The afternoon before Thanksgiving afforded us just a few hours to get in a quick hunt after having spent the morning catching up on things around home. I had my wife, Esther, and my son with me, and I was hoping for Esther to get a shot at her first deer. An adult doe or buck would do just fine, and I plotted in my head as we drove up the road to my folks' property. Being next door, their property was all we had time for. My plan had hatched by the time we pulled in the yard. My 8-year-old son, Seth, wanted to sit on stand with Esther too. He said he'd be quiet. We knew we'd have fun, and it was a beautiful day.

The author, son Seth and wife Esther admire Esther's first buck, which she shot during a late-season Wisconsin drive. Photo courtesy of Pete Maina.

I placed them in a stand where Esther couldn't see particularly far but where one deer always seems comfortable enough to sneak through. I offered the basics of what I was up to and a time when I'd be back to pick them up. I had two main "spots" in mind. I headed north in somewhat of a looping path, skirting a very thick patch of cover that had recently been logged, then dived right into the middle of it.

For the third time, I stopped, panting a bit, and decided I'd gone far enough. The cover was opening up a little in front of me. I waited awhile, and decided it was time to turn around and head back out to circle the next patch I had in mind. Literally as I turned, the shooting started. Halfway to them, I heard a finishing shot. Esther's first deer was a nice 8-point buck. A great moment, to be sure!

Have you ever been 30 feet from a deer and unable to shoot it because you have no idea whether it's a male or a female, or because you couldn't even be certain where to aim? I have quite a few times, and it's frustrating, albeit exciting. In thick cover, sometimes you can only see deer feet moving along, part of an outline or nothing at all -- and yet you can hear them. If you are where many of the deer are during the daytime in the post-rut, this will occur.

IN THE THICK OF IT
I've been hunting in northern Wisconsin for more than three decades now, and things have changed quite a bit with regard to deer location during the season. Increasingly, deer seem to be seeking heavy cover during daytime hours and generally moving less. Three factors have promoted this situation. Of course, there may be areas where this isn't the case, but the increased popularity of baiting and feeding, easier access to prime hunting and a growing wolf population have all contributed. There is far less need for deer to travel long distances to browse, thanks in large part to food plots, agriculture and bait piles. Access in the forms of roads, trails, and four-wheeler paths has put hunters where deer weren't used to seeing them 20 years ago. Gone are the days of taking off with a compass and a sandwich -- and not seeing anyone else all day. Wolf numbers have also increased greatly, prompting deer to avoid frequenting the open areas where wolves tend to hunt. These pressures and more confined food sources that can be accessed at night have changed things.

Hunters, in general, tend to hunt in more open places as well. They like to be able to see and shoot long distances. But once the rut is over and the guns have been barking over the opening weekend, hunters who can see farther are very likely to see fewer deer. To increase your effectiveness, locate the likely holding places, protective cover and bedding areas. In short, find the thick stuff.