Late season can be a great time to hunt whitetail deer, especially during the Christmas holidays when schools are closed and you and your youngsters can spend time together at a deer camp or around an outdoor fire. Plenty of big bucks are still out there, and so are some tasty does that probably need thinning to keep the buck/doe ratio in balance. Brenda Valentine, known as the First Lady of Hunting, she shares her advice on the Bass Pro Shops website:
Most hunters hunt the first few days or weekends of the season and then bag their deer, simply give up, or run out of time. The places they hunted have been undisturbed for a while and the local deer know this. Look for areas that have received little disturbance since mid-season and secluded feeding areas. Areas that have had little to no hunting pressure are prime late season hunting hot spots. If you have set blinds, stands, or areas that you or others typically hunt in your area, get away from them! Deer pattern people as much or more than people pattern deer. Mature whitetail bucks know the weak spots in your “normal” game plan. They can walk across a property without being spotted, even if it means going across a wide open field where he knows you are not.
