Our Outdoors: Sudden Shift
By Nick Simonson

It’s strange how one day in November, you can be staring out at a beige and brown field, watching deer move back and forth, going about their annual chase in an effort to beget the next generation; and then the next day, staring silently as drifts and drifts of white grow in the front yard, pinning you indoors until the first plows make their way to the neighborhood. It doesn’t always happen in November, sometimes it’s late December, right around the holidays, or as it was last spring, mid-April, putting some amazing early season fishing on hold.  Particularly this time of year, though, the late season aspects of hunting can come on quickly with a rogue storm requiring a shift in gear, location, and tactics for both deer and upland game.
Gear Up
Late season hunting, with its snow, cold and often windy conditions, requires one to dress warm. For those late season deer hunters, this means layering up for a sit, and even for those quiet spot-and-stalks with a muzzleloader for that late season adventure. Thermal base layers, heavy pants that don’t make a lot of noise, and top layers going from jacket on down through a couple others can make time on stand more pleasant.  For pheasant hunters, who are in motion for most of their hunts, it may mean bulking up a bit, but typically adding a thermal base layer is enough to keep things warm when moving through thicker cover where birds are found more often once heavy snow is on the ground.
Where’d They Go
As the gear for each season changes, so too do the actions of the animals pursued.  Deer will typically begin yarding up, finding areas of good cover, such as abandoned farm groves, areas of thick brush, and those spaces which provide protection from the wind and cold temperatures.  These areas too become community havens as herds of sometimes over 100 deer will shelter there and take on new daily activities and travel routes.  Adjusting bowhunting tactics to capitalize on those shifted movements, or knowing these new spaces being utilized by deer in snowy conditions will help increase the success of late season deer hunts.
The same is true for pheasants.  Birds will look for deep cover to shield themselves from the elements and will bunker down in those spaces that have not snowed in.  That’s why deep sloughs and stands of willow thickets and other brush are popular points of interest for hunters in late season.  A quick examination of their bases will often show tracks in the new fallen snow and evidence of their presence at one point or another and provide a good starting point for dogs in the cold-weather portion of the hunting season.
Keep Quiet
Finally, there’s something about a snow-trimmed landscape that seems to carry the slightest noise.  When approaching areas that hold huntable game, remember that silence is golden.  A whistle to a dog, a quick word to a hunting buddy, or even the distant slamming of a truck door or tailgate can put game on high alert.  Maintain quiet communications as best as possible to prevent spooking of deer while heading out to the stand or sending a flock of pheasants into the air on the far side of their winter haunts before you even have a chance to shoot.
While late season conditions may have settled in across much of the region, it doesn’t mean that hunting is done. Just as many people are reacting as best they can to a sudden change in the weather that comes with this time of year, so too are the animals, and knowing how to still be able to get out there after them, and do so comfortably and quietly, means the hunting season doesn’t have to stop.  Target those spaces that hold game in late season and adjust accordingly to continue to find success…in our outdoors.

Our Outdoors: Tell Tail Signs
By Nick Simonson

From across a golden field of fall CRP grasses, or bounding through the leafless November brush on a steep hillside, it’s easy to see the arching back-and-forth following a whitetail deer in full flight.  Their name says it all and that white flag on their rear end typically does too.  From the gentle flick signaling that everything is cool, to that wild waving that lets every other deer in the herd know it’s time to get out of Dodge, a deer’s tail is a signal to both hunters and other deer about what’s going on in the world and how they’re feeling at a given moment.
With enough time on stand picking up on those context clues as to what a deer is about to do next will help with future hunts.  Their tails say a lot about what they think they know regarding any situation and potentially your presence in their world, and ultimately when you’ve been busted, or when they’ve been bumped and taken to the hoof.  Knowing what the varied states of a whitetail’s tail mean is an important tool in any hunt and can give you a final warning as to when your last shooting opportunity may occur as a deer closes the distance.
Flicking Fine
The gentle flick of a whitetailed deer’s tail as it browses, travels, or simply assesses the situation is always a good sign for hunters.  It means the deer is unaware of your presence and is going about its daily activities without reason for alarm.  Watch for a pause in between flicks, and then for it to resume, along with an occasional head raise to chew, take a look around, and then dip back down to the ground to nibble grasses or slowly move along.  Typically, with a flicking tail the deer’s body is loose, and its gait is slow and reserved, moving at a normal walk or in the process of feeding.
Half Mast
If a deer begins to raise its tail, holds it out or up just slightly, or the cadence of flicking suddenly stops, there’s something going on that a whitetailed deer doesn’t like.  I’ve seen it when cars or farm trucks pass by on a gravel road on a calm morning or evening, or something else is moving around in the trees around me while on stand.  A slightly lifted tail that is rigid and no longer in motion is a signal that the deer knows something is up.  Accompanied by a raised nose, or a snort along with a tightened body or a foot stomp, a half-raised tail could also mean they caught that slight shift you made on stand or perhaps found your scent line in a slight breeze and your time to take the shot is limited.
On Alert
The final phase of the deer’s natural alarm system is a raised or waving tail.  If the tail on a whitetailed deer goes up while the animal is near you or in front of your stand, you’ve been made.  After any series of snorts, wheezes, or foot stomps, it’s likely that tail is straight up and you’re about to see that hard turn that starts off the animal’s emergency sprint out of an area it perceives as dangerous.  From there, you – and every other deer in the area – will observe the evolved alarm signaling others to rely on their flight instincts and exit the space immediately.  A bounding deer that leaves your hunting area, or suddenly appears at a run with tail up and waving, is in a very startled state, and often does not slow down.  If in the latter situation a buck does appear at full speed with tail up, you can attempt a grunt or a bleat to catch his attention, but depending on how long he’s been running, and what he’s interested in doing, it may not stop his sprint. 
There are other in-between signals a deer’s tail can give off.  I’ve seen agitated does tense their tails before engaging in hoof battles and certainly watched similar cues from rutting bucks as they were about to lock horns.  Keeping an eye on the language of a deer’s tail and learning as much of it as you can will help you know when you have a shot at filling your tag, what deer are feeling in the moment, and when the hunt is about to change…in our outdoors.