In addition to my previous post, I would also add that it was the day after Christmas that I killed my first archery deer some 5 years back. My brother and his friend basically begged me to go hunting as my truck was needed to make the top of the mountain with the snow on the "No Winter Maintainence" road and all. They were muzzleloading. I told myself that I would bundle up and take a nap by 7:30 if I had not seen anything. At 7:15, I saw two shapes coming up the mountain and decided to try to take a doe if the shot presented itself. Boy, what a feeling and I was hooked. I had been hunting with a bow for some ten years, but it wasn't until that moment that I became a bowhunter. It was a proud walk up to tell the "gun" hunters that I had a doe down. I will never forget that morning, the "Day after Christmas" hunt is always a special one to me.
Well our 1st 2 weeks of December are gun season, nothing quiet about that. THen our late archery/flintlock comes in the day after Christmas and unfortunately in the places I hunt it gets just about the same hunting pressure as during gun season. It is over run with people putting on drives. Takes any & all enjoyment of solitude out of the hunt. So pretty much for me december is terrible.
Considering I am a total nug to bow and deer hunting - and that I have failed to take my first deer during Nov... Hell, I have only laid eyes on three from my stand. I am there with you in Dec - I can get you the good TA's if you want them (TA 3 is open Wed - Friday...got a conference this week or I'd be taking leave). I think I have some kind of deer repellent for body odor - maybe the cold of Dec will mitigate it. My son and I ground blind hunted TA 8B today - heard deer all over the place...just didn't see any.
Sean, don't be hard on yourself. Man, Quantico can be a tough place to hunt. I hunted my behind off on Q in 2007, probably 30-35 hunts and only saw 15 deer from stand. So don't worry about it buddy. You just have to keep pressing forward. My schedule is weird already, now mix in my wife's b-ball schedule and it becomes crazy. Next Saturday afternoon sounds good to me if you want to hunt. I might be able to get out on Tues or Wednesday afternoon this week if I can get some help my kids after school. I will let you know.
I absolutely love the late season... especially in the South. The deer are generally more predictable and the food sources get pounded. I love it!
I agree Dubbya, the deer do become more predictable.....I just can't predict a good bucks travel pattern in late season though! It is something I am going to work on this December.
love hunting December, most guys around here quit after gun season so the woods are quiet, just as they should be
Last December was the first time I'd ever hunted after mid-Nov. Man I loved it! I was chasing the buck I got this year right up to the end of the season (31st of Dec). He had me out there in -12 degree temps, mornings and evenings. There was well over a foot of snow on the ground, and that really opens up the visibility in the woods up here. Sitting in the stand with snow falling, no company in the woods but the chickadees.... that's what true Peace is!
That is what I am talking about Fitz! That IS true peace man. I am getting myself reinvigorated for the month of December. I was pretty worn down as of about 4-5 days ago, but my energy levels are returning. Here we go!
I'm a big fan of December hunting. First couple weeks of November are my favorite due to the rut and deer movement (and no guns in woods yet). But if I can gut it through the first week and a half or two of gun season here I really look forward to the home stretch in December. The deer get somewhat back to normal daytime movement. I also LOVE the challenge of trying to connect on a buck. For some sick reason when I'm sitting in my stand with -10 degree wind chill hitting me in the head, the wind cutting right through all my layers, my nostril hair freezing, and the lake Ontario snow bands covering me with snow in an hour I absolutely love it! Bring it on.
I like Dec too. Even though the guns have been banging for a month already, and will contine to until early Jan....the pressure is WAY down after Nov. Most hunters hit Saturdays at best, it is quite peaceful during the week for sure. I don't have a ton of luck in Dec, but its nice to be out. It does get cold sometimes and we do get snow too sometimes. I like our weather here - cold and crisp, but not too cold. I doubt I could handle sub-zero temps like some of you. That is too dang cold for me. Good luck to all in Dec (and Jan)!
This will be my first season hunting with the bow Dec- Jan. My goal is to try to fill my final tag. I bought some good cold gear to be prepared for the weather...so I don't have any excuses to not get out there and give it a try. I really hope I get to follow a blood trail in some snow
Late bow season starts tomorrow in my home county and today is the last day of gun so I should get some peace and quiet for a couple of weeks until late blackpowder opens. I'm really excited about it this year since I've stayed out of this particular area for the most part and it has yielded hundreds of trail cam pics since Sept. There are 2 real nice 6's and two decent 8's on there as of last week so I know I will have a couple of targets that made it through firearms season. Wednesday pm will be my first sit, good luck to everyone.
Good luck NEW. I hope you put one down in the late season. I am ready to go to find a December buck. I thought I had a legit shot at a beautiful 8 point 3 years ago. The closest I got to him was 80 yards in late December. I love this time of the year because I jump around and learn new sections of the place I hunt.
