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Homemade Rattling Antlers are COOL
By Duane Western
Photo: Homemade rattling antlers are beautiful and functional. – Photo Courtesy Ryan Noffsinger If you are thinking about making your own set of rattling antlers, here are some things to consider. I discovered this tip through a bit of bad luck — actually — good luck. Since I wanted to make my own set from scratch, and I began sea... READ MORE
Before You Claim Your Game …
By Matthew McDaniel
Photo: There are steps to follow before claiming downed game of any species. A wounded whitetail is a potentially deadly animal. Here are some things we should all teach our children before they go hunting — this goes for beginner adults, too. My father always taught me that deer's behavior is oftentimes deceptive, especially if they are inj... READ MORE
Mock Scrape Super Tip
By Paul Odem
Photo: The use of a doe-in-heat or buck-in-rut scent bomb along with a urine-based dripper only adds to the effect. One of my favorite tactics for luring local bucks to my trail cameras or my treestand locations is using mock scrapes. To create a mock scrape, you must have a limb that hangs about head-high to a deer, which is approximately naval- t... READ MORE
Clear a Path to Success!
By Danny Rasnake
Photo: Small things lead to successful deer hunting. Raking a path to your stand could help put venison in your freezer. One of the most important aspects of deer hunting is getting to and from our treestands quietly. Without silent entries and exits, deer are alerted to our presence, which decreases our odds of success. Once leaves start to fall,... READ MORE
Simple Solutions for Bowhunting Misses
By Bob Humphrey and Yamaha Outdoors
Photo: There’s usually a simple solution for eliminating bowhunting miscues. There are many reasons why bowhunters miss deer. The most common is simply misjudging distance. That one’s relatively easy to remedy. Use a rangefinder. You should also spend idle time on stand practicing your range estimation. Pick a spot, ... READ MORE
Scent Surroundings & Odor Killing
By David Cruson
Photo: Matching cover scents to the areas you are hunting is as important as using topical odor killing sprays. At a time when companies are dedicated to putting the best possible cover scents on the market, I’ve found many deer hunters are buying products that don’t even apply to their hunting areas. This makes no sense to me. If a hu... READ MORE
Doe-in-rut Lures Year-round? You Bet!
By Mike Beal
Photo: Whether the leaves are green, turning colors, or there is snow on the ground, doe-in-rut (estrous) lures attract bucks year-round. I've been bowhunting deer for 30 years, and I’ve heard many hunters argue that using deer scents out of season, particularly when there’s no rut, is a waste of time. After several experiences I’... READ MORE
How A Crossbow IS NOT Like A Rifle
By Bryan Zabitski, TenPoint Crossbow Technologies
Photo: Today’s high-performance hunting crossbows, like the TenPoint Nitro XRT pictured here, shoot arrows at high speeds, but still do not “shoot like rifles.” With the rise of a new generation of high performance hunting crossbows, the temptation to compare crossbows to rifles has become almost irresistible. Each year, technolog... READ MORE
Climbing Tips to Teach Your Kids
By Tim H. Martin
Photo: Along with proper safety gear, knowing handhold and climbing techniques greatly reduce risk of treestand accidents. Take five minutes to teach these climbing principals to your kids and it will help them climb trees safely for the rest of their lives. I learned these fundamentals in mountaineer training classes back in my younger days, and t... READ MORE
Two Rules of Thumb for ATV Safety
By Yamaha Outdoors and Bob Humphrey
By following a few basic rules of thumb, ATV/UTV users can make their outdoors experience safer and more enjoyable. Clothing: It’s always wise to wear the proper attire when riding your ATV or UTV. But what is proper attire? There are always branches, briars, sticks and obstructions along the trail that could cause injury, especially if you a... READ MORE
Super Close Doesn’t Mean Slam Dunk
By Dwayne Barrow and Tim H. Martin
One of the most deceptive yet effective shots in whitetail hunting is when the deer is standing directly beneath or within a few yards of your elevated treestand. This shot scenario often happens in early bow season when there’s still a lot of foliage remaining in the trees and the hunter cannot get a clear shot at the animal until it’s... READ MORE
Are You Shooting for Speed or Power with Your Hunting Crossbow?
By Bryan Zabitski, TenPoint Crossbow Technologies
These days, speed seems to be the primary selling feature of most hunting crossbows. With so much emphasis being put on speed, it is a good time to discuss an arrow’s kinetic energy and why it is important to consider its significance in the context of crossbow shooting and hunting. A lighter arrow that shoots faster out of your crossbow may ... READ MORE
Aim Small, Miss Small
By Tim H. Martin
Photo: The aim small, miss small philosophy helped Buckmasters’ Ken Piper take this Illinois dream buck — and countless others — with a single arrow. When Buckmasters Executive Editor Ken Piper first started working with me nearly two decades ago, we shot our bows nearly every afternoon on a little range outside the office. At fi... READ MORE
Using Ethanol-free Gas? Maybe . . . Maybe Not!
By Wayne Edgerton
Photo: If the gas pump you’re using has a single hose for a multitude of grades, you could be putting ethanol into your small engines. I recently read your Tip of the Week about off-season ATV and small engine care by Buckmasters Editor Ken Piper. This was a fantastic tip every hunter and ATV owner should read because we all use gas-powered A... READ MORE
Rattling & The Be-Bold Mindset
By Willard Sullivan
Photo: Whether bowhunting or firearm hunting, many hunters are losing their fear of rattling. I have a story I’d like to share with Buckmasters fans. What happened inspired more of a mindset than a tip, and it’s incredibly worthwhile. Last season, I watched a massive-bodied buck appear across the property line and, at first, I simply ho... READ MORE