All us humans need a sanctuary, a place where we feel safe and comfortable hanging out, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. A refuge we can come home to and flop into bed after dinner, or a long night out on the town. Old bucks need those shelters too. They're called sanctuaries. Now, before full spring green-up, is the perfect time to roam your hunting ground and find them. A sanctuary is the major bedding and security cover for the deer that live on or travel through your property. There are smaller satellite covers dotted around the woods that bucks use frequently, but here we’re talking about the main safe zone. In a Maryland study, researchers found that GPS-collared bucks [...]

Quick, how many licensed bowhunters are there in America? How bout 3.7 million. The Archery Trade Association worked with the National Deer Association and state wildlife agencies to identify the number of licensed residents in each state that bowhunted in the 2021-22 season. “This is the most reliable single-source of bowhunting participation data generated to date,” said Jeff Poole, ATA president and CEO. “We are pleased to share this information and know the data serves as a benchmark to inspire growth nationwide.” The data is available here: 2021 State-by-State Hunting Data, 3.7 Million Bowhunters in America along with harvest statistics for each state. The ATA also created a downloadable one-sheet document so members can easily read and compare state bowhunter numbers. So what [...]