Has your deer season been a little slow? Do you need to finish filling up your freezer with some delicious deer meat? If you are in this situation after gun season closes, you still have time to harvest some delicious deer meat if you bow hunt.
Bow hunting after the close of gun season can be one of the absolute best times to kill deer in Louisiana. Unfortunately, many bow hunters overlook this great opportunity. Not only is the late season a great time to bow hunt, it can be an even better time to test your skills as a bow hunter. If you are looking to finish filling your freezer while enjoying the challenge of bow hunting, you should try to harvest a deer with your bow during Louisiana’s last couple weeks of archery season.
Why you should archery hunt after gun season closes
There are a number of reasons why bow hunting the last couple weeks of Louisiana’s archery season are so fun. If you love to bow hunt during the fall, chances are you will find hunting the late season just as fun.
Weather
You guys, that archery hunt in Louisiana during the fall, know all to well how miserable the weather can be. The mesquites and humidity can discourage even the hardcore archery hunters. However time and time again, we are so excited about the opening of archery season. I go hunting regardless of the conditions and insects every opening weekend. I know I’m most likely going to sweat and inhale Thermocell smoke but I feel like I have to be in a stand with my bow on opening weekend. The weather conditions and insects can be all but unbearable in Louisiana during the month of October. However, January weather can be excellent for hunting and encourage deer movement.
January weather in Louisiana often is not like weather in other states. It is not uncommon to experience 60 to 50 degree days during the month of January in Louisiana. Of course, there are plenty days in January where the weather can be brutally cold and nasty in Louisiana. Regardless of the unpredictable temperatures during January, majority of the days in January are more enjoyable to deer hunt when compared to the hot and humid days during the Louisiana archery season in October. There are fewer insects to deal with during the late season and deer movement can be great during daylight.
Increased Deer Movement With Less Hunting Pressure
One of the reasons bow hunting in Louisiana’s late archery season can be so good is most hunters are done hunting. There are less hunters in the woods during this time of year and deer begin to return to predictable feeding patterns. Of course, keep in mind there are some hardcore hunters that will rifle hunt until the very last day of rifle season. However, there are very few bow hunters that even consider hunting past November. In fact, out all the people I know that deer hunt, only one of my friends bow hunt after rifle season. I bet very few of your hunting buddies archery hunt after rifle season closes.
Deer movement becomes more predictable during the month of January. The rut is over and winter is in full swing. During this time of year in Louisiana, deer are focused on food. The colder weather along with fewer sources of food, can work in a hunters favor when using corn or other types of food attractant.
Tips for bow hunting during the Louisiana’s late archery season
By the time January rolls around in Louisiana, deer have been pressured for three months. Hunters have been after deer since opening day. By now deer most likely have encountered hunters on multiple occasions. Deer are wise and on high alert in and around hunting setups. With deer on high alert, bow hunters are in for a challenging hunt. However, it is a ton of fun to take on this challenge if you can attract deer into range and be extremely stealthy while hunting.
Hunt the Food
Attracting a deer into bow range is critical for late season hunts. Much like early season, food is a great way to attract deer. Corn feeders, rice bran and food plots work great! Hunting over corn is the most common way to get deer into bow range. I love to use corn and rice bran. If you need a few tips for selecting corn feeders click here to go to our post dedicated to corn feeders. Focus on hunting around food during Louisiana’s late archery season. Use trail cams to pattern the deer movement so you can plan an afternoon to hunt when the deer routinely visit your hunting setup.
Concealment and Limited Movements
Hunting in January equals little cover for a bow hunter. It is critical to limit your movement while bow hunting with little cover. This can be challenging to prefect. Trust me, every skill you have learned as a bow hunter will be tested hunting during the late season. Popup Blinds can really help you hide. However, it is critical to properly brush a popup blind during January because deer are spooky around average deer blinds. A tip for you guys that hunt tree stands with little cover is try to hunt on sunny clear days. Tree shadows can really help a hunter remain concealed while deer are looking for danger. For cold rainy January days in Louisiana, I love to hunt Popup Blinds. We have a post dedicated to hunting on the ground using ground blinds here.
Summary
Archery hunting Louisiana’s late season can be a great way to cap off deer season. You can enjoy hunting in cool weather while refining you bow hunting skills. I encourage all of my Louisiana bow hunting brethren to give this a try. Make sure to know the law in the area you plan to hunt. You should always know the state regulations for hunting Louisiana. Louisiana has different dates for season closures in different areas. Make sure you know all the hunting season dates for the specific area you will be hunting. Federal and state owned land have specific regulations that can differ from private land in Louisiana.
I hope this post helps and encourages you guys to get out there and try late season bow hunting. If you like this post and want the most up to date tips and tricks, subscribe to Americanhuntingsafari.com. You can also check out our home page and select which type of wild game you wish to learn about for hunting, fishing, and cooking.
Thanks for ready and good luck!!