Two decades ago noted Missouri biologist Dr. Grant Woods used a mix of GPS technology, fancy software and old-school observation data (a ton of hours logged in a tree stand looking for deer) to produce maps of the hunting pressure on the properties he managed at the time. His spatial analysis inevitably showed that on all the lands, most people hunted close to fields, logging roads and similar access areas. Face it, most deer hunters go the easy route and aren’t willing to work for it. Some are leery of getting lost and walking too far back in an area. For example, on one large property Grant found that all the hunters spent 100 hours or more in “hot zones” [...]

I snapped this photo of the legendary Jordan Buck in the Cabela’s store in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The picture does not do this story justice, for it is fascinating: One day in 1914 near Danbury, Wisconsin, James Jordan followed huge deer tracks in the snow. A train roared by and its grind and whistle startled a group of deer, including a monster buck. James threw up his rifle and cracked off a few shots. His last bullet felled the giant. Jim took the 400-pound buck to a local taxidermist. Little did he know he would not see his trophy again for 50 years. The taxidermist moved away and took the rack with him. In fact the guy moved several times, [...]