Deep Woods with Thomas Moore is a new column dedicated to the outdoors. This column will contain reports, tips, photos and gear reviews. There will be lots of hunting, fishing, and camping material in every installment. If anyone has pictures, helpful hints, or videos regarding the outdoors please send them to [email protected]. Thank you, and stay tuned for more of Deep Woods!

The hunting: The hunting over break, like this fall, was spotty. The warm and rainy weather did not help duck or deer hunting at all. The annual whitetail rut was very inconsistent due to the heat. Big bucks like to move when it is cold, not when it is seventy-five degrees. This made getting out to the stand less than desirable. The deer hunting was not as good as usual but there were a few to be found. Due to the heat I tried hunting wooded areas, which seemed to have the best success. Though I did not see many big bucks, there were some does and small bucks to be seen. Many deer were wary and even went nocturnal by December. The duck hunting was similar to the deer hunting, not as good as past years. The inches and inches of rain gave plenty of places for the few birds to go. Too many swamps and not enough migraters. The migration has been minimal because of the lack of cold weather, however there are a few local wood-ducks and mallards. Personally, I tried everything to kill ducks, from hunting impoundments to swamps to the Pamlico Sound, and I came up with not many birds in hand. Last year, there were significantly more ducks around. The swamps and marshes seemed to provide the best hunts over the break, especially when using smaller decoy spreads. The best hunting over the break would have been small game. Rabbit hunting was still somewhat unfavorable because the dogs couldn’t smell with the heat and moisture; however, the ground was so wet that squirrels would not be able to hear the illusive hunter closing in. Though hunting was not the best in terms of numbers over the break, you could always count on a great time with friends and family.

The fishing: Fishing was abnormally good for this time of the year, mostly because of the warm weather; however, fishing on the Tar River would have been slow because of the very high water. Also, lakes were not as hot as some farm ponds because the deeper areas kept the fish dormant. Small ponds would have provided the most action. Fishing with crank baits and any medium diving bait would have worked well. The largemouth bass were biting very well according to many sources, mostly small water though. The saltwater bite also was decent for winter break. However an angler might have been fighting off crowds at the beach and sound because lots of people were at the coast. The speckled trout were biting all over the eastern part of the state. Sadly, the later part of the break brought colder weather and the fish slowed down.

What January has to offer: January is a great time to rabbit hunt, waterfowl hunt, and freshwater fish. The rabbit hunting should be great this upcoming month, especially if there is a dry spell. It is truly an exciting way to drop a cottontail or two. Rabbit season also goes until mid-February, along with many other small game species. The most efficient way to hunt them is with numerous hunters and dogs; however, still hunting can also work well. Duck hunting in January should be better than December, but will most likely not be as fruitful as past years because of the low migration. Lots of small ducks are around though, and should fly well though they may be picky about decoy spreads. Hint: using a wing spinning decoy late season can have very mixed results. On another note, the Tundra swan are all over this year! I have witnessed flocks and flocks of them fly over, every time I have hunted around Tarboro. It is the perfect time to fill your swan tag. Also, the Canada goose hunting should be very productive in January. January is not a well-known month to catch bass and crappie, but can be great under certain circumstances. Look for small water streams and medium sized ponds to target panfish, and even largemouth. For crappie, use a dark colored Mepp’s Aglia #4. Fish medium to deep water. Bass will bite a shad 1 ½ oz. jigging spoon. Fishing during this time of the year will help provide information for spring and summer fishing like what size hook to use all the way to what creek to fish. January has lots to offer the NC sportsman but it is all about getting out there and making the most of the seasons.

If anyone has outdoor pictures, feel free to send them in to [email protected] and you might be featured in the next edition!