Deer hunters, don’t give up until the last minute

A single minute can make all the difference

Hunters in the Carolinas get to chase whitetails longer than just about any other state. And during December, hunters may become restless the last few weeks, or the last few minutes of each hunt.

For almost every big buck that’s ever been killed, only a few minutes counted the most. And the four hours of sitting in cold weather seemed inconsequential next to those glory minutes when the big buck appeared. It is a numbers game or a waiting game. And hunters must keep their hopes up that a trophy buck will show up.

Fewer and fewer Carolina hunters take to the woods during the final month of deer season. Most hunt hard during the early season. Then they put away their gear after Thanksgiving. With fewer people in the woods in December, less human scent is in the air. Deer will become more at ease. That’s a great reason to stay in the stand a little longer than usual.

Hunt as long as the law allows

Pro hunter Chad Weatherford of Loris, S.C. is not one to give up until the law tells him to.

“The season is not over until the end of the very last day. And a lot can happen in the last few minutes of a hunt. So don’t ever give up,”  Weatherford said.

Trail cameras have revolutionized hunting, giving hunters not only an idea of what bucks look like, but also what time they’re showing up. But bucks rarely show up at the same time — or every day, either. That makes it a waiting game that hunters can win — but only if they’re staying in their stands as long as possible.

Dennis Moser, another pro hunter, never leaves his stand until the very last minute of a day’s legal shooting time is over.

“Hunt until last light. The better bucks will be the last one in the field,” he said.

Click here to read more articles about deer hunting across the Carolinas.