Hunting the Late Archery Split

Hunting the Late Archery Split

By Jessica Graham

For bowhunters, it does not get much better than hunting the rut. Deer are active during daylight hours, anything can happen, especially if an estrus doe is in the timber. It amazes me how one doe can have a buck guarding her, chasing off other bucks that come too close, and yet different bucks will continuously circle the pair. Once the calendar rolls to November anticipation is high and we cannot wait to hit the timber and food plots. Once the rut winds down, however, if hunters haven’t filled their archery tag, they usually put their bow away and pick up a firearm instead. If you have not bow hunted the late seasons, you are missing out on some of the best hunting opportunities. There is a renewed excitement about shooting a deer in the snow during the late season split. We are going to explore a couple of ways to help you fill your 2022 archery tag during the late archery split this year.

Patterning Deer
During the late archery split, hunting at times resembles tactics you would use during October. You should utilize your trail camera information to see what deer are still around and when they are using areas. The deer can resume back into a pattern – the pattern might differ from their October patterns, but the fact remains that deer can be patterned during the later season. For instance, deer will visit food sources reliably. If you see deer on a field one evening, you are likely to see the same deer there within the next evening or two. Deer will often re-visit familiar bedding areas and travel between bedding and food sources. If there are bedding areas close to food plots, you can be sure there are deer in there, especially when the weather turns frigid. When it comes to hunting these deer. You can set up on food sources in the evenings, or transition areas trying to intercept deer going between bedding and food. Another option is, you can crash into bedding areas and try and beat the deer back to the bedroom in the mornings. All these tactics can help you pattern and locate deer during the late season.

Food Sources
Iowa winters are variable, but will have periods of miserably cold weather. When temperatures dip below zero, deer need to replenish calories often to stay alive. If they don’t eat, they risk death. In a Wisconsin deer study, freezing to death was among the top 3 attributors to deer mortality. Deer become slaves to their stomachs during this time of year. If there is standing grain, like a corn or soybean field, the deer will congregate in these fields. Brassicas are also a big hit for deer. Sugar beets and turnips translocate sugars to the bulbs, making them sweet and palatable for deer. They seek out ag fields and brassica fields especially on the coldest of days. During cold, snowy evenings, it is not uncommon to see large groups of deer flocking to food. Bucks that have been elusive can be seen visiting these fields on the coldest of days. If you can stay warm and sit for a few hours, you will be able to see some deer. Try and set up where you have been seeing the deer enter the field. They will probably stick to a similar pattern and may allow you a shot opportunity.

Thermals
We mentioned earlier that deer will travel from food to bedding areas. Locating these bedding areas becomes much easier than it was earlier in the year. You are looking for thermal cover. The two best thermal options are evergreens and standing native warm season grasses. Evergreens, like cedars, block the wind and give wildlife a break from the elements. Additionally, the boughs will catch snow and sleet and help shelter deer. Late season, I’ve noticed hillsides of cedar trees are the most preferred areas for mature bucks. If you have looked in these areas you will notice a deer can lay under a cedar and be sheltered from the elements, and they can see pretty far. They can see approaching predators far before they become a threat. Thick cedar areas are a favorite for late season bedding.

Some native warm season grasses will stand during the winter, but switchgrass has excellent standability compared to other grasses. The grasses protect from the wind and insulate deer from the brutal elements. Aside from evergreen sections of timbers and native warm season grasses, you should also consider topography. Deer like south facing slopes. On sunny days, they can soak in some warm sun. During windy periods, they seek shelter in low lying ditches. If these ditches have some thermal cover, you can almost bet deer will be in there. If there is snow on the ground, you can easily identify recent paths being used for travel.

If you decided to keep hunting through the late archery split, you certainly can still harvest deer. In fact, it is somewhat easier to find deer during this time of year. While anything can happen during the rut, it is somewhat hard to pinpoint a particular deer. You rely more on luck and reliable hunting stands. Deer become more predictable than they were a month ago. Yes, they have been hunted through October and November. They have been shot at and driven by the orange army. They are more educated than they were a couple months ago. However, hunting the late season archery split can be successful and action packed. It does come down to staying warm and being able to stay out (safely) during the coldest of temperatures. If you have a blind, bring a heater to help you stay warm. If you do not have a blind available, or prefer hunting stands, you might consider an IWOM or Heater Body Suit to keep warm and in the stand. Early bow season the sits are more comfortable and enjoyable. However, if you have not filled your archery tag once the first split ends, do not give up hope. There is still plenty of hunting to do with your archery tackle.