Updated March 2023
The rut is over and the last few weeks of the season are all that remain. While most hunters hang up their bows during this time, there are still plenty of opportunities to kill a mature buck, or a doe, in the late season. Whether you’re an experienced hunter who regularly hunts the late season or if you are thinking about giving it a try this year, kudos to you for braving the elements to fill any unused tags. So, if you need another deer to fill the freezer this year, late December and January might be just what you need to accomplish this.
Benefits of Hunting the Late Season
One of the main reasons why hunting the late season can be productive is due to reduced hunting pressure. With fewer hunters in the woods, there is less competition. Now just because there are less hunters does not mean getting a shot at a whitetail will be easy. All deer are very educated by this point in the season, which leaves no room for error. In many states, bucks have been hunted for almost 3 months.
Other added benefits of hunting the late season include the ability to track and see deer easier in the snow. This makes following blood trails very easy in areas that have snow cover. Also, the late season is a great time for scouting by trying new areas and stand locations. The tactics outlined in this article are meant to help late season hunters find where the deer are and ultimately fill an unused tag.
Hunt the Food – In order to keep their body temperatures up, whitetails burn more calories in the winter, which means deer need to eat more. In most regions, whitetails in the late season are in recovery mode from the rut. Their main goal is to put back on and maintain their pre-rut body weight. If you are in an area with high-value late season food, it is to your advantage to focus on these areas. Examples of prized late season food sources include corn, soybeans, brassicas and acorns. If you can find an area between a food source and bedding, this is a great location to put up a treestand.
Use the Snow – Another advantage of hunting the late season is that all the leaves are down and deer are easy to spot at a distance and in normally thick cover areas. A brown deer stands out easily against white snow. Snow is a great way to figure out where the deer are by finding fresh tracks. Waiting a day or two after a snowstorm can provide useful intel to deer travel patterns. Instead of hunting your normal stand locations, key in on areas with signs of heavy deer traffic. Fresh tracks are always a great indicator of where deer recently were and the areas they are favoring. Following fresh tracks is a tactic used by many hunters. Setting up on an intersection of fresh tracks in an area near a food source or bedding can lead to great results. Be on the lookout for large deep tracks from a big, heavy buck, compared to smaller doe tracks.
During the late season, keep an eye on the weather forecast for days with high barometric pressure, between 30.00 and 30.40, as whitetails have been shown to increase movement during days like this. Also, times leading up to and immediately after a snow event can result in increased deer activity.
Watch the Temperature – During the late season, extreme cold fronts are great for getting deer on their feet. Deer need to eat more during periods of unusually cold temperatures because they burn more calories keeping their body heat up. If temperatures have been hovering around freezing for a period of time and then there is a sudden drop to 10-15 degrees, this is a good time to hunt. Keep an eye out for southern-exposed slopes that receive more sunshine during cold temperatures, and other areas where deer can get out of the wind and get relief from cold temperatures.
Another late season weather-related tip is to dress warm in frigid temperatures. Staying warm in the stand or blind will help you stay out longer, increasing your chances of killing a buck. Make sure to stock up on foot and hand warmers before heading out to the stand!
Late Season Deer Behavior – You may notice that whitetails tend to behave differently after the rut is over. Bucks start grouping back up and tolerating each other. You will also see more doe groups back together and fawns with their mothers as deer get back to their early season patters. If you hunt an area where you can use a trail camera, the late season is a good time to do so. Trail cameras can help this time of year to see what deer remain after gun season, when deer are moving and where deer are traveling.
When hunting the late season, it’s important to not over pressure spots. Deer are already weary of human sign at this point in the season. They are on edge and paranoid from being hunted the past few months. Because of this, whitetails are looking for safe locations to spend their time after the rut. Hunting the edges of thick cover where deer are trying to conceal themselves can pay off. Because leaves of trees are down this time of year, it is extra important to make sure you are concealed and to limit movement to avoid being spotted.
Bedding Areas – Similar to other times in the season, hunting downwind of bedding areas can be productive. Targeting funnels and pinch points between bedding and food sources is a great tactic. With limited time left in the season, now is the time to get aggressive by getting as close to bedding areas as possible without spooking deer. A lot of times, deer will bed in thick, nasty cover this time of year to remain unseen. Finding these areas of thick cover are good spots to key in on.
Timing Your Hunts – Evening hunts are typically the most productive in the late season as deer tend to move just before dark. After the rut is over, morning daylight activity dramatically decreases. Deer that are moving in the morning tend to be heading back to their beds before light, making your chance of spooking deer easier. You are better off focusing on evening hunts over morning hunts in the late season.
As outlined above, the late season can be a productive time if approached correctly. Carefully planning your hunts and taking extra precautions to not spook already cautious deer, can often lead to filling a tag. The tactics mentioned in this article can greatly increase your chances for late season success. For related articles, check out other posts from Bowhunting Depot!