One of the best times of the season to hunt trophy deer is after the more “relaxed” hunters hang up their guns for the year. They have returned to their houses hiding from the extreme cold and have found a place on the sofa where they can concentrate on the sports programs on television until the ground melts.
This is also the best time of the season because it follows the routine, when the males return to their normal routine. This doesn’t necessarily take a long time, maybe a week or two after the regular weapon season. When the deer go back to what the deer do; eat and lie down. Once winter unleashes its fury and there is a definite chill in the air and snow on the ground. If you can get this combination right, you’re in for a great late season in the deer forest.
This provides the hunter with the perfect storm and gives us an opportunity to discuss some late-season deer hunting tips. Success at the end of the season comes down to knowing three things; where deer eat, where they lie down, and how they move between the two. If winter has shed its blanket of snow, finding these trails will be a breeze. Gather as much information about this triad as possible. This is the key to his success at the end of the season.
The savvy hunter understands that deer generally roost in different places during the winter than they do during the summer months. In the winter, deer use very dense brush to lie on. These areas are often too difficult for a hunter to traverse without letting the deer fully know you are there. Not to mention the fact that the area covered by a deer during the winter months is always multiplied by 10 due to the fact that once plentiful and nearby food sources have been harvested so greater numbers are often needed. distances to obtain food. they need.
It should be noted that even though the area covered by deer increases in the winter months, deer are still very concise about the areas in which they lie down and eat. They will travel in their smaller area until winter weather consumes or destroys the food, then they move into the larger area to locate the food, and the process repeats.
Consider available food sources. As most hunters know, deer like acorns. However, by the end of the season, these acorns have often become food for worms, squirrels, or other animals. If this is the case, this makes them less attractive to deer that roam the area looking for food.
Some food sources to consider late in the season include harvested farm fields, especially corn fields. Although modern harvesting equipment does a great job of harvesting all of the farmers’ crops, there is inevitably something left behind, like fallen corn stalks and the like. These areas can be a profitable area for deer activity.
If you are lucky enough to hunt on farmland, farmers often plant winter rye in their fields to help reduce the effects of erosion on their fields during the winter. If this is the case, deer often find winter rye an irresistible food. Setting up along these fields can increase your chances of success at the end of the season.
So once you’ve located these resting and feeding areas, place your booth along the paths that lead to and from it. Doing some end-of-season scouting and homework on deer in your area will help you use the triad of information described above.
