Colleton County makes many of these "good deer hunting" lists and rightly so. Colleton County is a big county with numerous deer and ranked third overall in 2004 in total harvest. This harvest was up a solid 20.8 percent over the 2003 harvest as well. And Colleton County was second on the record-book bucks taken in the 2004 hunt year and ranks No. 4 on the all-time list.

Bamberg County is also a place for late-season hunters to check out. Bamberg County ranked No. 7 in total harvest statewide and experienced a 33.2 percent increase in the 2004 harvest compared with the 2003 data. It also was tied for 10th in the number of big bucks taken in 2004.

Hampton County had a slight decline in harvest in 2004 from 2003, about 1.8 percent. However, it was still No. 4 statewide in terms of deer harvested in 2004. Hampton County is a favorite area of mine, with all the ingredients for late-season success. There are several hunting lodges in this county that offer great hunting throughout the season and are managed for that specific purpose. Much of the land is private, though, so you'll need to make advance plans to hunt in most cases.

There are two outstanding public hunting areas, the Webb Center and the Palachucola WMAs. Check SCDNR regulations for specific hunt dates and drawings for these areas. But these are always excellent late-season areas and it's not too early to begin to plan strategy for next year if you're interested in hunting these WMAs.

The good news is that this is by no means a complete list. In fact, nearly every county probably has some isolated hotspots of good hunting for late-season deer. However, most of these have the numbers to back up the picks, either in total harvest, potential for big bucks, and in several cases both.

Remember, though, that no matter where you hunt, you'll have to adapt to late-season deer patterns to be successful during the late season. Simply being in the areas where deer exist is not enough; it doesn't much matter how many deer are in a county if none of them ever come within 300 yards of the place you pick to hunt. And deer movement and feeding patterns will be different from what you experienced during the rut. Different but not impossible to pattern, and once you do figure out what part of the habitat in your area the deer are using, a late-season hunt can be extremely productive.

Late-season deer hunting may not be for everyone. It takes more planning because it gets cold in much of the state. Actually, it can get really cold in some places by mid to late December. It does take more preparation, effort and endurance to be successful. But the first positive thing you'll notice when hunting the late season is that you'll not have nearly as much competition in the woods. Because of this, deer begin to return to more normal and predictable patterns.

Consider these areas to put yourself in the right place and you can enjoy great late-season hunting in South Carolina.