The next few weeks are best for rattling. This advice might help you bring a buck to your horns: Deer Science: Dr. Mick Hellickson, one of the top deer scientists in America, conducted a three-year project on whitetail behavior and antler rattling on a 10,000 ranch in South Texas. The deer population was healthy and the buck:doe ratio was near 1:1. His researchers rattled in two-man teams during all three phases of the rut each November and December. When a buck came in, they noted the time, weather, etc., and videotaped each deer so later they could estimate its age and rack score. I mention that Mick’s research was conducted more than a decade ago, which has been a good [...]

You can buy all this stuff for less than $100 total. It won’t take up much space in your day pack. It’s must carry hunting gear. --The best bow holder I’ve ever used is the long EZ Hanger. The tapered, self-tapping screw makes it easy to fairly drive into a hard tree. (I say "fairly" because all trees are different.) Adjust the hanger’s elbow up to 180 degrees to position your bow precisely where you want it. Later in the season, screwed into a tree at just the right height and angle, it doubles as a convenient gun rest if you need to fire at a deer off to the side and slightly behind you. --Buy a few rubber-coated hardware [...]