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Smarter Bowhunting Starts With Backups
By Mark Melotik
After a summer’s worth of pre-hunt prep that likely includes infusing new gear into your arsenal, as well as plenty of range-time practice, our focus soon turns to making the most of each and every day of our limited time afield. And once bowhunting seasons open, few things will keep you out there hunting and scouting effectively as carrying ... READ MORE
Tick Control for Deer Hunters
By Mark Melotik
The calendar may have just clicked into summer but if you’ve been living the outdoors lifestyle you know that ticks have been active for several months already. And will be for several more. And it makes no difference whether you live in our country’s southern or northern tier. Even in northern-tier Midwestern states, ticks are active a... READ MORE
Make the Most of Testing Season
By Mark Melotik
Summer is finally here, and for deer hunters, that means it's testing season. Those who have recently added new bows and guns need to log plenty of range time, but those are the obvious chores that, for most of us, have become regular rituals. There should be plenty more. The fact is new gear comes in many forms, so there are many more tests that w... READ MORE
Try Adding Some Private To Public
By Mark Melotik
You may be familiar with The Hunting Public team and its informative and entertaining YouTube channel that focuses on hunting public lands across prime whitetail states. Indeed, 38-year-old Mis-souri resident Aaron Warbritton and his team are all about making the most of the opportunities found on America's wide-ranging public lands. But they're no... READ MORE
You Spooked a Buck: Game Over?
By Mark Melotik
Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: Spooking a mature buck does not mean you'll never see it again. In fact, if you're out scouting, it might just be the best thing that could happen to your upcoming hunts.
Why be so optimistic at a time when many feel their hunt in a specific area is now virtually over? It's pretty simple. When a b... READ MORE
Prep Now for Better Mobile Hunting
By Mark Melotik
Many larger public-land tracts hold the kind of isolated habitat big bucks crave, but to access some of them there’s a catch. Yes, you can hunt anywhere you’d like within those boundaries, but you’ve got to pack in all your gear — and have it out by nightfall of that same day.
As a youngster in Wisconsin, I once thought tho... READ MORE
Single Pin Vs. Multi Pin Bowsights
By Mark Melotik
One component of better deer hunting is choosing the right gear, and these days there are a lot of quality choices. One of the current hot topics in bowhunting is sight selection, a debate that boils down to two main categories: single-pin and multi-pin. Which is right for you? That depends, especially when you consider hybrid models that combine b... READ MORE
Hunt the Inside Corners
By Mark Melotik
It's a common dilemma for landowners who've decided to make the leap and install a food plot or two on their new hunting land, a move many figure will be the icing on the cake to their own personal can't-miss deer honey hole. Come season opener, they'll want to see first-hand the results of all their hard work and, in many cases, substantial invest... READ MORE
Patience: The Key To More Big-Woods Bucks
By Mark Melotik
Veteran turkey hunters know that one of the keys to success with most every setup is a good dose of patience. A fired-up tom’s booming gobbles might be seemingly shaking the woods all around you, but it might well be another frustrating hour — or two — before he finally struts into sight. And then there is the type of extreme pati... READ MORE
Tuning Makes Good Shooters Great
By Mark Melotik
One of the rites of spring for many bowhunters is kickstarting shooting practice sessions. Regular practice will improve anyone’s accuracy, but you might never realize your potential until you can tune your bow proficiently.
The truth is, pinpoint accuracy and consistency are impossible with an out-of-tune bow. The good news? A few simple ... READ MORE
Hunt Outside-In
By Mark Melotik
If last season was short on mature buck sightings and encounters despite an honest effort, it might be time to try changing up your approach this fall. Instead of hunting “inside-out,” try hunting “outside-in,” a time-honored tactic followed by many successful deer-country outfitters.
Confused? Don’t be. Come openin... READ MORE
Build Your Own Deer Waterhole
By Mark Melotik
Of the many projects deer hunters should be juggling during the spring, creating a manmade waterhole on your property might be one of the biggest keys to early season bowhunting success.
If your land lacks water sources, installing a simple DIY waterhole makes good sense because it will not only keep deer on your property, but also help position... READ MORE
The Key To Growing Bigger Bucks
By Mark Melotik
Many deer hunters who manage their own land dream of taking a "personal-best" buck they may have had a hand in developing. A worthy goal, for sure. But as in most all things, simply working hard toward that end may not be as helpful as working smarter — especially when it comes to what you plant and allow to grow wild on your property.
Tha... READ MORE
The Moon vs. Deer
By Mark Melotik
One of the legacies left by longtime outdoor writer Jeff Murray is that he's credited with being among the first to connect deer movements to moon phases. It's a topic that has always been somewhat controversial, and yet continues to spark the interest of today's deer hunters looking for an edge. Is there an actual moon/deer connection? Some relati... READ MORE
Hinge-Cutting: Even Better Than Believed?
By Mark Melotik
For many years now, hunters managing land specifically for deer hunting have known about a habitat-improving technique called hinge-cutting, but a recent study suggests the practice may be even more beneficial to the deer on your property than once thought.
Hinge-cutting is defined loosely as partially cutting through a tree trunk to act as a hi... READ MORE
Better Food Plotting Starts Now
By Mark Melotik
Some deer hunters in search of quality hunting land decide to take the plunge and purchase a plot specifically for hunting. And one of the first things they want to do upon stepping foot onto their new property is establish a food plot or two. While most food plotting begins in earnest in mid summer — to prep deer-attracting plots for hunting... READ MORE
Ratchet Straps: a Deer Hunter’s Best Friend
By Mark Melotik
Safety should be every treestander’s biggest concern, and now is a good time to think about on how safely you hunted last fall and how you can improve in 2025. A good start? Always keep a ratchet strap in your pack and/or a few in your vehicle in case you need to quickly improve one of your favorite stand sets.
I do a fair amount of public... READ MORE
Hog Hunting Can Improve Your Success with Deer
By Mark Melotik
For many avid deer hunters a new year means new challenges and adventures. One I highly recommend, especially for those who hunt primarily from treestands and blinds, is making the commitment to take a buck by still-hunting. And maybe the best part is you can begin practicing right now and become a more deadly still-hunter this fall.
Make no mis... READ MORE
Try a Thumb-Trigger Release
By Mark Melotik
Were you happy with your bowhunting accuracy last fall using a standard index-finger release aid? If not, I have a suggestion: Try a thumb-trigger release. This has been my hunting release of choice for the past 15 years or so, and right after the switch from my previous favorite index-finger design, my confidence, accuracy and shooting consistency... READ MORE
Why To Prep Bad-Weather Stands
By Mark Melotik
When most die-hard whitetailers think of ideal hunting conditions, I’d guess most would picture a cool, crisp autumn day some time in the late pre-rut, a period when mature bucks are finally getting on their feet and moving consistently in daylight. Classic conditions like those are what many of us live for, but the fact of the matter is that... READ MORE