One year, I watched a Monroe County hunter take a large doe that entered a field a half hour or so before sundown. The temperature was frigid, the sky was gray and overcast, but my buddy was euphoric that he had remained on stand during discouraging conditions.

The second strategy is to look for soft-mast food sources and oddball ones. For example, in southern West Virginia as elsewhere, one of the most likely soft-mast foods that will still be available is the persimmon. Even in December, persimmons, frozen though they may be, will still be clinging to low-hanging limbs or partially covered with frost or snow. You can be sure that deer know about these ice-coated balls of nourishment -- I have heard some deer hunters call them "persimmon popsicles."

A good example of an oddball food source is the honeysuckle. Many times, I have witnessed late-season deer browsing on honeysuckle leaves and twigs and have even seen them walk across grassy openings to honeysuckle patches along the tree line.

Our December muzzleloading season will likely be challenging again this year. However, this season was never meant to be easy, especially given the primitive nature of these guns. I plan to go as often as I can and perhaps even take a doe to a check station.

Find more about West Virginia fishing and hunting at: WVgameandfish.com