Late Season Pennsylvania Whitetail

By Jason Say, Wired Outdoors
WiredOutdoors.com
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I love to archery hunt, but I will be honest, the thought of late season archery hunting in Pennsylvania has never really appealed to me.  Maybe it is the rut being over, much harsher conditions, not real sure, but the combination has always had me hanging up my bow at the end of the first archery season. Not this year though, I intentionally saved my doe tag to give the second season a chance, and I am glad I did.

In Pennsylvania, when you share the woods with almost a million other hunters, by the time gun season is over and second season archery and flintlock rolls around, these deer tend to hit the deck, making hunting very tough.  I am far from an expert in hunting late season whitetail with a bow, but I have learned a few things that might help a newbie who is looking to hunt the late season.

• Shooting your bow with 4 layers of clothing and temps in the teens, is MUCH different than shooting a bow in early September.  So practice with all your clothing on.
• Dress appropriately.  Nothing will end you hunt quicker than getting cold and wet.  I can honestly say that I was comfortable every night on stand and had no problems sticking it out.
• The woods are COMPLETELY wide open during the late season.  So those stands that were close to the bedding area that you could sneak into early in the season, are no longer an option.
• Stands that had good cover while there was foliage in the woods may no longer have any cover.  I got caught more than once during the late season in stands that I never got busted in early season. So look for stands that might have 3 or 4 trees together instead of ones where you hang out and are easy to pick off.
• You may go nights without seeing a deer, but when I found the food sources they were hitting, it wasn’t uncommon to see 12 to 15 deer together.
• As always, pay attention to your scent.  It is much more difficult during the late season, because who the heck wants to dress in the field when it is freezing cold outside. If you are going to wear your clothing in the truck, filling up with gas, stopping by a friends house, you BETTER make sure you play the wind because if you don’t, you will not have a prayer.  You have to remember, these deer have been shot at for two weeks straight and have zero tolerance for people.  I would encourage you to dress in the field, but I completely understand if you refuse to be dressed only in your underwear standing in a field with temps in the teens
• Always take care of your equipment.  It is getting near the end of the season and some hunters may have a tendency to get a little lazy and not be quite as careful with their equipment.  I store my bow in nothing but the Plano All Weather Series bow case and never have to worry about it getting banged around.
• During the late season most stands and climbing sticks can have ice or snow on them making them very slippery.  It can be treacherous getting in and out of your stand.  While we feel it is important to always be attached from the bottom of the tree to the treestand all year long, there is even more chance of slipping and falling during the late season.  So make sure you are always strapped in.  We use the Hunter Safety System Pro Series vest along with the Tree Stand Life Line.

When it was all said and done, after my 6th night of hunting, moving stands, constantly scouting, watching my scent, I was able to fill my Pennsylvania doe tag.  Might not sound like a big deal to many, but anyone who has hunted Pennsylvania will understand.  More importantly, it was an opportunity to extend the season and spend MORE time in the outdoors – and that is always a good thing.

Late Season Pennsylvania Whitetail