No Venison This Year?

The opening day barrage. Shots ring out as far as one can hear, there is fresh snow on the ground and deer are moving everywhere. Seems like everyone has filled their tag, except you. You hunt hard for another day or two and then head home feeling the agony of defeat.

Fast forward to the last week of the season. It is real cold and windy. The snow has a hard crunchy crust. The wary whitetail can hear you coming from a mile away. Your wife has handed you the honey-do list for the third time. Why even bother, we can just eat beef this winter. I'm not going back out and abuse myself any longer. Big mistake!

Year in and year out, many of the oldest, wisest, biggest bucks are harvested during the last week or even the last day of the season. Why does this happen and what do you need to do, to show off that trophy when most have put the gun away for the year?

Obviously many monsters are killed on the first day just because their luck has run out. They are jumped by one hunter and pushed to another. Bang! Look what I just found. Yes, I would rather be lucky than good any day, but it is so much more rewarding if you feel that you contributed to what happened, instead of just being in the right place at the right time. Well, after the first few days, any trophy buck that is harvested is usually earned. Putting in your time and dedication is where it's at. Hang tough and hunt hard. So here are a few things to help increase your odds. Late Season bucks will become nocturnal. You need to get in the woods real early and hunt real late. Try to find where that buck will be right at legal shooting time, not at 8:00 am.

Don't forget the Rut. Experts talk about peak rut times. Despite being spooked and pushed, a buck still only has one thing on his mind, Sex! Don't give up on the grunting and rattling. Many hunters sit quietly for a few hours in the morning and then start to grunt and call. You should be hitting that grunt well before daylight. Get the deer moving in your direction. Take advantage of the prime time. Don't wait until you feel that a buck isn't going to come your way and then call. That's like looking for a date after the bar closes.

This is probably the most important item to remember during the late season. While bucks may only have mating on their mind. Does are hungry and are following a semi-normal feeding schedule. Follow the does, hunt the edges of food lots, orchards and corn fields. The does will feed and the bucks have to follow the does. That is what they do!

Follow the road less traveled. While finding prime hunting land may be difficult. Many landowners will allow hunting after the first week or two of the season. They have killed their deer, or given up and may allow you to hunt there. I have three pieces of land that I can hunt, but only the last week of the season. I'll take it! Here is a prime example of what can happen if you stay focused and hunt until the bitter end.

There is an area outside of Pulaski, where big bucks are always traveling from the Selkirk Shores State Park and the Barclay property onto several tracts of private land. Once the season is in full swing, the big boys head deep into the park and don't come out. Or do they? Just ask Brian Ferman.

The monster pictured in this article, had been seen numerous times before the season. On the last day of the southern tier season, the old boy let his little head lead his big head and followed some does onto land that Brian was hunting. Brian had just got out of work and called his Dad to see if he wanted to give it one last try. Not only was it the last day of the season but it was cold, miserable and windy, and it was 4:15 in the afternoon. The end was near.

Brian went on stand and his Dad, Bill Sr. walked quietly through some heavy cover, circling his son's stand. Suddenly the behemoth appeared at less than 20 yds. Brian waited patiently for the right shot, but when the buck spooked and ran, he had to swing ahead and squeeze a quick shot through a small opening. The rest as they say is history. What a buck! 149 1/8 gross score; 160 pounds; six and one half years old. Remember It isn't over until the season closes.

Good Luck!
Troy