December Tags

[joeybari]

anyone have any good things or thoughts about the late Nov and the early Dec hunt

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

I like the late, winter hunts because the deer like the sun when it is cold and they like the deep dark shade in the hotter hunts, IMO.... I also like only having to compete with a few hunters in the late hunt.... not that there are many early hunters that hunt the place that I like either, but I would take a Dec. tag over an early hunt anytime, with that said we have taken just as large of bucks early as late.

[jeffd]

I 've been lucky to hunt five December hunts and only apply for Dec hunts now.The weather has always been nice and I have never seen another hunter.When I don't draw a tag I help friends on their hunt or my son with his.I'ts like my hunt still without me taking the shot.I really enjoy seeing these guys get their first deer.This is my sons first deer hunt this year.Can't wait.

[AZantlerhead]

It seems the majority here prefer a late hunt, lots of good reasons why, But, That explains the slim to none drawing odds for the 20-40 or so tags per late hunt.

As well the very high success rates of those hunts.

 

I'll stick with my Halloween hunts and TRY to hunt harder, smarter, longer and farther than the other 300 guys on my hunt, and hope to defy the success rates as we've done, knowing 9/10 years i'm getting my general tag and going hunting. ( besides the two OTC archery hunts ).

 

It also seems most agree the peak of the rut is in Jan With the Late OTC bow hunt. So to hunt in cold weather and the rut this will be my option, even if I tag out in OCT. So is a win/ win in my mind.

 

So you guys keep playin the lotto for those december tags and keep my drawing odds for early hunts allmost guaranteed, OK.

 

Sorry, no ones said anything to make me want a december tag that bad. You guys can have umm. Like you're probly thinkin yeah, He can have all the early tags he wants. .

 

Good conversation, as allways, thanks for the input. Maybe if I could tag along as a scout on a december hunt I'll change my mind, but i doubt it. If nobody noticed I'm pretty bull headed and set in my ways, even for a young whipper snapper.

 

 

[MuleyMan]

For trophy hunters......this is a key issue as far as which hunt to choose if you've scouted a whopper. Most hunters don't reason this out properly, however. What's important on the hunt isn't how you feel......but what the buck feels. Two different things.........apples and oranges. Great weather, less hunters, bucks visible during daylight hours..............all are moot and are unimportant.....if you've done one thing.

 

And that one thing is to scout and find your one specific buck during the summer/early fall months and found his living room that he won't leave for a while. If you wait til the December hunt to go after him, he will be gone from his home and traveling the countryside looking for hot does. He will have left the living room that you found him in during August. 5 miles....maybe 10....who knows. Unless there is a LARGE number of does in and near his living room..........he will likely have taken the highway to find some. Mature bucks begin to roam about mid-December.

 

So, if your hoping to somehow cross paths with an unpatterned roaming toad............then December can work out. But if he's a buck that you scouted relentlessly all summer in his home...............then the October or November seasons are the ones to hunt for him.

[308Nut]

My .02 cents is that the December hunts offer 2 things. 1: Less hunters in the field. This equals a quality experiance and solitude. 2: Other than July, the end of December is truely the best chance you have to see a really big buck out in the open during daylight hours while you can legally have a rifle in your hands with the intent to shoot him. Yes a week or two into January may be better but you cannot legally shoot a bullet at one of these big boys unless you have the AZBGSR tag or other conservation type permit in your pocket.

 

Over-rated? Probably. Better than an October tag? Absolutely. Besides, rutting activity is facinating to watch. Nobody argues about how great an early rifle elk hunt is versus a November hunt. Despite the fact that elk bugle and deer dont doesnt negate the fact that rutting activity is fun, cool and CAN lead to success on bigger bucks with a cool looking swollen neck and polished set of gnarley horns. THAT is what dreams are made of. Besides, I have no desire to travel all the way down from AK to suffer in swelltering heat to hunt deer with 700 other red necks when most of the really big bucks know how to avoid us with no need to come out of their hidding hole without the scent of nookie tantalizing them. Come December, those buck dont have half the conscience they normally do.

 

Rut hunts of any species are fun. Period.

 

Regards!

[Guest RutNHard]

I very much prefer the lower hunter density and cooler weather in the Dec hunts. I can't stand hunting in the heat. Plus the bucks are more active during the day so it's just more fun and it's a longer season, so you have more options for taking time off and getting to hunt. Although it seems the Dec hunts are a little early to hit peak of the rut, they generally are doing some rutting and hunting during the rut is much more exciting. Kinda like hunting elk in Sept vs Nov/December. It's a very different experience.

 

Amanda

 

Well said!! I agree with Amanda...

[CRB]

I think azantlerhead is right all of you guys should quit putting in for the December whitetail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AZantlerhead]

I think azantlerhead is right all of you guys should quit putting in for the December whitetail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No, I says keep applying for ummm. And leave My early tags alone!! . By all means , Cause we all know it's to hot to hunt in late Oct. and the big ones don't exist until December . And besides it could take you ten years to get an early tag again I heard . And who wants to have to decide Wich bomber in a group of bucks to shoot anyway. And nobody likes antlers that aint broke And it's no fun to hunt in the big boys hidey holes anyway, so thick and rugged ya know. You wanna wait till December when they roam aimlessly in the flatter stuff huntin nookie, trust me . And plus the oct and nov hunts will weed out all the inferior bucks, leaving only 110's left who've been sleeping for two months and have no clue theres still hunters out there. .

 

All kidding aside though,Lot of good poitns in this thread, thanks for the insight on december hunts, sounds fun but you can have umm, or more often than not dream of haveing one anyway. Kinda does sound like golden ticket.

 

 

NOT!!

[AZantlerhead]

For trophy hunters......this is a key issue as far as which hunt to choose if you've scouted a whopper. Most hunters don't reason this out properly, however. What's important on the hunt isn't how you feel......but what the buck feels. Two different things.........apples and oranges. Great weather, less hunters, bucks visible during daylight hours..............all are moot and are unimportant.....if you've done one thing.

 

And that one thing is to scout and find your one specific buck during the summer/early fall months and found his living room that he won't leave for a while. If you wait til the December hunt to go after him, he will be gone from his home and traveling the countryside looking for hot does. He will have left the living room that you found him in during August. 5 miles....maybe 10....who knows. Unless there is a LARGE number of does in and near his living room..........he will likely have taken the highway to find some. Mature bucks begin to roam about mid-December.

 

So, if your hoping to somehow cross paths with an unpatterned roaming toad............then December can work out. But if he's a buck that you scouted relentlessly all summer in his home...............then the October or November seasons are the ones to hunt for him.

 

Glad I'm not the only one thinkin this way, is gettin lonely

[AZantlerhead]

It seems it's all personal preferance. "Apples and oranges". Thanks for everyones opinions on this. It's why I asked. Different tactics/weather etc. etc. I'm sure the early hunt tactics will work for bow and the late season stuff will apply to the Jan bow season, so It's all good stuff. Anyones opinion, shared tactics and theories are grade A in my book.

 

Just one thing, How can anyone rate a hunt As "poor" overall. I can't say I've ever had a bad day in the woods, let alone a whole hunt . That survey is double edged. I've had some extremely bad things happen out there and ben pushed past the breakin point but, A " poor" hunt, NAH, never. It's a gift just to be out there.

 

I understand why they used that lingo though in the survey. Like some people talk about how "good" or "bad" hunting was in the old days but........ ahh never mind, I overanalize stuff sometimes

[Tines]

 

So, if your hoping to somehow cross paths with an unpatterned roaming toad............then December can work out. But if he's a buck that you scouted relentlessly all summer in his home...............then the October or November seasons are the ones to hunt for him.

 

If they're their all summer......Oct AND Nov, then they will be there in December. Obviously if nobody shoots them.

 

I agree with your above statement to an extent. Don't forget, Big bucks are big for a reason. But just because you've scouted your butt off pre-season doesn't mean you'll find them during Halloween....or Thanksgiving. I didn't! I found a buck in August of last year that my brother killed during his December hunt. I hunted this area during the early jrs hunt, oct hunt, early nov, AND late jr's hunt. Never saw him. Finally, while hunting with my brother during his Dec hunt, the buck showed up.

 

I knew the area didn't get hunted much (in fact I never saw another hunter in there).

 

Some of you guys may disagree with this logic but I feel that mature preseason scouted bucks will be there regardless of the time of year. And the ONLY reason that big buck won't be there during the rut is if someone else KILLS him. Yeah, he may not show up under the same tree year-after-year (or he might!!!! ) but he likes that area for a reason.

 

Although it may not be the "peak of the rut", unless you've hunted the december hunts quite a bit, I can see where you might think they're "overrated". I've got a friend who takes fantastic bucks during the Oct and Nov hunts because he spends quite a bit of time in the pre-season. He doesn't apply for the late hunt because he wants first crack at them. But I'll bet you anything he'd find them in December if he wanted to. Only because of VERY little pressure this area gets

 

So, like mentioned before, PLEASE stay away from the Dec hunts! They're not getting any easier to draw!!!

 

[cpugsie]

December Hunts are always my first choice for many of the reasons all ready stated. I always see a ton of deer and enjoy the low hunter density. One other reason I like the December hunt is that the days are really short so you can hunt all day and still get a great nights sleep. My Avatar buck was taken in December but I've taken a couple nice deer in the early hunts also. As long as I have a tag in hand I'm a happy camper.

 

One other twist on this would be what a friend of mine did one year. He had a monster located that was in the same spot everytime he went to scout. In this case, he put in for the early hunt first so he'd be the first one to have a shot at him. He drew the early tag and took the best buck of his life. It just all depends. But I'd say most people, as Amanda's data shows, like the later hunts best. And don't count out the deer as not being in the run during these hunts either. I've seen many deer in full rut in December, allthough it usually is better in early/mid January.

 

Good luck hunting this year!!!

[LYONKILL33]

I love hunting period....early ,late,Whatever they want to give me.But lately they seem to give out early tags freely.Im not the guy who can aford to hunt all over the country every year.Living in a state that allows one deer a year,IMO I would have to be insane to pass up a sure tag every year.Yes im young and have been an athlete all my life,and that is why I probably like the early hunt better,because its harder, hotter and I have to constantly push myself to keep going.But thats what i need and i realize everyone is different.But I do have to say that comparing it to a late elk hunt is quite different to me.Pre rut and post rut are very different to me.Elk have been hunted 3-4 times by the time the late hunts start.Early white tail hunts you are chasing animals that have not seen a hunter since the occasional archer in jan.These are just my opinions and reasons for liking what i do.No disrespect to anyone,and I could be wrong on all accounts. im also an avid archer so after september elk do not even exist until its shed pickin time.go figure! but thats a different disscusion all together.

[mje1]

For trophy hunters......this is a key issue as far as which hunt to choose if you've scouted a whopper. Most hunters don't reason this out properly, however. What's important on the hunt isn't how you feel......but what the buck feels. Two different things.........apples and oranges. Great weather, less hunters, bucks visible during daylight hours..............all are moot and are unimportant.....if you've done one thing.

 

And that one thing is to scout and find your one specific buck during the summer/early fall months and found his living room that he won't leave for a while. If you wait til the December hunt to go after him, he will be gone from his home and traveling the countryside looking for hot does. He will have left the living room that you found him in during August. 5 miles....maybe 10....who knows. Unless there is a LARGE number of does in and near his living room..........he will likely have taken the highway to find some. Mature bucks begin to roam about mid-December.

 

So, if your hoping to somehow cross paths with an unpatterned roaming toad............then December can work out. But if he's a buck that you scouted relentlessly all summer in his home...............then the October or November seasons are the ones to hunt for him.

 

 

I totally agree, if youre scouting and you find a good buck he most likely will be in the same general area come opening day. But if you dont find that big boy then bumping into one on the first hunts is tough. I scout alot harder if i draw an early hunt than the dec. hunt. I started putting my game cams. on water in early june hoping to find last years bucks twin brother, no luck yet.