Last Chance Whitetail - Options??!!

[Kawibunga]

So due to unforeseen circumstances, I've only had one day afield this fall. That was down in 148 trying to fill my 17 year olds Muley tag....... it was a bust for us

But I now may be able to squeak out of town on Sunday for a day to try to fill a general whitetail. Over the years I've poked around mainly 314, 316, the Porkies, 166 & 208. Certainly have no honey holes though, more about just getting out. And always more about something in the freezer than horns.

My thoughts are (assuming I can get out) to head out 318 way. Never hunted it. Sit some cutblocks, hike some cutlines. And as it's late in the season, the hopes is it's not a zoo. So keeping my expectations low, at the very least it could be a good scouting trip. Option 2 is maybe some Ducks land out in 208.......

Any other interesting suggestions?

[Dewey Cox]

You only need one day, if it's the right day.
Good luck out there.

[buckman]

Better to go to somewhere you are at least a little familiar with.Sit and wait until dark.

[North40Rules]

Originally Posted by buckman

Better to go to somewhere you are at least a little familiar with.Sit and wait until dark.

^^^ Great idea!

If you can find a cutline (away from any driving routes, vehicle tracks etc) and with lots of deer tracks crossing between, I would sit there all day, and hopefully, a deer will cross during the day.

I went out yesterday to a Lease near Edmonton, saw three deer, unfortunately, all that was left of them were their hides after being quartered and processed, plus one small buck that was shot and left there to rot $@%&. Lots of hunters out in a last-ditch effort to get a deer as well.

Make sure that you are in an area where vehicles can't drive to so after you wait all day a truck doesn't drive through it during primetime which happened to me and that will blow any potential opportunity after your wait.

The deer are pretty skittish at this point, the further away you are from other hunters the better your odds will be.

Cheers N40

[Smoky buck]

My personal choice would be to get in the bush and hunt the transitions. Often you will find scrape lines where the timber transitions from poplar/birch to evergreens. It is a translation in age class of timber going to mature mixed timber even better

Sit your butt down on a scrape line and gently call with a doe bleat

Personally I am not a fan of cut lines and other large openings. On public land theses areas get pressured harder then the bush and will attract more hunters. The deer do start to realize where they should avoid after multiple run ins with hunters

That is my 2 cents but really just get out there and hunt

[Kawibunga]

Thanks for the advice, Did manage to get out Sunday with the middle lad, tried areas I knew, but it's tag soup this year! Looked like lots of guys had the same goal though, as I was at my 5th place in 220/208 before I found one unoccupied........ If someone is already on that 160 acres, I keep moving on. Don't want to upset their hunt, plus a bit of a safety thing for me if I'm with kids.

So time to plan for more time afield next year, and think about some yotes now for winter!