Start Your Late Season Plans Now!
Posted By
Rick Knochel
at
12/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
Start Your Late Season Plans Now!
By: Jesse Bolin
As many of you fellow hunters out there know the late seasons of December and January can be just as exciting as the rut in November. We've all seen the herds of 20 or 30 deer feeding in the snow covered fields when the temperature is dipping into the teens! To hunt these late season deer is actually quite simple. One thing most people over look is proper preperation. Here are a few tips from my bag that might help you tag a big buck this winter. The first thing to consider, and most obvious, is food. After the bucks are done chasing does, starvation is the only thing on their mind so that they may put the fat back on for winter. This is an especially good year for food since rains have put a hault to harvest. If you have standing corn or beans on any of your farms, you have a late season mecca! Find the food and find the bedding area. Get somewhere between the two and wait for the big boy to come eat!
The second thing to consider is being dressed for the elements. If you don't have the proper clothing for the weather you're not going to be able to sit the long hours it takes to kill a big buck. I suggest waterproof clothing with thinsulate. When it comes to hand protection I wear a heavy hand muff and my normal thin gloves with hand warmers inside. This avoids the use of bulky gloves. They also make warmers for your boots and larger ones to put against your body. I suggest taking advantage of them because your body is producing no heat when you are sitting for hours on end when the temperature is in the 20's or lower.
The last thing I would consider would be trail cameras. I use them year round to keep track of my bucks. If you can find a heavily used trail between bedding areas and food sources you will find bucks. Tracking bucks is much easier when the snow blankets the ground, as well as making it easier to place your cameras. If you can pattern a buck with your cameras you can hang our stands accordingly. I would say try to sneak in as close to the bedding area without getting detected. Sometimes those bigger, wiser bucks tend to hang up in the cover until the safety of darkness. If you can close the gap you might be able to catch him during shooting hours.
These tips may seem simple, but when you think about it, we tend to over look some of the simple things that could mean the difference between going home empty handed or handing your taxidermist a rack!
