Tips & Tactics

Entries for 'Gray Loon'

Be Still, My Beating Heart!

Be Still, My Beating Heart!

By Mike Bolinder

I can’t speak for other bowhunters, but after sitting stone still in a treestand for several hours and a shooter buck comes walking in, my heartbeat goes from zero to 100 in about three seconds flat! There’s nothing wrong with that reaction because it means you are excited and having fun, however, an accelerated heart rate can mean big ... READ MORE

Deer Calls: Go All Out!

Deer Calls: Go All Out!

By Donnie Carroll

I’d like to share something with Buckmasters fans that I learned as a young hunter. When I was a kid, my dad wasn’t always as open to trying out new tactics as I was. We didn’t do a lot of exploring when we hunted together. When I finally reached the age when I could hunt all by myself, I found myself testing out things I’d... READ MORE

Through a Child’s Eyes

Through a Child’s Eyes

By Tristen Truman

Photo: Tristen Truman (left) is a young man whose passion for hunting came from his father. Now, he is passing it down to his grandparents’ adopted son, Michael. This is their special buck from West Virginia’s 2016 season. My tips are in reference to hunting with kids, which isn’t always easy. But it can still be fun. This is a to... READ MORE

Hang Your Ladder Stands Safely

Hang Your Ladder Stands Safely

By Hunter Safety System

Hanging treestands is one of the more difficult and dangerous tasks hunters face — even ladder stands. Our friends at Hunter Safety System created a short video entitled "How to Hang a Ladder Stand Safely" that will help put your mind at ease and make the job easier. It features tips for installing what we at Buckmasters consider to be the mo... READ MORE

Dragging Shouldn’t be a Drag

Dragging Shouldn’t be a Drag

By Justin DePree and Tim H. Martin

Photo: Justin DuPree shares an observation about dragging deer — especially does — often overlooked by hunters. This might seem like simple common sense for most woodsmen, but over the years I’ve personally encountered several hunters who make a fundamental deer-dragging mistake. Without access to an ATV or game car... READ MORE

That’s a Wrap!

That’s a Wrap!

By Richard Mowry

Photo: Why didn’t we think of this before? Richard Mowry of Monroe, Connecticut sends us his simple tip for rainy days. Here, the hunter poses with his nice archery-taken 8-pointer. When hunting on public land and on private land in some states, it’s necessary to carry my wallet with hunting license, tags, written permission and other p... READ MORE

Cool Hunting Product Alert: OMEALS

Cool Hunting Product Alert: OMEALS

By Tim H. Martin

I’m always on the lookout for cool new products for Buckmasters fans. When I received an email from an agency promoting a ‘self-heating home style meal requiring no stove or flame,’ I was intrigued. The email explained all you need is 3 to 5 ounces of liquid to activate the heating pack — even old coffee or creek water! I h... READ MORE

Don’t Split that Neck! Use the Y Cut

Don’t Split that Neck! Use the Y Cut

By Dave Graber

Photo: Dave Graber says there’s no need to split the entire neck of your buck when removing the cape. A small Y cut is MUCH better. Next time you shoot a buck you’d like to mount, but plan to cape (remove the skin from the skull) and freeze for later, do your taxidermist a favor. Don’t split the skin all the way up the back of the... READ MORE

No-brainer Yardage Marking

No-brainer Yardage Marking

By Kim Wages

Photo: Buckmasters member Kim Wages shares his tip for bowhunters who want to make remembering yardages a no-brainer. Here, Kim poses with one of his many trophies, a beautiful Georgia 10-pointer. One of the hardest things for a bowhunter to do is range a deer at the moment of truth. With a bow in one hand and a release in the other, it’s dif... READ MORE

Go With Your Gut!

Go With Your Gut!

By Mike Handley

Photo: The night before he arrowed this Nebraska brute, Rack magazine editor Mike Handley bought The Can on a whim. Going with his gut has worked well for Mike during his long and successful hunting career. Going with your instincts is an important element of deer hunting. Sure, experimenting in the field will sometimes result in flubs, but experi... READ MORE

Rolling Along the Blood Trail

Rolling Along the Blood Trail

By Don Coffman

Photo: Finding and staying on a blood trail is difficult enough in the daylight, but after dark it can be nearly impossible. This tip will help you keep rolling along. One thing I always carry with me on hunting trips is unscented toilet paper. But it might not be for the purpose you are thinking. Bright white toilet paper is perfect for tearing of... READ MORE

Stop That Deer!

Stop That Deer!

By Tim H. Martin

Avoid a common bowhunter’s mistake. How many times have you watched a hunting show and seen this scenario? A deer approaches a hunter, usually a bowhunter, and the shot is made as soon as the deer is in range, yet it’s still walking. Nearly always, the hit will barely clip the back edge of the vital area or result in a gut shot. Invaria... READ MORE

Gun Slings: To Remove or Not to Remove?

Gun Slings: To Remove or Not to Remove?

By Joe Palermo

Photo: Joe Palermo took this gorgeous Kentucky buck in November of 2015. Joe has contributed numerous tips to Buckmasters Tip of the Week, including this week’s thoughts on detaching gun slings. Gun slings are one of the handiest things most hunters use, yet we rarely give them much thought. You don’t always need to have a sling, but tr... READ MORE

Natural Boot Deodorizers

Natural Boot Deodorizers

By Bernie Moss

Photo: Bernie Moss sent us a unique tip for deodorizing boots he learned from his uncle. Here, Bernie poses with a nice Ohio 8-pointer he took on his birthday. You know how new boots have a strong odor that’s difficult to get rid of? My uncle taught me his trick for deodorizing new boots, as well as his old, well-worn boots. I grew up on a fa... READ MORE

Hunting’s SECOND Handiest Item?

Hunting’s SECOND Handiest Item?

By David Johnson and Tim H. Martin

Don’t Trim It — Zip It! — Tip Submission by David Johnson I’m one of those hunters who believe the less brush cutting and trimming you do, the less likely Ol’ Big Boy is going to notice your intrusion into his world. Instead of hacking tree branches, I use zip ties to pull back and secure obstructing foliage from of my... READ MORE

Take Great Field Photos: Part Two

Take Great Field Photos: Part Two

By Tim H. Martin

Last week we shared tips for taking magazine quality field photos, techniques used by hunting industry professionals, and the frustrations of magazine editors over bad field photos. Field photos, also known as grip-and-grins, are photos of hunters posing with their freshly killed animals, usually taken by a friend or relative of the hunter. This we... READ MORE

Take Great Field Photos: Part One

Take Great Field Photos: Part One

By Tim H. Martin and Mike Handley

Field photos, also known as grip-and-grins, are photos of hunters posing with their freshly killed animals, usually taken by a friend or relative of the hunter. As Art Director of Rack Magazine, each year, I receive hundreds of field photos. Sadly and all-too-often, the images are unusable, even of world-class bucks. You’d be shocked how many... READ MORE

The ‘Belly Up’ Kit

The ‘Belly Up’ Kit

By Dave Zilai

Photo: Buckmasters Life Member Dave Zilai invented a simple kit that makes it easier to field dress deer alone. His buddy, who lost the use of an arm due to polio, inspired Dave’s device. — Editor’s Note by Tim H. Martin This tip is actually an invention. Buckmasters Life Member Dave Zilai of Lowell, Indiana sent it to us, along w... READ MORE

Venison Scrap Dog Treats

Venison Scrap Dog Treats

By Bob Takeo

Photo: Bob Takeo shares a fantastic idea for utilizing every scrap of your deer, even the silver muscle-lining tissue. Last season, I was home when my son returned from a successful deer hunting trip. My family processes our own venison, so I decided to stick around to help out. As we were taking care of the meat, I was about to toss a fistful of s... READ MORE

Dark Woods Dilemma?

Dark Woods Dilemma?

By Cyndie Fox

Photo: Alaskans like Cyndie Fox are prepared for short days and handling situations in the dark. Shown here with a black-tailed buck and gorgeous Arctic fox, Cyndie shares a great tip with whitetail hunters. Buckmasters fans, hello from Anchorage, Alaska! Although we don’t have whitetails like you in the lower 48, we do have black-tailed deer... READ MORE

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd