Scouting Deer: Best Buck Sign
Look for rubs, tracks, scrapes and deer trails when scouting your monster buck…read more
8 Tips for Hunting Deer in October
The reclusive and nocturnal nature of whitetail bucks is as prevalent in October as in any other month, maybe more so. Plus, old deer are summer-fat and wear heavy fur coats; no wonder they move so little and waddle so slowly on Indian summer days. You can sit back and wait for the stars, moon and a cold front to align to put the bucks on their hooves in daylight hours. Or you can have more fun by trying some tricks or even a spectacular ruse…read more.
6 Best Days to Deer Hunt Each Year
It’s a tired old cliché but I’ll use it anyway: The best day to hunt for a buck this fall is any day you can get off work. But knowing that some days will be better than others we went through the calendar, analyzed the moon phases, and predicted when the weather and rut conditions will be best in the 2 big months of October and November. Plan your time off to include…read more.
Tracking Deer: 15 Blood-Trail Tips
Once you fire an arrow and draw blood, it is your ethical duty to work until you find that doe or buck. Do whatever it takes, for however long it takes. It might take you five minutes or five hours, but heed this advice and most of the time the trail will end at your 8- or 10-pointer…read more.
How to Use a Deer Decoy for Bowhunting
Decoys work–sometimes. I’ve never had a buck roll in to mount or fight my fake like some hunters have, but I’ve had more than a few sneak in and check it out. Decoys don’t work–sometimes. I’ve watched both does and bucks of all ages shy from the fake bait from afar; others crept closer, only to hang up just out of bow range…read more.
Make a European Buck Mount
You just shot a decent buck, don’t feel like shelling out $500 or more for a shoulder mount. Well, do the next best thing and do a European (5 easy steps-click link). It’s cheap and you’re really not settling…read more.
Food Plot Tips for Deer
If you own or lease hunting ground, spring is time to get your hands dirty. The better you plan, build and maintain some food plots over the next several months, the more bucks you’ll attract and hold on your land come September. Here’s a 12-pack of pointers…read more.
How to Hunt Mule Deer with a Bow
I have hunted with many guides over the years, none more skilled and meticulous than Terry Scott, who outfits for huge mule deer in the Red Deer Valley of Alberta. Terry’s specialty is getting bowhunters within 60 yards of giant bucks in farm country that is flat as a pool table in many places. The man is good at what he does…read more.
Best Way to Practice for Bowhunting
Standing in the backyard and burning arrow after arrow into foams target is better than no practice. In fact it’s the best way to get your bow and arrows tuned, your shooting muscles toned and your release…read more.
Recurves and Longbows for Deer Hunting
There is a contingent of modern hunters out there who have shot their share of deer with compound bows, and who now they are looking for a different challenge…read more.
How and Why Deer Jump the String
Big Deer fan poses interesting question-Mike: Wondering if you could settle a friendly argument. A buddy and I were discussing deer jumping the string. I say it is all noise related and they instinctively react; he says it could also be visual—they see the arrow coming…read more.
Choosing a Deer Hunting Bow
Matt “Flatlander” Cheever of the BIG DEER Hunt Team is an expert 3-D archer and bowhunter from Illinois. Matt’s tips for selecting the best bow for you will have you shooting pretty…read more.
How to Shoot a Deer with a Bow
Use this 9-step plan to lance bucks through the boiler room…read more.
Bow Treestand Tips
Rather than clumping deep into the woods, try to set your stands 50-150 yards from a logging road, power right-of-way or field edge. Much of the walking to the stand will be quiet and easy and you won’t jump many deer. Use aerial photos to determine the best routes in and out…read more.
Mechanical Broadheads for Deer Hunting
This target image shows why I shoot and hunt with mechanical broadheads: awesome accuracy. Those are different brand practice arrows, and look at the raggedy vanes from months of shooting. The arrows were all tipped with actual 2-blade Rage heads that I used for practice…read more.
Early-Season Bow Tactics
For two years there was talk of a mysterious buck with massive drop tines roaming the part of Missouri where Kevin Jaegers’ father-in-law owns a farm. When trail-cam images of the 200-class freak started popping up—finally some hard evidence–Kevin got serious. He hung a tree stand on the farm last summer and vowed to hunt the monster hard in September…read more.
How to Find Shed Antlers
Why do bucks spend so much dang time and energy growing antlers over the summer only to shed them five or six months later…read more.