The late season can be challenging to kill a nice mountain buck. When most rifle seasons end, late December and into January bring different challenges, but some more predictability is similar to the early season, with a big focus on food sources. Although I used to write off the late season, I’ve found success getting on bucks in December and January in recent years. Hunting pressure tapers off significantly after gun seasons, and deer must recover their bodies before the winter. Taking advantage of nasty weather conditions can put you in an excellent spot for a nice late-season big woods buck.
Food is King in the Cold
The late season has a lot of similarities to the early season, in which food is king, but with frigid temperatures comes an even more significant need for food. Whitetail deer are burning more calories trying to stay warm and need to eat to replenish their fats and carbohydrates.
The top food sources I found in late December and January are acorns, grasses, briars, and woody browse commonly found in new logging cuts. If there are still acorns on the ground, they are a primary food source. In addition to acorns, a brand-new logging cut might be my favorite late-season food source to hunt in the big woods. Loggers have told me they start seeing deer movement this time of year before they shut their skidders off for the day. The fresh tops of the trees cut down are fantastic food sources, especially in deep snow when digging up acorns, fern bulbs, or other food sources on the ground is challenging.
Getting in the middle of these cuts can be challenging with limited leaf cover, but the edges can be fruitful. Logging cuts in the 1-3-year-old range are also good options. Blackberry briars and new growth are sprouting from the ample sunlight hitting the forest floor mixed in with grasses on old log landings and skidder roads. Hunting the edges and interior skidder roads where deer movement is evident in the snow or dirt has proven productive.
If you don’t have logging cuts in your area, the area needs to have acorns and browse near each other for me to get excited. In Ohio’s January muzzleloader season, I should’ve shot a nice, mature 8-point (I am newby to muzzleloader hunting and didn’t take the proper precautions to keep my powder dry in the rain). I took advantage of a midday wind shift after a storm with a buck moving to another bedding location with green briar and red oak acorns in the area where the deer were feeding. I stayed back until the wind shifted, moved slowly to a finger ridge with green briar, set up near the point, and worked his way into 30 yards. That one hurt, but still - the plan worked.
Each area of the country will have different food sources they key in on due to the geographical locations, but the rules of thumb apply. If you aren’t sure what they are feeding on in your area, go out and see. Look for excess digging on the ground, new growth or briars that are chewed off, tracks in the snow, and other sign that deer are spending a lot of time there. Take note of what you find, and try to replicate it in other areas near you.
You can also use CyberScout, a feature within the Spartan Forge app, to ask it what deer are feeding on in your area during the winter time. It’s been very accurate!
Thermal Cover = Bedding
Frigid temperatures and snowfall are likely in the late season (or at least you hope it is.) Deer aren’t much different from humans because they don’t want to expose themselves to the elements more than they must. Thermal cover consists of conifer trees such as pine, cedar, spruce, and hemlock that will act as a weather break for the deer, blocking the wind and most snow. Deer will look for these areas to bed, especially on south-facing slopes that get more sunlight. Hunting the edges of the thermal cover over a primary scrape or in a spot with a lot of briars and other browse on the way to a feeding area in the evening can be an excellent place to hang. Scrapes are traditionally considered something to focus on during October and November. Still, primary scrapes can be a focal point at any point of the year, where they will rub their forehead glands on the licking branch after leaving their buck bedding areas.
Hidden Gem Spots When Things Get Cold
As the ground freezes over and the snow piles up, it becomes harder for the deer to browse on the food sources lying close to the ground. In addition, water becomes more scarce to find, likely frozen over. Spring seeps coming out of the side of hills and in the middle of a draw are the last to freeze and the first to thaw. The grasses and plants in and around the spring seeps stay greener longer and provide some food and water in one location. If you find a red oak tree or other oak tree with a good acorn crop around the spring seep, it will be a deer magnet when everything else is frozen over. When looking for a place to hang in a tree near these areas, consider cover, terrain, and wind/thermals. I always ask myself, “Would a mature buck walk through here in daylight?” On a side note, these spring seeps can also be great places to find shed antlers after harsh winters.
You can potentially hunt right on the food sources when it’s extremely cold and they’re getting up earlier, but when it’s warmer, it can be tricky. On warmer days, try to get as close to bedding as possible or wait until you get that cold weather front you are looking for.
The trick to the late season is getting the right weather and finding where the deer are feeding that day. Spend more time burning boot leather, finding the hottest sign, and give it a go when the stars align.
Listen to the full podcast here.
For additional resources on hunting late-season whitetails in the big woods, check out these East Meets West Hunt podcast episodes.
Ep. 342: Hunting Late Season Mountain Bucks WITHOUT Logging Cuts with Jason Redd
Ep. 337: How I Keep My Feet Warm in Cold Weather, and Late Season Layering - Mountain Buck Q&A
Ep. 163: Hunting Late Season Mountain Bucks with Gordon Dalton
Ep. 349: Ohio Muzzleloader Deer Camp 2024 with Jake Belinda and Josh Teulker
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