#1Your Approach Sucks You haphazardly lug a tree stand and steps on the way in to a stand site, heavy metal clanking every step of the way. You lumber along and crack sticks. You bull through a patch of cover and jump as a deer boils out of there and runs off. Even a moderate amount of human intrusion can and will cause a mature buck to change his pattern. By the time you finally hang your set and start hunting, a big deer might have moved over to the next ridge to travel or bed. The Fix: Batten down a stand, steps, tools and all your gear in a tight backpack so you don’t make a clink on the [...]

When Nick Whitney, who is active duty with the Air Force military police, was transferred to eastern Nebraska a few years ago, he began to research local public hunting spots. Since Nick is an ardent bowhunter, a state area near his new base that permits only archery and muzzleloaders was a good place to start. Nick hunted there awhile and encountered a few small bucks and some other people. Then he was deployed to Afghanistan and couldn’t hunt for a year. Upon returning home, he was determined to make 2017 his year. “I decided to go for it and hike as deep on the 3,000 acres as I could,” said Nick. He started scouting in late summer, making the 90-minute [...]