whitetaildeer87

Is bowhunting any good after rifle season around Dec and Jan in Missouri? Any tips on how to bring bucks in? Any late season tips would be great! Also, does anybody know of any good archery only land in Missouri besides Tipton?

gzg38b

Late season is alot like early season in that food sources are king. Once the rut is over, hunt the food. Also, by now the deer are very nervous after being hunted for the last couple of months. Don't do too much calling. Just be invisible and hunt near food sources.

whitetaildeer87

bump

quiksilver

In late season, the bucks will be drained from the rut and the pressure from the gunners. Their bodily resources and fat reserveswill be depleted, prompting them to feed early and often, so hunt the food sources. If your state allows baiting, try that. If not, it's just as easy to find their food source and sit over that.

From my experience, bucks in the winter will return to a very predictable feedingpattern, as they did in August/September. If you can get on a big buck before he sheds his rack, you'll stand a really good shot at taking him. Also, the colder winter temps will keep airborne water vapor levels at a minimum, so your scent won't be as much of a factor.

Like somebody mentioned earlier, it's not easy, because the deer will be really perceptive to human pressure and presence, after having just survived rifle season. It's cold, so the sits are miserable. The positives are that the deer will be predictable, pressure will be almost nonexistent, the leaves are off, it's cold and crispy. You'll also have some does in estrus, which is enough to get the bucks on their feet.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Agreed and well said, both of you.

whitetaildeer87

Thanks for the tips guys! I been bowhunting for two years and still havn't tagged a deer. I passed up a decent 6 pointer this year. I kind of regret it, but he will be bigger next year if he survives rifle season.

So stand over food plots? I'm thinking about going to public archery land and see what I can find.