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Late season food sources

Mike

Dignitary Member
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15,840
223
Up Nort
In farm country, what is the preferred/best food source in the late season? When there is snow cover? Thanks.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I'll throw anything out. Corn, carrots, lettuce that wilted in the fridge. Any veggies...
I'm waiting on my food plot to kick in. They haven't started hitting it yet. Last year they drilled it in mid January after all the snow.
 

hickslawns

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39,721
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Ohio
Mike- It is still corn. Whether you bait or not, they will be pawing at the ground to gobble up any corn remnants left by the farmer. Otherwise, I have seen them eating anything green. Grasses or whatever is available without too much foraging.
 

CJD3

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14,630
201
NE Ohio
Tree lines with old oak trees.
In years of average and heavy mast, the deer will work the acorn areas over and over. Look for the chewed acorn husks to see if its deer or squirrel eating em.
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
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9,358
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Hardin County
Unless I get lucky and find a standing corn field still up during late season around me, I usually key off of cut corn fields and winter wheat fields.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Mike, try to find their route to the food source instead of the food source itself. Reason being is that after gun season pressure, they generally don't make it till last light. give yourself some more opportunity and hunt their funnels. Even in corn country there are defined travel corridors and pinch points you can find. spend some time mid day looking for tracks and or spotting scope.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Corn is the crack of the deer community. I'm no longer admit that my late season tactics revolve around running one feed station in the core of my property, then backing off the corn 200-300 yards in an effort to cut deer off on the way to the corn. I don't want to shoot them with their nose in the pile, but I will certainly provide them with a food source and kill them on the way there. These days, I see it no differently than my food plots. That was barren, useless ground to a deer before I dropped golden acorns on it, or planting brassicas and turnips on it. When you get 2,500+ pictures a week of deer over corn, you really start to see how addicting it is!!! And the fact remains that a certain someone who has made a career of killing big bucks in Ohio has perfected this method of hunting. If it works for him, it'll work for me (maybe :smiley_blackeye:) ...
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
Thanks guys. There is no corn this year on the properties I hunt so I'll have to cut them off going to other properties that did have corn this year.
 
Corn is the crack of the deer community. I'm no longer admit that my late season tactics revolve around running one feed station in the core of my property, then backing off the corn 200-300 yards in an effort to cut deer off on the way to the corn. I don't want to shoot them with their nose in the pile, but I will certainly provide them with a food source and kill them on the way there. These days, I see it no differently than my food plots. That was barren, useless ground to a deer before I dropped golden acorns on it, or planting brassicas and turnips on it. When you get 2,500+ pictures a week of deer over corn, you really start to see how addicting it is!!! And the fact remains that a certain someone who has made a career of killing big bucks in Ohio has perfected this method of hunting. If it works for him, it'll work for me (maybe :smiley_blackeye:) ...

I was simply amazed how many deer I could see in 1 pic ..Concentrated on late season food when it is scarce ..
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
Deer do not like corn late in the season. Geez ;)
 

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jagermeister

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18,060
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Ohio
Yep, places with blow downs and overgrowth are prime during daylight hours. Woody browse is something they munch on all day.

Agree 100%. Woody browse makes up a significant portion of a whitetail's diet in the winter months.

The only problem is, woody browse is damn near everywhere, so patterning them on woody browse is almost impossible. This is where corn gets the advantage. Personally, I just can't justify spending my money on corn and feeders. The only time I lay corn down is when I get it for free from the inlaws.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Great point on the browse. I guess my point is that a wide open mature woods may not be the place to focus. Of course, someone else on here may feel different.

Also, yes corn gets expensive. Especially when the damn turkey and coon find it.
 

jagermeister

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Ohio
Great point on the browse. I guess my point is that a wide open mature woods may not be the place to focus. Of course, someone else on here may feel different.

Also, yes corn gets expensive. Especially when the damn turkey and coon find it.

I knew exactly what you were getting at, bro. We're definitely on the same page with this one.