When you leave a tree stand out in the woods overnight on public land, that stand becomes public domain and therefore anybody can use it. That might be the law in most states, but in the deer hunter’s code of conduct it’s a bunch of BS. Anybody who would hunt another man’s stand, public or private, without permission is a skunk. If it’s legal in your state and you decide to set a stand and leave it up for days, here are 3 things you can do to keep a squatter out: If you use a lock-on, remove the bottom ladder step and haul it out when you leave after a hunt. A bit of a hassle, but nobody can [...]

Fact: It is warmer where most of us hunt than it was a decade ago. And while it was always warm in many places in September and October, it can now be downright hot during those first weeks of bow season. It’s not unusual for warm weather to extend into November or even December. During a muzzleloader hunt here in Virginia last year, it was the warmest November in 25 years! By all accounts this pattern will continue, and so it is more important than ever to factor warm weather into your game plan. Dave Moreland is an avid hunter and a biologist who worked for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, serving many years as the state’s Deer [...]