monday afternoon, Tues morning. Then I can really see how the suit performs as it will be below zero. The trails into the standing corn look like county highways!

Good Luck!

Ken