How to Find and Tag Late Season Bucks
by
Marty Prokop
It is late season, and all you are seeing
are does.
Though a doe for the freezer would be nice, you are looking
to tag a big buck.
What to do When You Aren’t Seeing
Bucks
Take a look at where you are hunting. What is the terrain
like? Are you hunting in semi-open woods? Is your stand
currently set up in gentle terrain with rolling hills?
Semi-open woodlots and a gentle terrain are doe magnets.
During the rut you would probably find bucks in these same
areas. With the main rut over and the majority of the does
bred, big bucks are tired and need to rest. They will seek
out thick, dense cover.
It may be time to move your deer hunting location.
Where to Find Big Bucks
Look for big buck hideouts in remote, hard-to-get-into areas
-- such as swamps with dry, high spots; brushy hollows
overgrown with berry bushes or grapevines; large areas of
blown down timber -- all make great places for tired bucks
to crawl into and rest after the breeding season.
Thick tag alder swamps and clear cut areas filled with small
tress and underbrush are also big buck hideouts.
A great way to find big bucks in these areas is to still
hunt. Take a few steps at a time. Move slowly and quietly.
After each series of steps, stop and look in all directions.
Scan the forest floor for large, gray masses resembling a
deer’s body or the glint of an antler. Listen for the tell
tale sound of a deer cracking a twig as it walks.
Wait five to ten minutes before moving ahead.
Secondary Rut
If your deer hunting area hosts an active secondary rut, you
may want to stay in the area holding large numbers of does.
Younger yearling does and, in some cases, doe fawns may go
into estrous 28 to 30 days after the main rut activity ends.
Typically, this takes place in mid-December in the North to
January in the South.
Watch younger does and their behaviors. If they walk with
their tails slightly crooked to one side or look uneasy and
are glancing over their shoulders, they could be coming into
cycle.
Big bucks will be in nearby thickets and heavy cover. Keep
and eye on the does’ behavior, but pay close attention to
the thick cover behind them. If does go into late season
estrous, the big bucks will come out of hiding to breed.
Fill Your Buck Tag
Late season hunting can produce some real monster bucks. If
you are seeing only does and want to put a buck on the wall,
look at the area you are hunting. If the terrain is flat and
gentle, start hunting the thickets and swamps where the big
bucks go to hide.
Good Luck and Great Hunting!
Marty Prokop
www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com
