Photo Credit: Charlie Coffey

There are plenty of articles sharing tips for hunting deer during the late season. Everyone has a slightly different take, but the general theme is, “find the food to find the deer.” Typically this means find yourself a cut corn or soybean field and set up shop. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ve planted a late season food plot for just such an occasion. These are all great choices, but what if these traditional food sources are scarce, or your hunting an area with little agricultural land? Should you just wait until next year? No. And you don’t have to. There are plenty of other late season food sources that could prove to be where you find Mr. Big this time of year. So throw on some thermals and hit the timber and do some deer hunting late season food sources.

Browse

This is probably my favorite late season food source set up. I know this is a broad category, but after a full season of hunting pressure, the deer herd will be more inclined to stick close to thick cover.

Look for wind damaged areas with downed trees or areas of recent logging activity. These areas provide great deer cover for daytime movement and plenty of daytime browse in the form of poplar buds, young saplings, and green briar. There should be plenty of sign/trails leading to and from these sights to make set up pretty easy.

Acorns

I know what you’re thinking…acorns are a better October food source than late season and in most cases you’re correct. However, rut-weary bucks will continue to seek the high energy, high fat content in acorns even into late season. White oak acorns will likely already be cleaned up in your hunting area, so focus on locating red oak trees. Red oaks drop their acorns later and are more bitter than white oak acorns, leaving a stash available for the late season. Hunting an acorn stash will also keep you in the timber and near cover where deer will feel more at ease.

Conifer/Cedar Buds

On those frigid or windy late season hunts, you may want to focus on areas of thermal cover. This time of year, cedar trees are particularly prone to dropping branches in windy and snowy conditions–just when deer need their nutrition the most. The added benefit of also providing excellent thermal cover could make this a great set up for late season.

Apple Trees

Every hunter knows deer love apples. The high sugar content of the fruit provides great energy for deer this time of year. Deer will, of course, target any fruit left lying on the ground first. But even after the fruit is gone, deer will still find their way to apple trees feeding on twigs, buds and bark. Apple trees are most often found in open areas or the edges of the timber. If you have an orchard near you, that could be a late season honey hole.

Be A Ghost

I know this isn’t a food source, but it’s worth mentioning. After a full season of hunting pressure, deer are skittish for good reason. Be sure to pay extra close attention to your scent control and your entry and exit strategies. Also, with the lack of foliage in late season, be sure to have adequate break up whether you’re in tree or in a blind.

Final Thought

Late season is one of my favorite times of year to hunt. There are typically fewer hunters in the woods and I like the challenge of trying to fill a tag when deer are most alert. Good luck deer hunting late season food sources this year and let me know if you have luck with any of these lesser used late season strategies.

It’s late December and I’m several weeks removed from what I thought was the end of my 2015 archery deer season. Truth be told, I did spend the opening day of rifle season in the stand. Rifle season for me now, has more to do with tradition than the actual hunt. Not to discredit those who enjoy rifle hunting, but archery hunting just appeals to me more at this point in my life.

 With that being said, I’ll have some time off during the late season allowing me to hit the timber to make one final attempt at filling my tag with a nice buck. I’ve hunted late season sparingly in the past, typically considering this period of the season a lost cause with little to no deer movement. I’ve never had success during late season, and never knew anyone who had either. As I’ve dedicated this year to learning as much as possible about whitetail strategy, I realized that my approach, understanding and tactics used during the late season had been wrong. In past years I didn’t pay much attention to how deer behavior would change during late season—with the exception of the extreme hunting pressure during rifle season here in Pennsylvania. I think it’s safe to say I’ve consistently been in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to late season archery hunting.

 Many standard tactics hold true during late season. Access and exit routes to a stand or blind are essential, playing the wind will be critical and all movement should be low impact. All these may be even more important than usual due to the skittish nature of most deer herds, given the pressure they’ve experienced all season. I’ve decided to focus on three areas to improve upon this season.

When To Hunt

If you’re like me, between work and family I have precious little time to spend in the stand, and I’d like to hunt every free day I can. But just like any other time of the season, quality sits are better than quantity sits. This time of year morning hunts should be out, and the focus should be on evening hunts, as deer this time of year will likely be in bed long before you hit your stand. Morning hunts will also increase your odds of bumping a buck enroute to the stand. As always, follow the weather closely. Allow the weather to help you decide when to take that extra day off from work to be in the timber. The usual cold fronts are choice, but this time of year also look for days when precipitation is forecasted. The day after a light snow should be particularly good.

Where To Hunt

This time of year food is king and evening hunts should include a field or food plot stand location—as food sources in the timber should be getting scarce. A deer’s body during late season is pretty worn down. With the intensity of the rut, and the pressure of gun season, deer are looking to replenish their bodies and increase fat storage in preparation for the winter months to come. Again, pay attention to the weather, as not all food source are created equal during this time. Green food sources are in play if the temperature is trending warmer than usual for the time of year and crops like clover and winter wheat are a good option.  If temperatures are on the colder side, focus on higher energy foods like corn, beans and turnips.

How To Hunt

Simply put, you need to know where the deer are at. Avoid barreling into a stand location without good information—patience is key during the late season. If the conditions aren’t right, the high risk with a low reward opportunity isn’t worth potentially blowing up what might otherwise be a good location. Steer clear of bedding areas and try to hunt property edges to avoid bumping deer. Rely on game camera intelligence now more than ever. And if you have a piece of property that has been relatively untouched this season, this might be where that mature buck you’ve been looking for is living.

 Below are a few videos from Drury Outdoors that are definitely worth watching. These videos share some tips for the final phases of the deer hunting season.