Decisions, Decisions...
 

So, I don't know yet when exactly I'll be laid off for the winter. I'm trying to decide which week to take off work (if I haven't been laid off by then) to hunt.

I'm trying to decide between the last week in November or the first week in December.

The rut activity will probably have wound down by either of those weeks, so I don't think that is a factor. The week in November might run into thetail end of the rut action, depending on a lot of things.The week in December might run into the second rut, slight though it may be (yes, a second rut does occur in my area), but there is no gaurantee that it won't come later in December.

What do you folks think?

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Last of Nov.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Going to bump this up once.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Dan you guys can bowhunt the last week of November/first week of Dec for whitetails?

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Troy, our late season runs from November 20th - December 15th.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

oh..man thats sweet! Ok ...since we are so close and our whiteys do pretty much the same..let me get back to you on this.. I can hunt ours until DEC 1 here then back again from the 10th to the 23rd of Dec..i wanna share with ya what I have been seeing... gotta go for now..be back in about 20 min..to chat this over with ya...

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Sounds great man. I'll be here. :)

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Dan is there any rifle season going on during the last week of Nov or that first week of Dec? There is here... the entire month of Nov

You hunting private? or public?

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Rifle season opened this last Saturday and closes before the first of November. After that its shut down until Late archery.

Hunting private property.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

I wish Idaho would follow suit... dang!I am under the gun here until Dec 1...

Dan with no rifle season during November I don't think you can go wrong that last week of Nov. The bucks will have bred many does and will be in search of the last remaining few. You should see a lot of movement..especially if the weather conditions help you out. The only negative would be the hunting pressure that coincides with Thanksgivings days off.

On the other hand you may want to take that first week of Dec off to evade the many bowhunters that will be out beating the brush over Thanksgiving break..

I have personally witnessed some of the biggest bucks inmy area out moving after our rifle (any weapons)season closes Dec 1. Your scenario and pressure is different than mine, yet I have a feeling many of your most mature bucks will be cruising that last week of Novand first week of Dec both..trying to pick up a final few does...

Both weeks are good for mature buck on the movein my area... What do you think?

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

There should only be three people besides myself hunting this property.

My dad, the neighbor, and the neighbor's daughter.

The neighbor and his daughter both hunt over bait, which kind of throws things out of whack as far as feeding patterns go. They mainly hunt the late afternoons/evenings.

So the pressure during late archery is really light compared to most places.

I think I ran into a bedding area on saturday while out doing a bit of scouting with a friend of mine. We were following a trail that had some old rubs (really old) below the ridgline that we have a stand set up on. We were about 50 yards away from a point where if we were to walk directly up the side of the hill we would run into my stand when we jumped (what we think was) a doe.

Last december three bucks were camped out in the deadfalls on the ridgline that my stand is located on. The reason I think they were there (now) is that they could scent check the thermals rising up from this lower bedding area while being able to see the opposite ridgeline and the bedding area below.

Here are a few pictures from the stand;

The first picture shows the dead falls I mentioned.



If you were to head straight in that direction you would run into the thick brush we jumped the doe in.



The top of the hill, trails leading down the ridgline.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Dan, I think that I would hunt the November hunt. I agree with Shed, there may be bucks still in the mood searching for that last doe. If you were down here in the south I would take the later hunt just for the hopes of the coldest weather. Let us know what you decide.

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Dan, with your situation, and that little bit of pressure in there, I would go the last week of November. Our oldest bucks over here across the border show themselves in daylight pretty well that last week here if the pressure isnt too bad. Pressure in my opinion is the #1 obstacle any of us face..

I am sure you'll be perched on some well traveled doe routes...best of luck..the does will be in or have been covered that time of year...good luck..

Troy

RE: Decisions, Decisions...
 

Sounds like I'll be taking the last week of November off then.

Thanks for all the advice, hopefully I'll have a few pictures of a dandy buck to post.