Tactics For Hunting Locked-Down Bucks
In early November deer hunting, those just-out-of-bow-range bucks seem to be everywhere—and you just know you’re going to kill one as soon as you can carry a gun to your stand. Then dawn breaks on opening day of firearms season, and you can’t spot a rutting buck to save your life.
When (and How) to Use a Bleat Call to Stop a Buck
Sometimes bleating to stop a moving deer can actually be disastrous, turning a makeable shot opportunity into a spooked buck bounding out of your life forever. Nobody is saying you should abandon the bleat call altogether, but you do need to learn to use it wisely.
After the Shot. How to Keep the Meat Fresh
I love oversized antlers. And big bucks in general. All of that. But as I grow older, the most satisfaction I get from any hunt that comes in a tangible, touchable form is the meat. There is something about peering into my chest freezer and seeing dozens of pounds of meat that makes me feel like things are alright.
Deer Hunting Mistakes Guaranteed to Ruin the Rut
The rut is the Super Bowl of whitetail hunting. Bucks that typically behave like ghosts are suddenly vulnerable, and your chances of tagging a wall-hanger are at their highest. But whitetails are still whitetails—always cautious and rarely pushovers. So there are plenty of ways you can go wrong. Here are ways you can turn the annual breeding season into a surefire flop.
Tips for Tracking Deer When the Blood Trail Ends
If the obvious blood trail ends after you shoot a deer, don’t give up hope. Trailing may become tougher but you can still find the deer with determination and understanding why the blood stopped.