If you are like us here at GrowingDeer.tv we have entered late season hunting with a buck tag still in our pocket. As any hunter knows that buck tag will burn a hole straight through your favorite pair of pants. Luckily, late season hunting is a great time to punch that tag! What can you do to ensure that buck tag is filled before seasons end?

The rut ends at the end of November here in the Ozark Mountains so we shift our focus to hunting food sources on ridge tops where we get steady winds. A problem we face with hunting ridge tops during late season is a lack of cover.

Adam in a Muddy treestand after brushing in for cover.

By this time of year most of the leaves have fallen from the trees leaving our Muddy treestands bare and leaving us vulnerable to being skylined. To solve this problem, Adam and I cut small oak saplings that hold their leaves late into the year, and used them to create cover around the stand. Cedar branches are a viable option as well. With just a hand saw and a few zip ties our favorite stand locations are ready for late season hunting.

Doe fawns are a buck hunter’s best friend this time of year. If quality food sources have allowed this year’s doe fawns to reach 70 pounds they will become receptive. This is what people refer to as the second rut. Mature does that are receptive hide from bucks, but doe fawns generally don’t change their pattern. They go from the cover to the food and back to the cover again, hopefully with a mature buck right behind!

The GrowingDeer Team will be hunting food sources heavily this week, hoping for a receptive doe fawn to bring the big boy right into our kill zone! Good luck and stay warm!

Chasing Whitetails together,

Brian