How many of you have shot a decent buck during or after gun season? The pressure really makes the deer go almost nocturnal in my neck of the woods. I never see deer after opening day of firearms season. I know there are still some good bucks out there. What strategies do you use? Do you move trail cameras or scout any particular areas?
One thing that is important is to find a mature bucks core area. Keep in mind that these can be very small tracks of land. Mature bucks do not travel as far as we would think. One thing that has worked for me in the past is to locate the area then (this will sound nuts) bust him out of it by going into the area. I have a climber with me and get in a tree that works for the wind but as close to his bed as i can get. These sits can be long but a big mature buck will come back home to his safe zone. I have killed some nice bucks with this method. Food for thought.
I've shot several with a bow during our rifle season which runs from Oct 10 to Dec 1 ... I hunt bucks core hideouts, security cover, because during the rifle season all the deer move into the thicker covered areas, big timber/brushy mountainsides. I'm hunting a big woods setting as well. I often hear, counting the duck hunters shooting, a couple hundred shots in a day, it can get really loud because the sound really carries out here. I almost think the deer get used to the noise and feel safe in the brush and thick stuff, thats were all my bowstands this time of the year are hung.
Our gun season here gets pounded hard with gun hunters for 9 days straight during the peak of the rut. While bow hunting during the gun season It's a common thing to see deer run through our woods with their tounges hanging out from being pushed from all the deer drives that are put on. I honestly hate deer hunting after the gun season. The deer are very jumpy and are real hard to hunt. Getting a deer (any deer) now Is an accomplishment. This evening my brother arrowed a nice buck which Is 3 days after the gun season closed. Their patterns definitely change too. It's almost like starting all over around here.
It's tough around here. Like you've entered a whole different hunting dimmension when gun season starts. I'll still hunt just as hard with my bow, but with zero expectations. The only time I feel I have a chance of a mature buck is towards the tail end of the season. After everyone gets too cold and tired or tagged out and hangs it up for the year the woods start getting back to somewhat normal.
OP, im from your neck of the woods and our gun season is tough. Ive noticed the same thing that every all the one day gun hunters go out on opening day it is a lot tougher to even see deer
Also being from MI, I know what your talking about. I will be hunting near the thicker stuff once this starts. I am hunting pressured deer, I wanna go where they will feel safe. Setting up on the down wind side of that area. I might have a couple stands all in that same area just for different winds. I also dont hunt alot the first two weeks of gun season. kinda let them guys do their thing for a week, then they are usally outta there. Start back up around the first of December hunting hard.
The deer are always SOMEWHERE .... learn their escape routes and hiding spots....they will be in the thickest of areas, but come 9 oclock, the gunners will be "still hunting" and pushing deer they never see ..... sometimes they will sit on top of a ridge where they will be able to see a good distance..having the wind at their back so they can smell anything they can't see ... its a different game, but a game that can be won.....they hardest part is getting them to slow down, thats why if you could get in where they feel comfortable, thicker areas, you increase your chances
You just have to know where to look! I had two bucks inside 20 yards last night. One was the classic Michigan "BIG" spike. They must have been at least 7" tall! The other was a button buck. In 13 years of hunting here and there during gun season, and a lot during the late season, I have never seen a buck 2.5 or older. I can only think of two antlered bucks seen on stand in December, both yearlings. I still try though. Mostly looking for does.
The bucks I have seen later in the season seem to appear in mid to late December, always around food sources in the afternoon. I have never killed one but I will still try. I love hunting late in the season when everyone else has given up. The woods are as quiet as a mouse.
It's real tough after gun season. I grew up bowhunting Michigan, which is one of the most heavily hunted states. When you did see deer late in the year, it's typically groups of does moving through thickets, or lone bucks cruising through, trying to get from point A to point B with little exposure to any open areas. Thickets and escape routes are your best bet if they're not nocturnal. If they are though, bust them out of their beds early in the day, and hunt hunt downwind of the route he used to move away from you. I'll only do this when it's getting towards the last week or so of the season.
