60 Nebraskaland • December 2019
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Late-season deer hunting offers plenty of potential, so
don't put away your gear just yet. It's time to rethink strategy
and start paying attention to the details, particularly when
hunting white-tailed deer. To improve your odds, here are a
few points to consider.
Fronts – Weather fronts affect deer movement in the late
season. Deer will feed heavily a day or two prior to the arrival
of a cold front, and then for a couple days after one.
Snow cover – Deer sign is much easier to see, follow and
interpret when made in the snow. The timing of the snow
also tells you how recently the deer came through an area.
Strategically placed game cameras can add further value to
pattern deer in the snow.
Late afternoons – Hunt late afternoons until the end of
legal shooting time (30 minutes after sunset). Whitetails
conserve energy by waiting until the warmer parts of the
day to feed.
Food – White-tailed deer need to eat lots of high-
carbohydrate, high-energy foods in the winter – everything
from corn to acorns – in order to maintain body heat. So find
the food source deer are consistently using and the active trails
leading to these major food sources. Spontaneous set-ups can
work well. Play the wind and position yourself accordingly in
a tree stand or ground blind for a good, safe shot.
High winds – High winds make deer wary and anxious.
Hunters need to find places where deer feel more secure, such
as a ditch, gully, ravine, sheltered creek bottom or the lowest
side of a hill.
Beds – Check south-facing slopes or any areas facing
south; these locations are exposed to the most sun and
offer protection from cold north winds. Thermal cover such
as dense woods, thickets and patches of cedars can be
appealing to white-tailed deer during cold weather, too. Does
prefer these types of bedding areas in the wintertime, and
where there are does, there are typically bucks.
LATE-SEASON DEER
By Greg Wagner
PHOTO
BY
JUSTIN
HAAG
