Recent Tips and Tactics
Ratchet Straps: a Deer Hunter’s Best Friend
By Mark Melotik
Safety should be every treestander’s biggest concern, and now is a good time to think about on how safely you hunted last fall and how you can improve in 2025. A good start? Always keep a ratchet strap in your pack and/or a few in your vehicle in case you need to quick... READ MORE
Hog Hunting Can Improve Your Success with Deer
By Mark Melotik
For many avid deer hunters a new year means new challenges and adventures. One I highly recommend, especially for those who hunt primarily from treestands and blinds, is making the commitment to take a buck by still-hunting. And maybe the best part is you can begin practicin... READ MORE
Try a Thumb-Trigger Release
By Mark Melotik
Were you happy with your bowhunting accuracy last fall using a standard index-finger release aid? If not, I have a suggestion: Try a thumb-trigger release. This has been my hunting release of choice for the past 15 years or so, and right after the switch from my previous fav... READ MORE
Why To Prep Bad-Weather Stands
By Mark Melotik
When most die-hard whitetailers think of ideal hunting conditions, I’d guess most would picture a cool, crisp autumn day some time in the late pre-rut, a period when mature bucks are finally getting on their feet and moving consistently in daylight. Classic conditions ... READ MORE
Shed Season
By Marina Childress
Spring will soon arrive, and if you’re a deer hunter (and even if you’re not), it’s a great time to try shed hunt-ing. Each winter after all the whitetail bucks drop their antlers, those beautiful works of nature’s art lie on the floor of forests and ... READ MORE
Plant a Scrape Tree This Spring
By Mark Melotik
Build it, and they will come. For hunt-savvy land managers, creating and maintaining deer-attracting food plots on private tracts has never been more popular. That’s because a well-constructed plot planted in the right area and with the right seed mix can draw deer fro... READ MORE
Late-Winter Scouting: See the Big Picture
By Mark Melotik
During the past hunting season, many of us obsessed over smartly accessing our chosen stand sites, religiously checking wind direction to pinpoint the best routes in and out to avoid spooking deer. In the process, we were likely exposed to just a fraction of our hunt areas. ... READ MORE