Late season bowhunting tips — one last opportunity to fill tag in December
By Don France, Pro Staff Carbon Express & Mathews & StickemArchery.com Contributor
When it comes to late season hunting and you have tags remaining to fill there is bad news and good news. Bad news is that your schedule is getting busy before the holidays and time to hunt becomes scarce with less daylight. The good news is the second rut is your second chance to optimize your potential to get your buck if he made it through the gun season. The does remaining not bred 28 days after the primary come into estrous again and aggressive bucks will be on the move. Typically in SW Michigan this occurs at the end of the first week and extends into the 2nd week of December.
On our small farm 2 tactics work well. One is to hunt the edge of a large food source, such as a bean field (or your food plot), along a major intersection where several does are known to enter the field each evening about 40 minutes before dark. This location works well if you can approach without your scent crossing their bedding area and you remain out of sight. Simply wait for the does and a buck will likely follow. When I guide hunters, this is typically when they see the most action.
Second tactic is to go after a known buck back in cover. Strategically mark lines on an aerial photo or map of your hunting property to trace exactly where you have observed deer movement and especially big buck movement and travel patterns should become clear. This should place you downwind near his core area along intersecting trails where he may follow a doe anytime throughout the day. You may well have to move your stand to get into position.
Either of these 2 tactics will help increase your odds to fill your tag (baiting in many states including Michigan is illegal so I intentionally omitted it). With the second rut come colder temperatures. Be sure you can accurately shoot your bow with your insulated jacket, head cover, gloves, etc. this time of year. Don’t leave anything to chance. It may even be necessary to reduce your draw weight for extra chilly stand hunting. Take a couple of practice shots before going out on afternoon hunts. You may discover you will need an armguard to reduce the bulk of your coat sleeve for bowstring clearance or that your gloves must be removed to accurately shoot your bow. I’ve even specially altered a cold weather-shooting glove for a wrist strap release to be worn like normal except the release head sticks through the palm of the glove with a slit cut in the glove trigger finger for better accuracy. Disposable hand warmers also come in handy.
Get out there every chance you have. You never know for sure when it will happen, but you have to be out there for it to happen. Good luck.
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