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Watch for Unwanted Guests in Treestands
By Buckmasters
Many hunters either leave treestands up from year to year or use permanent stands. When going to check your stand for the first time in a few months, always be prepared for unwanted guests. Bees, ants, spiders, snakes and other critters find treestands even more comfortable than we do, and they will look upon your return as an intrusion.
If you a... READ MORE
Keep 'em Cool
By Buckmasters
This is the time of year when many hunters hesitate to take a deer for the freezer because of the temperature. Indian Summer days can cause a deer to spoil quickly, but there are things you can do to help keep your deer in great eating condition.
First, getting the hide off the meat is ideal because it holds in the heat. If you have a port... READ MORE
Buck Hideouts Come in Small Packages
By Buckmasters
Most hunters expect to find deer in the more remote places where they hunt, but bucks -- and pressured deer in general -- have a knack for finding small hidey-holes where hunters don't look. Small patches of woods, windbreaks and fence rows make great deer hideouts. The deer can see and hear danger coming from far away, and often these locations ke... READ MORE
Think About The Angles
By Buckmasters
Often we get so focused on hitting a certain spot on a deer that we fail to think about the angles. It is important to remember that deer do not usually stand perfectly broadside, and the entry and exit holes of your shot need to be taken into consideration. For example, the archer who shoots at his backyard 3-D deer every day zeroes in on that vit... READ MORE
Use Deer Obstacles to Your Advantage
By Buckmasters
Obstacles, both man-made and natural, can be great deer funnels. Did you ever notice how several deer trails will come together at certain crossings along a stream? How about a fence-crossing? Whitetails tend to pick certain spots to cross or go around these obstacles, and setting up near one of these funnel-points can increase your odds. Just as d... READ MORE
It Won't Be Long Now; It's Time to Tune
By Buckmasters
Whether you use fixed-blade or mechanical broadheads, tuning your bow will make your arrows fly better.If you have access to a paper tuning device, by all means use it.A paper-tuned bow will shoot almost any broadhead with minimal, if any, adjustment. If you can't use a paper tuner, shoot your arrows with a head identical to one you'll be using in ... READ MORE
Thoughts About "The Rut"
By Ken Piper
Most deer hunters today are savvy enough to know that what we call "the rut" is not a one-week period of time when most of the breeding gets done. It is actually a several-month cycle, and we've mistakenly given the peak of that cycle the name for the entire process. In other words, don't confuse "the rut" with "the peak of the rut." Why does this ... READ MORE
Follow The Tracks
By Ken Piper
We all know what deer tracks look like, but it's amazing how many hunters fail to read the clues in tracks. While some hunters are so adept at reading tracks that they can often determine with amazing accuracy when a particular track is left by a mature buck, there are much more simple things the majority of us can learn from tracks, too. Since dee... READ MORE
Don't Be Afraid of a Little Water
By Ken Piper
It's simple but true: If you want to take a big buck, you have to hunt an area that is home to big bucks. While most huntable woods have a big buck or two, the odds aren't in your favor in areas of heavy hunting pressure.
You can hike deep into the big woods to escape hunter numbers, but you'll be far from farm fields that pull deer and you'll hav... READ MORE
Put Some Air Under That Scent
By Ken Piper
Laying down a good scent trail is a great way to bring a buck by your stand or make him stop for a shot. Scent bombs (a generic term for any number of scent-dispensing canisters) can bring in deer as well.When placing scent, keep in mind that the higher you put it, the farther the scent will carry. A deer isn't going to wonder why there is scent up... READ MORE
Get Out of the Wind
By Ken Piper
Deer hunting can be miserable business in inclement weather, but most hunters have to hunt when they have time and can't be choosy. One thing to keep in mind in cold, windy or even rainy/snowy weather is that deer don't enjoy them any more than you do.
In windy, cold weather, hunt sheltered hollows, the back side of ridges away from wind, and heml... READ MORE
Remember the Eyes When Setting Up For Your Buck
By Ken Piper
There's no doubt a buck's sense of smell is his number one defense, but he can beat you with his eyes, too. He will pick up on anything out of place because he knows his woods as well as you know your living room. When thinking about your setups, try to use cover that is already present. Stand location in relation to how you expect the deer to app... READ MORE
Are You Leaving It Up To Chance?
By Ken Piper
There's an old saying that in order to take a big buck you have to hunt somewhere that has big bucks. Most hunters realize the logic of that statement, but they tend to think about it on more of a state or regional level. It's even more important to think about that truism on your individual hunting plot, however. Sure, many hunters take trophy bu... READ MORE
Test Your Setup
By Ken Piper
Outdoor writers often say how important it is to make a setup well before hunting season and then to let it alone until opening day. If you know the deer frequent that area and will continue to do so from scouting time through the start of the season, that's great advice. One thing hunters often overlook, however, is that the setup itself might cha... READ MORE
Shorten Up For Better Bow Results
By Ken Piper
Most bow experts agree that the most common mistake bowhunters make in setting up their bows is selecting a draw length that is too long. Releases and loops compound the problem by extending the draw length even farther. While a longer draw length results in more energy and speed, the closer you are to your maximum draw length, the harder it is to ... READ MORE
When In Doubt, Find the Water
By Ken Piper
It's difficult to know where to start when hunting new land or when looking for a new hunting stand in your old haunts, but one sure bet is to start at the water -- particularly creek beds. Creeks and river bottoms are deer magnets, and deer trails are usually easy to spot and hunt. Mast crops and other food sources have good and bad years, but th... READ MORE
New Thoughts on Taking Does
By Ken Piper
If you are like me, you've read dozens of articles recommending taking big, healthy does to help reduce deer populations. Some biologists are taking a new approach to thinning herds, however, and are recommending taking the very youngest deer instead. Their reasoning is that it is much better for the habitat to harvest a yearling because it require... READ MORE
Peak Deer Movement
By Ken Piper
White-tailed deer move most during low light conditions. There are exceptions to this rule, but as a deer hunter, I try to be in my stand during the first two hours and the last two hours of the day. Many factors contribute to deer activity, but I feel most confident about seeing deer early and late, particularly if I'm hunting deer going to or fro... READ MORE
The Role of Rubs
By Ken Piper
No one is sure of the exact purpose of buck rubs. Yes, bucks will rub trees to remove their velvet, but with velvet-drop being a fairly quick process (24 hours or less in most cases), and since most rubs are made long after the bucks have lost their velvet, we have to conclude that rubs serve some other purpose or purposes. From a hunting perspect... READ MORE
Get Off the Field
By Ken Piper
Just seeing deer gets any hunter's heart pumping. That's why it's so hard to resist sitting right on a green field or crop edge -- you definitely see more deer. If you're meat hunting or are taking a youngster out, watching a field can be very productive. If you're hunting a bigger buck, however, it's probably not your best choice. Except during th... READ MORE