It's every hunter's nightmare. Something that no man wants to ever experience. It's December, halfway through the deer season, and you haven't killed anything. Oh no...

So what's the problem? Are you not seeing deer? Are you missing deer? Are you losing interest?

Actually, it doesn't matter. All of those are equally humiliating. Try not to let the humiliation get to you though because we have all been there. Your friends are all killing deer, your dad has probably cut your shirt tail because you've missed, and the sorority girl you've been texting thinks she can give you tips because she hunted that one time. It sucks, I know. Just try and stay calm. We'll get through this together.

So how are we going to fix this?

Well for starters, if you're using a bow throw the d*mn thing in the closet and get your rifle out. Playing with a stick and string is for children. Actually if you've been using a bow this whole time and haven't killed a deer then just exit out of this article, go sit in the truck, and think about what you have done. I have no sympathy for you.

I'm talking to you Hunter Aultman.

Okay now that we have gotten that squared away let's talk about your tactics.

At this point in your hunting career you are desperate. Don't try to act like you aren't. It's December and you're deer-less. You're desperate. Accept it.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Stop just sitting there in your stand waiting on something to happen. Yeah, you know where I am going with this. It's time to break out all of your cool stuff. Grunt calls, rattling horns, and deer scents. Hell, bring whatever you got and use it.

Ideally, this is will work for you and that big buck will make that mistake and come into your shooting range.

But maybe he won't.

In which case you are left with one option. Settle.

God just typing that word makes me nauseous. Nobody wants to settle for a less than mediocre deer, I don't care what they say.

"I'm just happy to be out here doing what I like to do. I don't care what I kill." Shut up. Yes you do. And that's okay because so do I.

Now the season is coming close to an end and you haven't killed anything so you might have to settle for something a little smaller than that 140" class you had your heart set on. Just two pieces of advice. Make sure he's legal and don't tell your friends about it.

There is one last thing you can do to try and save your season. If you're in a hunting club with your buddies and you know they have been seeing deer, then go hunt their stands. In doing this you are now the ass of the hunting club, so you might as well own that title.

You can't just hunt your friends stand and also be nice about it. You have to make sure he knows that you are in there hunting so it will make him even more mad. And if you do kill a big buck, you have to rub it in his face. It's like the laws of hunting.

In all seriousness don't get too discouraged. Your bad season can change in a matter of seconds. Be patient, hunt hard, and hunt ethically. Good things will happen to you.