Late, Great and a Cut Above: Finding success hunting the late deer season

After the rut, deer hunters should focus on cutovers and clearcuts for more bucks.

When the rut comes to a screeching stop, a lot of deer hunters make a bad choice — they stop hunting.

In all fairness, if they stop because they’re turning their attention to other outdoor pursuits in South Carolina, there’s nothing wrong with that decision. But if it’s because they think post-rut deer hunting is a low-percentage option for success, they’ve made the wrong choice.

According to two of the best-known hunting guides in South Carolina, Joe Kelly and Sammy Schrimsher, late-season deer hunting, specifically in cutover areas, is among the best of the entire year.

“As far as I’m concerned, late-season deer hunting in cutovers is one of the most solid big-buck patterns we have in South Carolina,” Kelly said. “While there is no sure thing in deer hunting, I know that I see a tremendous number of trophy bucks during the late season, and cutover areas rate among my top choices as places to hunt.”

Click here to read more on Late, Great and a Cut Above