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Leaded or Unleaded
By Ken Piper
It’s not a big deal if you have to go to a lead-free bullet. There’s a big push to get rid of lead. In the sporting world, that includes everything from fishing weights to bullets. Eco-warriors argue lead left in the environment from hunters and fishermen is killing endangered species, and several states have responded by banning lead a... READ MORE
Have Stand, Will Travel
By Ken Piper
If you want to enjoy consistent action, don’t be predictable. It’s been said your odds of shooting a buck are best the first time you hunt from a given stand. I don’t think there is any concrete data to back that up, but I definitely experience a steady decline of deer sightings when hunting from a stand throughout a season. There... READ MORE
Great Expectations
By Ken Piper
Don't hold out for a buck that isn't there. I once saw a cartoon that showed a dress-wearing skeleton sitting at a park bench with a caption that read, "Waiting for the perfect man." If you base your deer hunting expectations on Buckmasters covers or Twitter posts from Illinois, Kansas and Iowa, you could turn into a skeleton waiting for such a dee... READ MORE
Speed Kills
By Ken Piper
Faster is usually better in trail camera statistics, but know what those figures mean. Let’s wrap up this set of trail camera tips with a discussion about trigger speed and recovery time. Those two terms are often confused or misunderstood by hunters looking to buy a new camera, and you need to know what they mean before you can consider whic... READ MORE
The Heat of the Moment
By Ken Piper
Trail camera settings affect performance in high or low temperatures. Last week we talked about the importance of using quality batteries to run your trail cameras efficiently and effectively. This week we’ll cover another little-understood camera item, the PIR sensitivity setting. Most hunters look at that setting and assume a high sensitivi... READ MORE
Battery Shock
By Ken Piper
That jolt you feel when looking at the price of lithium batteries could cost you real money. Look, I get it. The price of lithium batteries seems crazy when compared to the same number of alkaline batteries. When you're standing in the store holding the two packages in your hand, why on earth would you select the one that costs twice as much? Actua... READ MORE
Ooh Ooh That Smell
By Ken Piper
Deer urine attractants aren’t so popular indoors. We recently received a question in our Ask the Biologist inbox about how to remove deer urine smell from a vehicle seat. It seems a lid for a bottle of buck lure wasn’t screwed on tightly enough. Biologist Bob Humphrey recommended trying a hunting scent-killing spray on the area, and tha... READ MORE
Turkey Time!
By Ken Piper
It’s not deer hunting, but it’s still a whole lot of fun and excitement. Turkey seasons are either under way or about to begin throughout most of the states that deer hunters call home. Whether it’s because calling turkeys seems intimidating or because they simply have never done it, far too many deer hunters don’t take adva... READ MORE
Honey Locust, I’m Home
By Ken Piper
Every region has lesser-known high-draw whitetail food sources. One of the best ways to experience steady deer action throughout a hunting season is to key on the most desirable food sources. The peak appeal of a given source can vary from days to weeks, and the shorter the window, the more intense the action will be. There aren’t many deer h... READ MORE
Read the Sign
By Ken Piper
Put some fun back into your hunting by going back to basics. Have you ever seen a magazine article that explains how to tell the difference between a buck track and a doe track? How about one that says you can identify a deer’s sex by examining its droppings? While it’s fun to speculate about such techniques, it is virtually impossible ... READ MORE
Paper or Plastic?
By Ken Piper
We like roll-top sacks, thank you very much.
Last week we discussed the benefits of using a roll-top sack to carry your insulated clothing to the stand, but there are other ways to use these handy bags.
Whether you’re packing for an out-of-state trip, or if you like to keep an instant hunt setup in your vehicle, roll-top sacks will keep you... READ MORE
It’s In the Bag
By Ken Piper
There’s a better way to stay sweat-free during the walk to your stand. One of the keys to remaining undetected and comfortable in your stand is to arrive there sweat-free. It helps to take your time walking in, but heavy gear, the anticipation of the coming hunt and the rushed feeling from the extra 20 minutes of sleep you got can kick-start ... READ MORE
Never Say Never
By Ken Piper
“Never” and “always” don’t apply to whitetail behavior. When I started hunting whitetails on public land in Pennsylvania, one of the first things I learned was to watch for the last deer in any group. If there was going to be a buck, it was almost always last in line. As I’ve traveled and hunted in other states, ... READ MORE
Carpet Tagger
By Ken Piper
Hang onto a few sections of your old carpet to use in your deer stands. Old carpet has several uses for deer hunters. You can cut a section of carpet to the exact shape of the platform of your climber, lock-on or ladder stand. The carpet quiets shifting feet, but the best benefit is it creates a barrier between your boots and the bare metal. Metal ... READ MORE
See the Light
By Ken Piper
Find an easily accessible spot to store your headlamp. Most whitetail hunters wear a headlamp into or out of the woods. Most also spend some frustrating minutes trying to locate said headlamp in a pack or pocket. Try to get into the habit of always putting your headlamp in the same place when you take it off. It can be a particular pocket in your p... READ MORE
Cold Slap in the Face
By Ken Piper
A facemask can keep you in your stand, but don’t let it ruin your hunt. Deer hunting the late seasons requires you to endure one difficult obstacle: Staying in your stand through cold temperatures. Even if your cold-weather vigils are shorter than your hunts from earlier in the season, it doesn’t take long for your nose and ears to get ... READ MORE
Silence is Golden
By Ken Piper
There’s a good reason the TV pros whisper after taking a shot. One of the more frequent questions we get at Buckmasters is, “Why do hunting celebrities whisper after taking a shot? The deer is already hit, so what’s the point?” There are several very important reasons to be quiet immediately after shooting a whitetail, and a... READ MORE
A Little Dirt Never Hurt
By Ken Piper
Extend the life of your expensive hunting clothing by neglecting it (a little). While deer hunting is just heating up in parts of the deep South, the season is a memory to the rest of the nation’s whitetail hunters. As you prepare to store your gear for the off-season, don’t stress too much about your clothing. Smart whitetail hunters a... READ MORE
Comfort Starts at Your Feet
By Ken Piper
Install a footrest on your favorite stand to make it even more lovable. The more time you put in a treestand, the more you become aware of the aches, pains and stiffness that comes with sitting immobile for hours on end (those of you in your 20s and 30s will know what we’re talking about in a few more years). There is one small add-on that do... READ MORE
Say No to Sweat
By Ken Piper
Go slowly and carry your insulated clothes in a dry bag. The key to being comfortable in a deer stand in cold weather is wearing good-quality, well-insulated clothing. The right clothes will help you stay in the stand longer and make your hunt much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, those same clothes will make you sweat during the walk in to your stan... READ MORE