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Late Season Strategy

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
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Massillon, Ohio
Well it is time to change up the game plan for this season. I am putting my camera back out and feeding pretty steadily for the rest of the season. We got a good deal on some corn up here and between three trucks we bought 2500 lbs of corn. I split 1000lbs with Larry. Here is my truck with 1000lbs of corn in it plus 200lbs of ear corn. It was pretty crazy to see all that corn in there.



My plan is to hopefully get some good inventory and see what deer are still on the property and try and catch them in route to the corn. I figure that should last me until I can do some serious damage. If its Brown its down. I will say I have been pretty frustrated and upset these last couple weeks. Felt like giving up after all these long sits and nothing to show for it. Sat around 10:00 I saw the big buck I missed up on this hillside feeding and following a doe. I heard a shot, but as slow as he was moving and as far away as the shot was I have high hopes he is still around. There is still plenty good deer down there.

This will be the first time I have even had a camera on this property, so I am excited to see what I get.

What are your guys plans for the late season? They are calling for some snow and really good cold temps this weekend. I wont be out because its my wifes birthday weekend, but I will be throwing the corn out for sure.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Make sure you kick it around and don't let leave it in a pile. mischeif.gif

My late season will be the same. I'll do some bow hunting, probably over corn, around Christmas and then slung the smokepole in January. I "ran" corn for a couple weeks last year without luck, I think you have to have it there longer/more consistently...
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Similar to my strategy minus the rail car of corn you have! lol

Reassess the bucks in the area and strategy. Redeploy cameras. Take inventory. Make a game plan. My game plan might honestly include NOT hunting with a bow again until after muzzle loader season.
 

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,824
136
Food is king! I find that once the seer go into there late season/ cold weather change, they have feed out there current food source. And they are now looking to winter in the deep cover. I have some places that rock till about now and other spots that is a waste of my time until this change happens. Those are the places that are small and thick cover that protects from the weather. And I have found at-least in my area they will stay there and travel a great distance to a food source that has been undesired up to this point for what ever reason wether it be some left over standing beens that were missed, or anything that has stayed green. If you can find where this transition is happening I feel and have had good success with this in the past.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
My late season will be the same. I'll do some bow hunting, probably over corn, around Christmas and then slung the smokepole in January. I "ran" corn for a couple weeks last year without luck, I think you have to have it there longer/more consistently...

Me too. I would like to get an antlered deer.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Funny stuff right there, Wayne. Although I'm not much for baiting with corn, when it gets late and my freezer is empty, I don't discriminate much on tactics. I'm sure a few loads of yellow gold will be in my near future as well. I haven't seen them in a few weeks, but I'm sure my food plots are pretty well decimated at this point. Corn may be my only hope at filling a few more tags.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
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I'm waiting on snow and nasty cold temps. As soon as we get them, I'm heading to Kentucky to hunt some standing corn fields. That's as far as I have planned. Seems like a good enough plan to me though.:smiley_crocodile:
 

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
There is one spot I have that is four joining fileds all with winter wheat coming up. This will be a great late season spot. I want to get a camera out down at The Ridge and see if stud survived the week of gun. I feel this should be a good late season spot as the way the ridge roles it offers great bedding and cover towards the bottom because of how thick it is and if the winds are from any direction with west in it it goes right over top of you and very rarely blows through the thickets. There is not much for food in that area as all the corn and beans are gone. Although they will feed those feilds for leftovers and head to the woods for bedding.
 

JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
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Urbana
I don't see any bad weather coming yet to make them really want to come to corn piles early and often... Next 15 days shows 40's and a couple 50 degree days... I'd be saving the corn cause they will still be browsing quite a bit in the woods. Heck the hay is still growing here...lol
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I don't see any bad weather coming yet to make them really want to come to corn piles early and often... Next 15 days shows 40's and a couple 50 degree days... I'd be saving the corn cause they will still be browsing quite a bit in the woods. Heck the hay is still growing here...lol

No doubt about that. I'm just stocking up. But it better get cold fast or muzzy season will suck!!!
 

Darron

Junior Member
273
0
Dayton, Ohio
I don't see any bad weather coming yet to make them really want to come to corn piles early and often... Next 15 days shows 40's and a couple 50 degree days... I'd be saving the corn cause they will still be browsing quite a bit in the woods. Heck the hay is still growing here...lol

I can't keep corn in my feeders right now. They (turkeys, deer, squirrels, etc) are eating 200# in a matter of 5-6 days. I plan to put more out this weekend, maybe Sunday.

My food plots are still bright green and being grazed hard. My oat/rye mix has been eaten to the dirt. My brassicas still have good top growth. I'm surprised they haven't wiped them out yet. I'm sure they will once the snow starts flying.
 

hickslawns

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39,720
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Ohio
I have never used corn to bait deer in. Last year we put some out. We put out 400-500 pounds over the course of a month. There had been a long hard cold spell with 6-8" of snow on the ground and they were herded up good. We put it out just to help supplement them until another melt off. Crazy to see 20-30 deer on the trail cameras at once.

IF needed, I will do it this year just for one specific deer. Some goober put an arrow in his neck a couple weeks ago. I will bait him just to get a crack at him (if he makes it that long). Hard saying how funky he will look next year if we don't take him now. He is a beautiful 8pt in the 140-150" range. Hate to see him waste away over the winter.
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
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Massillon, Ohio
I still have alot of green in my field s and the woods for sure. But i wantto see who is left after gun and increse my odds. You are right thought JD, I will be saving the majority of it for when the real cold weather comes at us.
 

Beentown

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Supporting Member
15,740
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Sunbury, OH
I still have alot of green in my field s and the woods for sure. But i wantto see who is left after gun and increse my odds. You are right thought JD, I will be saving the majority of it for when the real cold weather comes at us.

Me too. We need a good, deeper freeze to hit.