Deer season doesn't end in January. In some places, it extends into February, or even March.
Ice and snow storms sweep the nation. Whitetails crowd into remaining pockets of viable winter habitat. In much of the country, deer are bedding more, eating less, and conserving energy to survive winter.
That isn’t true everywhere, though. In the Southeast, some deer are still rutting or were not long ago. Furthermore, deer hunters are still in the field in active pursuit of these crafty animals. If you’re among the many who are still in the mood to hunt a buck or put some meat in the freezer, check out these deer hunts to go on in February or March.
Editor’s Note: Hunting regulations and season dates are highly nuanced and subject to change, even mid-season. Check your state wildlife agency website for the most recent updates to local deer seasons.
Alabama offers excellent February hunting in Zones A, B, C, and CMZ.
1. Alabama
Alabama has one of the latest ruts in the nation. Because of that, it also has one of the longest-running deer seasons. Zone A, B, C, and CMZ (CWD Management Zone) gun and archery seasons (stalking) ends February 10. Zones D and E end in January. Of course, there are stipulations on antlered vs. antlerless harvests, for private vs. public lands, and more. The hunting season start and end dates, as well as stipulations throughout, vary greatly in the Yellowhammer state.
Arkansas' archery season ends February 28.
2. Arkansas
The Arkansas deer season isn’t one you’d automatically expect to run through February, but it does. The Archery season opens in late September and ends February 28. That applies to all zones, and The Natural State has a lot of them — 20 to be exact.
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Florida's Zone D allows gun hunting through February 22.
3. Florida
In Florida, deer seasons vary between Zones A, B, C, and D. Incredibly, in some places, deer seasons are open from July through late February. Of course, the latest closing dates in Zones A, B, and C are in January. However, Zone D is in northwestern Florida along the western two-thirds of the Panhandle. There, the General Gun season ends February 22.
Louisiana is a big duck hunting state, but the whitetail hunting is underrated.
4. Louisiana
Commonly underrated as a deer hunting state, Louisiana is producing quality, top-end whitetails. Another destination with a late-running deer season, part of the state extends into February. In Area 5, 6, and 9, Archery season ends February 15. This is an either-sex season, unless a Bucks Only Firearms Season is in progress.
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Mississippi allows excellent deer hunting opportunities through February 15.
5. Mississippi
Mississippi is known for great duck hunting, especially along the Delta. But it’s a fantastic whitetail destination, too. In the Southeast Management Unit, Youth Season is February 1-15 (a legal buck only on private and open public lands). The Archery and Primitive Weapon season spans that same timeframe, with similar stipulations as noted above (plus more).
The latest whitetail hunt in the nation, Virginia's Urban Archery season ends March 29 (for participating cities and counties).
6. Virginia
Virginia offers a unique opportunity not known anywhere else in the country — deer hunting in March. Of course, this doesn’t extend statewide in any weapon type, whether hunting with a bow or gun. In fact, the primary seasons are rather short, compared to much of the Southeast. However, its Urban Archery season ran from September 6 to October 3, 2025, and again from January 4 to March 29, 2026. There’s a kicker, though — it’s for participating cities and counties only. Check state and local regulations to determine where this season applies.
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The author poses with a big Texas axis deer.
7. Axis Deer (Hawaii or Texas)
Axis deer originated from India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The foothills of the Himalayas were a stronghold. In this region, it’s known as the chital or spotted deer. In America, it’s the axis, and you can hunt them in Hawaii or Texas. Over to Hawaii, most hunts take place in February or March (some into late spring). But in Texas, you can pursue axis deer year-round.
As someone who’s killed an axis deer, it’s a phenomenal experience. I spot-and-stalked a big axis buck from early morning to late afternoon, at times unintentionally crawling through cactuses, stinging nettle, and fire ant mounds to reach the prize. Finally, I connected with a crossbow and capped off a Lone Star sized adventure.
HuntStand's Whitetail Activity Forecast and Whitetail Rut Map are incredibly accurate assets.
Upgrade to HuntStand Ultimate to See Remaining Rut Dates, Whitetail Activity Forecasts, and Much More
HuntStand Ultimate offers a plethora of tools. For many hunters, the Whitetail Activity Forecast and Whitetail Rut Map are greatly used features. These and more are the perfect tools for researching the best times to deer hunt, especially with specific early season, pre-rut, rut, and post-rut tactics and timeframes in mind.
While the rut is completely over in Arkansas and Virginia, it isn’t everywhere. The peak rut is still on, or yet to occur, in parts of southern Alabama, western Florida (Panhandle), eastern Louisiana, and Southeastern Mississippi. Upgrade to HuntStand Ultimate to see county-by-county date ranges for pre-rut, peak rut, waning rut, pre-second rut, and second rate timelines for every state in the country.
For those who still have a bit of deer season itch to scratch, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Load up the truck and road trip to one of the destinations outlined above. You’ll enjoy some fun late-winter deer hunting while everyone else is at home on the couch.
