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Know Before You Mow
By Ken Piper
Habitat improvement projects are arguably the most powerful yet underutilized tool for growing healthier deer and holding them on your property. You can accomplish great gains with little more that sweat equity and a chainsaw. That said, now isn't the best time to create large disturbances on your hunting land. Yes, the weather might be perfect, an... READ MORE
Have a Heart
By Ken Piper
Don’t waste this excellent source of pure meat. I use the long disposable gloves that go up to your elbows for field dressing deer, and I like to save the heart. When I’m finished gutting, I grab the heart with the gloves on and turn that glove inside out right over the heart. It’s now in a bag with five fingers so I can tie it of... READ MORE
Tarsal To Go
By Ken Piper
Pull bucks to you by using their No. 1 defense against them. When you think about how many options a whitetail has while traversing a particular woodlot, it’s a wonder we ever see any from a treestand. Fortunately for us, deer tend to stick to established trails, making them at least a little predictable. Even so, there’s a bit of luck ... READ MORE
Follow the Food
By Ken Piper
The key to every whitetail’s heart is its stomach. Did you know whitetails eat between 6% and 8% of their body weight in vegetation every day? For an average buck, that’s about 10-14 pounds of greenery! It’s also why deer always seem to be eating, even when they’re on the move. Many times we sit in stands overlooking a food ... READ MORE
Time for Maps and Apps
By Ken Piper
Take advantage of turkey seasons to get a jump on next fall.
Some of the best scouting opportunities occur immediately after deer seasons end, but it's difficult to get motivated to go to the woods for nothing but scouting right after a long, hard-fought season.
You could rest up a few weeks and then go scouting, but, especially in regions with h... READ MORE
There’s a Pattern Here
By Ken Piper
It’s critical to pattern your turkey gun, but you don’t want a rifle! Patterning a turkey gun is every bit as important as patterning a deer rifle. Chokes, turkey loads and shotguns continue to get better, producing tighter patterns every year. As much as you might like having a tight-patterning turkey gun, don’t forget that the t... READ MORE
How Low Can You Go?
By Ken Piper
The best treestand height is the lowest point that allows you to shoot. One of the most common questions we receive at Buckmasters is, “How high do I need to climb in order to go undetected by deer?” The answer, which is different for every stand site, is as low as you can go and still get off a shot. Simply put, climbing into trees is ... READ MORE
Short and Sweet
By Ken Piper
Smaller bows are easier to hunt with, but there are some drawbacks. Short bows are all the rage, and bow manufacturers have been quick to supply bows to meet the demand. While the manufacturers have made incredible advances and created bows that hold their speed and functionality, short-bow shooters should know that there is a price for having... READ MORE
Reel ‘Em In
By Ken Piper
Think like a fisherman to find your next buck. Statistics say 70% of deer hunters spend at least some time fishing. Interestingly, bucks and bass are very much alike in how they relate to their environment. One of the first things bass fishermen learn is to look for underwater structure – changes in the lake bottom that dictate fish movement.... READ MORE
Nothing Is Something
By Ken Piper
You won’t have success with scent attractants without scent-elimination. Back when he worked for Tink’s, hunting celebrity Terry Rohm was asked by the Realtree team what advice he would give to folks about using scents. His answer might surprise you: “The first thing to do is get rid of your own scent," he said. It’s si... READ MORE