From Shenandoah National Park: HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE! On this day 100 years ago, Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, creating the National Park Service. Today is a day for celebration of not only our Parks, but also the Rangers whom you have entrusted with preserving these great places....Here's to celebrating our last 100 years and looking forward to the next 100 and beyond! Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Shenandoah and all the rest large and small… National Parks are one of America’s crown jewels. If you have not been out hiking, camping or just roaming around a park near you, you are missing out. So far this year, to quench a growing thirst for wanderlust and to stay [...]

This pre-season blog of tree-stand tips comes from our good friend Matt “Flatlander” Cheever, an expert hunter and land manager from Lexington, IL. A must-read! Hi Mike: When managing several properties the duty of treestand technician falls upon my shoulders. Dealing with 85 stands that I maintain and prune every year--hang-on and ladder stands and combinations of both on some places--I’ve learned a few tricks to help you work more safely and efficiently, and to keep things moving at a rapid pace. I thought I’d pass these along to the BIG DEER followers who are busy getting ready for hunting season. The average Midwestern whitetail hunter has 12 tree stands; that’s right, a dozen, contrary to what many spouses have [...]