3 Best Places to Deer Hunt in January

At this point in the year, most folks have called it quits, and many states’ deer seasons have closed. While many hunters turn their attention to fly tying, ice fishing, or even shed hunting, a lot of hunters, especially down South, are still trying to punch tags.

In fact, most of the Gulf Coast states have prime rutting action this time of year. While some of these states might not seem like prime whitetail destinations, they do offer reasonable non-resident prices, ample public lands, and high deer densities. These factors should sound like good news to hunters looking to escape cabin fever or extend their deer season. Here are a few states where you can chase whitetails throughout the month of January.

Mississippi

I’m a bit biased when it comes to my home state, but there are a lot of reasons to consider hunting the Magnolia State in January. For starters, most of the state is in the heart of the rut during the first week of January, which means you’re likely to experience some type of rutting action all month. Anecdotally speaking, I can attest to this. Southern parts of the state even experience rutting activity all the way to February. Even if you don’t make it early in the month, you can still find tough but good hunting just before Valentine’s Day.

While January is the coldest month of the year, snow is rare, and high temps might reach the 50s. You certainly won’t have to deal with the brutal Midwest conditions. These mild winters make for enjoyable hunting conditions without the hassle of snow.

Mississippi boasts over one million acres of public lands, which includes over 50 wildlife management areas run by the state, so there’s plenty of room to roam. Each WMA has specific regulations, so if you’re looking for gun, archery, or primitive weapon opportunities, there are plenty of options.

The state also has specific antler restrictions depending on where you hunt, so if you’re fortunate enough to shoot a buck, you’ll know it’s a good one. Mississippi also has a generous bag limit. Most of the state allows you to harvest three bucks and five does per season, so you’re not just limited to a single deer. This fact and the tolerable winters make the license price (around $300) well worth your money.

Alabama

Like Mississippi, Alabama offers similar hunting opportunities, bag limits, and license fees. Unlike Mississippi, though, antler restrictions (in most areas) only require hardened antler above the natural hairline. Hunters also get three buck tags.

Alabama doesn’t have quite the acreage (roughly 750,000) of public land hunting as Mississippi, but it still offers plenty of opportunities and varied terrain habitats for late winter hunting. The north-central and northeast portions of the state offer mountainous terrain, while the fertile black belt region in the south-central part of the state holds some of Alabama’s biggest bucks.

In true southern fashion, Alabama hosts a variety of rut dates that span anywhere from November to January. Expect the southern portion of the state to hold later rut dates during January. Of course, you can always call local game and fish employees to find out peak rut dates for certain wildlife management areas before planning a trip.

Ohio

Ohio is known for producing giants year after year. Fertile soil, strategically structured seasons, and a one-buck limit all contribute to the Buckeye State’s success. Given that its gun and muzzleloader seasons combined only amount to eleven days, Ohio gives its bucks a real shot to reach maturity. Ohio also offers a generous deer season that spans from the end of September to the beginning of February, and a season-long license and deer permit will run you less than $300.

So what’s the kicker? The accessible price and over-the-counter tags make deer hunting in Ohio competitive. For instance, over 400,000 deer permits were issued in 2023, with success rates coming in at just over half of that number.

But if you can deal with the late-season temps, you’ll find that most of the competition has died off by the last month of the season. This hardly means you’ll have easy hunting, but if you’re itching to fill a tag or want a legit shot at a giant, you might want to consider hunting Ohio before hanging up your bow for the year.

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