10 Reasons the Late Season is the Best Time to Punch Your Buck Tag
Author: Bowhunting.com
Published: December 23, 2022
There’s still time to snag a big buck!
“The early season, pre-rut, and rut came and went. The post-rut is here, and the late season is ahead of us. That is, for deer hunters in the northern half of the country. Some southern ruts are just hitting their stride or are yet to come.
But for those where it’s over, the fourth quarter is here. This is a difficult time of the season to hunt for numerous reason. Rough weather, dead target deer, busted-up bucks, skittish deer, minimal access screening cover, and a plethora of other reasons. But there is an equal or greater number of factors that make the late season a phenomenal time to chase and harvest deer, especially mature bucks.
I know this from experience. Since December of 2019, I’ve been fortunate to bag three solid late-season bucks. One was in Kentucky (December of 2019) and two in Ohio (January of 2020 and January of 2022). Each of those harvests were products of the outline below.
1. Scouting Is Easier
Once the late season arrives, there’s a lot of sign on the landscape. Not only is it there, but it’s also highly visible due to reduced foliage. Being able to see it is simpler due to fewer objects obscuring a hunter’s view and line of sight. Late-season deer hunters can use this to their advantage by glassing rubs, scrapes, and trails from a distance, or the back of an ATV, UTV, e-bike, or vehicle. Or, they can walk them up much more easily.
2. Other Hunters Have Quit
Most deer hunters have either filled their deer tags, or merely quit trying, by the time the late season arrives. That’s unfortunate for the quitters because they’re missing out on some excellent deer hunting opportunities. This is great for those still grinding it out, though. This means less competition, which allows the hard workers and persistent hunters to hunt more ground. Fewer hunters translates to larger acreages left to those still out there.”
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Photo Credit: Original Author
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