New York state’s "Holiday Deer Hunt," now just four years old, gives deer hunters a final fling at filling a deer tag.The short hunt starts the day after Christmas and runs through New Year’s Day (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2025) and is for archers and muzzleloader/crossbow hunters.In a way, it could be looked at as an extension of the final bow/muzzleloader season which began Dec. 9 after the end of the New York State Regular firearm season, which concluded one half hour after sunset Sunday, Dec. 8 this year.The Late bow/muzzleloader season extends this year to Dec. 17, then halts for a week, through Christmas Day, and starts again, pegged as the Holiday season.Holiday Deer Hunt zones in New YorkThe post-Christmas deer season was created with the idea that deer hunters, home for the holidays in the Southern Zone of New York state, could get some recreation and outdoors enjoyment and maybe a deer, too.The Northern Zone in New York state (basically the Adirondacks) does not have an extended holiday deer season.The week off hiatus between the bow/muzzleloader/crossbow season seems unnecessarily complicated and over-regulated to me. Why not just extend the bow/muzzleloader season from the end of the firearms season to New Year’s Day?In New York State, crossbows may be used to hunt deer during the muzzleloader season. Why not just call it the muzzleloader/crossbow season?Instead, New York says in its regulation guide, “Crossbows may be used during the muzzleloader season.”Similarly, New York state opens its Northern Zone bow season Sept. 27, and the Southern Zone Oct. 1. Why not just set a date for a statewide archery opener, like Oct. 1? Seems like the three-day difference between the Northern and the Southern Zones is needlessly complicated, over-regulated and actually a bit silly.So, in my simple way of looking at things, the deer season for archers could open Oct. 1 statewide and end Jan. 1 of the following year. That would avoid constant changes in dates as calendars shift.I like a long deer season because it allows us time to choose not only when we can hunt, but the type of weapon and season we prefer.Some deer hunters prefer early archery season. They like hunting with a bow and arrow and the mild temperatures, the leaves are changing, a beautiful time to be in the woods.Others hunt only during the most popular regular firearms season. That is when deer hunting is the most efficient and statistically the best chance for a hunter to fill a tag and a corner of the freezer.Deer camp life, the comradery, fun, and renewals of friendships, so much of an important hunting tradition, reaches its zenith during the regular firearms season.And finally, the short muzzleloader/archery season here at the tail-end of December allows those of us who enjoy our soot belchers, crossbows, and vertical bows a chance at taking a more primitive weapon afield in the final wintery days of the deer season.Often we have a tracking snow and can enjoy hunting deer during a colder time of year.More:Late deer season tips, tactics: 'Sneak and peek' while hunting whitetailsWhitetails for the most part are done with the rut, or breeding time, by the end of the year, having been tuned to the fall and early winter cycles.December does feature a large percentage of doe fawns, born last May, having their first estrus cycle and breeding. And sometimes mature doe will once again set off a localized flurry of rutting activity, but for all intents and purposes, the cork has been pulled on the woodland whitetail reverie.Deer hunting tips for late DecemberSo deer hunters would be wise to focus upon winter food sources for deer, such as in oak groves that produced big crops of acorns in the fall, standing cornfields, and of course food plots with late crops like turnips.A more challenging way to hunt the Holiday season, no matter the implement whether bow or muzzleloader is to still-hunt, or spot and stalk using snow camo.The stalking, or still-hunting method of hunting, is difficult. But often it is much more comfortable and enjoyable than sitting in a cold stand for hours, waiting.-- Oak Duke writes a biweekly outdoors column.

'Holiday deer season' is last chance to fill a tag in New York

New York state’s “Holiday Deer Hunt,” now just four years old, gives deer hunters a final fling at filling a deer tag.The short hunt starts the day after Christmas and runs through New Year’s Day (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2025) and is for archers and muzzleloader/crossbow hunters.In a way, it could be looked at […]

New York state’s “Holiday Deer Hunt,” now just four years old, gives deer hunters a final fling at filling a deer tag.The short hunt starts the day after Christmas and runs through New Year’s Day (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, 2025) and is for archers and muzzleloader/crossbow hunters.In a way, it could be looked at as an extension of the final bow/muzzleloader season which began Dec. 9 after the end of the New York State Regular firearm season, which concluded one half hour after sunset Sunday, Dec. 8 this year.The Late bow/muzzleloader season extends this year to Dec. 17, then halts for a week, through Christmas Day, and starts again, pegged as the Holiday season.Holiday Deer Hunt zones in New YorkThe post-Christmas deer season was created with the idea that deer hunters, home for the holidays in the Southern Zone of New York state, could get some recreation and outdoors enjoyment and maybe a deer, too.The Northern Zone in New York state (basically the Adirondacks) does not have an extended holiday deer season.

The week off hiatus between the bow/muzzleloader/crossbow season seems unnecessarily complicated and over-regulated to me. Why not just extend the bow/muzzleloader season from the end of the firearms season to New Year’s Day?In New York State, crossbows may be used to hunt deer during the muzzleloader season. Why not just call it the muzzleloader/crossbow season?Instead, New York says in its regulation guide, “Crossbows may be used during the muzzleloader season.”Similarly, New York state opens its Northern Zone bow season Sept. 27, and the Southern Zone Oct. 1. Why not just set a date for a statewide archery opener, like Oct. 1? Seems like the three-day difference between the Northern and the Southern Zones is needlessly complicated, over-regulated and actually a bit silly.So, in my simple way of looking at things, the deer season for archers could open Oct. 1 statewide and end Jan. 1 of the following year. That would avoid constant changes in dates as calendars shift.I like a long deer season because it allows us time to choose not only when we can hunt, but the type of weapon and season we prefer.Some deer hunters prefer early archery season. They like hunting with a bow and arrow and the mild temperatures, the leaves are changing, a beautiful time to be in the woods.Others hunt only during the most popular regular firearms season. That is when deer hunting is the most efficient and statistically the best chance for a hunter to fill a tag and a corner of the freezer.Deer camp life, the comradery, fun, and renewals of friendships, so much of an important hunting tradition, reaches its zenith during the regular firearms season.And finally, the short muzzleloader/archery season here at the tail-end of December allows those of us who enjoy our soot belchers, crossbows, and vertical bows a chance at taking a more primitive weapon afield in the final wintery days of the deer season.Often we have a tracking snow and can enjoy hunting deer during a colder time of year.More:Late deer season tips, tactics: ‘Sneak and peek’ while hunting whitetails

Whitetails for the most part are done with the rut, or breeding time, by the end of the year, having been tuned to the fall and early winter cycles.

December does feature a large percentage of doe fawns, born last May, having their first estrus cycle and breeding. And sometimes mature doe will once again set off a localized flurry of rutting activity, but for all intents and purposes, the cork has been pulled on the woodland whitetail reverie.

Deer hunting tips for late December

So deer hunters would be wise to focus upon winter food sources for deer, such as in oak groves that produced big crops of acorns in the fall, standing cornfields, and of course food plots with late crops like turnips.

A more challenging way to hunt the Holiday season, no matter the implement whether bow or muzzleloader is to still-hunt, or spot and stalk using snow camo.

The stalking, or still-hunting method of hunting, is difficult. But often it is much more comfortable and enjoyable than sitting in a cold stand for hours, waiting.

— Oak Duke writes a biweekly outdoors column.