Here’s a quick update from Nebraska, where I’m still in hot pursuit of cold-weather bucks. The hunt started out good, but the weather the past few days has made it challenging at best. Toss in the fact that the bucks are paranoid, and you have extreme hunting at its best.

Here are a couple cold-weather hunting strategies I’m using that will hopefully pay off:

1. Beat the bucks to their bedrooms. In the dark I hiked past the feeding deer using a wooded creek bottom, and found a funnel leading to distant canyons the bucks were using for security. I set up for a shot, but it was long and right on the fenceline, so I passed.

2. Look for refuge. The bucks I’m hunting are leaving a perfectly good creek bottom to hide in rugged canyon uplands. Why? There are no roads and they have great visibility to see danger. At night I’m setting up to ambush them as they leave those uplands to hit the corn.

3. Dress warm. You can’t hunt if you’re not there, so buy the best in cold-weather gear and use hand warmers everywhere. If you’re comfortable, you’ll stay out longer and not be shivering when a buck shows up.

What are your cold-weather hunting strategies?