Anyone out there ever managed to take a decent buck in late season? Talking about after December 15th or later. If so, did you take that buck during the morning or afternoon? Was the buck still in rut or wore down in your estimation after the kill?
Late Season Bucks
- Thread starter Lowgap
- Start date
BSK
Well-Known Member
Nope. We have an early rut, and post-rut, we never see bucks older than 2 1/2.
hcdeerman
Well-Known Member
Killed an old 7 point last year on December 30. He came out in the bean fields right before dark and started eating like there was no tomorrow! His neck was still swollen, but paid no mind to the does in the field with him. He was strictly on a food mission, but have personally seen bucks chasing does 3 or 4 different times after Christmas. I think a lot of it has to do with the amount of yearling does who might have their first heat cycle late in the season, but I am far from an expert.
Nope. Had a chance at a nice 3-1/2 yr old 6 pt in 2000 on New Years Day I believe it was, but didn't seal the deal.
CAW
Well-Known Member
I have farms in Lincoln and Marshall Counties and we always have a strong late season. As a matter of fact, some of the biggest bucks I have ever seen were in the last two weeks. Not sure if it is a secondary rut of some sort or what, because our primary rut (with all the chasing and so forth) is usually the last week of November through the first week of December.
Quailman
Well-Known Member
5 of the last 6 bucks I've killed in TN (all mature) were killed in December. Based on the area of the state I hunt, it is a great time for having an opportunity at a mature buck.
JayHay
Well-Known Member
Couple 8 points taken off our lease just after Christmas last year. Not sure they were still rutting.
Columbia Scott
Well-Known Member
This is the best late season deer I've ever seen or shot. I got him Christmas Eve 2011. When I took him to the taxidermist he knew right away how late he was shot by feeling his neck. I shot him at 8:30am. He was certainly worn from rutting but turned out nicely. He's 110" 8 point.
Winchester
Well-Known Member
A few with most of them being afternoons if memory serves. Food sources in HEAVY cover has been the key for me!
landman
Well-Known Member
Yes
Afternoons over food source
This year is lining up to be one of those years
Low on none acorn crop in our area
Colder Temps getting more food hammered earlier
Late season soybeans in many river bottoms
didn't make much or get planted too wet
Crazy rut could have second phase when?
Late Dec.
Afternoons over food source
This year is lining up to be one of those years
Low on none acorn crop in our area
Colder Temps getting more food hammered earlier
Late season soybeans in many river bottoms
didn't make much or get planted too wet
Crazy rut could have second phase when?
Late Dec.
hunterncoach
Well-Known Member
IF we have continued below avg cold temps you may be able to find a good one on a feed pattern, but the pressure has to be near non-existent for a period of time...
woodsman87
Well-Known Member
It depends on where you are in the state IMO. In my experience for the southern part of the state December is the best time, especially the first two weeks. You see all these threads about its November finally, well, myself and my friends in the southern part get all worked up about December. I am being honest, you just never know what will can be killed in late season. I myself have never killed an older buck after December 26th, but you just never know.
I get so confused about why some people just "give up" after it gets so late.
I was once like that as a boy and teen when I got to go every monring and afternoon, but now that I have a life, I go every oppurtunity from the first to last day. You just never know.
I get so confused about why some people just "give up" after it gets so late.
I was once like that as a boy and teen when I got to go every monring and afternoon, but now that I have a life, I go every oppurtunity from the first to last day. You just never know.
stringtalker
Well-Known Member
Ive killed more big bucks in the late season than early. There is less hunting pressure and the deer are trying to get fatn back up, i would rather hunt late season than any other, just my preference
Wrangler95
Well-Known Member
I've seen a good number of nice bucks late in Dec and 1st week in Jan.I like to hunt late season !
chewymalone
Well-Known Member
Shot a 145 inch (gross) 9 pt in early January chasing a doe in Robertson County five or so years ago.
W.Seay
Well-Known Member
I see a lot of good bucks late season!
Missed one a couple years ago near the end of December. He was just cruising down a trail along the river bank on a very cold afternoon with 15 mph north wind. It was about an hour before dark too. That's the latest I've ever seen a big deer like that. I was shocked to even see him considering I had killed a doe out of the same stand the afternoon before.
Columbia Scott
Well-Known Member
Cool series of pics Jethro! Looks like a real camera.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I killed one in 2005 on December 15th chasing 2 fawns. 7:15 in the morning
mossyhorns300
Well-Known Member
Killed a 10 point on New Year's Eve morning of 2010 in Northwest Tn along the MS River. Had pics of him all summer and throughout bowseason and never got a pic of him after November 1st. Thought he had been killed by someone else. Showed up in a CRP field about 30 minutes after daylight with 8-10 does in it and started filling his belly with browse. Looked like he had lost 20-30 lbs since my last pic in November.
Killed a busted up 9 point on Christmas Eve last year about 45 minutes after daylight that came out of a pine thicket behind a spike, and out onto a cutover ridge that dropped of into a hardwood bottom. Guess he was headed to eat.
Killed a busted up 9 point on Christmas Eve last year about 45 minutes after daylight that came out of a pine thicket behind a spike, and out onto a cutover ridge that dropped of into a hardwood bottom. Guess he was headed to eat.
Hunter 257W
Well-Known Member
I've shot my two best bucks on December 13 and 22nd two different years. Both were early morning. From what I see, our rut starts mid November and goes through the end of the season. :( Seems to be a bit better mid December though as far as the older bucks being seen.
I don't see any difference in buck condition late in the season either with all the feed available around the farm. Right now, the ground is absolutely carpeted with acorns and will likely still be when season ends. Winter food plots are standing tall too.
Guess I should add that both bucks were chasing does. The December 22nd was with a single doe and was crowding her hard. I had to shoot over her back to get him as he wouldn't let her get away from him. The December 13 buck had just run into a group of 3 does that kept looking back behind as they came into my view.
I don't see any difference in buck condition late in the season either with all the feed available around the farm. Right now, the ground is absolutely carpeted with acorns and will likely still be when season ends. Winter food plots are standing tall too.
Guess I should add that both bucks were chasing does. The December 22nd was with a single doe and was crowding her hard. I had to shoot over her back to get him as he wouldn't let her get away from him. The December 13 buck had just run into a group of 3 does that kept looking back behind as they came into my view.
deerhunter10
Well-Known Member
yes food in the evenings and big nasty thickets in the mornings.
The last "big" buck I killed in late season was probably fifteen years ago. About a 125 inch eight point. And yes he was worn out and I could count every rib. I had video footage of him the summer before and he was very heavy bodied and as thin as he was he still dressed 160lbs.
Two of my buddies have killed their best bucks off our farm in Henry county in late December, as a matter of fact one was in January and he was hot on a small doe. You could count every rib on both of those bucks.
Two of my buddies have killed their best bucks off our farm in Henry county in late December, as a matter of fact one was in January and he was hot on a small doe. You could count every rib on both of those bucks.
Crosshairy
Well-Known Member
I killed a very large 7-point (my heaviest deer ever) on December 26th in Shelby County, 5 minutes after shooting light. He was eating in a field, and I was late and just walking in.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Quailman said:
That's fascinating information.
Quailman
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
BSK, that's why I never get discouraged when November slips by and I haven't taken a buck yet. If my memory serves me correctly, the last 5 dates were December 1,5,8,11, and 25th (the first Christmas day I hunted in probably 15 years). If I could choose one weekend out of the entire season to hunt, it would be the first weekend in December. Now remember, I hunt in Grundy and Franklin counties, which are at a more southern latitude than where you primarily hunt, so this could be a factor as to why I tend to see a noticeable "peak" of the rut during late November/early December.
I also firmly believe that the first few days in December are so good in my area because the last few does are coming into estrus and mature bucks are having to move a great deal more to find them. Also, based on the fetal aging conducted by TWRA a few years ago, a large percentage of does in my part of the state were being bred in December and early January. As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine owns a large property in the mountainous region of Franklin County where some of this sampling took place. Many of the does were being bred the first week of January! Pretty amazing to see such a variance statewide.
