Late Season Tactics and Success

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

For folks that hunt in middle TN who have seen the primary rut come to an end, what has been your experience with killing older age class bucks in December?

Have you had success killing them chasing a doe in the secondary rut? Chasing a doe fawn that came into heat late? Food?

I have had very little luck in December, but I honestly don't hunt much in late season.

However there is a target buck that eluded me all November that I would love to kill so I am looking for some thoughts on how you all have had success.

 

[backyardtndeer]

All of the above. I am in west Tennessee, but here on our farm, the first week of December can be really good for secondary rut activity, some fawns may be cycling in by then too. We have also had pretty good luck with big deer hitting soybeans and clover plots on really cold days December.

This year has been really screwy here though so no telling.

 

[Dennis]

I've killed more mature bucks in December than any other month. But those hunts have mostly been in northern climates. In those areas, the bucks get thin and worn down from chasing does in the rut. Then they need to bulk up to survive the winter. So those bucks spend a lot of time eating. They become very easy to pattern and come to food regularly in daylight hours (early afternoon)

 

[megalomaniac]

Dennis is spot on.

To say it has been a strange year is more than an understatement.

Bucks started breeding last week of October on my farms, with peak of 1st rut Nov 10th. Thats a solid 10d early for peak.

1st rut is completely over. Does are in BIG family groups and have transitioned onto feed. Mature bucks are completely nocturnal (im assuming still looking for does, but no longer throwing caution to the wind and searching in daylight), but are NOT on post rut feeding patterns yet.

The real question is what type of 2nd rut do we get this year? Normally I capitalize on a really pronounced 2nd rut around Dec 18 thru 22 and take a couple mature bucks, but 2nd rut should fall end of 1st week of December this year. But as intense as breeding was during 1st rut, I dont think there will be many does that went unbred. We may actually get a bump in 2nd rut from doe fawns cycling in this year (normally my doe fawns dont breed and dont factor into the equasion) since they are looking 10lbs heavier than normal this year.

But once 2nd rut is over, typically my bucks start bunching back up into bachelor groups and are HEAVY on the feed, even in daylight. Hard to find that bachelor group, but once you do, it can be some really good hunting. And im banking on that... as I have nearly unlimited food this year, esp compared to surrounding properties. The darn acorns really hurt my November hunting, but im hoping most have spoiled or been eaten in next couple weeks.

 

[Ski]

IMO there are two times when getting on an old buck is unfairly to our advantage. First is mid to late October when they're still on a feed pattern but making lots of scrapes. Second is after rut when does are herded up on feed patterns and the old bucks wait like vultures for a doe fawn to randomly pop hot.

I kill few old bucks during the hot chaos part of rut. I kill most of my biggest and oldest before and after the "rut". Ironically these are times ignored by a lot of hunters. They wait until ML season to start and then they're burnt out after Thanksgiving when the cold chills to the bone. Personally if I could only hunt two of the months that end in "er" it would be October and December. I'd skip November. But I don't have to choose so I hunt them all!

 

[deerhunter10]

Dennis is spot on.

To say it has been a strange year is more than an understatement.

Bucks started breeding last week of October on my farms, with peak of 1st rut Nov 10th. Thats a solid 10d early for peak.

1st rut is completely over. Does are in BIG family groups and have transitioned onto feed. Mature bucks are completely nocturnal (im assuming still looking for does, but no longer throwing caution to the wind and searching in daylight), but are NOT on post eut feeding patterns yet.

The real question is what type of 2nd rut do we get this year? Normally I capitalize on a really pronounced 2nd rut around Dec 18 thru 22 and take a couple mature bucks, but 2nd rut should fall end of 1st week of December this year. But as intense as breeding was during 1st rut, I dont think there will be many does that went inbred. We may actually get a bump in 2nd rut from doe fawns cycling in this year (normally my doe fawns dont breed and dont factor into the equasion) since they are looking 10lbs heavier than normal this year.

But once 2nd rut is over, typically my bucks start punching back up into bachelor groups and are HEAVY on the feed, even in daylight. Hard to find that bachelor group, but once you do, it can be some really good hunting. And im banking on that... as I have nearly unlimited food this year, esp compared to surrounding properties. The darn acorns really hurt my November hunting, but im hoping most have spoiled or been eaten in next couple weeks.

This. We kill deer in December as well. Imo it takes weather if you aren't getting help from the 2nd rut. Have to hunt smart they will not take much pressure in my experience either. I am very curious about the 2nd rut as well this year. Ridiculous how intense and early the first one was this year.

 

[TNTreeman]

My biggest buck I ever killed was Dec 23 two yrs ago. Second biggest New Year's Eve , third biggest Dec 26. I switch back and forth from the outskirts of thick bedding area and food. I'm covered up in does so the bucks have their pick with the ladies. Most chasing and rutting activity I see is with smaller young bucks. I just killed my first November buck in the last 15 yrs . IMO if you have food and cover the best hunting is in late December.

 

[Rob-HC Hunter]

Totally agree with Dennis. Mature bucks become very vulnerable after the first rut and they have a need to start replenishing their nutrient deficiencies. I typically switch my tactics to hunting over green food sources in the afternoons. I'm also very conscious of my scent direction and thermals. I killed one of my best bucks in mid December several yeas back. He was 100 yards in an open field eating in green cover crop field with over an hour of daylight left. After checking my cameras I found he was traveling a lot in daylight. Good Luck!!

 

[Rackseeker]

I'm in southern middle TN and the rut hasn't even started here yet.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

To say it has been a strange year is more than an understatement.

Bucks started breeding last week of October on my farms, with peak of 1st rut Nov 10th. Thats a solid 10d early for peak.

1st rut is completely over. Does are in BIG family groups and have transitioned onto feed. Mature bucks are completely nocturnal (im assuming still looking for does, but no longer throwing caution to the wind and searching in daylight), but are NOT on post rut feeding patterns yet.

I observed the exact same thing. I missed the best phase of the rut this year as it occurred between Halloween and MZ opener. I had multiple estrous chases on camera that week.

That is about a week early for my farm too.

I saw two large family groups of does today feeding in fields around 8:30 this morning. Small bucks are still checking does in daylight but no older bucks.

Oddly though I am not getting many pics of bucks reopening scrapes like I normally do the week after peak breeding.

 

[megalomaniac]

Oddly though I am not getting many pics of bucks reopening scrapes like I normally do the week after peak breeding.

Yes, we are experiencing the exact same thing. Almost no post rut scraping activity.

 

[deerhunter10]

Our scrapes have been ice cold for 2 weeks now.

 

[Cattle Baron]

I have had good success in December. I usually pick up a few bucks that I didn't have any history with late in the season. I assume they are coming in from other areas looking for hot does. I have also witnessed bucks of all age ranges chasing does on my farm as late as March. If I can get in a stand I will. Success killing target deer for me depends on time in the stand not the calendar.

 

[Smoke]

In late season food is key. They're trying to recover from the rut and food can be a great way to get them. If you have plots key in on those. If not try to figure out what food is still available and target it. I don't bother with morning hunts. Very rarely see bucks moving on my food sources in the mornings. I only hunt the evenings. The colder the better. Throw in a moon working to full rising in the evening and they'll move.