The Best Late-Season Tips to Punch Your Whitetail Tag

I ignored the advice. Like anyone, I can get stubborn and set in my ways. The old-timer told my buddy and me he saw three mature whitetail bucks chasing a doe back and forth across a sparsely timbered draw.

"Do you want to go in there tonight, or should I?" my buddy asked.

I explained that there was "no way" a doe was in heat. I also told my buddy that he was a public hunter just like us, trying to keep us away from hunting the timber near the state-managed food sources.

That night, when the Mercury dipped and flakes of white fell, the Walk-In Access property I was hunting came alive. Five does, and then three bucks eased out of the timber into the cut corn and standing beans. I settled my pin on the biggest buck, which wasn't very big, and punched him in the lungs with a SEVR-tipped Easton.

Yup, I was right. Food is king during the late season when biologically expendable bucks and does need to feed. I felt pretty good about myself.

Until...

The old man was also correct. The doe was in heat, which, now that I've done more research, isn't uncommon during the late season. My buddy came back to camp with a 156-inch public-land gagger. It was only about 56 inches bigger than my buck. As is typically the case in hunting, there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Heed these six late-season quick-hitters and fill your tag.

Keep Practicing & Create Real Practice Situations

You've been practicing all year, and you may have even dropped the string on a few big game animals this year, and your arrows found vital organs. This is great. However, it would be best if you continued to practice with your bow while bundled up like the abominable snowman.

Bowhunters need to know what it feels like to shoot with a heavy coat, bibs, etc. I also highly recommend it, even if it's a tree in your yard or you need to climb up on your roof, shooting from an elevated position with your wintertime gear on. Heavy gear affects bending at the waist and general mobility. You may also find that bulky gear, in concert with freezing temps, creates a struggle when you try to pull your bow back. It's common practice for many to turn down poundage and resight in during the late season.

Grain & Green Win

We don't need to dive too deep here. Bucks and does must pack on the post-rut calories if they want to survive the winter, and they know it. This means food reigns supreme. Spend some time, whether hunting public or private, finding likely food sources and thick bedding. Jump on your favorite digital scouting app to locate food sources close to prime bedding. Next, use your truck to drive perimeter roads, have a window mount and spotting scope ready, and start looking.

Grain fields are excellent this time of year. Focus on state-planted corn and bean fields if you're hunting public dirt. Often, state wildlife agencies plant corn and beans and leave them standing. However, don't ignore green food sources either. Deer crave green feed like winter wheat, alfalfa, leafy radishes, and turnips. Green food is filled with nutrients and easy for deer to digest. I found a state-planned food plot filled with big leafy turnips two years ago. The deer were pounding the plot. The green was mowed down, but the deer dug and pulled up the turnips like crazy.

Bedding is equally as important when considering hunting a food source. Deer don't want to travel this time of year. A deer's life during the cold winter revolves around secure bedding and food. Deer have been pressured like crazy by hunters and predators. You'll be in the chips when you find a top-tier bedding sanctuary and locate the nearest food source.

Scout To Stay On The X

Days are short, and nights are long during the late season. I know you're tired and worn down from months of chasing deer, but you're nearing the finish line, and if you keep pushing, chances are good you'll punch a tag.

I scout more than I hunt during the late season. Being on the X, whether in ultra-close proximity to a bedding area, a hot pinch between food and bedding, or on groceries, is of the utmost importance. During the late season, as with the early season, the best chance of killing a deer is your first time in. If you do your homework beforehand, you help stack the odds of success in your favor.

It Just Takes One

I watched an elk rut-fest on October 21 last year. I know this article is about whitetails but stay with me. A single cow cycled late, and every bull in the neighborhood competed for her.

This experience and the late-rut deer experience I referenced earlier in this article caused me to think. Every year for as long as I can remember, no matter the species I'm hunting, a buddy or I always say, "Gheeze, look how little that fawn is. It must have been born late."

The doe had to be bred late for a fawn to be born late. This happens more than we think. Keep an eye out for bucks chasing when you're doing late-season scouting. If you see this, the activity will be short-lived. Grab a stand or a saddle and move to the movement.

Have The Right Gear

Late-season killing conditions are best when temps are frigid, but a dip in temps doesn't guarantee success. The late-season grind is real, and to punch your tag, you need to hit the woods day in and day out.

Hunting in freezing temperatures takes its toll on the body and mind. The key is staying in a positive mindset, remaining patient, and reminding yourself that you'll get your opportunity if you keep going. Staying positive is much easier when your feet, hands, head, and body are warm. Late-season gear is expensive, but specialized wintertime hunting gear is required to be successful during this timeframe.

This isn't a "gear" article, but a couple of items I won't hit the late-season woods without include:

• Battery-heated clothing 
• Propane heater if hunting from a ground blind 
• Insulated hand-warmer muff
• Insulated rubber boot

Hunt Mornings

I always provide tips that go against established norms. This is because I often find success when I go against the grain. Time is running out on your season, so I suggest hunting in the mornings to maximize your chances of success. Just be smart about it.

Remember, deer — especially bucks — are on a food-to-bed pattern unless a late-cycling doe enters estrous. We've already touched on that deer won't be far from food and will seek heavy cover due to the pressure from hunters and predators. Take advantage of this. After you locate where deer are feeding, hang a trail camera (cellular, if legal) during the mid-day hours when the wind is right on trails leading from food to bed.

Once you establish which trails get the most attention, slip in and do a morning hang-and-hunt in the narrowest pinch between the food and the bedroom.

Final Thoughts

Of all the tips mentioned, the most crucial factor is to keep going. I know it's easier to kick back in the recliner and sip coffee next to a crackling fire, but you won't kill a buck doing that. Get out there and make a wintertime memory that you won't forget.

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