The Good, Bad & Ugly of Bowhunting Deer in December

By Ralph Scherder / Bowhunting.com

Goodbye warm October days hunting in lightweight clothing while listening to acorns drop. So long sweet November and frosty mornings when a buck could show up at any minute in his search for a receptive doe. Hello December. Cold. Bleak. December.

Okay, so maybe December isn’t really that bad. Sure, the warm days and lots of deer movement may be behind us, but that doesn’t mean you can’t kill a deer this time of year. In fact, bowhunting now can be incredibly productive. However, to succeed in December, you must do things a little differently than any other time, and how willing you are to adapt will determine if your experience turns out good, bad, or ugly.

Two things make bucks hard to kill in December. First, deer have been pressured since hunting season opened back in September in most states.  Early archery season, gun season, and muzzleloader season have all come and gone, or are still in progress, and deer are a lot cagier because of it. Second, the primary rut is over. A mature buck that has been pressured all season and has no reason to leave its bed during daylight hours is an awfully tough deer to kill. But not impossible. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY