Banks Outdoors Feeder

 

The winter solstice, Dec. 21, marks the shortest day of the year. December brings cold weather and long nights and deer notice the change just as much as humans do. The lack of daylight hours and changes in food sources will drive deer to feed at different times. Make sure you understand the changes winter brings to ensure a successful end to your hunting season. Below are three things you should understand about winter hunting and how you can use it to succeed.

Shorter Days = Less Activity

The shorter days that come with the winter solstice will drive deer to stay in their bedding areas longer. Deer will be less active during the day and will seek shelter to combat the cold weather. They’ll likely feed earlier than ever, before sunrise, so if you want to catch a deer on it’s way back to the bedding area, it will mean an exceptionally early morning. You’ll want to make sure you’re in your Stump blind ready and waiting before they come through the area, or you’ll risk running into them and scaring them off. If you like the idea of sleeping in, you could wait until later in the afternoon and catch them on an afternoon feed before they’ve bedded down for the night.

They Won’t Want to Expel Energy

After the chaos and calamity that is rut season, the deer herd won’t want to expel any more energy than is absolutely necessary. This means they’ll stay in bedding areas longer, move more slowly and try to make getting a food and water source as easy as possible. Continue putting out food in your Feedbank Gravity Deer Feeder just as you have been all season. If the herd has been able to rely on your property for a food source all year, they’ll keep coming there in the winter, especially as their natural choices dwindle. They’ll make their bedding areas as close to their food and water sources as possible, so if you stock your Feedbank Gravity Feeder and Wild Water® System regularly, the deer will likely bed down on your property as well. Keep an eye on your trail cameras, even if they haven’t used as your property as a bedding area before they might change their minds due to the shorter days and limited options.

Pay Attention to the Regulations

Though hunting season is over in Minnesota, it’s still going on in other states. Make sure you keep an eye on the calendar and mark when your season officially ends. Check the regulations for hunting hours, as well. The shorter days of the winter solstice also means that sunset happens a lot quicker than in the fall. If your state requires you to stop hunting 30 minutes after sunset, like Minnesota, that time could sneak up on you, so make sure you’re paying attention to the clock.

Winter brings shorter days and colder nights and the deer know this as well as we do. Adjust your hunting tactics for the season and you’ll likely see success before the year is out. Stay warm and comfortable in a Stump blind and continue hunting even through the frigid temperatures.

What patterns or changes do you see in deer during the winter solstice? Let us know what you’ve observed in the comments below!

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