Late can be great! Many states offer special seasons with muzzleloaders, archery gear, flintlocks, and regular firearms.  Although opportunity to hunt in December and January aboud, cold and difficult conditions keep many would-be hunters by the fireplace or watching football.

This post from the Outdoor Hub lists three tips for late season success, yet, I’ll double that with a few of my own (Such a deal).

  1. Have Fun- Late season usually includes the December holidays which means that youngsters and college students are at home and looking for something to do.  What better fun than heading to deer camp or spending an afternoon hunting whitetail deer? In keeping with the “fun” aspect, don’t make this a four-hour sit in freezing conditions in the hopes that something might show up.  Concentrate on the last two hours of daylight with plenty of hot chocolate before and after.
  2. Think Small- Deer often concentrate in late season and this is the best time of year to hunt a small woodlot, even an acre of thick brush that normally doesn’t get hunted.  Look for tracks and listen to the mail delivery person, town barber, or other source fo a big buck that survived the season.  Chances are, it’s hole up in some small, thick patch away from human activity.
  3. Break in a New Present- This is the perfect time of year to gift a muzzleloader, crossbow, or other shooting/hunting device.  Muzzleloading is fun to do and easy to learn.  Best of all, you can tailor the load to the size of the shooter, using smaller amounts of powder for youngsters than you would for big kids.  A crossbow makes a great gift and with a few days of intensive practice, any capable firearms hunter can go after a whitetail.  It’s best to practice on a 3-D target to perfect shot placement, yet crossbows are easy-to-shoot, close range bows.

Those are my three:  Here are three more to nearly guarantee success:

Deer season is still going strong throughout much of North America, and if you still have an open tag, it’s time to get off the couch and into a treestand or ground blind. Under certain conditions, the late season can be your best chance at a mature buck — provided you keep in mind the three tips below.

https://www.outdoorhub.com/how-to/2017/12/07/3-tips-tagging-late-season-whitetail/