Hi I’m Adam Lewis and welcome to Deer IQ and our High IQ TOPICS series. In this episode we’re going to look at my 3 keys - factors that need to be present and that you should look for, to tag a good buck in the late season, or in the post-rut. If you do these 3 things, you will have a very high rate of success. A lot of people worry after the rut thinking their chances are gone, but actually this can be the best time one of your best chances of the year.
Before we get into the nitty gritty details of that, a couple things real quick, especially if you’re new here.
And, stay to the end because I have a few takeaways and challenges for you that you’ll really benefit from - you won’t want to miss that.
Alright, now lets get to the 3 keys to tag a good buck in late season.
1. Find the food! You have to find the hot food source to find the deer. After the rut the deer will be hitting this hard, and that's where you want to be! Bucks have lost a lot of body mass chasing does during the rut - up to 25 or 30 percent of their weight, and they have to gain this back to survive the winter. So a good food source - or the best food source in the area is essential because these bucks will HAVE to hit it. What’s a good food source to key in on? Some of my top ones are cut corn fields as deer crave this high-carb food, acorns that have been leftover if in a woods setting - red oaks become very viable now as the white oaks probably are gone being more palatable, beans if still standing, and late season food plot mixes - particularly your high protein clovers and turnips if you planted them. These are some great sources to key in on.
2. Hunt Evening Cold Fronts! On top of this, when a cold snap hits deer will be forced to hit food, and many times in daylight. They simply don't have the fat reserves, or food in normal bedding areas to sustain them, and they will have to get up and hit food, many times during shooting hours. Look for those days where the temps dip below freezing or more, and when they drop a good 10+ degrees. Set up on the food and get ready for action good and early! Many times deer will travel long distances to relocate near a great food source, so if that’s yours, or you’ve found it, these can literally be a deer magnet drawing in deer, and big bucks from outside of their normal ranges.
The evening is key here since you are hunting a destination food source. If you try to hunt this in the morning all you will do is push deer off and mess up your chances. So, resist the urge at all costs to hunt mornings - now is the time to get very strategic and only hunt evenings when it is cold.
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3. Pay special attention to stealth. I cannot emphasize this enough - You have to be unseen, unsmelled, and UNHEARD while coming and going, and leaving your hunting location. You have to know where the deer will be bedded, and plan your routes accordingly. Deer have been hunted all year, and are very educated and on edge. Any little tip off will ruin your chances, so special care is definitely needed and you should not attempt to cut corners. What is your entry exit route? Make sure you can get in silently, but also get out! Deer will be on the food when you leave, so really think about stand or blind placement and how you will slip out and not push those deer on the field. Many times they will be bedded nearby, so any noise walking in, on stand, and with your equipment could mess up a great opportunity, so take all precautions with gear, clothing, and your approach to not alert any deer. Also remember foliage is down, so keeping a visual barrier is important for that entry. When exiting, you may have to have a different path, even back through a bedding areas as deer will now be at the food source. So really plan that stand location to get in and out without pushing deer - it takes being very strategic, but can be a great time to target a good buck.
These 3 things were all present for me in both 2021, and 2022 during my seasons in Ohio. I tagged a good 10 point, and a wide 8 point and had to be meticulous in these details to make both those hunts come together, but it really paid off and will for you too if you can key in on these things.
And now, your HIGH IQ Takeaways and Challenges:
And I’ll See you on the next Deer IQ High IQ Topics series