Q.Late Season & Post-Rut
Where do deer go in late season?
A.
Late-season deer concentrate around the highest-quality remaining food and the best thermal cover. Bucks return to home ranges (after rut excursions) and tighten patterns to bedding-food-bedding routines. South-facing slopes with brushy regrowth, standing crops, brassica plots, and conifer cover hold the most deer.
December and January travel patterns are some of the most patternable of the season. Cameras on access trails leading to remaining food sources tell you exactly when to sit.
See state late-season rut dates and current mast reports for the food source picture.