Late Season Bowhunting
11-28-2010, 07:23 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 368
IF they show up during shooting hours. I also think the food often (not always) has to be fairly remote and/or hidden or at least far away from the road if you want to increase your chances of seeing them during shooting hours.
If possible, I would think about hunting the edges of cover on the way to the food. That way you increase your chances of intercepting them before shooting light and often can get in and out of your spot undetected easier. I think if you set up right on top of the crop field and can't get out without spooking them on the first hunt, that spot is done for the rest of the year. Or at least goes very cold.
Good luck. I just put my camera out near a picked corn field Saturday and hoping the action picks up to make it worth a few sits.
If possible, I would think about hunting the edges of cover on the way to the food. That way you increase your chances of intercepting them before shooting light and often can get in and out of your spot undetected easier. I think if you set up right on top of the crop field and can't get out without spooking them on the first hunt, that spot is done for the rest of the year. Or at least goes very cold.
Good luck. I just put my camera out near a picked corn field Saturday and hoping the action picks up to make it worth a few sits.
11-28-2010, 07:27 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 368
I also think you can get away with more scent-wise this time of year in Wisconsin or Minnesota or wherever cold since it smell doesn't travel as far as it does when warmer in the fall and with snow on the ground and/or damp conditions. Regardless, any time of the year, wind direction is most important. The guy with the worst BO in the world and the right wind will often trump the guy with scentlok everything and the wrong wind.
11-29-2010, 08:35 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Virginia
Posts: 753
To follow up: What would be the best late season approach if there is a widely dispersed food source? We have had a good crop of acorns here in VA, so there isn't a real "food source spot", since it is almost eveyrwhere where I hunt?
On a related note: We had a very late rut here. The buck's necks weren't even begging to get rut-swollen as of 11/13. Think estrous doe pee would still work this weekend?
On a related note: We had a very late rut here. The buck's necks weren't even begging to get rut-swollen as of 11/13. Think estrous doe pee would still work this weekend?
11-29-2010, 10:09 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Buffalo County WI
Posts: 163
When the does come into second estrus, thats when the fun starts all over again. I'm not sure when its predicted to happen for this year. (I believe its usually mid december) but, bucks react to all the normal rutting stuff (rattling, grunting, etc) Late season to me is the best of the best
11-30-2010, 08:18 AM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5
Okay awesome I would like to wait till the snow stays on the ground to go out and i have 80 acres of property people always say to hunt the outskirts of the land but i have alot of thickets in the middle of it would that be a possible option, and for the grunting and rattling how much is to much?
11-30-2010, 08:25 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: NOVA
Posts: 780
I would hunt corridors too, i have a lot of success hunting the travel corridors, play the wind right and get them coming and going to food. Might have to change up how you hunt them depending on the food, but also some does will come in late, depending on the area, where i hunt there a lot of does, and bucks were still very interested even this past weekend, mature deer of 5.5 or better were on there feet early searching the edges of the travel areas, just barely staying in the thick stuff. But if your hunting close to the thick stuff you better figure out a way to go in undetected, and keep it that way.