Deer & Turkey Hunting Tips

Deer Hunting Tips: Late Season Bucks: As the deer hunting season winds down, there will still be opportunities for harvesting a buck. Here are a few late season tactics.

Late Rut Activity

Towards the end of the deer hunting season, most of the does have been bred. However, there may be a few that missed the primary breeding period.

Bucks will still be alert to the smells of estrus. Some will continue to roam seeking out these last remaining does.

Hunters should pay attention to these signs and spend time near breeding zones or doe bedding areas.

Thick Cover

Deer hunting will also put pressure on bucks. By late season, the bucks will often be located in isolated thick cover areas.

These areas will generally be near a deer food source. Bucks return to being conservative about spending too much energy.

They will mainly stay in the thick cover moving only occasionally. Hunting near such locations can catch a buck slipping through the thickets.

Land Not Hunted

Deer will also take advantage of terrain that has not been used by hunters. This is only a natural progression as the season goes on.

Many hunters wisely leave part of their hunting land as a so called safety zone for deer. These areas often offer excellent opportunities for the hunter during the last few weeks.

Food Sources

At the end of the season, the bucks will again be focusing on food. These food source areas will be primary deer hunting locations.

The hunter should try and locate as many feeding areas as possible. In many cases, the bucks will bed in thick cover not far from food.

Search for remaining farm crops, especially those in isolated out of the way areas. There also may be a few acorns or apples left.

In any event, finding the available food in the area will produce the best chances at harvesting a late season buck.

Finding breeding areas, thick cover, and food sources are keys to end of season bucks.