Late season hunting
#11
RE: Late season hunting
I know what your saying Steve. I think you are spot on. Those bucks are in their winter pattern now. Eithor you are where they are or your sol. I think rifle season kind of pushes them to these areas and they tend to stay there. Feed is the key this time of year. I would ask your farmer if there is a way to leave some standing corn.
Ask the farmer/lease holder how much he'd charge you to leave (_____) acres standing....and don't be shocked when you get that number. Corn is expensive to grow.
This brings to mind another question.....RE: "size of the pile", also (and I'm not passing judgement ONE BIT!). If it's legal....you'll hear nothing derogatory from me.
Hunt the food..cold will make them eat.
Smart(above quote).....and I'd just ask if you know what they're eating right now.....and do you even have access to them "there"? I've been saing for years now....that even the deer I hunt don't "winter" where they "summer". They bed nearer their food source no matter what time of year it is. For me....this doesn't (hasn't in the past) bode well for me in the early season. Late season.....I'm golden.
If you don't have access to where they're feeding.....do you have access to where they're bedding (now)? That's another option.....if you know where that is.
#12
RE: Late season hunting
GMMAT- You are half right- Deer burn a lot of energy staying warm but they do not stay warm by moving and feeding like you would think. I've stated this in several posts about cold weather hunting; deer move less because this conserves energy. They stay bedded more, move less and not as far. This keeps their metabolism down, burns less energy and they don't use up the stored nutrients in their fat reserves. Think about it, the more they move and feed the more energy they will burn, and they need all they can get right now.
Which brings me to where you are right. Like I said, they do not want to nor will they move very far to get to food sources. So deer are going to be closer to these food sources and setting up closer to the bedding area will prove to be successful.
Remember, deer move less when it is cold, however, they will move earlier in the day. Actually mid-winter warm ups spark deer movement just as early season cold snaps do. Does become more playful, bucks actually rejoin summer bachelor groups, let their guard down a bit, spar with other bucks and just appear to be more relaxed. When the cold weather returns, they return to their dormant behavior.
Which brings me to where you are right. Like I said, they do not want to nor will they move very far to get to food sources. So deer are going to be closer to these food sources and setting up closer to the bedding area will prove to be successful.
Remember, deer move less when it is cold, however, they will move earlier in the day. Actually mid-winter warm ups spark deer movement just as early season cold snaps do. Does become more playful, bucks actually rejoin summer bachelor groups, let their guard down a bit, spar with other bucks and just appear to be more relaxed. When the cold weather returns, they return to their dormant behavior.
#13
RE: Late season hunting
Interesting take, rockin.....but I'd task everyone with recalling when they observe more deer movement (warm weather v. cold weather) and try to put a reason on that.
Rest more to conserve energy? Sounds plausible, also.
Rest more to conserve energy? Sounds plausible, also.
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NOVA
Posts: 780
RE: Late season hunting
The thing i like to do is something out of the blue. I like to sometimes to go to an area i havent been in all year. Like a really thick creek bottom i avoided during the early season, cause it was way to thick to shoot. Now its open. I also like to hunt edges where i havent sat all year. I find a lot of the deer are nocturnal by now in areas with any kind of pressure. I like to hunt new growth or creeks or edges where food might be near by. I use a climber a lot and move around, the deer seem to get confused in my area by this. I also, have found on cold nights it better to wait till mid day to go in. One place i have hunted for years, when it gets cold i watch deer going to bed right at light, then its over, they dont move. But if i am on stand at noon, i catch the deer going from one bedding area to another mid day eating browe on there way there. The best thing i do in the late season is mix it up, I change stand sites all the time. I have seen and shot some of my best bucks in last weeks of December doing this.
#16
RE: Late season hunting
We don't have the winters you have there.....here....but you DO have yarding, yes/no? Is it too early for that?
I'd just ask if you know what they're eating right now.....and do you even have access to them "there"?
If you don't have access to where they're feeding.....do you have access to where they're bedding (now)? That's another option.....if you know where that is.
#17
RE: Late season hunting
ORIGINAL: RockinChair
GMMAT- You are half right- Deer burn a lot of energy staying warm but they do not stay warm by moving and feeding like you would think. I've stated this in several posts about cold weather hunting; deer move less because this conserves energy. They stay bedded more, move less and not as far. This keeps their metabolism down, burns less energy and they don't use up the stored nutrients in their fat reserves. Think about it, the more they move and feed the more energy they will burn, and they need all they can get right now.
Which brings me to where you are right. Like I said, they do not want to nor will they move very far to get to food sources. So deer are going to be closer to these food sources and setting up closer to the bedding area will prove to be successful.
Remember, deer move less when it is cold, however, they will move earlier in the day. Actually mid-winter warm ups spark deer movement just as early season cold snaps do. Does become more playful, bucks actually rejoin summer bachelor groups, let their guard down a bit, spar with other bucks and just appear to be more relaxed. When the cold weather returns, they return to their dormant behavior.
GMMAT- You are half right- Deer burn a lot of energy staying warm but they do not stay warm by moving and feeding like you would think. I've stated this in several posts about cold weather hunting; deer move less because this conserves energy. They stay bedded more, move less and not as far. This keeps their metabolism down, burns less energy and they don't use up the stored nutrients in their fat reserves. Think about it, the more they move and feed the more energy they will burn, and they need all they can get right now.
Which brings me to where you are right. Like I said, they do not want to nor will they move very far to get to food sources. So deer are going to be closer to these food sources and setting up closer to the bedding area will prove to be successful.
Remember, deer move less when it is cold, however, they will move earlier in the day. Actually mid-winter warm ups spark deer movement just as early season cold snaps do. Does become more playful, bucks actually rejoin summer bachelor groups, let their guard down a bit, spar with other bucks and just appear to be more relaxed. When the cold weather returns, they return to their dormant behavior.
#18
RE: Late season hunting
I feel for ya Schultzy. Late season is tough. Ill admitt it, im not a good hunter late season Im still seeing Deer but i cant get a pattern on there food source. We have fields and for the likes of cant figure out why we hardly see deer in them, even via spotlight in the late hours. evidently my deer have something else they prefer,in the woods, problem is my woods are hugh and whatever it is, im sure its spread out. If you ever find the holy grail, be sure and share it with your buddy <<<<< ME
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location:
Posts: 751
RE: Late season hunting
I think 'moving' is being refered to more so as feeding vs the aimless wandering that seems to happen sometimes....atleast around here. Cant think for the life of me why I see tracks in some of the places I do....and not straight line, just meandering.....when there's plenty of food. vs winter end of season and right after when they seem to be tired, and just wanna eat and rest.