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Late-season whitetail hunting isnxe2x80x99t all about archery. If youxe2x80x99re looking for more deer hunting action, and some venison for the freezer, consider one of these eight prime cold-weather hunts where you can use your muzzleloader, slug gun or rifle.
By Tom Carpenter
It all started in September, when the woods were really more summer than autumn, and mosquitoes still reigned the woodlands. You took to the field with bow in hand, hoping to intercept that well-patterned buck that was on your trail camera and in your dreams.
The pursuit continued into the glory of October, when the landscape turned golden and the whitetails shifted their patterns. But you worked hard to figure them out. Then frosty mornings teamed up with shortening days to really start the bucks a-moving. Life was good.
November came along. Finally. With it, the rut swung into full gear. Itxe2x80x99s the time whitetail hunters live and breathe for: A buck could show up at absolutely any time of day on his cruise for does.
Then, somewhere along the line, it was gun season. Tradition played a huge role here, and maybe there was a trip to a long-ago established deer camp, or back home to the grounding of family and friends; either way, a visit to important deer hunting roots.
Yes, a deer hunting life is a good one. But it doesnxe2x80x99t have to be over once December settles in and a new calendar approaches to replace the old one. Some of the best hunting of the whitetail year happens when the days are their shortest and the air its coldest. And you donxe2x80x99t have to be a bowhunter to take advantage of all the opportunity out there. Here are eight late, great hunts that go xe2x80x9cboom,xe2x80x9d meaning you can take to the field with your muzzleloader, slug gun or centerfire rifle in hand.
Many of these hunts offer over-the-counter licenses; you can go yet this season or next year if the dates have passed, or you canxe2x80x99t fit the adventure in now. Other hunts require more planning, which starts with a license lottery application. Either way, these hunts are just what the deer-hunting doctor ordered: eight ways to get a gun in your hands and go deer hunting some more!
Note that several antlerless-only hunts are included in this roundup. Thatxe2x80x99s because late season is the perfect time to help game departments manage their herds xe2x80x94 and to sock away some venison to tide you through until next hunting season. Also note that the prices quoted are for nonresidents.
Nebraska Muzzleloader
Season Dates: Dec. 1xe2x80x9331, 2019.
License Details: Nebraska offers over-the-counter tags until hunt area license quotas are full. A muzzleloader license costs approximately. See www.OutdoorNebraska.gov/deer/ for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: The licenses may be expensive, yes, but the season is long (which means much flexibility for you), the hunting is excellent and the bucks grow big. This December muzzleloader hunt offers a great opportunity at one of those hefty Cornhusker bucks xe2x80x94 or to fill an antlerless tag for the freezer.
For more information: www.OutdoorNebraska.gov/deer/
South Dakota Muzzleloader
Dates: Dec. 1, 2019xe2x80x93Jan. 1, 2019 (dates vary somewhat by unit).
License Details: See https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/2019DeerApp.pdf for details and costs.
Hunt Notes: This is an antlerless hunt only. (Buck or xe2x80x9cany whitetailxe2x80x9d muzzleloader permits are available only to residents.) But if youxe2x80x99re only a state or two away, a dayxe2x80x99s drive to South Dakota can offer up a lot of the following: plenty of whitetails to hunt; good public access to walk-in areas; wildlife lands and waterfowl production areas (winter whitetails love cattails); and landowners who might be agreeable to letting you hunt and thin out their haystack-raiding herd without shooting their big bucks. Check the muzzleloader map online, because much of the state is open for this hunt xe2x80x94 but not all of it.
For more information: www.Gfp.sd.gov/hunting/big-game/deer/muzzleloader.aspx
Iowa Slug Gun
Season Dates: Jan 11xe2x80x9326, 2020 (Antlerless).
License Details: Iowa is a draw state for white-tailed bucks. Application dates are from early May to early June. Itxe2x80x99s approximately $420 for a general deer/buck license and $220 for antlerless only. See https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: It might take a few years to get a tag here, depending on the hunt unit you are interested in. But Iowa is worth it, offering a productive late hunt with true big buck opportunities. Therexe2x80x99s no better place to put your slug gun to the test. The Hawkeye Statexe2x80x99s big bucks are legendary, but antlerless opportunity is readily available, too. And you have never seen does the size of what youxe2x80x99ll find here! Donxe2x80x99t pooh-pooh the second slug gun season either: The tag is generally easier to draw, and the deer are still around because the hunting pressure is well spread out. Note that the Holiday Antlerless hunt is not a draw, but licenses are available only until quotas are sold out.
For more information: www.Iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting
Mississippi Primitive Weapons
Season Dates: Jan. 23xe2x80x9331, 2020.
License Details: The cost for a nonresident license is approximately $300. See www.Mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/deer-program.aspx for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: With 1.75 million whitetails, Mississippi has no shortage of deer. And there are plenty still around to be hunted during these late primitive weapons seasons. Mississippi enforces antler restrictions by zone (bucks in the Hill and Southeast zone must have a spread of 10 inches or a beam length of 13 inches, and Delta bucks must have a spread of 12 inches or a main beam of 15 inches). Whatxe2x80x99s really cool is a bag limit of one buck per day (three per season) and antlerless bag limit of one per day (three to five per season, depending on the unit).
For more information: www.Mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/deer-program.aspx
Nebraska Antlerless Only Season Choice
Season Dates: Sep. 1 2019xe2x80x93Jan. 15, 2020.
License Details: A nonresident license for this hunt costs approximately $70, and tags are available until a hunt areaxe2x80x99s allotment is filled. See www.Outdoornebraska.gov/deer/ for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: This hunt (our second Nebraska entry) makes the cut because rare is the January session where you can still use a centerfire rifle this far north in whitetail country. If youxe2x80x99re interested in some antlerless action, this is an excellent hunt. The only drawback is you might have to buy early, because quotas of antlerless tags often sell out as Nebraskaxe2x80x99s November regular rifle seasons approach. With the Cornhusker herd on the rebound, this is a great place to go to put up some venison after the New Year!
For more information: www.Outdoornebraska.gov/deer/
Ohio Muzzleloader
Season Dates: Jan. 4xe2x80x937, 2020.
License Details: Approximately $160 over-the-counter gets you two tags xe2x80x94 one for a buck and one for an antlerless deer. See http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/ for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: Right up there with Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois, Ohio is one of the countryxe2x80x99s big buck factories, and the Buckeye Statexe2x80x99s new-year muzzleloader season offers a prime opportunity to bring home an Ohio bruiser. And with the antlerless option in your back pocket, you can bring home some extra venison as well. For numbers of deer, look to Coshocton, Licking, Muskingum, Tuscarawas, Knox, Guernsey, Ashtabula, Adams, Holmes and Athens counties. Not surprisingly, this list also represents some of the best big-buck counties in Ohio, but anywhere in the south and southeast is good. There are decent public land hunting opportunities in Ohio if you are willing to work a little and get off the beaten path. Door knocking can work for this late hunt, and Ohio has also built a strong network of outfitters who can get you onto excellent properties.
For more information: www.Wildlife.ohiodnr.gov
North Carolina Gun
Season Dates: Nov. 23, 2019 through Jan. 2, 2020 (Season dates vary by area).
License Details: You can hunt deer in North Carolina for approximately $150. See www.Ncwildlife.org for exact details and costs.
Hunt Notes: The openers are early, but here is a strong whitetail state with full-on rifle hunting all the way through December in most of the state. One of North Carolinaxe2x80x99s hunt units xe2x80x94 the Western sector xe2x80x94 closes in early December. But the rest of the state xe2x80x94 the Eastern, Central and Northwestern units xe2x80x94 offer this liberal and long firearms hunt. Many counties are open to antlerless deer hunting at this time xe2x80x94 but buck season is wide open, too, and the bag limit (up to six deer depending on hunt zone) can be all bucks. Herexe2x80x99s what else is good about North Carolina: December can bring on some decent second-rut action. Note that if youxe2x80x99ve never had a North Carolina hunting license before, you must take the statexe2x80x99s online hunter safety course before you can purchase one.
For more information: www.Ncwildlife.org
Conclusion
Your deer season doesnxe2x80x99t have to be over once winter hits. Put this late-season hunt guide xe2x80x94 and your muzzleloader, slug gun or rifle xe2x80x94 to good use. Therexe2x80x99s nothing like a winter whitetail on the ground to warm your deer-hunting heart.
xe2x80x94 Tom Carpenter is an avid bowhunter and gun-hunter from Minnesota.
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