In this episode, John and Zach discuss hunting during the late season on heavily pressured public land. A lot of times public land can feel over pressured during the late season but there are usually still some really good opportunities during the end of the season. Due to John’s occupation, he has had a lot of time to hunt during the second half of the season targeting mature bucks after the crowds of hunters have hit public land all season. Zach and John discuss the challenges and benefits of late season hunting, how they find un-pressured areas, and their focus on food sources and bedding areas to pattern deer. They also discuss the impact of different weather conditions on their strategy for that given day and how those weather conditions impact deer movement. They also discuss the significance of wind shifts and how they can influence deer movement. They also discuss the challenges of finding fresh sign in lower deer density areas and what buck sign they expect to see in different settings during the late season. Finally, they explain how they both value learning from hunting experiences in different habitats and the importance of making informed theories based on observations and how that helps them stay persistent and confident while hunting.
Topics Include:
-overcoming the frustration of hunting public land after it has already been hit hard all season
-what buck sign to look for during late season hunts and how that may change based off of deer density
-how far mature bucks move in daylight during the late season
-how to adjust to different weather conditions, other than cold and snow to anticipate buck movement
-wind shift bedding and how to capitalize on it
CHAPTERS
00:00
Intro
05:10
Late Season Bow Hunting
06:24
Challenges of Late Season Hunting
09:07
Dealing with High Pressure Areas
14:16
Importance of Food Sources
15:13
Midday Movement in Late Season
29:00
Taking Advantage of Weather Forecasts
37:22
Hunting in Warm Weather
38:49
The Significance of Access in Late Season Hunting
56:48
The Value of Morning Hunts in Late Season
57:28
Scrapes in Late Season Hunting
01:05:29
The Impact of Terrain and Sign Concentration
01:14:37
Deer Movement in Relation to Wind Shifts
01:20:11
The Value of Learning from Hunting in Different Habitats
01:25:04
Understanding Deer Behavior in Timber Settings
01:29:03
The Importance of Making Informed Theories in Hunting
01:32:11