Late season can be a productive time for hunters to punch that buck tag. Up to this point in the year you still have an open buck tag, or are looking to punch that second tag. Some hunters are tagged out, but for the rest of us we are gearing up for our second hard push of the year. Trail camera strategy during this time of the year can almost mirror what it would look like for us early season.
Field Edges
Bucks have been through the rut and are going to get back on more of a pattern if you so wish to call it that. We have not ever, that we can remember, had a buck on a super good pattern. Now we are just playing the odds of what the deer want. Deer are going to be hitting the big ag fields trying to pack the weight back on and make it through the winter. We take cameras off scrapes that were once hot and have them overlooking late season food sources.
Bed to Food
As stated before, where we will almost mirror our early season plan. Deer are pretty much done chasing and aren’t going to be spending more energy than necessary. Strategy on paper sounds easier than executing it. This is why we move those cameras off our rut locations and re-deploy to field edges, after a fresh battery swap, they are right back on a tree. Night time pictures are still a good thing, it is what we see both early season and late season. One thing to remember is that even a night time picture means that buck is still in the area and could come by at anytime. A cold-front is something to look for just like in early season.
Gun Season
As you reposition your cameras and you start your late season hunting, most firearm seasons have came and went. On your trail cameras you might start seeing some recognizable bucks, which is a good thing because that means he has made it through the “orange army.” Bucks are coming back to their home ranges and are settling in for the winter. This time period is also one where you might see no deer, or you could see the whole herd in our experience. Just key in on those cold-fronts and food sources
Conclusion
There is a lot of season left to still get it done. No need to throw in the towel, but this time still requires a lot of work to find a good buck to hunt. Their range is now shrinking and if you get him on cam, chances are he will hang around and you will get a chance if you play it smart.
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