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Less Is More
By Ken Piper
Forget shooting lanes and cut shooting windows instead.
Last week we discussed the importance of keeping your bow shots makeable but not too close to where you expect to see deer. The premise is it’s great to see deer, but you still have to be able to move enough to get off a shot.
Another aspect of that same philosophy is keeping shooting ... READ MORE
Too Close for Comfort
By Ken Piper
Don’t set up for 20-yard shots if you can shoot well out to 30. One of the most common problems with stand setups is being too close. It’s natural to want an easier shot, but your odds of getting that shot off go up dramatically the farther you set up from the deer’s travel area. Early in my bowhunting days, I used to cut lanes in... READ MORE
Gear Review
By Realtree’s Bill Jordan
This is a great time to get your stuff in order for the coming seasons. Now is the time to consider the upcoming hunting season – and the gear you will be using. Some gear will need repair and other gear will need to be replaced. That’s a good place to start sorting your stuff – a “fix-it” pile and a “replace-it&... READ MORE
Stay Grounded
By Ken Piper
A few extra tips for making your ground blind more effective. A few weeks ago, we covered the benefits of using ground blinds in your whitetail strategy. I wanted to follow up with a few more subtle things you can do to increase your odds of success from a blind. When it comes to scent, blinds help contain your smell, but the fact that you’re... READ MORE
Eye Level Excitement
By Ken Piper
There’s a learning curve associated with using ground blinds effectively. I used to love hunting from treestands. My Summit climber was my best friend, and I had some amazing hunts and shot many deer from its comfortable confines. Conversely, I used to hate ground blinds. I missed opportunities at several decent bucks because of various probl... READ MORE
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