I always struggle when I’ve punched my tags and the freezer’s full. This season it was November 15th, with my two Michigan buck tags filled, yet feeling like I wasn’t close to being ready to be done chasing whitetails. It’s this way every year for many hunters, especially when you have to eat a tag (ouch). Those non-hunters in our lives may not understand “deerpression”, but we know it well – the low that always follows the high of the chase, and a gnawing “now what” feeling that comes with the return to the drone of normal life. But there are some things the hardcore deer hunter can do to quell the gloom, and even leverage it to your ultimate advantage. Here’s six the smartest hunters focus on.
1. Shoot a Doe:
In many states there are late doe seasons and plenty of tags to go around. Michigan is practically begging hunters to take as many antlerless deer as possible in the southern lower peninsula, and the season has even been extended to do so. On top of that, you can actually help the needy by donating deer to programs that help feed the hungry in your community. So this is a great option to keep your skills sharp, and if a bow hunter, practice shooting with that buckly cold season gear – something I struggle with and that requires an almost different skill set. Further, it may allow you to get to know some new farmers in the area that want more deer taken off their land, which may possibly lead to hunting opportunities in the future.
2. Explore a New State:
Depending on where you are, neighboring states may offer more opportunity to hunt with later seasons or at least extra tags you can stuff in your bag. I hunt Ohio, and try to throw in another state if I can every year. Since my Ohio tag is still unpunched at the time I’m writing this, I will have opportunity to head down there in December and January and scratch that itch. Maybe you can too, and at least start to gather intel on new pieces of public land that may help you on future hunts, as well. A few years ago I had punched my Ohio tag and, last minute, found another MidWest state I could drive to over Christmas break. With a lot of prescouting with maps and calling locals, I was able to show up the first morning, scout, and take a nice buck within the first hour of my first sit! And to think, I could have been sitting home with a bad case of deerpression.
3. The Most Overlooked Habit:
Ok journaling may not be as exciting as sitting over a scrape in the pre-rut, but it is a crucial part for High IQ hunters wanting to leverage their experiences and turn them into hunting wisdom. Writing it down, and in particular, detailing specific hunts and what you’ve learned is critical to move the ball forward in your hunting journey. Focusing on the “why” things worked, or did not, speeds up the learning process and helps you double down on tactics that produce results and avoid repeating those dumb ones. This fall I was able to confirm that deer just don’t like 2D decoys, having it almost mess up a prime opportunity at a P&Y Michigan buck. It is now a target in my backyard gun range.
4. Hyper-Tune Gear:
As a human I tend to forget things five minutes after I think them. The fact is I can’t remember to put out the garbage on Wednesday night, so why would I trust myself to remember little flaws I need to fix in my gear 9 months from now? So NOW is the time to fix those flaws in your gear, or even replace items that aren’t working – when it’s top of mind. And all gear like stands, saddles, your backpack setup (the list goes on) can be hyper-tuned to perfection. So get on making your setups ultra honed now while you still remember these pesky little details that can utterly ruin a hunt. Your future self will thank you and it’s definitely a way to stay in the game and ward off sitting on the couch and crying about that buck you airballed on a month ago.
5. Stack Your Inventory:
Another great way to stay in the game is to work with your trail cams – both inventorying buck pictures you collected this year and also continuing to monitor what’s out there by placing them in wintering locations. An incredible amount of actionable intel is squandered each year due to lack of attention to this. Look for patterns in general by time of season – what bucks tend to do – and also specific buck patterns so you can plan in advance when and where to intercept a buck. 90% of killing takes place in the off-season, so go at this with the intensity of next year’s rut hunt – it just may be the difference maker.
6. Take a Hike:
If tags are filled, and out of state isn’t an option (or even if you’ve done that and are still feeling that low) exploring some new ground can be just what the doctor ordered. Whether private or public, this allows you to see where other hunters have been pounding, which is great info to detail in your journal or OnX app for use next season (get a free OnX subscription when you take the Deer IQ Test HERE). It also allows you to find late season food sources to key in on next year, which are usually much different than early or mid-fall locations. All this info can be documented in a journal or app like OnX, with new potential spots to take a late season bruiser pre-set. Again, you’re doing work now, instead of sitting on your duff and feeling sorry for yourself, that could directly lead to you tagging one in a year or two.
When you look at your season this way, deerpression just melts away, and is the guaranteed cure.
