Ontario muzzle loading deer hunt reports/tips?

Ol' Smokey

Ol' Smokey

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Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Missed it this year, but I'm planning for next year.

I noticed from my trail cams that the deer on my property are almost only moving at night this time of year.

My question for the guys who do muzzle loader hunting in December ...... what are your hunting tactics? What worked for you this year?

I'd like to use a traditional front stuffer next year.

BTW my trailcam picked up lots of does and a nice young buck .......
 
Took the week off work for holidays to muzzy hunt and ended up sick in bed,sucked !.At least I've still got a couple week with the xbow to try and get one.
 
I took off the last 3 days of muzzle loader season here in NS. My observations are the same as yours. After having lots of daylight pics/sighting of deer my activity has switched back to night. This is no surprise for the bucks but the does have switched too. I thought last night that the deer would feed at the bait with this storm front moving in. Who knows.
 
Hunted Grey County. Averaged 50% as three came out on a watch and got two, missed one the next day! Group got 10 all said and done by Saturday!
 
Sometimes moving your trail cameras will let you see where the animals are entering or leaving their bedding area and are out in shooting light.

If you have to hunt deer that are bedded during shooting light you may have to use a "driver" to gently move the deer out of their beds to you the shooter. Calling the deer out may work too and is a really exciting way to hunt any animal.

Good luck to you!
 
By the time December rolls around the deer in my area have already been hunted for two months, including the November controlled shotgun/muzzleloader hunt. If they aren't nocturnal by this time, the 2nd controlled hunt during the first week of December convinces them to go almost completely nocturnal in pressured area's. Deer in my area are also starting to herd up by this time.

Your best bet is tracking them down in some fresh snow, ideally when the temps are colder than they have been in recent days and somewhat strong winds will put the odds in your favor. But, because they tend to be herding up at this time that means you'll have more eyes, noses, and ears to bust you. Proper scent management, utilizing the cover around you, and moving very sloooooow are key to success.
 
We seem to see more deer around here during muzzle loading season than anytime else. First light until about 08:30 seems to be the best times. The day I bagged my doe we actually saw 6 within and hour. We stand just within the tree lines along narrow sections of open fields where they cross. It seems to work for us.
 
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