Schultzy

I either suck at It or the bucks are somewhere else catching up on what they didn't eat during the rut. Late season mature buck hunting In my woods has always been tough. In 15 years of serious mature buck hunting I haven't saw one mature buck In my woods from December 15th to the end of our season December 31st. We get snow most of the time so tracks would be there If they'd be there one would think. I've went through one end of the woods to the next In recent years after the season Is closed and hardly ever do I find a decent track of a good buck. Early season they are there, during the rut- sometimes, sometimes not (that's the rut for ya). Nothing much this year though during the rut. The doe's and fawns are still In my woods but the big bucks seem to move somewhere else late In the year. I know for a fact allot of them head west across the road from the woods I hunt (200 acre hay field and another 200 acres of river bottom). That hay field Is there every year and I believe that's my Achilles heel In the late season. After the deer season Is closed my brother has permission to trap this 400 acres for coyotes and on a couple different occasions I've went with him and we've bumped P&Y bucks when checking traps. We've seen as many as 6 P&Y bucks In a group of 20 deer. I don't think there's much I can do about It unless I would leave 50 acres of corn standing on our land. The guy who rents our ag land won't go for that I'm thinking.

Anyone else have a similar problem? What's a person do? Punt?[8D]

Rory/MO

I say stick a doe and get ready for next year[8D]

buckmaster

I have yet to see a deer since Thanksgiving.

buttonbuckmaster

Here's what you do. Get a bag of corn and........ wait a minute, wrong crowd.

I have my best luck setting up on cut fields and honesuckle in the late season. Seems like this time of year, you don't see just one, you see 10 or more.

magicman54494

I know what your saying Steve. I think you are spot on. Those bucks are in their winter pattern now. Eithor you are where they are or your sol. I think rifle season kind of pushes them to these areas and they tend to stay there. Feed is the key this time of year. I would ask your farmer if there is a way to leave some standing corn.

Schultzy

I'm going to make a big push for this next year. Might cost me a few dollars and a bottle of whiskey.

hardcorehunter

Hunt the food..cold will make them eat.

magicman54494

Money well spent!If I were you I'd go visit your dad
If I had a minn. bow tag I'd come over there and drag you north for a few days.

Schultzy

Now that would be a blast!! I don't know now If I can make the trip to dads. Some other BS came up again. Figures hah!![:@]

Cougar Mag

Some of the best big buck hunting can be had in the last two weeks of December. In the past I've had good success at finding deer where they weren't earlier because of less pressure and better food. Less hunters in the woods also usually at this time equals good opportunities IF you have access to areas that were hunted light earlier in the season. After this weather gets better and I get over this dang cold I'll be at it again.