Strictly Whitetails

As snow and ice are in the forecast we’re officially in the late portion of the hunting season. The rut is just a memory but that doesn’t mean all is lost. The late season is still a great time of year to score on a mature buck. In the past two days most of the Strictly Whitetails hunting team has spotted bucks feeding during shooting light. That is music to my ears.

Now is not the time to hunt rutty funnels. Think recovery and food. Most deer will be bedding near the best available food source. This is the time of year that evening hunts are the ticket. With the amount of standing corn left it shouldn’t be hard to locate some hearty corn to hunt. And don’t be afraid to hunt right on the cornfield.

There are two big tickets in weather during the late season. The first is a winter weather front. Getting on the front side of a front in the late season can pay off big time. Second is a warming front. Tonight was one of those. You will see a spike in activity the first few warmer days after a few bitterly cold days. Deer metabolism speeds back up driving them to fill their bellies.

Don’t think the late season is easy; it’s not. But every year about 7-10 days after the shotguns stop booming bucks get their feet back. This time around you’re dealing with a smarter buck. They have been chased, shot at and harassed for 2.5 months. Any deer still alive was smart enough to stay alive for one or more seasons. One mistake now will cause him to abandon ship.