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Family Tradition
By Chrystal Schultz
It’s good to have an Ace in the hole when you’re after a big buck. Hunting is a tradition in my family. My great-grandfather taught my grandfather, and he passed it down to my dad. Once I expressed an interest, Dad and Grandpa began to teach me. It didn’t take long for me to realize I wanted to hunt more than just the rifle season... READ MORE
Once in a Blue Moon
By Russell Thornberry
A story of what usually happens when we ignore the voice of reason in our heads. If two full moons occur in a single month, the second one is called a Blue Moon, which is something of a rare event. Thus the saying, “Once in a Blue Moon.” I was working in my office and wrestling with whether or not to go bowhunting one evening before I h... READ MORE
Slippin’
By Bob Humphrey
When the deer won’t come to you, it might be time to revive the lost art of still-hunting. Like most deer hunters, I spend the majority of my time waiting for deer to come to me. That gives me plenty of time to think, and I was doing just that one day last fall, taking account of past successes. I’ve killed most of my deer from an eleva... READ MORE
The UV Factor
By David Hart
Science indicates deer hunters should be concerned about the blue “glow.” The decoy looked as real as a decoy can get. It was covered in a thin cloth printed with all the details of a real whitetail, right down to a gleam in the eyes. So what spooked the buck? It wasn’t me. I stood motionless, covered head to boots in full camoufl... READ MORE
Strike a Pose
By Dana R. Rogers
When using a decoy, you’ve got to set the stage if you want to drag more than a plastic buck out of the woods. As I approached my camera setup, I could see the GlenDel buck lying flat on its side. The frozen ground had given way, and the rebar stakes were bent. The target’s legs were twisted and cracked – and that’s exactly ... READ MORE
Ground-Busting Bucks
By Tracy Breen
Who says you have to climb like a monkey to smile like a Cheshire cat? As the average age of whitetail hunters continues to rise, so does the number who choose to hunt from the ground. And many have learned ground-busting bucks isn’t as difficult as they thought. Whether you use a pop-up blind, natural brush or spot-and-stalk, hunting whiteta... READ MORE
Hang On!
By P.J. Reilly
Five tips for creating a better treestand setup. The perfect treestand. It’s something tree-climbing deer hunters work toward each season. The perfect treestand is more about the setup than the brand on the box. A good setup puts you within bow or gun range of a big buck. It’s comfortable, safe and functional. Quite frankly, it’s ... READ MORE
Beyond Chivalry
By Mike Handley
Real men might not eat quiche, but they won’t balk at shooting pink arrows.
If wildlife biologists ever proclaim deer cannot see shades of red, at least one man in Pleasant Plain, Ohio, might just head afield wearing a pink jumpsuit.
David Lovin is no Liberace, though. He’s not particularly enamored with the color pink, and he’s... READ MORE
Going the Distance
By Mike Handley
Twelve hours isn’t a long drive when there’s a monster buck waiting at the other end.
South Louisiana hunters are accustomed to racking up miles whenever they set their sights on big deer. The Sportsman’s Paradise might yield some of the most bodacious bucks on the planet, but coming across one in Acadiana is like looking for all... READ MORE
Bucks on the Move
By Bob Humphrey
With several major deer movement studies now complete, do we know anything new about buck travel? Slow is the only way to describe deer movement over the first several days of my Ohio hunt last fall at Heartland Wildlife Institute’s proving grounds. Having bagged a bruiser on the first afternoon the previous year, my expectations were high. A... READ MORE
Luck of the Jaw
By Floyd Patterson
This broken-jawed giant’s luck ran out when it raided the wrong garden. Using one eye, I peeked out from behind the old wooden shed. My quarry for the past 24 days, the non-typical monster occupying my dreams, had just appeared and was on a trail heading my way. I eased back out of sight to draw my bow, found my anchor point and leaned forwar... READ MORE
Tailor-Made
By P.J. Reilly
Why your compound bow should fit even better than a glove. So you’ve caught the bowhunting bug? Prepare for a lifelong addiction. Ask a bowhunter to name the three things they love most about it, and he or she will probably give you 50. It’s that exciting. You get to see deer acting like deer rather than simply running from gun blasts. ... READ MORE
Little Baby Moose
By Mike Handley
Being the new guy on the deer drive means you get stuck with the spot nobody else wants. As a newcomer to the Bossier Parish ritual, the (rodeo) bull fighter with the funny name, wild beard and weird gun kept his mouth shut. Everyone else who’d assembled for the deer drive knew where they wanted to be when the dogs were loosed that Saturday m... READ MORE
Counting Bucks
By David Hart
The real value of trail cameras lies in their usefulness as a management tool. At first they were little more than novelties – a fun way to get a sneak peek at whitetails at feeders and in food plots. These days, hunters are using trail cameras for more than just catching a glimpse of nocturnal bucks. Today’s cameras allow us to gather ... READ MORE
Accuracy Aids
By P.J. Reilly
When it comes to setting up a bow, it’s the little things that make a big difference.
Bullseye.
It’s the objective of every archer who looses an arrow. And when you hit it, you feel good. Real good.
Bullseyes aren’t just about feeling good, however. The more you hit in practice sessions, the more confidence you’ll have in... READ MORE
Swamp Ghosts
By Darren Warner
Some bucks spend their entire lives in or near wetlands where hunters seldom tread. As I looked at the sky to gauge the weather, rain droplets pelted my face. The clouds looked like dirty sheep, kicking water onto everything that lay below. A low, eerie fog shrouded the swamp, reminding me of a scene from an old Scooby-Doo cartoon. Jinkies, it&rsqu... READ MORE
Get More from Your Muzzleloader
By David Hart
You only have one shot, so you better make it count. Muzzleloaders have come a long way since the 1980s. So has the knowledge available for shooting tight groups at long distances. The right gun loaded with the right components in the hands of a competent shooter can drill a 4-inch circle at 200 yards, one shot after another. It’s not out of ... READ MORE
Rows by any Other Name
By Mike Handley
If you want to hunt the thick stuff, it helps to have a few shooting lanes. Texans might refer to swaths cut into the mesquite, prickly pear and buckbrush as senderos, which is Spanish for path. Without them, hunting the brush country would be like jumping in a haystack to find a needle. Billy Nelson and Donny King, 60-something best friends from E... READ MORE
After the Fact
By Tracy Breen
The best time to scout is immediately after deer season. Many of us spend summers scouting for deer and preparing for fall. We hang treestands, use trail cameras and put in food plots. Then, just before deer season, we trim runways, trees and shooting lanes. Although doing all of these things in summer seems to make sense, there’s a better wa... READ MORE
Feeling the Pressure
By Bob Humphrey
Why a barometer could be one of your most important hunting tools. Everyone knows the old saying about being in the right place at the right time. Southeastern Ohio, a region known for big bucks, seemed like the right place for the onset of the rut last year. More specifically, I was on a piece of ground that’s privately owned and very well m... READ MORE