He was a jake when we first met. It was April 24, 2016, and he came in dogging the steps of an eager-to-die 3-year-old. The big gobbler answered my first call, then crossed a valley at the speed of a forced-march. He paused behind a tree at 70 yards, just...
Recently, someone asked me on the Ask Winke part of MidwestWhitetail.com to go through my shooting form and the key things I think about when shooting a bow. That sparked this post. I’m not a world-class archer, but I learned to shoot a bow from guys who are. All of...
Passionate deer hunters are prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at them. From bowhunting on a hot, humid September afternoon to sitting quietly in a treestand on a frosty November morning, deer hunting requires patience, persistence and the right pair of boots for the conditions. Your hunting boots should be...
It was one of those hunts where everything was coming together. After a hot, windy morning with almost no gobbling, my wife, Cheryl, and I finally struck up a pair of willing longbeards. They were just over the rise and out of sight. We had them on a string, each...
If we can see any type of silver lining in recent events, it’s that everyone realizes just how important it is to supply as much of your own food as possible. Because most of us already hunt and fish, we’re ahead of the curve. But there are other ways to...
Hunting is uniquely primitive, but technological advances continue to modernize it. This includes texting trail cams, bow-mounted rangefinders, shot-tracking devices, and apps that do everything from helping you scout one particular deer to helping you track it after the shot. In fact, apps have exploded in popularity in recent years,...
In my experience, every longbeard in Mississippi’s Homochitto National Forest is a Bad Bird. But the bird I came to know as the Eddiceton Warrior was among the baddest. Not only did he whip turkey hunters, but he whipped his fellow turkeys, too. We crossed paths in 2009 when a...
Want to increase the challenge of deer hunting? Start hunting bucks that are one year older than what most hunters shoot in your area. If most bowhunters in your area shoot 1 1/2-year-old bucks, set your sights on 2 1/2-year-old bucks. Don’t get caught in the trap of trying to...
It had been a long three hours. We had slipped in well before daylight and popped out a blind along the ridgetop pasture. Our quiet yelps had gone unanswered since sunrise. We knew there were toms in the area; we’d watched them fly up while scouting the evening before, and...
Farming isn’t just a job; it’s a passion. Living on the farm means no clocking out at the end of the day. You need boots that can go the distance – boots with the support and protection needed to focus on the challenges of getting the work done. While most...
Alabama turkeys are paranoid, unpredictable and unforgiving. They’re not like the Easterns that live in, say, Missouri or Ohio or New York. The birds that lived on my friend Ken Buce’s farm in Alabama were no exception. If one gobbled, he usually got a response from a hunter. And if...
At the beginning of every shed hunting season, I always imagine the treasure trove of deer antlers I will find. Then, reality sets in. I end up with a few good antlers, a bunch of dinks, and some weird stuff. This year, I found a ram’s horn. Last year, it...
