allegiance21

I have bowhunted here in Wisconsin for almost 9 years, but I have never hunted late season. Well, this year that' going to change. I havea late season trip planned for the weekend before Christmas. Have any of you had success hunting the late season? What areas should I be looking for as potential stand sites? How are things different during the late season compared to the first season, if any? The area I will be hunting is a large lowland river bottom valley with bluffs on both sides. There are large farms adjacent to the highway where we will be accessing the land. As any member here in Wisconsin would know, there will probably be snow on the ground.

Schobs

focus on food sources, later in the season the bucks are doin what they can to rebuild their strength after the rut and put on the pounds before winter gets too harsh. with all the snow on the ground you should be able to get a pretty good idea of where they're movin, its just a matter of bein there when the deer are there.

buckbuster99

What he said + make sure your cloths are quiet, sound is amplified. Wool is best. I don't sit in trees either, and I usually only hunt from noon till dark. When it's really cold I've logged more deer during the afternoon which leads me to believe that the warmest part of the day is when they'll move instead of wasting energy during the morning when it's the coldest. One last thing....draw your bow every half hour or soto keep your muscles from getting too stiff. Good luck.

BowHuntingFool

I love the late season Bowhunting. You kinda have the woods to yourself only the hardcore bowhunters are out! All great advice, key in on the food sources!!!!!!!! I hunt the trails to and from the food source never over it. The gun season rattles them pretty good so I think they stay in the woods until it dark! Good luck!

Bukmastr

I somewhat agree on food sources, but really, you need to concentrate on bedding areas nearest the food sources if your looking for mature deer. Good news is they should be one in the same... We have a hard icey snow under the fresher soft snow, and the corn and bean left overs are buried. The deer should be located in thick cover and feeding there or closeby on browse like blackberry tips, and young tree buds... Good thing is you should easly follow the tracks to find the deer. Good luck!

allegiance21

Thanks for all the input. I will probably be hunting from my comfortable summit viper for most of the hunt because I enjoyit alot more being up ina tree where you can see more. I'm getting really anxious to see how many tracks i see in the area with all this snow. It's going to be awesome because I'm taking my friend who has never hunted before in his life. He just bought a bow and he will be completing bowhunter ed just days before we leave. i can't wait

huntboy3181

i've found that this year the deer are really keying in on clover and alfalfa over the corn fields..watch the fields for a couple afternoons from a distance and see where they come out and set up just off the field edge a little bit..they always seem to stop about 30 or 40 yards off the field for a few min and glass..thats when i get the best shot at them.

Optimistic Chris

Hind sight is always better... I hunt the flat, marsh land of a valley that runs east - west. I neighbor pointed out that the deer would likely be bedding down on the hillside to the north... since the deer would be able to sit in the sunshine while bedded down. During the late hunt... if they bedded down on the hillside to the south... they would be in the shade all day - too cold!
Never stop learning... it's hard enough to shoot a deer with a bow already!
OC