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Ignore the Opening Bell
By Darren Warner
While the chase phase of the rut is exciting, is it the best time to tag a mature buck? If I had the time, I’d be the best deer hunter in the world. I would blanket my hunting property with trail cameras to capture thousands of images. I’d sneak into the woods like a camouflage-clad Ninja, ever so careful to be neither seen nor heard. I... READ MORE
Be a Deer Caterer
By Bob Humphrey
Does supplemental food help whitetails? Ask a wildlife biologist almost any question about white-tailed deer, and the first answer you’ll get is, “It depends.” We biologists tend to be cautious and seldom give a direct answer without first obtaining ample information about the circumstances behind the question. That certainly appl... READ MORE
Rut Factors
By David Hart
It’s the best time to tag a monster buck, so why aren’t you seeing any? It’s the peak of the rut, so it’s only natural to expect a giant buck to chase a doe past your stand. Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen during the rut? But after a full day in the woods, you see nothing but a disinterested spike and a few ... READ MORE
Bowhunting With a Rifle
By Mike Handley
Just as bowhunters sometimes head to wide open spaces, gunners should consider trying thickets. Even before leaving Alabama for Pawnee City, Neb., I was torn between hunting the edge of an alfalfa field with 400-yard views in two directions or the little pocket I’d bowhunted almost yearly for 10 years. By no stretch of imagination is the latt... READ MORE
Just Rewards
By Jay Cremer
Would you work the late shift for just one buck?
I was running late on the last day of bow season before the Illinois shotgun opener. To add insult to injury, I knew I was going to miss the last and best few hours of the day since I had to be back to work at 4 that evening.
On the bright side, the bucks had been pushing does pretty hard. I had se... READ MORE
Mr. Puke and Mr. Big
By Jeremy Landreth
Father and son take two special bucks on one amazing day. I’m an avid bowhunter who enjoys shotgun season more for taking kids hunting than hunting myself. When the 2012 Illinois shotgun season arrived, I was happy to have my 9-year-old son Matthew and my 15-year-old cousin Walker Simpson geared up and ready to go. The plan was for Matthew an... READ MORE
Scaling New Heights
By P.J. Reilly
How treestand height affects impact points and shot angles.
It’s no secret that bowhunters love hanging out in the trees. Ground blinds have been gaining popularity in recent years, but treestands are still the go-to setup for bowhunters.
Elevation helps you see farther and reduces the chance of a buck spotting you, but other things are dif... READ MORE
Big Deuce
By Mike Handley
Two brothers, two arrows and one very big buck. Tony Yoder might prefer not to dwell on the day he white-knuckled his bow and torqued the shot at the biggest whitetail he’s ever encountered. But every time he visits his brother, Winston, the memories come flooding back … of seeing the monstrous buck, shooting at it, spending an entire ... READ MORE
Become a Buck Profiler
By Darren Warner
Because good deer hunters don’t have to be politically correct. Ask any researcher who’s spent a lot of time around whitetails, and they’ll tell you that deer, just like our pets, have distinct personalities. “I think there’s a lot of collateral research that supports the belief that bucks have different personality ty... READ MORE
It’s in the Genes
By Bob Humphrey
Are whitetails from Florida really the same as those from Saskatchewan? Sheep hunters first procured the term Grand Slam from baseball to recognize those who had taken each of the North American sheep species recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club: Dall’s, Rocky Mountain bighorn, desert bighorn and Stone’s. Turkey hunters later follo... READ MORE