Late Season (ML/Bow/Xbow) Tips

[BizCT]

This will be the 1st year I will be hunting the late NY Season. I will be giving Putnam County (3N) a shot with the crossbow. Any tips for hunting this late in the year? Obviously the majority of the deer are very spooked by now.

I plan to hunt saturday and sunday (12/17 & 12/18 - the last 2 days of season). Have been thinking about giving a doe estrus scent wick a try, never used one before. Is it too late in the year to try this?

Thanks in advance.

[bowhunter23]

Get on the food. If it gets cold that is... I'm hoping the deer will be back on the food. We just need some colder weather.

[the blur]

Last day of the season is 12/20/11.

[arrow nocker]

last year on the last weekend of late season i was on watch and witnessed some late season rutting.Two seperate bucks tending does.But it was 4 deg at sunrise and 15deg at obout 9.30 when i couldnt stand the cold any more.

This year was way too warm.I think the late season rut isn't going to be like last year.I aint alzhiemers or nothing but just a hunch.

i would hunt between bedding and food source.But that is usually the best spot any time of year really.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Hunt the food.

[tughillhunter]

i agree with the food. Try to set up where there are some rubs and scrapes on field edges if thats available, and hang one scent wick. i noticed this past friday a buck sniffing the ground pretty hard.

[G-Man]

Hope it gets cold and hunt the food!! get back in 50- 100 yards on a trail leading to it and be extremely still and quiet!

[BizCT]

Thanks for the tips, problem is I hunt 8 acres and there is no food! lol. Some years there is acorns, but I havent seen any this year. So im just watching a valley (sunrise and sunset) on the edge of heavy pines where the deer come out of. Then midday im still hunting through the heavy pines. I can stay with the same technique with the crossbow, since I feel comfortable out to 40 yards off-hand.

[Fantail]

If your on the ground & can get into a hedgerow or field edge stay in the shadows.

[Fitzy]

I hope you have your muzzleloader permit. That's what you need if you're going to use the cross gun during the late season.

[BizCT]

Yes, I have my ML either sex tag to use my Crossbow.

No fields where I hunt, just heavy pines with a few open valleys. In the heavy pines you can't see more than 50 yards anyway.

[Red]

im heading out this weekend gonna set up a stand in a 15-20 acre piece of land thats bow only that has a farm on one side of it and saftey zone state land on the other side. it usually holds some really nice bucks not gonna hunt the stand until the 20th.

[Doc]

Here's a tip specific to those that are using a bow. I would imagine that we might be getting into some colder weather that we never experienced during the early bow season. That colder weather will require new additional layers of clothing that we may not have had on during previous practice sessions. Do some practice using whatever cold-weather gear that you may be using on the hunt. You don't want any "interference" or "shooting form" surprises when the deer is in front of you.

Tip #2 kind of goes without saying and relates to the above suggestion, but for most, it has been a while since the last practice session. Check things out and don't assume that early season practice sessions are still holding proper shooting form and techniques.

[wooly]

Most importantly no matter what type of terrain or food sources your hunting, getting to and from your stand (and remaining) undetected is paramount,IMO.

Once the sounds of the final shots of the regular season are done echoing through the timber, deer will soon come out of their holes getting back to their old habits and the feeding frenzy begins!

One minor screw up this time of year will be just enough to send them back into hiding for the rest of the short, late season.

Plan your routes accordingly and play the wind as always.

[loworange88]

i agree with the food. Try to set up where there are some rubs and scrapes on field edges if thats available, and hang one scent wick. i noticed this past friday a buck sniffing the ground pretty hard.

I noticed a few small scrapes this past weekend right near a bedding area, I think the Bucks are starting to rut again, but it so far didnt seem to heavy. Almost like they are just playing around.

[BizCT]

Any tips for the next few weeks? My PA tag is good till January 16th. Plan on using the Crossbow on some state land in PA the next couple of weekends. There are some food plots there, not sure what they will look like when I get there. Should I be watching food plots in the afternoons? what about the mornings, trails/travel routes?

[BizCT]

Anybody ? ? ? ?