Weather changes greatly affect winter deer patterns. Before the worst of a snowstorm arrives, deer often move during the day to feed. (Shutterstock photo)
January 19, 2026
By Ryan Fair
The late season poses many challenges for deer hunters that aren’t necessarily present in the early season or during the rut. There’s the cold, the wind, pressured deer, a lack of cover, and the list goes on. However, with the right clothing, proper scouting and solid preparation, there’s no need to hang up the bow just yet, especially if you still have a buck tag to fill. While the late season can yield some of the toughest hunts of the year, it can also produce some of the best.
HUNT THE FOOD Food is everything this time of year. Deer are slaves to their stomachs and must eat heavily to survive. So, hunters should capitalize on feed-to-bed and bed-to-feed patterns. The key to this is scouting. If you have food plots, now is the best time to hunt over them. If not, find the preferred food source(s) in your area. Look for red oak trees or other green food sources when scouting.
Another great late-season option is soybeans. On one of the properties I hunt, I’ll pay the farmer who owns it a fair market value price to leave a half-acre to an acre of soybeans standing rather than harvest them. I’m unable to plant food plots on the parcel, and it has no other good food sources I can hunt, so the soybeans become an incredible deer magnet in the late season. Winter wheat also works well.
When hunting over a standing food source, I like to hunt out of a blind. I’ve used both hay bale-style and hub-style blinds, and both work great. Good blinds can withstand nasty weather and keep you protected from those same elements.
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When it comes to food plots, I like having a variety of different greens. I’ll often plant a mix of rape, rye, peas and brassicas. I feel this mix of different food options can provide for deer over the duration of the season and beyond. I use Rakk Fuel’s Wicked Greenz and Checkmate seed blends to achieve my ideal plot. It’s an easy plot to create and quite effective. Just kill off any existing vegetation, then broadcast seeds over top in late summer.
If baiting is legal in your state, this can be another great way to boost your late-season odds. When I run my Moultrie feeder on a timer this time of year, it’s like ringing a dinner bell for the local deer herd. It’s very helpful for patterning deer, and it provides them with easily accessible food with little pressure. If hunting directly over bait isn’t your thing, you can also hunt trails leading to and from the feeder, much like you might with a natural food source.
HUNT THE WEATHER Nothing more profoundly influences deer movement right now than the weather, especially weather events. Like humans, deer burn calories throughout the day. Most days you’ll find them bedded on south-facing slopes soaking up sunlight and burning as few calories as possible during daylight hours. Once the sun goes down, they’ll head out to their preferred food source and replenish the calories they expended throughout the day.
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Whenever there’s a weather event this time of year, everything changes. There are three main types that are key to hunt: snowstorms, high-wind days and cold fronts. All three trigger deer to feed heavily before and after each event. They’ll often be on their feet several hours prior to sundown feeding as much as possible beforehand to help them endure the weather change. They usually bed down through most of it, but once the weather passes, they feed heavily again to recoup the calories they lost while bedded down.
I closely monitor the weather during the late season, even if I’m tagged out. Once a system arrives, I’ll scout the area from afar and see what bucks have made it and gauge the general health of the herd. My favorite time to hunt is before one of these weather events during the middle of the day. This is when I’ve found the deer to be most active.
HUNT HIM AT HOME By this, I mean get in tight to a buck’s bedroom and catch him off guard. This tactic requires time, patience and a lot of scouting. I like finding the thickest, nastiest cover or an isolated patch of timber. It’s best to find spots that receive little to no pressure during the season, so that’s usually when I look for them. Once I find a spot, I try to slide in mid-day and hang a cellular camera on a travel route in or out of the location. This will tell me what bucks are using this area to bed, and when.
Ground blinds work particularly well during the late season, especially when placed near standing crops or a winter food plot. (Photo courtesy of American Outdoor Brands) If I find a target buck, I’ll grab my Arsenal tree saddle and head in well before first light. I prefer using a saddle for this approach because it allows me to get in a tree quietly and lets me use the tree to break up my silhouette as a deer approaches. Arriving long before dawn is critical. A big buck that has received any pressure during the season will only give you a brief window for a shot as he returns to bed as the sun comes up.
I’ll have my tree picked out prior to heading in, and I’ll use a phone application, like Spartan Forge, to guide me to the tree. I prep the tree ahead of time, usually while I’m hanging my cell camera. This allows me to get up and ready quickly and quietly. If you play your cards right, this can be one of the best tactics for harvesting a mature buck this time of year. Just remember, as soon as the sun starts to break over the horizon, be ready for anything.
HUNT IN COMFORT If you let it, cold, late-season weather can certainly bring about an early end to your hunt. However, given the time spent scouting and the money invested in gear, it shouldn’t. This is why I never go cheap when it comes to late-season clothing and boots.
Hunting apparel has come a long way since I first started pursuing deer. In the past, I’d have to wear several layers of clothes heading to the stand and a backpack with more if needed or as a place to ditch some of it during the hunt. Now, I have a layering system comprising an inner layer and an outer shell that keeps me comfortable and warm the entire hunt, no matter the temperature.
Most hunting brands offer late-season clothing designed for those conditions, but not all perform equally. You want something waterproof and wind proof that will keep you warm, but it should also be breathable and quiet—or, ideally, silent. Some sort of fleece fabric checks many of these boxes. Personally, I avoid generic hunting bibs and jackets, which, in my experience, tend to make noise when rubbed together.
Also, ensure you have tight-fitting, moisture-wicking base layers, a good pair of insulated Gore-Tex waterproof boots and quality wool socks. Your feet are usually the first thing to get cold, and that’s the last thing you want.
Long, late-season sits are easier when you’re comfortable, not shivering. Wear quality base layers and outerwear to stay out there. (Photo courtesy of Sitka Gear) In the stand, if it’s particularly cold, I’ll wear a warm beanie or cap with ear flaps; a neck gaiter; warm, fingerless gloves; and a muff for my hands, often in tandem with those disposable hand warmers. I prefer this combination because I can still feel my release or trigger with the fingerless gloves when it’s time to shoot yet remain warm when not shooting. Bulkier, full-fingered gloves make tactile tasks a bit more difficult for me.
When heading in for the hunt, I like wearing a hooded sweatshirt and my bibs, with the legs unzipped to increase airflow if needed. This keeps me from getting too hot while walking to my stand. Once I start cooling off, I’ll put on my coat. On really cold days, I’ll open two packets of HotHands and throw them on the dash of my vehicle as I drive to my hunting spot. When I arrive, they’re usually warm, and I can throw them in my muff or jacket pockets.
Remember on your walk in to be slow and methodical. And always scan to avoid bumping any deer. Not only will this help you stay cool, but it also helps prevent you from spooking deer.
Post-rut, late-season hunting can produce some of the best action of the year. Just as with each of the phases of the hunting season, it has its own unique challenges to overcome. However, whenever most guys are hanging up their gear for the season, you might wind up seeing lots of deer movement, including larger bucks. If you can brave the elements, you may just tag the biggest buck of your life.
COLD COMFORT The author outlines his go-to late-season,cold-weather apparel setup. Photos courtesy of Sitka Gear With so many companies now producing hunting clothing, finding the right apparel can be hard. I’ve tried stuff from many brands over the years to see what works best for me and holds up well. The one that stands out to me for comfort, warmth and fit is Sitka Gear. From fit to fabric, they make excellent clothes worth the money. While costly, products have a non-transferrable warranty covering their practical lifespan. Spend the money once and have great gear for many seasons to come.
My cold-weather setup consists of Sitka Gear’s Fanatic Bib ($479) and Jacket ($479) as my outer layer paired with the company’s Core Merino base layers ($90–$175). For my feet, I like Sitka’s VentLite GTX Boot ($399). This is a true Gore-Tex boot, which means it’s breathable, but it also locks in heat with its PrimaLoft Gold Insulation. Match these with a good pair of wool socks—I like Sitka’s Mid Weight OTC Sock ($32)—and your feet will stay warm on the coldest of hunts.
On especially cold days, I’ll also wear Sitka’s Blizzard GTX Hat ($110), Neck Gaiter ($55) and a pair of fingerless wool gloves, like BlackOvis’ San Juan Fingerless Wool Gloves ($25), and I’ll bring along a Jetstream Insulated WS Muff ($159) and some hand warmers. This combo helps me stay warm while retaining finger dexterity.
This article was featured in the December 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
