Deer Hunting Articles

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Kentucky Hunting Buddies Double Up on Opening Day Monsters

September 22, 2022   |  From Articles

Robby Bishop and Hunter Wood were destined to be friends. Robby’s dad and Hunter’s grandfather were best friends and hunting partners. Their cousins and uncles all hung out together. So, when the two started talking about mutual outdoor interests years ago, it was only natural that they became friends. “There’s...

6 of Our Last 11 Bucks Have Had CWD. Now What?

September 15, 2022   |  From Articles

I caught movement to my right as the buck walked around the side of the hill below a rock outcropping, nose to the ground and on a mission for the first hot doe. I slowly stood and came to full draw as he disappeared briefly behind a large red oak...

7 Great DIY Deer Hunts

September 13, 2022   |  From Articles

If you seek adventure, part of the allure of the outdoors is seeing new places. Hunting provides that opportunity and creates additional elements to enjoy. Forging a DIY pursuit can add additional fun, as being successful on your own sweat, time, and expertise makes it even more rewarding. Although hunters...

Do Biologists Listen to Hunters?

September 13, 2022   |  From Articles

The chatter usually starts after a slow day in the deer woods or duck blind. Disgruntled hunters wonder what went wrong and begin to grumble about the folks charged with managing their wildlife. It’s nothing new. For years, hunters across the country have questioned the competency or even intentions of...

Lessons Learned from 15 Freaky 200-Inch Bucks

September 7, 2022   |  From Articles

Huge whitetails are captivating. They’re so uncommon we rarely get to see, observe or shoot one, let alone learn from it. So when we read and hear stories of monster bucks, it’s important to dig into them and see what useful information we can glean. After a decade of writing...

Hunting the 3 States with the Most Deer

September 6, 2022   |  From Articles

Hunters spend more time and money on gear, property, and habitat improvement for whitetails than any other North American species. Why are whitetails so popular among hunters? Supply. At least 44 of our mainland states — plus several Canadian provinces — have populations of whitetails to hunt. Why are whitetails...

10 More Deer Hunting Myths Debunked

August 30, 2022   |  From Articles

A talking head on outdoor TV puffs his chest and declares, “Man, the full moon is the worst time to hunt!” Sounds pretty good, and you buy it. Your daddy told you never to overhunt a spot, and you never doubt Pops. Stands to reason that if another hunter tromps...

10 Best Times to Deer Hunt

August 24, 2022   |  From Articles

Deer hunting is a game of odds. It’s also a game of decisions. Knowing when to hunt, when not to, and when the conditions are best for you are all part of the process. In my book, there are 10 times, conditions, or situations when odds become more favorable for...

When is it OK to Hunt a Property Line?

August 22, 2022   |  From Articles

One October day, my buddy Steve barged into the camp house, face red as a blood moon. “Some dang guy is fence-sitting down on the south side,” he said, spittle flying. “Put a stand 10 yards off our line. I’m gonna go over there and tear it down!” “You’ll do...

Is Iowa Still the Big-Buck Promised Land?

August 12, 2022   |  From Articles

On June 17, I received the e-mail that anyone who enters Iowa’s deer draw hopes to find in their inbox: My application had been successful for an either-sex, late-muzzleloader deer tag, which also includes a mandatory antlerless tag. My last Iowa deer tag was a 2019 archery tag, so I’m...

How to Pattern a Buck During the Pre-Season

August 10, 2022   |  From Articles

Deer season is just around the corner, and before long, opening day will be knocking at the door. Will you be a step ahead of the game? While there are no guarantees in whitetail hunting, we can increase our odds of success dramatically by keying in on bucks during the...

25 Tips for New Deer Hunters

August 8, 2022   |  From Articles

Black, beady eyes bore into yours. Ears sling forward like two satellites homing in on a signal. Then the inevitable — deafening snorts that send every deer in the field packing. You’ve spooked another deer, and filling that first tag seems tougher than ever before. Looking from the outside in,...

David Blanton’s Best Trail Camera Tips

July 28, 2022   |  From Articles

Some hunters might not like summer, but I think it’s an exciting season, mainly because of the information and entertainment I enjoy while running trail cameras. The process is pure fun, letting me savor the woods during the off-season and glimpse deer and other wildlife in their natural habitat. Moreover,...

15 Fascinating Facts About Whitetail Biology and Behavior

July 25, 2022   |  From Articles

One of the most interesting aspects of deer hunting is observing whitetails in their natural habitat. Seeing what they do and determining why they do it can be exhilarating. And although we still don’t know everything about whitetails, biologists have made great advancements in the past 20 years. Check out...

Really, How Old is that Buck?

July 7, 2022   |  From Articles

More than ever, deer hunters want to know the age of the animals they’re shooting. In fact, for many hunters, the question of whether a buck is “mature” or not is more important than the size of its antlers. The proof is in nationwide harvest trends. According to the National...

How to Protect Your Hunting Spots

July 1, 2022   |  From Articles

Hunter numbers are declining everywhere, so they say. But private land lease prices are skyrocketing, land sales prices are soaring, and public lands are busting at the seams with people. It’s never been more important to protect the hunting spots you do have. Here are some things to do, and...

Off-Season Game Plans for This Fall's Bucks

June 13, 2022   |  From Articles

The winter woods seem almost too calm, with beams of sunlight showing through the canopy and onto the snow. Then the silence is broken by a limb snapping behind me. A slow turn of my head reveals a big 10-pointer I’d followed for two years. The season before, in the...

Coaxing Perfection: Mike Miller’s Flintlock Muzzleloaders

June 6, 2022   |  From Articles

Being an old-fashioned sort of guy, Mike Miller doesn’t get into discussions about the best centerfire deer cartridges or if a particular model of shotgun is better than another. But he’ll talk your leg off about why early American gunmakers usually chose maple rather than walnut for their gun stocks,...

10 Takeaways from the 2021 Deer Season

January 28, 2022   |  From Articles

Hanback’s Lessons Crafty and insanely unpredictable, a whitetail buck that has roamed this Earth for 4 or 5 years is the ultimate teacher. No matter how long you’ve been hunting, no matter good you think you are, no matter how much you think you know, a big deer will throw...

Hunt the Deep South’s January Deer Rut

January 10, 2022   |  From Articles

As you read this, I’m down in central Louisiana hunting the tail end of the rut. While the breeding season in these woods peaked a few weeks ago around Christmas, many bucks are still actively seeking does. Hopefully I’ll whack a bayou giant before I pack up and drive 10...

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