Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Rifle seasons between Christmas and New Years?

If the deer here in my little corner of NEPA have made it through archery, early muzzleloader, rifle and doe season they deserve a pass and get one from me. Killing one is really not that important anymore, ymmv....

Bowie,Texas and Bowie county are two different places.
I live in Texarkana, Bowie county, Texas. It is in the farthest north east corner of Texas.
Deer hunting is fair. We can hunt then. Rifle or archery, I haven't gotten to hunt the last 2 years but believe it's still buck only
after the 3rd weekend of November. Everything I know of is private land or leased. We lease 80 acres in the next county over, Cass county.
My dad spent 22.5 years at RRAD. The best hunting in Bowie county is right outside New Boston on private ranches that are tough to get to hunt on.

I think you guys now have an in-line muzzle loader season in October or early November? In-lines shoot very much like center fire rifles. You can use pellets that are quick and easy to load. No fooling around with lose powder and the modern bullets are sweet. They use 209 primers, no percussion caps or flash pans. You might think about shooting one sometime, I think you'll like them and it'll open up your options. I'm not sure how far you are from here, but I know there's a lot of people from southern PA that hunt here. If you drive around and look at the parking areas for the public hunting lands during any of the gun seasons, half the cars and trucks are from PA. I'm only about a 1/2 hour from the PA line. We don't get many people from VA here because their rifle season lasts for months. I think those guys in PA take advantage of the fact that we can kill up to 3 bucks and 30 does. I think PA only allows you 1 buck and 1 doe for the entire hunting season.

AZ has deer open Dec 15-31. AZ is all draw and that season has the fewest tags so drawing is not easy.

Arkansas has a three day rifle season that starts the day after Christmas.

Yep. I could be hunting now but I already have plenty of meat and here in Southeast Georgia and Lowcountry SC, the main rut is long gone so the odds of killing something big is not real or should I say as good.

I know Ya'lls deer and Alabama deer rut way later than ours. A retired guy with plenty of money and time could get in a lease in SC and or southeast GA AND Alabama and be entertained in fine fashion for almost 6 months out of the year, essentially having two rifle season ruts to hunt. Always been a day dream of mine!

PA has a one week season in October for inline, doe only. After Christmas it is flintlock of archery. Generally one buck, but depending on the area, many doe tags. In flintlock season, you can shoot a doe with a buck tag, but not the other way around.
Good flintlocks have less lag, but it is still very challenging.

We were checking the thread at break. Jason said he lives in Dekalb. Said he leases hunting rights for 250 acres nearby and another 600 next county west. Offered me to come down next season cause this season is full with his family. Might take him up on it.

Things are just kicking into gear in South Texas now. Will be headed that way soon.

Good luck! Is it that much a difference in quality of buck between north south east west?

There are some good places to hunt around DeKalb.
If he has something around Avery or Annona or Clarksville areas, I would definitely go.

Out in the Texas Hill Country, the season goes until the first Sunday in January. Then, some counties have an antlerless/spike season that goes on for another two weeks. And, there are always exotics. Season is open year round on them.

Good info guys, appreciate it. Im gonna talk to Jason more on monday if I can catch him. He heads back to TX for holidays on tuesday. Thanks again!

Yes sir. Even focusing on AL alone, you can find deer rutting from early Nov all the way to Feb due to the assorted different places the deer were stocked from. A lot of great land can be hunted in AL through the WMA's for a fairly inexpensive out of state license....the difference in rut dates can really be seen across the many WMA's.

Watched the biggest 6 point I've ever seen this morning who was hunting harder than I was.....he couldn't pass a small tree with branches he could reach without running this antlers through it. Tines were long and had mass. Really surprised he wasn't with a doe. Was fun to watch him. I'm guessing him at 2.5 years old based on his body...next year he may be something!

I stand corrected, didn’t know there was a Bowie county. I should have read a little closer. Sorry

Missouri has "alternative" season after Christmas

It's open for bucks and doe with anything thats not considered a modern centerfire rifle or any shotgun

Over the counter tags

They have late rifle seasons in other states, but no butchers that will deal with you.

Yep I will be in Greenville,Alabama. Our rut doesnt start until mid January so I guess we will hunting prerut between the holidays.

Hanco, he was asking about Bowie county...not the city of Bowie. powdr

Depends on the ranch and how much pressure the deer have. But in general the potential is there and the genetics are good for the possibility of a deer with over eight points. The deer are not large but some of the bigger bucks will go over 200 lbs. Different areas in Tx. I have shot mature bucks that weighed from 75 to 240 lbs so lots of variation by area. Genetics and groceries make a difference.