Hunting

The rut is over in most parts of the country and many hunters are hanging up the gun or bow, but this isn't the time to sit around. Post-rut can be the best times to kill a monster buck, you just have to know how to do it.

Food Source:
Bucks are tired after chasing does during the rut, and they need to rest and eat for the winter that is coming up ahead. Bucks will still be elusive until the hunting pressure calms down a little and you will need to locate food sources close to their bedding area. Later once the pressure has calmed down, the deer will move to a bedding area close to a prime food source (acorns, honeysuckle, corn, soybeans, winter crops, etc.). You can either set up over the food source or you can be more successful by setting up over a deer path that leads from the food source to the bedding area.

Young Does:
Young does usually don't go in heat at the same time as older ones. They go in heat later in the year. If you want to do well with this strategy you have to know where the young does travel and eat. You then set up near that area with a feeding doe decoy, "in heat" scent, and some bleat calls or you can set up in the buck's area (as previously mentioned in the food source) with the same set up. Both ways will work if properly executed.

The Drive:
I don't usually like doing drives (I feel it's for people who don't have the skill or don't put in the effort to be able to pick a spot and be successful with it.), but drives can be an engaging activity for late season hunting. One drive technique that is usually successful if you have about four or five people (it can be done with as many as twenty though) is just a normal drive through the bedding or feeding area of a buck. For this, have two people set up downwind from the chosen area. Then have the remaining people walk in a zigzag pattern though the bedding area with wind coming from their backs. Another technique is for a smaller group. If you know of a ravine or other funnel that deer frequently travel through this is the way to go for you. Have one hunter set up on the top of the ravine with his face to the wind. The other one or two people walk in a zigzag pattern towards the ravine. Both will be excellent ways to put deer in the freezer.

Deer hunting in the post-rut is usually not done as frequently as during the rut, but post-rut is easier to pattern deer and to kill them with your skill and not your luck

I'm continuing my previous post on post-rut/late season deer hunting tips with another article on the same subject. I'm just going to list a few more hunting strategies for late season deer hunting.

The Decoy:
Hunting with a decoy is a promising strategy at almost any time of the year. The only requirements are that you choose and use the decoys properly. For late season deer hunting, using a feeding doe with a subdominant buck tends to work the best. A larger buck will usually get mad when he sees what looks like a smaller buck stealing his hot doe. He will come after the subdominant buck and that's when you need to be set up with a clear shot at him.

Bump and Hide:
This can be done with one or two people. If you have two set up one person downwind of a buck's bedding area. The other person starts on the upwind side of bedding area and tries to push the deer up and locate where it was resting. The other person is sitting there to see if he can get lucky and have the buck walk past him when you bump the buck, but the first person is not necessary. You then leave for the day and come back the next day as early as possible and set up a stand over the site where you bumped him. The buck will usually return in one to three days.

Scout:
This is usually not considered an idea anyone would consider during hunting season, but it can be successful in helping you later this year and early in the next season. What you need to do is try to locate the new routes bucks are using after the rut. These usually are the same ones they used early in the season, but they can still change in the short amount of time. Once you locate these you can hunt with many of the strategies already listed in this and my previous post.

Spot and Stalk:
This is an excellent choice if there is snow on the ground or you are a proficient tracker. First you locate fresh deer tracks in the snow and decide if they are fresh or not (I plan to write my next post on this topic.). Then you follow the tracks as quietly as possible to not disturb other deer or to give the one being tracked any reason for him to believe he is being followed. You may have to follow the deer the entire day to get on shot at him, but it is usually less boring then sitting in a tree all day. You can also walk steadily through the woods looking for deer and glassing constantly in hopes of finding one without you spooking it. You then stalk it until in range and let loose the bullets.

All the techniques mentioned can be very useful if you used properly and at the correct time. My personal favorite is probably the "Spot and Stalk" because it tends to make deer hunting a little more interesting. It also seems more traditional, especially if done with a bow.

When your hunting in the snow, you see tons of deer tracks, but you continue to your deer stan without much of a thought. While you're up on your stand, you start thinking about what you saw. "Man, those are some big tracks," you think to yourself. You get bored in your stand so you decide to check out the tracks. Here are some tips to help you:

-Tracks that are 3 inches to 3 ½ inches usually means it's a big buck.

-The edge of a track that is fresh will give to the slightest touch of your hand.

-Both does and bucks have dewclaws, but does will usually only leave the marks when running or in snow deeper than 3 inches.

-The hoof size is distorted in the snow, because when a deer lifts up its foot it drags a little, creating a larger track.

-The walking stride of a buck is usually between 18 to 22 inches. A doe will have strides generally less than 19 inches.

-8 or more inches between the right and left legs indicates a large buck.

-The midline between the toes of a deer will become frozen and be solid to the touch after 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
-Your skin transmits heat at approximately the same rate as a deer's hoof.

-Most deer have longer outside toes.