Late season

[white eagle]

Do you find it better to hunt in the mornings or the evenings when the snow and cold come to the deer woods?
my thoughts are the deer don't really move until it warms up, but that is by no means absolute and can't really prove it just my thinking..:bigsmyl2:

[BLAHUT]

Just me and where I hunt, deer move at any time, day or night, most I shot during late morning ??? Well Clos enough for me to take a shot... My boys have shot most of theirs early afternoon or at first light and just at dark.

[ChristopherO]

I've seen deer moving at first light and throughout the day when it is this bitter cold. Thing is, how long do we want to withstand the frigid Temps? I would need to pick portions of the day to endure the cold and allow my toes to warm in between.

[gunseller]

Does seem to move the second morning when it turns cold. Bucks, because of bigger bodies, seem to move more any time. If weather is warm deer move any time.

[megasupermagnum]

When it comes to bitter cold, bordering on blizzard conditions, there is no good time of the day. They will find the heaviest cover they can and stay sometimes for days. The best time to hunt that is right after the next warm up. I've hunted before and during storms like this one, and while sometimes just before the storm is amazing, universally during a bad storm is poor hunting.

If you are asking more as a general question, then I would say there isn't a huge difference between mornings and nights, but there is definitely more deer eating open fields in the evenings. I've had some spectacular winter mornings, but you will want to be near bedding areas, ideally between bedding areas. I find that when real winter sets in, it's mainly really early, and last light action. You still see deer in bright daylight, but 95% of activity is likely going to be in the first and last hour of light. You never know when a snowmobile might kick some up to run to your cattails though.

The great thing about winter is deer are reasonably predictable, and finding tracks is never easier. The bad thing is it might just be that your target buck is in your area 3am to 6 am. I find deer move much more during the late night like that based on trail camera in December and January more than other months.

[pworley1]

This time of year you will see deer any time of day.

[Thumbcocker]

I saw no deer for about 6 weeks. On camera only before daylight and after dark. Then in December they started moving around 3:30 p.m. I killed 2 in six days around that time. It has been a strange year. Trail cameras are worth the money. What matters is what the deer are doing in YOUR area. If you look at resale or pawn shops used trail cams are around. I bought 3 in perfect working order for $25 each.

[gumbo333]

ChistopherO, Somewhere in this world I’ve heard of heated socks. It Christmas time to-boot. The ones I had nearly 35 years ago really worked, too good in fact. You had to shut them off once in a while. If you can keep the rest of your body warm, heated socks may be just your thing. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[white eagle]

It has been so long since I hunted late season I tend to forget the small things
I will find out today is I can hack 2-2.5 hours of these temps 7° and high winds
although the winds are supposed to subside a bit

[Midohhntr]

Around here the weather is a crap shoot, below zero now with 20+mph winds, next Saturday calling for highs in the 50’s and rain ��. The following Saturday when our late season muzzle loader starts it’s anyone’s guess. However weather permitting I will be in my stand in the morning for as long as possible, then a break for lunch and come back out around 2:30 or so. Yes I prefer mornings.

[Winger Ed.]

The biggest effect on their movement I noticed was when there was a bright night with a full moon.

I think they ate and wandered around all night, then slept all the next day.

A couple times, after sitting all day, not seeing anything, I'd walk back to camp and kick up a couple.
It was like they jumped up out of a fox hole a few feet in front of me, and blasted off at about Mach 3.

[MrWolf]

The other day saw a doe looking real stupid at my truck on our mountain roads around seven am or so. About fifteen minutes later three other does were seen on my left as one rammed into my truck at the back of the back crew door. Luckily not much damage. Does that help? :groner:

[atr]

With snow and associated winter conditions I hunt in the morning to early afternoon. After that it gets dark and my rule is not to shoot anything. Once that sun goes down behind the mountains to the west it gets dark very quickly. It also seems to me that deer usually move more in the mornings.
best and Merry Christmas to all

[ddeck22]

I find there is no rhyme or reason to it. Depending on where you are, there are many other factors that affect the deer. I live in a densely populated area and it could be whether one person started their leafblower at a particular time of day versus another.

Rural areas may allow them to create patterns and stick to them.

[ChristopherO]

Gumbo333, now that you mention it I've heard of such accruments too. About 35 years ago I tried the bulky battery powered ones with a thin sock next to my foot but there wasn't much heat. The next morning, without the thin sock I donned the heated sock directly next to my skin. Sitting in the woods the elements in the socks started arcing my foot, meaning it felt as if I was being burnt up terribly. I'm hopping around prancing but no relief could be found. I was desperate to stop the pain but was in a real fix. To get to the battery pack meant my coat, over-alls warm shirts hand to be removed so the one piece red longjohns I was wearing could be pulled down. Only then, nearly naked in that cold air, could I unplug the battery from the socks. If all my jumping and dancing hadn't scared any deer away the sight if my bare body frantically scrambling to unhook surely cause them to flee to more pleasant scenery. Having put them on since.

[versa-06]

I find in my area, (mtn. top) That bedding time or mid morning 7:30-8:30 seems to be the best. Of course there is always exceptions. -06

[gumbo333]

ChristopherO, I remember you had to plan ahead to make a battery disconnect an easy process. Possibly by this tech era, you could turn off and on with your iPhone. Siri!

[ChristopherO]

ChristopherO, I remember you had to plan ahead to make a battery disconnect an easy process. Possibly by this tech era, you could turn off and on with your iPhone. Siri!
Funny you say that. My son just texted that his girlfriend gave him a set of heated socks that he controls through the phone. Man, I'm livin in the dark ages, lol. This gives me a whole new lease on life!
Merry Christmas everyone.

[shooter bob]

Most heated socks have a remote control! They are nice in very cold conditions.The old ones that took a D cell battery were terrible.The wires poked my feet and the weight of the D call made the socks pull down when walking.Took me many years to try the new ones

[Savvy Jack]

Do you find it better to hunt in the mornings or the evenings when the snow and cold come to the deer woods?
my thoughts are the deer don't really move until it warms up, but that is by no means absolute and can't really prove it just my thinking..:bigsmyl2:


I guess it depends on where you are hunting, normal temps, food, bedding, rut, etc.

I only hunted five days this year: Nov 21st, 22nd, 29th, Dec 7th and 24th.
Mostly 28-30 degree mornings and 40-50 degree afternoons.
My last day, I shot a spike, it was -1 by morning and 13 degree by noon.

N.C. Foothills/Mountains (1,400ft to 2,000ft)
November Private Land, in one county
21st - daylight till 3pm, nothing, maybe 40 degrees
22nd - daylight till 2pm, 8-10 point 2pm maybe 45 degrees
29th - daylight till dark doe and 6 point at 10am maybe 35 degrees
7th - daylight till 1pm, nothing, rain

December Public land in another county
24th - spike 12:35pm maybe 13 degrees

Early last year in my backyard when it snowed, I have them on my trail cam in the snow feeding on saplings at 2am...temp in the mid 20's

When I hunt the flat lands in S.C., we always hunt from one hour before dark to dark, regardless of the weather, for that area.

[MT Gianni]

During Montana's Oct-Nov hunting season most temps run from 60 F to 0. Deer are moving early and late, generally just before and after sunrise and sunset. When it gets cold this time of year they can be out at any time but generally only leave cover to feed. We see at least 1 road killed deer a day in the 10 miles around my house from Aug -Nov. We had a cold snap just before Christmas, low was -34 High was -17. Since that time it is more like one dead deer a week. I think they have good feed somewhere and are not leaving until it's gone.

I had a hot air balloon ride with the neighbor yesterday and we flew 6 miles over prime food grounds as we headed to town yesterday. We left about 9:45 and saw no game in any fields where I have seen them feeding at dusk.

[Tripplebeards]

I came back from Christmas vacation so I can hunt on the 29th. Unfortunately I had a nasty cold. Head was compressed in my nose was running nonstop. I finally made it out the last day of the holiday hunt on January 1. Figured I’d try and get one with a Lyman devastator in my Ruger 7744 with the soft alloy I wanted to see what it would do. Tons of tracks all over in the snow that weren’t fresh by the afternoon stand I chose. The other stand I walked by lower on the ridge had tons of fresh tracks. Never fails I didn’t see any deer and I’m sure there were probably plenty in the other spot. I normally don’t hunt second season archery season even though it’s extended in my county till January 31. I just don’t wanna end up shooting a 200 inch plus buck… with no antlers. It’s small game hunting and trapping time boys and girls! I would’ve went out and set some today but it’s been raining nonstop here with an ice storm and I have a 35 minute drive to my property one way when it’s dry. I saw a bunch out an open cornfields on the way home from Christmas vacation about an hour before close. Dozens of them out there in big groups eating and digging in the cut corn. I need to get some corn planted on my property next year!

[white eagle]

That is where I made my mistake this year
the critters(deer I think) cleaned out the fields I had planted with corn , probably 2 acres total in 3 seperate plantings
so I decided to get a jump on this spring and tilled the fields
now I should have left it for cover and scrounging deer but that is hidsight now
I did have a small patch of winter oats but that was covered up with snow
so I had nothing to keep em around

[Tripplebeards]

Yup all my dear disappeared after the first couple of days after rifle season opener because all the farmers cut their fields about a couple miles away. Miles of cut cornfields! I’m sure they all left my property in bedded next to the Food source until they got pressured off from hunting. 30 years ago the neighbors used to plant corn every year at the top of my property edge. I had deer and big bucks up there like flies. Ever since they stop planting corn I don’t get the deer traffic I used to. I just make sure to try and get a dandy during the rut before the corn gets cut.

[missionary5155]

I am beginning to think once the corn is cut in east ILL-nois the moon cycle does have influence.

[bisleyfan41]

Around here, we don't normally get much snow. So when it snows, you want to be out there. If it's a heavy snow, they'll remember any corn piles or feeders and go right to them. Snowfall is a super spark to deer here.

In general, I prefer to hunt mornings. I like to watch and hear the woods come to life. Plus if I'm lucky enough to have to track one, I have lots of light. But it seems most of the deer we've seen and shot over the years have been before dusk.

[selmerfan]

I'm in Iowa and hunt the late muzzleloader season with single shot pistols. I haven't shot a deer in the morning since 2015. Every other tag that we've filled has been in the afternoon up to literally last minute of shooting light. If it's snowing, I go out right after lunch and rarely have to sit until sundown to see deer. If we have a severe cold snap, they're more active in the afternoon and evening here. When that snap breaks and gets above zero, you'd best sit all day because the deer will be moving all day. Especially if it goes from -15 to 20-30 F within an 18 hour period. We shot two deer in two afternoon sits, about 24 hours apart, on Dece. 19 and Dec. 20 this year from the same blind in the same field. It was the warmer couple of days before a cold snap and the deer knew it.

[Texas by God]

Two weeks more here but just spikes and does allowed for the remainder of season. Around 70degrees right now.
I prefer to get them in the mornings, but I’ve done quite a bit of field dressing at dark.
I’ve been hunting every season for the last 50 years and have deer hunted in the snow ONCE.
Tracked a group of deer to where they left our side of the fence. Then turned around because I was freezing my binacas off[emoji3063]….


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marshall623]

I hunted midday today which is the last of late muzzleloader , west of the Blueridge. First outing of the year deer hunting on public land . No deer but seen 7 or 8 Gobblers work thier way up the ridge about 120 yds out . The last 3 had beards a swinging , so some hope for this spring if the yotes don't get them .

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[versa-06]

I think since deer & bear season is over, I am going to commit lots of time to trapping & snaring fawn killers (Yotes). It is very rewarding when you catch 9 in a winter. It makes the fawns & does very happy. Not to mention it leaves more opportunity for buck girlfriends. I think indirectly the bucks thank us also. versa-06

[CastingFool]

I like hunting mornings best, but time wise, it hasn't worked too well, the last few years. This last season, evenings were certainly most productive. My buddy, whose farm I was hunting in, told me the deer would start moving through the woods at around 5pm. to feed out on the fields. Both my does were shot just a few minutes after 5pm. I did see other deer at different times, but they were out of range. Anyway, evening hunts worked out just fine, although I had to use a light to dress out the does

[white eagle]

I just realized that my area has an extended archery season thill the 31st of this month
I will try tomorrow afternoon, evening see if I see anything

[Tripplebeards]

Yup so is mine. I went out predator hunting today. I really wasn’t planning on predator hunting but small game hunting. But I had the idea of putting some mouth calls in my pocket when I got bored I’d small game hunting. I called in a red fox and took a shot in thick brush that I should’ve never took. The 22 WinMag connected but obviously not a good shot. I tracked the red fox over 200 yards and lost it as it went straight up a tree! Never knew red fox could climb straight up trees. I knew grays were climbers. Pretty bummed that I lost my red fox as it was the first one I’ve ever mouth called in. I shot a rabbit five minutes before it came in. I called for 45 minutes and gave up. 15 minutes later a rabbit showed up so I shot it in thick brush that I shouldn’t of taken that shot either. The red fox showed up five minutes later 15 yards away staring at the dead rabbit. The brush was so thick I couldn’t even see it in the scope. It moved 3 feet and I pulled the trigger when I finally could see it enough. Figured a shotgun would’ve been a challenge at the shot I took. Just startled me and wasn’t expecting it and got too excited. Hopefully the fox dies up in the hole on the tree so I have a few more extra turkey nest that might make it through next spring without getting raided. I’m still beating myself up over that fox sure would’ve made a nice pelt! Anyways I jumped 3 deer tracking that Fox right up by my tree stand! I could’ve shot them with a crossbow walking along they just got up and looked at me 15 yards away.

Here’s one of the two trees that Fox climbed believe it or not! You can see the blood trail going way up the tree past the bend. One it got up to where it bends ,about 25 feet up, it must have jumped out of that tree. Looked like it made three leaps and walked 10 yards down to another tree and that’s where the trail in the blood stopped. The tree where the trail stopped at a big hole about 20 yards up so I would assume it must’ve crawled up in that tree hole.

Well lesson learned I should’ve never took the shot… or taking my 12 gauge with lead BB which I originally planned on doing to begin with. Darn it!

https://i.imgur.com/VP0zoXw.jpg

I probably won’t do any late season bow hunting just cause I don’t wanna accidentally shoot a giant buck that had shed his antlers.


The last of the tracks ended right here at the base of the tree with blood so I would assume he went up this tree and into the big hole in it…

https://i.imgur.com/xgBbaFZ.jpg

Here’s a picture of me pointing to the rabbit I shot and you can see how brushy it is. The fox was at a 45° angle to the right about 10 to 15 yards in back of it. It would’ve been like sewing a needle… which it was for the shot of the rabbit too. I would’ve loved to miss the rabbit and dropped the fox but beggars can’t be choosers I guess. Lesson learned to be patient and don’t take shots through brush with rifles. It’s still going to eat at me for a long time.

https://i.imgur.com/zwVhhxi.jpg

The rabbit…

https://i.imgur.com/pAj2xjS.jpg

[versa-06]

T-beards: Interesting Write Up, to say the least.

[Jedman]

Very interesting ! I would never have guessed that a red fox could climb a tree ? I never thought a fat ground hog could either but I have shot 2 of them out of smaller trees.

Jedman

[white eagle]

To bad about the red
I knew that grey's climbed trees but red's, well you just never know what wounded animals will show you

[Tripplebeards]

I went back out today and looked for it for 2 hours today. I ended up finding blood 20 yards away from the last spot at the base of the 2nd tree. My guess is that second tree where I thought he went up and in the hole was incorrect on my part. It still blows my mind that he climbed that other tree 10 yards from the one I thought he was holed up in though and painted it with blood! I ended up finding a bunch of blood on a down tree 20 yards from the last spot going down the hill of the 45° angle. I followed his tricks with pin sized blood speckles to another downed tree 30 yards away. The blood finally quit and I followed the tracks till they crossed a bunch of other tracks and I lost it. I made circles out to 300 plus yards from the last spot with zero luck and no more blood found.

I also saw a decent buck on the way out. He was a good 18" inside spread and close to 250 pounds. The rack was wide but wasn't thick or tall. Looked like a pencil rack as I'd call it with about 5 inch tines or so.
He was about 400 yards down the road from my property along with 2 other deer that were about the same size. I also counted over 3 dozen deer out in cut corn on the way home!

[versa-06]

Around here that would be called deer heaven. -06

[versa-06]

Did you eat the rabbit?

[Tripplebeards]

I had the rabbit for lunch!

Yesterday within the first five minutes of calling I forgot to say that I had a bald eagle come in. They moved into my area probably 30 years ago. I noticed today when I went out looking for that fox I had two of them circling above me. My guess is if that fox expired it got picked up by an eagle bright and early this morning and they were looking for dessert.

BTW…I had my spring turkey legs for suppers along with venison back strap!

[versa-06]

Sounds like the eagles ate your fox for lunch & I had smoked venison steaks & cajun sausage for lunch today & supper tonight.

[Tripplebeards]

Awesome! Yeah my guess is that fox was laying somewhere dead and the Eagles beat me to it!!! Where I clean that rabbit yesterday there were crow tracks everywhere They picked every morsel I left accept the the fur. Nothing gets wasted in my woods.

[Shurshot2]

When the temps drop I see more activity in daylight, above freezing and after gun season they tend to be more nocturnal (on low pressure private land)