The rifles have been put away. Hunting clubs are starting to wind down for the year. The bucks are now more worried about eating than, well, you know what I’m going to say here. But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t bag that trophy you’ve been after all year.
In post-rut activity, bucks have a tendency to become secluded from the human eye and carry on about their business in the thickest of the thickets. Since these deer have been hunted since the beginning of October, hunters must work a little harder to kill a mature buck.
Many opinions have been stated about how to hunt the post-rut. Some have been proven and others have simply been laid to rest.
Do you remain in the stand with your muzzleloader and hope that a buck will enter the field looking for unmated does? Do you go back into the woods with your bow and hope that the trail you saw the deer on earlier in the year will remain as active as it once was? Do you just give up and wait for next year to come around? The latter isn’t something that I would recommend, but it’s your choice.
One of the best approaches that I have heard about the post-rut is to simply think logically about the situation. Sounds a little too simple, but it works.
Look at a map of your hunting grounds and pick out the places where bucks are most likely to be. Hence, thickets, old logging roads and along creek beds. Then compare those places with the areas where the bucks are most likely to be bedding down and traveling during the day. Keep in mind that the big boys will remain bedded down for the most part of the day, but it’s important to have an idea where he might be traveling in order to get a shot at him.
Next, locate the feeding areas on your land. Where can a big deer go and feed late in the season? They could enter greenfields late in the season, but the probability of a pressured buck entering a field is slim late in the season. Do the bottomlands in your area still have acorns on the ground? If so, then locate the trails in the area that are leading to and from the thickets. This will increase your chances of seeing deer.
Once you have a good idea of where the big bucks are hanging around, take a day and scout the area for a place to hang your stand. Get an idea of the distances you feel comfortable shooting and make sure those lanes are clear. Once you feel comfortable with the location you have chosen, hang your stand and leave the area for a few days. When you come back, hunt the area until the season is over. What do you have to lose?
The plan is simple, but getting to that “perfect” location can be a chore.
So be patient and willing to walk that extra mile to bag the one you have been after.