For most of us, the peak of rut has come and gone, the bare trees help a deafening silence fall over the woods, and your wife is dropping hints about that perfect Christmas gift. It’s December, one of my favorite times to hit the woods in search of ol’ mossy horns.
In the south, there are pockets where late-breeding deer exhibit peak activity much later than what is considered the traditional rut. But for most of the country, rut activity subsided with the waning of the first full moon in November. Even so, don’t give up hope a bruiser will be behind that doe that just stepped out. In my experience, there is always a second and sometimes a third period when rut activity occurs. I don’t know the science, but there are does that don’t get bred during the first breeding period, or the pregnancy simply doesn’t take. I’ve heard a lot of younger does will come into heat late. These are the does that come back into heat.
Typically, you will not see the territorial behavior from bucks this time of year, but rest assured, if a mature buck crosses paths with one of these late-blossoming does, she has just made a new best friend for the next couple of days. This period is when having a good man-made food source comes in handy. Most of the acorns are gone, and there is very little browse left in the woods. Having a good food plot system will increase your chances at bagging a late-season buck by pulling in does, one of which might have that trophy buck on her tail.
I generally don’t do much calling this time of year, however, I do continue using my Bucks and Beards estrous scent. The mature bucks seem to fall back into their “ghost” pattern, when they are seldom seen in daylight. The use of scent might just give him that incentive to step out a little earlier so you can get a shot.
This is exactly what happened a couple of years ago when I killed a deer named Cutie (don’t ask; my wife named him). It was a cool afternoon in mid-December, and I was headed to a food plot where I had been seeing a lot of deer and several different bucks. I hung several scent wicks and climbed in the stand. Cutie came in downwind of the scent, nose in the air with just enough shooting light. I feel sure this is the only reason I saw this buck in daylight. So just because the heart of the rut is over, don’t fret. There is still a chance you can experience great activity throughout December.
Corey New is a member of Combat in the Wild, a group of hunters dedicated to catching awesome hunts on video. Subscribe to the Combat in the Wild YouTube channel to enjoy weekly shows. Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. CITW is always looking for feedback from fans.
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