One of my most productive times for taking large white tails is in the bitter cold months of December and January. I think this time of the year is even better than the pre-rut or the main rut because the deer are easier to pattern; they are often herded up and are stressed due to the cold and snow. Abundant feed is hard to find during these months. Also, when the temperatures drop well below zero, I very rarely find other hunters willing to put up with the elements. It's like being in a whole different world and it has a beauty all of its own.

A few things that have made me successful in bitter cold conditions are to wear the proper clothing; shoot a quiet bow; and be accurate to your comfortable shooting range.

The best way to stay warm and dry is to layer clothing. The first layer should be a material that wicks the moisture away from the skin. The next layer is a light-weight wool sweater, followed by a layer of fleece material. You may need multiple layers such as these depending on the outside temperature. The outer layer should be a quiet fleece, camo material that blocks the wind and is also water resistant to keep wind, rain, sleet or snow from penetrating your insulation layers. The clothing should allow you total freedom of movement.

This type of clothing is extremely quiet, enabling you to draw your bow without being detected by the sharp senses of your prey. To ensure that the clothing is quiet, have someone stand next to you and listen as you move your arms in the same type of motion as drawing your bow. No matter how much money you have invested in your clothing; if it makes noise, it's not worth wearing!

Keeping yourself dry, while walking to your stand, is extremely important for staying warm the rest of the day. Give yourself plenty of time so that you can walk slowly in deep snow and bitter cold in order to keep yourself from sweating. One way to do this is to carry some of your clothes into the stand and then put them on when you get there. It's also a good idea to take a change of hats. Face masks can be used as long as they don't obstruct your vision and accuracy with your bow.

If you are a right-handed shooter, sew the left sleeves of all your undergarments and outer clothing to tighten them up to give you clearance with your bow string. You may also have to sew in or tighten the chest area of your outer layer of clothing to keep your string from making contact.

Well-insulated boots, wool socks over polypropylene socks, and warm gloves are not only necessary--they are essential. Keeping your feet and hands warm will help to keep your whole body warm. If they get cold, your hunt is over! Wear your outer pants over your boots to keep the snow out and to keep the metal eyelets from making noise against your tree stand. Carry a piece of heavy cloth big enough to stand on in your tree stand or on the ground. It will help keep your boots from squeaking after clearing the frost or snow off the area that you'll be standing on. Ninety-five percent of the animals I have harvested in bitter cold conditions have been taken from the ground. Once I've patterned an animal I'll use whatever snow bank or brush pile available for concealment as long as the wind is to my advantage.

In extreme cold conditions, wear a thin polypropylene glove underneath a heavier glove. (Using a scissors, cut the palm out of the outer, heavier glove that you hold the bow with. This will help keep you from torquing your bow and will allow you normal contact with the handle.) The thinner glove will keep your palm from freezing to the handle. My release hand (with the release aid strapped over a thin glove) stays inside my outer jacket pocket next to my stomach. Then there's no bulky glove to get in the way when it's time to take the shot.

Bitter cold weather can bring out noises in your bow that you normally wouldn't hear in warmer weather. Therefore, to check for quietness, leave your bow hang outside for several hours in sub-zero temperatures and then have someone stand near the bow and listen while you draw it. Then make whatever alterations are necessary. Using moleskin where the arrow contacts the rest, will keep it dead silent while coming to full draw.

Using the proper vibration and silencing system on the bow, with a heavier arrow, will make the animal less likely to jump the string. This is especially critical in cold weather because sounds seem to magnify. A deer can "out jump" even the fastest bow, therefore, a quiet bow is better.

Practicing outside in the same conditions you'll be hunting in, and wearing the same clothing, is the best way to keep your confidence up and your shooting ability sharp.

I use these tactics successfully, not only for white tails, but for many other species that I have hunted in extreme cold conditions. If the animal cannot see, hear or smell you, you've put him at a serious disadvantage.