Late season deer strategies

Tips for killing last-minute deer

Deer hunting patterns in the Carolinas can vary significantly and are literally all over the map by December. This is late-season deer hunting. Deer have been hunted extensively and they feel the pressure. Several options can help hunters be successful, but no single tactic works for all situations because of the complexities of late-season hunting.

Seasonal Phase 

Based on hunting land location in North or South Carolina, some hunters are now dealing with post-rut patterns. This is a challenging time, following the active movement pattern of rutting bucks. But some hunters, such as those hunting mountainous regions, may still be hunting deer in the rut phase.

Steve Cobb, a long-time Prostaffer with Hunter Specialties, from Union, SC, hunts both states. He said December is a challenging time to find big bucks. Years of experience have taught him that December hunting requires a tactical change from rut hunting strategies to be consistently successful. 

“Except in the areas where the rut pattern is still underway, deer movements and feeding patterns change. And to see big bucks, or really deer in appreciable numbers, hunters must change strategies,” he said. 

Cobb said habitat preferences have changed. Also, most deciduous trees have lost their foliage by December and bucks usually prefer heavy cover when the rut ends. Natural food sources are scarce and agriculture crops that deer utilized previously have generally been harvested. If they’ve been replanted with winter crops such as wheat or other greenery, certainly take advantage of that. 

“For many hunters, late-season signals the rut has ended. And with this comes an exodus of hunters from the deer woods,” Cobb said. “Using this lessening pressure on deer to your advantage is essential.

“This includes hunting different areas than during the rut, but this factor is based on the unique characteristics of every tract of land,” he said. “Successful hunting begins by doing the legwork to find areas where deer are now located. Even if the general location is near where bucks were during the rut, it’s a strong possibility movement and feeding patterns have changed significantly.

“And if gun hunting, consider hunting from longer distances to reduce human intrusion factors,” he said. 

He said hunters active all season know when patterns change and can adjust quickly to where deer are located, from scouting observation and use of trail cameras. 

Success is now about making the right decisions to hunt at the best time and in the right location. 

Wait-Up on Mornings 

Veteran deer-hunter Chip Hamilton, a taxidermist, former deer processor and a long-time striper fishing guide on Lake Hartwell, said patience is a key to success during late-season. Managing the time you go to the stand can work in your favor.

“During the rut, getting in the stand long before daylight is an exciting and effective way to hunt,” Hamilton said. “I’ve taken many big bucks in that situation. But in post-rut, getting to the stand early is likely the exact time deer are already there and feeding. Big bucks often feed nocturnally. 

“Unless you have a back-door entrance to the stand, where you’re completely shielded from pre-dawn feeding deer, spooking deer is a high possibility and you’ll never know they were even around.” Hamilton said. “Even if I get in the stand without spooking them, it’s common for me to make out shapes of feeding deer in the scope before I can see well enough to make a shot. Then as the sky begins to lighten, they’re gone. But not necessarily for all day.”

Hamilton said he can hope to get lucky with a late-leaving deer, but that’s a low-percentage opportunity. He can then sit and wait for hours hoping for the deer to return.

“The way to defeat this problem is to wait a couple of hours, or more, before I slip into the stand,” he said. “I’ve learned through experience if I sit and scan until at least 1 o’clock, I’ll see deer return to feed since they weren’t spooked that morning.”

His deer hunting mentor taught him this tactic in 2004, and Hamilton has employed it to take multiple big bucks since. 

“Some of my biggest bucks have been taken mid-day during late-season using this tactic,” he said. 

Quality Optics 

Deer become more nocturnal by December, but they don’t completely shut-down daytime movement, Hamilton said. Late-evening is a prime time for deer movement. And the later it gets, the more likely bucks will move to a food source. 

“I go to great lengths to not disturb deer getting to the stand. So my access is by a route where I get in without crossing any area where I feel deer are located,” he said. “I leave by a route with the same criteria. I’ll get to the stand reasonably early, but I don’t expect to see deer until the sun gets behind the trees.”

Does typically are first to arrive. And it’s often right at the point of getting too late to see and identify the target when a buck is most likely to step out.

“I suggest using the best quality scope you can afford, because those few extra minutes of sight significantly enhances your odds,” he said. “A quality-brand scope with a large objective helps substantially in low-light scenarios.”

Hamilton said quality binoculars are part of his essential gear.

“I’ll scan with binoculars and I can estimate the size of a rack on a low-light buck better with binoculars than with my monocular scope,” he said. “Plus, while waiting, they’re easier to use when scanning the edges, and back in the dark holes of thick cover, than moving the gun and scope.” 

Travel corridors 

Finding significant sign of doe activity is a key for Terry Robinson, a veteran hunter from Mills River, NC. He said when planning late-season hunts he relies on scouting to find areas with high deer use. 

“These areas include gaps in the mountains between different areas, as well as flats on ridges, and saddles,” he said. “These unique topographical areas tend to be prime for deer movement during the rut, or late-season patterns. In the mountains the rut is often late-season.”

He said bucks move through these areas looking for a doe and searching for food sources.

“If a buck isn’t with a doe during the rut, he’s going to be looking for one,” he said. “But if he’s simply looking for food, he’s likely to use that same trail.”

He’s hunted these travel corridors in the mountains with consistent success, but it often requires long hours in the stand.

“Patience is a deer-killing virtue, but it’s of prime importance in the mountains,” he said. “When that trophy buck walks into view after hours of waiting, it’s all worthwhile. And that’s part of the allure of hunting the mountains. Effort and patience can be well-rewarded.” 

Find Less-Pressured Deer 

Robinson said he spends a great deal of time searching for areas where deer are less pressured, whether it’s private or public lands.

“The key is the same. Less pressured deer react more like we think deer should behave,” he said. “These are the deer that even in late-season may come out to a food source well before dark, instead of just at the last minute of shooting light.”

This is when the advantage of effort to locate areas away from easy-access places where others hunt, pays off.

“No magic formula exists for easy deer hunting success,” he said. “It comes down to time spent in the woods finding pockets where deer are less pressured.” 

All day Mountain hunts 

Late season hunting in the North Carolina mountains means the rut is often peaking. So hunters have the advantage of hunting deer with rutting behavior. 

Robinson said that all day hunting can be productive during December.

“With the rut in progress where I hunt, I rely on scrapes and rubs to indicate where bucks are using,” he said.

In addition, in this mountain hunting scenario, food may not be a high priority for bucks. But it will be a factor for does. He’ll scout and locate areas where a concentration of does is found near localized food sources.

“It often requires working the shoe leather to find these out-of-the-way areas, but it’s worth it,” he said. “When I locate a concentrated areas of does, I’ll usually find buck sign in the same area.” 

Patience

Patience is a key to deer hunting according to Terry Robinson, but during the rut, it’s even more crucial. He experiences times of little deer movement, but when he sees a doe, he locks into kill mode.

“With the lower density of deer in the mountains as a rule, a doe that’s acting ‘pushed’ means a buck is likely on her trail,” he said. “A buck may close, or may be 15 minutes behind. I’ve seen cases where the buck walked into my field of view an hour later.”

Being ready for the buck to present a shot is imperative, he said. The buck may not stop, he may continue walking steadily. So spotting him at the first possible moment is crucial to executing the right shot. 

“I don’t always take the first buck I see, either,” he said. “I’ve seen as many as six bucks following a single doe in the mountains. I’m selective about my targets when waiting on a big buck.

“Hunting public lands in the mountains is a different game. But finding less-pressured deer produces trophy bucks,” Robinson said.