the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

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How optimistic are you for the upcoming late season?

I'm a late season specialist with multiple successes
12
3%
I've taken more than one good late season buck
37
9%
Only one good, mature buck in the late season
48
11%
I haven't been successful on mature bucks in the late season
323
77%
 
Total votes: 420
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LukeTM
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby LukeTM » Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:46 pm

Bump time!
For those of us with an unpunched tag, time to change tactics here soon!

I recently read through this ENTIRE thread and here are some notable points that stood out to me or were repeated a lot.

1: Bedding is still king. Though the pattern is still bed-food, bucks will travel a long ways to secure bedding.
2: Find a buck and hunt him wisely ASAP as they are more likely to follow a pattern.
3: If there was ever a time to be stealthy, it’s now. Less leaf cover, more visibility and louder ground noises makes it hard to slip in close. Additionally, mature bucks are tired of being pushed and will not tolerate the added pressure.
4: Pray for cold and snow.

Good luck!


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Mibowhunter91
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Mibowhunter91 » Wed Nov 24, 2021 12:26 pm

Getting geared up to find a buck to chase for late season. Still haven't sealed the deal on a mature buck late season been close and had a few shot opportunities but still nothing to show for it.
brkissl82
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby brkissl82 » Wed Nov 24, 2021 1:24 pm

Ive had some great hunts in late season on private food plots but on public land those are hard to come by
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby PaPublicLandHunter » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:02 am

I know it can be great but for me I really struggle with it on the public.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Bowtech1 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:06 am

Couldn't figure out how to vote but I love late season and always have great success with it. Late season is all about 2 things. The nastiest weather you can imagine and food. Combine those two things and you have THE recipe for success
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Elite » Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:01 am

In my experience of hunting late season for 15+ years, late season can be good to great if you’re in 1-1.5 square miles of food. My experience has only been in farm country and not public. I’ve also noticed that deer will bed closer to food and move earlier to food, with more snow and colder temps.
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Boogieman1
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:01 pm

Late season is somewhat of a stressful time for me. If I haven’t punched my buck tag by Dec 12 I’m well aware I missed out on the high odds time to make it happen.

I’m pretty good at finding where the biggens hole up late season. After 2 months of heavy gun fire it doesn’t take a rocket scientist in my parts to figure out where they go. The problem is the honey holes are small. Slipping In stickbow close is very tough for me. I’ve killed several good bucks between December 20-26. But in my case it took one of those young doe coming into 1st heat to pull them in front of my tree.

I also don’t have access to food plots and choose to shoot a very close range weapon. So I have no experience with how good that kinda thing is.
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Dewey
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:31 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Late season is somewhat of a stressful time for me. If I haven’t punched my buck tag by Dec 12 I’m well aware I missed out on the high odds time to make it happen.

I’m pretty good at finding where the biggens hole up late season. After 2 months of heavy gun fire it doesn’t take a rocket scientist in my parts to figure out where they go. The problem is the honey holes are small. Slipping In stickbow close is very tough for me. I’ve killed several good bucks between December 20-26. But in my case it took one of those young doe coming into 1st heat to pull them in front of my tree.

I also don’t have access to food plots and choose to shoot a very close range weapon. So I have no experience with how good that kinda thing is.

I think you should head up to the great white north and experience a sub zero late season sometime. Every man should experience deep snow and bone chilling temps at least once in their lifetime. Nothing makes you feel more alive than a brisk -20 day. :lol:
Nolte
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Nolte » Thu Nov 25, 2021 12:56 pm

Nothing wakes a guy up more than when he goes outside to start the truck and the snow squeaks. The temps always drop at daylight.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Chad Gus 715 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:09 pm

I love late season. Can't remember a year when I've still had my archery buck tag that i didn't have a shot at a mature buck during late season. Food is key, and an artic blast of cold air.
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Boogieman1
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:11 pm

Dewey wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:Late season is somewhat of a stressful time for me. If I haven’t punched my buck tag by Dec 12 I’m well aware I missed out on the high odds time to make it happen.

I’m pretty good at finding where the biggens hole up late season. After 2 months of heavy gun fire it doesn’t take a rocket scientist in my parts to figure out where they go. The problem is the honey holes are small. Slipping In stickbow close is very tough for me. I’ve killed several good bucks between December 20-26. But in my case it took one of those young doe coming into 1st heat to pull them in front of my tree.

I also don’t have access to food plots and choose to shoot a very close range weapon. So I have no experience with how good that kinda thing is.

I think you should head up to the great white north and experience a sub zero late season sometime. Every man should experience deep snow and bone chilling temps at least once in their lifetime. Nothing makes you feel more alive than a brisk -20 day. :lol:

I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be my particular cup of Joe. But would like to try at some point in my life. Also, feel every Northerner should head way down South for the bow opener. Nothing quite like 103 degrees in the shade with swarms of mosquitoes the size of tweety birds. It’s quite the experience lol.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Dewey
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:15 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:Late season is somewhat of a stressful time for me. If I haven’t punched my buck tag by Dec 12 I’m well aware I missed out on the high odds time to make it happen.

I’m pretty good at finding where the biggens hole up late season. After 2 months of heavy gun fire it doesn’t take a rocket scientist in my parts to figure out where they go. The problem is the honey holes are small. Slipping In stickbow close is very tough for me. I’ve killed several good bucks between December 20-26. But in my case it took one of those young doe coming into 1st heat to pull them in front of my tree.

I also don’t have access to food plots and choose to shoot a very close range weapon. So I have no experience with how good that kinda thing is.

I think you should head up to the great white north and experience a sub zero late season sometime. Every man should experience deep snow and bone chilling temps at least once in their lifetime. Nothing makes you feel more alive than a brisk -20 day. :lol:

I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be my particular cup of Joe. But would like to try at some point in my life. Also, feel every Northerner should head way down South for the bow opener. Nothing quite like 103 degrees in the shade with swarms of mosquitoes the size of tweety birds. It’s quite the experience lol.

Believe it or not we experience close to that too at times in September. Not 100’s but 90’s many times. Skeeters are just as horrible some years. We get the best of both worlds. Never a dull moment. I’ll take the cold any day over the heat.
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Boogieman1
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 2:23 pm

In that case I’m definitely out Dewey :lol: I tend to like to do my rat killing with temps hovering between 45 and 60. Had a December 5 or 6 years ago that brought single digit frigid temps for 3 or 4 days. Definitely not for me. Good thing I hunt alone or it could have turned into the Donner party pretty quick.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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gsquared23
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby gsquared23 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:16 pm

Still looking to pop my late season cherry, even a doe will do. I’ve seen deer but never had a shot. I either see a bunch or absolutely nothing. There is zero room for error during the late season, you make a wrong move and the hunt is over. It’s a great time to test your bowhunting skills.
Bowhunting is not for the faint of heart. But fortune favors the bowed.
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Re: the late season- "Hate" or "Great"

Unread postby MitchB » Thu Nov 25, 2021 5:35 pm

This is going to be my first late season. I’ll be more than happy to get another doe for the freezer. I’m allowed one more buck here be it archery or gun, but I’m not picky. I think I have 3 more weekends I can use the bow, including this coming weekend. I’d like to get one with the bow this year but every chance I get to use my muzzleloader I’m going to. I’m kind of excited for the cold. At least I can dress for that. There wasn’t much I could do for the mosquitoes in the swamps during October.


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