Well, the deer hunting seasons are winding down; then we have the Flintlock Season. During the Flintlock Season, both antlered and antlerless deer can be hunted, and the season runs from Dec. 26-Jan. 19.

Obviously, some hunters will not have to pursue that buck any further since they have already been successful.

I’m sure, like a lot of other people, I’ve already seen quite a few photos of successful buck hunts, some with pretty good racks. I’m one of those still involved in the chase.

As most hunters already know, deer behavior, especially buck behavior, begins to change as we move into mid and late December and on into January. That rutting period when bucks were in hot pursuit of does in heat is pretty much over; sure, there may still be some bucks attempting to breed, but not with the intensity of the peak rut period. Biologists have found that a buck’s testosterone levels drop considerably during December, and they are calmer and more collective when the post-rut moon arrives.

Certainly, during that peak rutting period, most hunters paid more attention to those rub lines near deer trails and special attention to those scrapes, but as we move into these later days of deer hunting, it might be a good idea to refocus our attention.

Reproduction is no longer a buck’s main objective in late December and January, but rather a buck, and other deer, for that matter, now begin to focus on survival.
When December arrives in our part of the country, deer begin to gravitate toward known food sources, such as cornfields in farm country. Studies have shown that, contrary to what some hunters believe, bucks do not move out of the country after the rut ends and hunting pressure increases. Instead, they hunker down and find the thickest cover available, and they focus on food sources as the winter season approaches.

During this late season, I begin to gravitate toward areas with thick bedding, but with food sources close by. Bucks are very wary of this time, and they don’t want to travel too far in search of food. Thick-cover bedding areas located within 200-300 yards of a food source may be good places to hunt. While I like to hunt near a good bedding area, I try to avoid getting too close to the thick cover, and I don’t want to leave any human scent. It’s also probably not a good idea to try to set up any kind of stand, since the skittish deer may abandon the area.

Now is when I will likely “still hunt”; that is, move very slowly and quietly, stopping frequently and watching carefully.

The late season can be difficult; it’s cold, if there’s snow on the ground, you really stand out, and, of course, the deer have already been chased and shot at. But like a lot of other hunters who haven’t scored yet, I still hold out hope.