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Flying with Guns
By Ken Piper
Traveling with a firearm can be challenging, and it’s all about following the rules. Following up on last week’s tip regarding how to protect your hunting gear in traveling cases, this week we’ll talk about flying on a commercial airline with a firearm. Some of the following information is actual requirement, and some is my recomm... READ MORE
Case Logic
By Ken Piper
Pack well to ensure your gun's zero when traveling to hunt. Traveling with a bow or gun is stressful. No matter how carefully you pack, you can't help wondering whether you'll still be sighted in when you get to your destination. And if you're traveling by plane, that feeling is compounded exponentially. I've traveled long distances to several hunt... READ MORE
Thank Your Mentor
By Ken Piper
Show your appreciation to the people who introduced you to the outdoors. Forgive me for getting personal this week, but I just lost my father and am feeling rather sentimental. My father had a hard time understanding his son's interest in things like Star Trek, sports and reading books. Truth be told, I should have paid more attention during the ti... READ MORE
The Eyes Have It
By Ken Piper
Scent control is critical, but don’t forget deer can see pretty well, too. If you can see a deer’s eye(s), it can see you ... or at least catch your movement. The side-of-head location of a whitetail’s eyes gives them a field of view of about 310 degrees, so they don’t miss much! As good as today’s camouflage patterns ... READ MORE
Just Chillin'
By Ken Piper
Cold weather considerations for late-season die-hards. Many of us have hung up our hunting gear, but there are still some late-season opportunities to fill a tag throughout much of the country. A majority of the late seasons require primitive weapons, and cold weather can have more of an impact on bows and muzzleloaders than on other firearms. If y... READ MORE
On the Down Low
By Ken Piper
There is no foolproof way to beat a whitetail's nose. I used to avoid eating meat for the week or so leading up to hunting season to keep deer from identifying my scent as that of a predator. I like to think I have more common sense today. Don't get me wrong, scent precautions are important. The fewer smelly molecules we release into the environmen... READ MORE
January Scouting
By Ken Piper
This is a great time to get a better read on local deer behavior. One trait shared by whitetails and humans is we're creatures of habit. If something works and we're happy, we're not likely to change. This means that, barring significant habitat changes, next year's deer will likely use the same trails, bedding areas, staging areas and breeding gro... READ MORE
It’s Not Complicated
By Ken Piper
A great hunt doesn’t have to include fancy, expensive gear. Getting my truck loaded for an Illinois bowhunt last fall, it was almost embarrassing how much gear I have accumulated. It’s no wonder new hunters are intimidated by all the stuff they think they have to buy to get started. Remember the old orange Hot Seats? I shot many a deer ... READ MORE
It's a Drag, Man
By Ken Piper
It's all fun and games until somebody shoots a deer. Then the work begins! Hunting with the folks at Mystery Ranch packs in Wisconsin in November, one of our party shot a bruiser buck that fell just 25 yards from his stand. It was only about 100 yards off a field edge, but the drag was all uphill. The shooter and a few other guys were in their 30s ... READ MORE
Same ... but Different
By Ken Piper
Tactics and tips might require modification for your location. While considering a tip for this week, it struck me how many strategies and techniques don’t always apply to different regions. Then I realized that in itself is an important point. I grew up hunting huge blocks of timber on heavily hunted public land. When I moved to Alabama, I h... READ MORE