# December Bucks



## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

just curious of the members here who have taken mature bucks in December. I'd like to hear your tactics... time of day... etc.. In 35 years of hunting I've never taken a buck in December.... now that i think about it... I've never seen a buck in December from a tree stand. Please share your experiences!!!!!


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

I am usually tagged out on bucks in December but I have taken a couple with antlers and a few more that had already dropped. I have shot and seen the most older bucks hunting food. Years with standing corn have always been the best.


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## laserstraight (Jun 17, 2004)

This is what I am told.
You need to know where they bed and feed at that time of year. Then you need some really
cold weather to get them on there feet before it gets dark. You will also need some luck.

Good luck
LS


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## walleyerick (Sep 30, 2004)

I have shot my fair share of bucks, but now that I think of it, in over 30 years, I think I have only seen one spike in December hunting.


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## Captain (Feb 11, 2000)

Here is my mid Dec. muzzy buck from a couple years back

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/isabella-county-muzzy-10-pt.489075/


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## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

Do button bucks count? In all seriousness, I have only shot 2 antlered deer in December. Both were from hunting over a food plot during muzzleloading. I am still trying for my January buck.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

Captain said:


> Here is my mid Dec. muzzy buck from a couple years back
> 
> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/isabella-county-muzzy-10-pt.489075/


That's a beast!!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

I usually take my best bucks in December. Food is the key and getting between the food and bedding areas. Sometimes you get a little second rut action but for me it still centers around the food. Late afternoons have been the best for me also. This one is a couple years old


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Yup, Sugar beets and -10 or colder.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

That is a dandy Capt. Congratulations!

Here are pics of a couple of December muzzleloader bucks my wife and I have tagged. I can't remember taking a mature December buck with my bow but I could have taken several 2 1/2 yr olds if we were still hunting them but we don't. My buck was 4 1/2 years old and my wife's was 5 1/2 years old.

As previously mentioned, I think the key is to hunt good food sources when the weather is very cold and nasty ... the deeper the snow and the colder it is - the better it is. Frankly, I very rarely ever hunt mornings in December anymore because I have found the best deer movement to be coming to food sources just before dark. That being said, I shot this particular buck around 1 PM but I had watched him come in to feed early 2 days in a row so I set up on him the next day.

I am not real confident about this year's muzzle loader season as the weather is just too mild. I still have 3 1/2 acres of standing corn which I hoped would be a great December draw, but if we don't get some snow and cold soon i may have to end up sitting in a tree with my bow in late December hoping to fill my tag. I am going to try (and hope) late soy beans next year. Just don't know if there will be any left by December.

Good luck this month.







#37wildthing, 56 minutes ago


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## hockeyman474 (Feb 11, 2015)

I need to find a new spot this month. Trying to find public spots close to farms or find out where the oaks are targeting the leftover acorns. I also have a gallon bag of massive acorns, do I just put them out like any other bait? Smash a couple or what?


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## R.J.M. (Jun 10, 2007)

About 10 years ago I took a snap shot at a moving doe went 40 yards and down rolled her over and NUTS looked at the head and two bloody sockets I said finely get my buck and no antlers


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Being primarily a UP deer hunter I usually have a tag or two left over after firearms season. I've probably killed at least 10 bucks in December, most are older than 2-1/2 but none younger. About half of them have been entered in the M-S deer contested or posted on this site over the years.

The first thing to look for is an area with little to no pressure. That far out weighs the second item, food.


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## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

What type of food are they targeting in the SLP when acorns are gone or covered by snow and there are no crops nearby? Cedar? Tree buds?


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## Uncle Boopoo (Sep 15, 2008)

Both of these bucks were killed in December on public land in SE LP.


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## gunfun13 (Jun 13, 2003)

My tactic is a good food source, low pressure, and cold temps. This one was shot two years ago, December 18thish, 14 degrees during a heavy snow. Caught him on his way to a cut corn field that had ALOT of waste
grain remaining. Found 6 sheds in that field the following spring. Have 2 acres of standing beans right now that I'm waiting to hit when the conditions are right. There is 4 different mature bucks using it right now, but well after shooting light. 3 standing corn fields in my section isn't helping.


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## kenosabe (Jan 31, 2008)

This one was shot December 5th 2014 opening night of muzzleloading. He spotted 4 does I was watching and headed straight to them. He came 100 yards upwind from the does and I happened to be sitting between all the action!


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## Walleyze247 (Mar 20, 2009)

I like this thread and the all the good info. I have hunted late season with a bow but not a great deal. This will be my first year with a muzzleloader. I am trying to come up with a game plan between mornings and evening hunts. I can not do both. this week I am thinking Saturday morning and then Sunday evening. I would think there will be some people hunting this Saturday morning maybe helping with pushing movement. good luck


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## gunfun13 (Jun 13, 2003)

Walleyze247 said:


> I like this thread and the all the good info. I have hunted late season with a bow but not a great deal. This will be my first year with a muzzleloader. I am trying to come up with a game plan between mornings and evening hunts. I can not do both. this week I am thinking Saturday morning and then Sunday evening. I would think there will be some people hunting this Saturday morning maybe helping with pushing movement. good luck


I find mornings in the late season to be pretty unproductive. I've only seen one mature buck my entire life on a December morning. He was chasing a doe (2nd rut action).


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## hockeyman474 (Feb 11, 2015)

gunfun13 said:


> I find mornings in the late season to be pretty unproductive. I've only seen one mature buck my entire life on a December morning. He was chasing a doe (2nd rut action).


Really? I have been seeing deer in the morning last December and this past weekend. Nothing in the evenings.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

Chuck said:


> Are those scrapes in thick cover or close to a bedding area?
> 
> This time of year on public land you have to keep moving until you find a buck still alive to hunt. I start with all scrapes I know of in thick cover. I dont care if they are "opened " back up. I keep them open and pea in them myself. Finding one a buck opened and fresh rubs are a great sign though (look for fresh wood shavings on the snow). I am checking track sizes in the scrape dirt to see if a older buck is still coming in. 80% of the time I have noticed bucks dont open scrapes up but they will come in to a fresh looking scrape and hit that licking branch. Without snow on the ground its tough sorting them out though. Its always a balance of looking and hunting as I have a better chance at getting a deer sitting but I have to be in the right place or Im just sitting in the woods with a gun.
> 
> ...


It's private land and it's VERY THICK cover .... Thanks for the input


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

Chuck said:


> Are those scrapes in thick cover or close to a bedding area?
> 
> This time of year on public land you have to keep moving until you find a buck still alive to hunt. I start with all scrapes I know of in thick cover. I dont care if they are "opened " back up. I keep them open and pea in them myself. Finding one a buck opened and fresh rubs are a great sign though (look for fresh wood shavings on the snow). I am checking track sizes in the scrape dirt to see if a older buck is still coming in. 80% of the time I have noticed bucks dont open scrapes up but they will come in to a fresh looking scrape and hit that licking branch. Without snow on the ground its tough sorting them out though. Its always a balance of looking and hunting as I have a better chance at getting a deer sitting but I have to be in the right place or Im just sitting in the woods with a gun.
> 
> ...


Good info!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

GrizzlyHunter said:


> Thanx IGB!
> 
> I could pull the trigger, but I'd have to have a better plan to get him out.


You pull the trigger and I'll help you get him out. Anytime


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

bioactive said:


> My December 23 2012 buck.


Awesome buck! Great job on the video


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

I've had some terrific December hunts. I've had years where I never laid eyes on a shooter buck....until December.

The highest scoring buck I've ever taken was a 12/6 bowkill.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/the-monkey.264585/

I've also endured a number of cold, miserable, deerless December sits. But that's sort of the price you pay. Relaxing in your warm home with a cup of coffee has its benefits, but you don't often experience great hunts that way.


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## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

Chuck said:


> Are those scrapes in thick cover or close to a bedding area?
> 
> This time of year on public land you have to keep moving until you find a buck still alive to hunt. I start with all scrapes I know of in thick cover. I dont care if they are "opened " back up. I keep them open and pea in them myself. Finding one a buck opened and fresh rubs are a great sign though (look for fresh wood shavings on the snow). I am checking track sizes in the scrape dirt to see if a older buck is still coming in. 80% of the time I have noticed bucks dont open scrapes up but they will come in to a fresh looking scrape and hit that licking branch. Without snow on the ground its tough sorting them out though. Its always a balance of looking and hunting as I have a better chance at getting a deer sitting but I have to be in the right place or Im just sitting in the woods with a gun.
> 
> ...


Nice post with some good advice. Most often, the sign I find this year is the sign I will be hunting next year or the year after. Last year was an exception, I found the sign and the buck that was making it at the same time. I saw him, got in front of him and shot him.

Another nice one has more or less stepped into the void created by his absence. Getting in front of this one has been tough. He spends the bulk of his time holed up in a "tangle down below" where every wind direction turns into a counter-clockwise whirlpool.


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## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

farmlegend said:


> I've had some terrific December hunts. I've had years where I never laid eyes on a shooter buck....until December.
> 
> The highest scoring buck I've ever taken was a 12/6 bowkill.
> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/the-monkey.264585/
> ...


Nice buck, for sure.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

farmlegend said:


> I've had some terrific December hunts. I've had years where I never laid eyes on a shooter buck....until December.
> 
> The highest scoring buck I've ever taken was a 12/6 bowkill.
> http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/the-monkey.264585/
> ...


That is one beautiful buck for sure FL! A great story as well. Congrats.


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

wildthing said:


> That is one beautiful buck for sure FL! A great story as well. Congrats.


Yep I knew of Dan and his buck at that time as we're from the same neighborhood but it was the first time I read that thread..Great job...Wouldn't it be nice if those kinda of stories happened more often and that it didn't take nearly as long to happen...Maybe someday for all of us.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

December hunting....

I've put in more sits in December this year than I did in the whole month of November. And though I haven't killed anything, I've had some marvelous sits. Not to mention that the weather has made for more comfortable hunting than what is customary for this month.

I've had zero deerless sits and some where I had near non-stop action, and a couple sits where I saw ridiculous numbers of deer, principally antlerless.

The highlight was this past Sunday morning, where I was treated to about 60 seconds of sheer magic. Around 1030AM, a bachelor group of five bucks came rolling in, intrigued by a small doe fawn. They came in, wandered around, a bit outside of bow range, then moved off to vanish into the thick stuff. There was zero apparent animosity between them. Great encounter, just wish it would have lasted longer. Included in the group were these guys.



















Along with a couple sparkies and a 2.5 year old. And a curious button buck, perhaps the doe fawn's sibling.

As to the first of the two bucks pictured; I have pics of him from both 2014 and 2015, but this was the first time I saw him in the flesh. He had a very large body, but smallish antlers with short main beams. In spite of him not scoring particularly well, I'd happily shoot him if the opportunity arose.


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

farmlegend said:


> December hunting....
> 
> I've put in more sits in December this year than I did in the whole month of November. And though I haven't killed anything, I've had some marvelous sits. Not to mention that the weather has made for more comfortable hunting than what is customary for this month.
> 
> ...


Dan I was gonna pm you and ask you about your doe numbers this year as mine are the lowest since I bought my property in 02.. You kinda of answered my question in your first paragraph. As a whole is your doe population steady per usual?...And secondly, back to the topic, is December your best month for buck sightings in general?...September is my number one (cam pics of course) with December being a close second. Although this year has been unusually slow for both bucks and does...We are not shooting anymore does this year. 3 for a total is it...


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## hockeyman474 (Feb 11, 2015)

psh, December bucks....I just want a December deer!


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

sniper said:


> is December your best month for buck sightings in general?...September is my number one (cam pics of course) with December being a close second. .


As to which month is best for 3.5+ year old buck sightings, it varies by the year, but, in any case, it's either November or December. Both months blow away October. I don't think I've laid eyes on a 3.5+ year old in October while hunting more than two times in the last 20 seasons, and I include all the way through Halloween.

December has been more feast or famine, with fewer hunts where bucks were sighted, but some really spectacular hunts as well. I had a hunt a few years ago where between myself and my muzzleloader-toting guest, we saw three different shooters (likely 3.5+ year olds) in one evening sit. I had a hunt on my birthday (12/15) a few seasons ago where I saw 8 different bucks on a morning sit, including a 150 incher.



sniper said:


> Dan I was gonna pm you and ask you about your doe numbers this year as mine are the lowest since I bought my property in 02.. You kinda of answered my question in your first paragraph. As a whole is your doe population steady per usual?


Tons of antlerless deer around. I had one sit on 12/5 where I saw 31 different antlerless deer, and I'm certain there were more out there that I couldn't see from my vantage point. Plus three sits where I saw about 18. And I'm not talking super long sits, either.

I have a hypothesis - in our area, the practice of chisel plowing (which sadly is on the ascendancy) may have the effect of concentrating deer late in the season. Besides burying tons of deer food, deer avoid walking across chisel-plowed fields I think it's possible that deer seek out larger areas of contiguous cover where they have access to non-chisel-plowed crop fields(and, to a lesser extent, food plots). Right now, winter wheat and soybean stubble are big draws and if you don't have either one on your ground or adjacent to you, action may be slow. Not much corn stubble around this year, it's pretty much all been chiseled. My food plots are getting hit harder right now than at any other time in the calendar.


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

farmlegend said:


> I have a hypothesis - in our area, the practice of chisel plowing (which sadly is on the ascendancy) may have the effect of concentrating deer late in the season. Besides burying tons of deer food, deer avoid walking across chisel-plowed fields(and, to a lesser extent, but still very relevant, food plots) I think it's possible that deer seek out larger areas of contiguous cover where they have access to non-chisel-plowed crop fields. Right now, winter wheat and soybean stubble are big draws, and if you don't have either one on your ground or adjacent to you, action may be slow. Not much corn stubble around this year, it's pretty much all been chiseled. My food plots are getting hit harder right now than at any other time in the calendar.


I'm in vigorous agreement with your hypothesis.


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

Yep my 100 acre lease which was beans for the second year in a row, was cut in September and chiseled plowed the first week in October..70 acres of ag gone..Earliest I have ever seen beans cut out there...The 80 acre corn field that's right next to us was plowed up this past Saturday..Hopefully some deer start creeping back over to my place where I have cover and a long strip of standing beans...We'll find out...Good info thanks..


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## hockeyman474 (Feb 11, 2015)

farmlegend said:


> As to which month is best for 3.5+ year old buck sightings, it varies by the year, but, in any case, it's either November or December. Both months blow away October. I don't think I've laid eyes on a 3.5+ year old in October while hunting more than two times in the last 20 seasons, and I include all the way through Halloween.
> 
> December has been more feast or famine, with fewer hunts where bucks were sighted, but some really spectacular hunts as well. I had a hunt a few years ago where between myself and my muzzleloader-toting guest, we saw three different shooters (likely 3.5+ year olds) in one evening sit. I had a hunt on my birthday (12/15) a few seasons ago where I saw 8 different bucks on a morning sit, including a 150 incher.
> 
> ...


I wish I saw that many antlerless in my neck of the woods. I have that tag and a combo left. I'd consider success if I fill just 1 of those with my first deer ever.


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

Can anyone explain why they chisel plow in the fall? I know near some of the Refuges they leave stubble and I've heard they get paid to leave the stubble, is this true? Every winter more wind rows or fence rows are taken out, trees along river for bigger dikes, just seems like more dirt blowing around in the winter to me??? I'm not a farmer so I'm just curious on the reason, it doesn't seem to be common practice in Nebraska, Kansas, or Missouri when it comes to chisel plowing. Thanks for any answers or reasons!


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Corey K said:


> Can anyone explain why they chisel plow in the fall?


Last year, I spent several hours researching the tillage practice of chisel plowing. 

One reason for chisel plowing in the fall, as opposed to the spring, has to do with growing season length. It's often not practical, given the shorter length of our growing season compared to more southerly locations, to chisel in the spring, especially if you're planting corn, where there is a great desire to get the seed into the ground asap.

Chisel plowing is effective in combating soil compaction, especially when you're working with heavier dirt. 

As chisel plowing has increased in popularity in recent years, guys have sprung up to perform it for farmers on a contract basis; a guy with a huge hp tractor can chisel a field more economically than an operator with smaller equipment. I watched one of these specialists chisel the field behind my barn last fall with a monstrous brand new green tractor and it was a sight to see; the guy who farms the ground was there watching, and it was like a teenager gaping at his first girly mag back in the day.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Corey K said:


> Can anyone explain why they chisel plow in the fall? I know near some of the Refuges they leave stubble and I've heard they get paid to leave the stubble, is this true? Every winter more wind rows or fence rows are taken out, trees along river for bigger dikes, just seems like more dirt blowing around in the winter to me??? I'm not a farmer so I'm just curious on the reason, it doesn't seem to be common practice in Nebraska, Kansas, or Missouri when it comes to chisel plowing. Thanks for any answers or reasons!


Improves crop yield, reduces compaction and it puts you ahead of the game in the spring.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

They chisel plow in the fall because they can (they have the time and it's dry enough). No telling how wet it will be in the spring, when the frost goes out,etc.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> They chisel plow in the fall because they can (they have the time and it's dry enough). No telling how wet it will be in the spring, when the frost goes out,etc.


Which is the key reason why I prefer very wet falls, it tends to minimize the practice.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I've lost many traps to a bored farmer and a chisel plow.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

I'm guessing here but I would imagine that fall plowing helps or aids in speeding up the process of turning crop residue into organic matter as well.


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## Corey K (Dec 11, 2009)

farmlegend said:


> One reason for chisel plowing in the fall, as opposed to the spring, has to do with growing season length. It's often not practical, given the shorter length of our growing season compared to more southerly locations, to chisel in the spring, especially if you're planting corn, where there is a great desire to get the seed into the ground asap.


Ok, thanks makes sense. I notice they are able to double crop in some areas down there compared to here. They might have Wheat and still have enough time for Beans in one season.


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## MrFysch (Feb 9, 2008)

December 2nd this year....have taken several of my best bucks in December. All have been in or going to or from a hot food source.


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## MillDoo (May 28, 2004)

MrFysch said:


> View attachment 198774
> December 2nd this year....have taken several of my best bucks in December. All have been in or going to or from a hot food source.


Great deer. I think I would have sharted my pants if I seen him walk out


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## Midalake (Dec 7, 2009)

MrFysch said:


> View attachment 198774
> December 2nd this year....have taken several of my best bucks in December. All have been in or going to or from a hot food source.


A "hot food source"..........now I need a crock pot in the woods? Explain?


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## MrFysch (Feb 9, 2008)

Lol.. What I mean is late season agriculture areas. It could be a crop field that wasn't harvested or one that was but in the case of this guy some of the field was too wet to harvest. Or winter wheat fields that are more progressed than others. When I use to hunt southern Michigan a lot it was remarkable how the deer would concentrate to a certain harvested field over another. Anyways Late season we spend lots of time glassing...mornings and evenings to find these areas and figure out the travel patterns to and from. Sometimes the deer travel MILES to and from. Of course that's only in areas of big expanses of open country which you find in our plains states.


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## 1fife (May 7, 2001)

10 pt dec 11 four years ago


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## spznation (Oct 19, 2011)

Luv2hunteup said:


> Improves crop yield, reduces compaction and it puts you ahead of the game in the spring.


All of these plus the old "make hay while the sun shines". A field that is worked in the fall is not subject to a wet spring preventing it from being worked. Although we would mostly just disc every field and chisel the ones that needed more help. I have to admit next to running the combine working ground was always my favorite thing to do. Sure saw a lot of critters while doing 1000 acres.


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## Oger (Aug 28, 2008)

I think i planted my winter wheat to early......when is the best time to plant in jackson country for a good winter wheat deer draw and should there be a cutting in there....i planted too early and it was seemed too high????any thoughts


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## Oger (Aug 28, 2008)

For December hunting....


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## Nocked Up (Oct 12, 2014)

Taken tonight 12/17 at 4pm. One of 4 bucks that entered the field.


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## Midalake (Dec 7, 2009)

Nocked Up said:


> Taken tonight 12/17 at 4pm. One of 4 bucks that entered the field.


Looks like the Crock Pot play............congrats..........


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Nocked Up said:


> Taken tonight 12/17 at 4pm. One of 4 bucks that entered the field.


Congrats! Great looking buck


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

Nocked Up said:


> Taken tonight 12/17 at 4pm. One of 4 bucks that entered the field.


Nock Up congrats Bro great buck...Is that just last AUGUST cut hay field your in???..everything is chiseled plowed around me, trying to figure out what their hitting now.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

Last Friday - December 11, 4:31 PM (Central Time). A little over 100 yards - one of my longer muzzle loader shots. DRT. T/C Pro Hunter - 100 grains Blackhorn 209, Harvester Crush Rib Sabot, 250 Grain Hornady SST.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

Nocked Up said:


> Taken tonight 12/17 at 4pm. One of 4 bucks that entered the field.


Nice buck Nocked Up - Congratulations!


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## bottleneckbucks (Dec 17, 2015)

gunfun13 said:


> My tactic is a good food source, low pressure, and cold temps. This one was shot two years ago, December 18thish, 14 degrees during a heavy snow. Caught him on his way to a cut corn field that had ALOT of waste
> grain remaining. Found 6 sheds in that field the following spring. Have 2 acres of standing beans right now that I'm waiting to hit when the conditions are right. There is 4 different mature bucks using it right now, but well after shooting light. 3 standing corn fields in my section isn't helping.
> 
> 
> ...


I shot a buck that same day.


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## Nocked Up (Oct 12, 2014)

sniper said:


> Nock Up congrats Bro great buck...Is that just last AUGUST cut hay field your in???..everything is chiseled plowed around me, trying to figure out what their hitting now.


Yes, sir. Unfortunately, the farmer is experiencing health issues so he's not been able to keep up with the fields.

Thank you!


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## Nocked Up (Oct 12, 2014)

old graybeard said:


> Congrats! Great looking buck


Thank you!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

wildthing said:


> Last Friday - December 11, 4:31 PM (Central Time). A little over 100 yards - one of my longer muzzle loader shots. DRT. T/C Pro Hunter - 100 grains Blackhorn 209, Harvester Crush Rib Sabot, 250 Grain Hornady SST.


Congrats! Nice buck


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## vsmorgantown (Jan 16, 2012)

Corey K said:


> Can anyone explain why they chisel plow in the fall? I know near some of the Refuges they leave stubble and I've heard they get paid to leave the stubble, is this true? Every winter more wind rows or fence rows are taken out, trees along river for bigger dikes, just seems like more dirt blowing around in the winter to me??? I'm not a farmer so I'm just curious on the reason, it doesn't seem to be common practice in Nebraska, Kansas, or Missouri when it comes to chisel plowing. Thanks for any answers or reasons!


Thankfully my farmer has moved away completely from chisel plowing our fields. They have gotten heavily into cover crops which is akin to putting in huge food plots. After a bean harvest they plant forage radish, turnip and oats mixture. After a corn harvest (this year) they planted all fields in cereal rye. The yields are better and the soil is better as a result of cover cropping and they save a bunch in fuel and wear on their equipment as well. They practically never turn the soil anymore and plant strictly no till. In the spring they will spray and plant. Needless to say I am a big fan of this practice. BTW this is in South Central Indiana where are growing season is approximately a month longer than southern MI which makes a big difference when establishing their cover crops.


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## vsmorgantown (Jan 16, 2012)

Congrats guys those are some beautiful December bucks! I love December hunting as well but have never got a buck in December. Had a crack at one a couple years ago but I knew this deer (via trail cam pics) was a 3.5y/o and let him walk after watching him feed 15-50yds from me for 45 minutes....I went buck-less that year. Fortunately I am usually done buck hunting before December. I will be out this weekend on a December doe mission. With our OBR your sometimes damned if you do or you could be damned if you don't depending on how you look at it?


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## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

vsmorgantown said:


> Thankfully my farmer has moved away completely from chisel plowing our fields. They have gotten heavily into cover crops which is akin to putting in huge food plots. After a bean harvest they plant forage radish, turnip and oats mixture. After a corn harvest (this year) they planted all fields in cereal rye. The yields are better and the soil is better as a result of cover cropping and they save a bunch in fuel and wear on their equipment as well. They practically never turn the soil anymore and plant strictly no till. In the spring they will spray and plant. Needless to say I am a big fan of this practice. BTW this is in South Central Indiana where are growing season is approximately a month longer than southern MI which makes a big difference when establishing their cover crops.


I'm so jealous!


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## yooperkenny (Jul 13, 2004)

December 8 2013 Houghton County 
Snow + Cold + Migration + Food.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

I wondered where all that snow came from Kenny ... and then I noticed it was 2013! You almost fooled me into thinking I could trailer my sled up to the Keweenaw for a ride this weekend. 

Nice deer.


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## Slats (Sep 21, 2015)

Taken this year on the morning of 12/10. Came into feed on an area of winter wheat right at sunrise.


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

Very nice buck Slats - Congrats.


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## Walleyze247 (Mar 20, 2009)

I went to my neighbors and saw why I was still hunting in December. He tagged either a really nice 2.5, or 3.5 8 pt. It was followed up by a bruiser mainframe 13 the next morning. Now that is how I dreamed about tagging out.


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## bmoffit (Dec 3, 2007)

I know this thread is a year old but I was hoping some of you guys that posted last year would share what If anything you might change for this year based on your success or lack there of last year


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## Locked and Nocked (Oct 30, 2010)

It's real simple; find the food. For the last couple of years it has been brassicas for me. Last year I had 4 bucks (including a 3.5 yo) in a 1/4 acre brassica plot at the same time. If you find where they are eating and get some nice cold weather you have a chance.


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