I had a chance to get out for my first late season archery hunt at Horseshoe Hills before heading to the Archery Trade Association (ATA) Show later in the week. It was the first comfortable day following a nasty blast of Arctic air that was gripping the area. I decided to take my compound because trying to get another deer for the freezer is the top priority and I wanted to extend my shooting range a bit. The wind was forecast for south-west, which is typical when you have a warmer air mass moving in. The problem is, that’s not a good wind for the stand I wanted to hunt on the edge of the Homestead Plot.
I had a plan to hunt the Hemlock Draw area due to the wind but figured I’d walk by the Homestead stand just in case the wind could work there. There’s what the weather apps tell you and then there’s the reality of what the wind direction truly is so it’s always worth checking for yourself when you can. When I got to the stand I was hoping to hunt, I was pleased to learn that the wind was actually pushing out of the bottom from more of an easterly direction. That set up pretty good for this spot so I decided to stay. My guess is the warm air agains the cold and melting snow created some interesting thermals coming out of the bottom that were pushing air uphill.
The reason I wanted to hunt this stand is because according to my trail cameras, the area had the most consistent deer activity. My visual inspection confirmed that as there were tracks everywhere coming to and going from the lower end of the Homestead Plot. Typically this is one of my favorite early season stands but apparently deer were finding a little bit of winter wheat under the snow and it was enough to keep them coming back. I also put in a lot of habitat work in this area so the deer have the benefit of food and cover during the winter months when both are harder to come by. I climbed into my old Rivers Edge hang-on and was eagerly anticipating the hunt.
The action was slower than I expected aside from two doe fawns that showed up early and fed around me. Of course, both walked by within easy shooting range but neither was what I was looking for. There are several mature does hanging out on the property and I’d love to arrow one of them before the season ends. My hope was that the older deer would start moving and give me an opportunity.
It wasn’t until the last 30 minutes of the hunt that I finally saw a couple mature does get up from their beds in the cover I created a few years ago. How cool is it that deer were bedded about 100 yards from my stand but I was still able to climb the tree without them noticing? Unfortunately they were in no hurry to move and they just stood there feeding on browse for several minutes. Maybe the habitat is too good! Eventually I started noticing deer moving in other areas and before I knew it, the action went from lukewarm to scalding hot.
I suddenly had deer coming in from three different directions, but shooting light was rapidly running out and these deer were on edge. One doe was leading a small group directly to me but must have seen me move causing her to freeze in her tracks. Her nervousness caught the attention of the other deer and now they were all wound like a top. While I was watching those deer hoping they’d calm down, a nice doe entered the plot behind me but I was powerless to do anything because any slight movement was going to send the other deer running. It was truly a case of too many deer too late.
This is one of the challenges of winter hunting. I’ve had it happen many times over the years when a pile of deer start coming at you all at once and it’s difficult to get a shot because there are so many noses and eyeballs involved. Earlier in the year deer are in smaller groups and they tend to move at varying times. In the winter, they’re herded up a bit more and it’s almost as if they all agree on a time to start moving to find dinner. I don’t know how many deer I ended up seeing but I know it was at least 10. Predictably, I never did get a shot despite having a couple mature does within easy shooting distance.
I’ll have a few more days to hunt after returning from the ATA Show before the season ends on January 19. Given the number of deer hanging out on Horseshoe Hills, I stand a pretty good chance of getting an opportunity if I get decent weather. I haven’t tagged a deer since mid-October and I’m starting to feel like I’m in a slump. It sure would be nice to finish the season strong by putting another deer in the freezer, and giving me confidence heading into the fall of 2026.