Food is a driving force of our daily life, and for good reason. After all, we are animals and all animals have to eat. So how does this affect us in hunting the animals we hunt? It really boils down to the food. In wildlife management, food plots are an...
There was one particular food plot deer always used in daylight. The rest of my food plots looked like a vacant motel scene. But I couldn’t quite figure out why this one particular food plot produced so much daytime action. What did that one have that the others didn’t? All...
Yep, spring turkey season is in the last stage in some parts of the country. In places like New Hampshire and even Nebraska, it runs until the end of May. Maine closes at the end of shooting hours on June 1 this year. Late-season turkeys can respond differently to your...
You got permission to hunt a property. You leased a piece of land. Maybe you even purchased your own hunting oasis through Realtree United Country . Now, spring is over. The hot summer sun is upon us. And sweat drips down on the regular. Hard work is hard enough already...
Record bucks. They aren’t what drive hunters to the woods each year. But they captivate our thoughts. They all have a story. Do you know what your state record whitetails are? Wonder what other states produced? Here is every state record whitetail in the country. If it’s a record holder,...
Opening day of gun season found me perched 14 feet in the air, sitting in my tripod stand and monitoring a food plot 100 yards in front of me. Less than an hour later, my sabot slug took down a fat, 8-point buck, making all the time and sweat equity...
You've bought a new hunting property. Maybe you even purchased it through Realtree United Country . The first step in managing it should be to improve the carrying capacity of whatever game animal, or animals, you want to hunt. Immediately talk to your local USDA/NRCS agent and let them help...
Something about Rio Grande turkeys makes me go a little gaga. Maybe it’s my affinity for the mostly wide-open spaces that Rios call home. Perhaps it’s the sense of adventure inherent in traveling from my Minnesota home to Rio country. It probably has something to do with the opportunity to...
Have you missed a turkey? Join the club. Here's how to improve your shooting skills. 1. Quick Shot The flock suddenly appeared, materializing on the high Pennsylvania ridgetop. Driven by target panic, I raised my gun, swiftly took aim at a legal turkey, and fired. While I fully expected the...
Calling wild turkeys to your setup position is the essence of this tradition. But sometimes it's not enough. Tired of that longbeard tossing you courtesy gobbles? Sure, that bird might be henned up. It might also not like the view between where it struts and where you sit. Your yelps...
Shooting a turkey always makes the old emotions flow. There’s much joy for the success achieved, some measure of relief from the hunt's intensity (especially those make-or-break closing minutes as a gobbler finishes his approach), and even a little regret for removing such a creature from the face of the...
Turkey season is upon us -- or soon will be, depending on where you live. The landscape is starting to green up. The dogwoods will soon begin to bloom. And, if this season is like years past, you’ll be preparing yet another list of excuses for why you didn’t get...
