Hang a tree stand on the closest elevated hardwood ridge near a corn or bean field. Most of the deer that come and go to the feed will cut across that ridge somewhere, often in or on the edge of thick green cover. I've seen it happen dozens of times each season. Set up downwind of the heaviest doe trail you can find, with rubs and scrapes nearby. Good for either morning or afternoon. Rutting bucks love to troll across an old pasture or weed field that connects crops and a woodlot. It’s a natural pinch point. Set a tree stand just back in the woods where the buck will stage and look for does, and move back to bed [...]

#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 [...]