Whitetail hunting is almost synonymous with ag country—where food sources are plentiful and deer movements are predictable. Much hunting media is catered toward those hunters, often at the exclusion of whitetailers in Appalachia, the North Woods, and Rocky Mountains. For those of us who don’t live in the Heartland, good whitetail hunting still exists, just not on oak ridges and the edges of cornfields.
Hunting vast tracts of unbroken timber...

Few hunts in North America can match the fast-paced action of wingshooting mourning doves. As one of the most popular game birds in the country (sorry, Michigan), there aren’t many secrets to a successful hunt, but that’s the beauty of targeting doves. You don’t need much gear and you don’t need an elaborate game plan to score a limit. However, if you want to put more dove jalapeño poppers on the table, here are a few tips to increase your...

The old adage “failure is the best teacher” couldn’t be more accurate than when it comes to archery. Shooting a compound bow has a way of magnifying mistakes and providing nearly instant feedback. Throughout years of making those mistakes, I’ve become a student of the sport and improved my accuracy in each off-season. Here are four archery errors I’ve made that I’m guessing others have struggled with, too.
Improper Draw Length
According to...

Whitetails might be the furthest thing from your mind this time of year. Between honey-do projects and time spent on the lake, it’s too easy for deer season sneak up on you. Like we previously discussed with shooting your bow, don’t wait until the weekend before opener to hit the woods looking for deer sign. If you want to make the most of the dog days and increase your odds at filling a tag this fall, here are some tips for summer scouting...

Most turkey hunters imagine punching their tag shortly after a tom’s feet touch the ground coming out of the roost. Unfortunately, sunrise disappointment is all too common in the turkey woods.
Many morning hunts end with the tom following a flock of hens off into the distance, straight away from your setup. While I get as excited as anyone hearing toms gobble at daybreak, I’ve come to learn that mid-morning and midday provide better opportunities...

As spring settles in, many outdoorsmen in my neck of the woods take to the water to troll for walleye. I, on the other hand, choose to troll for toms. Like trolling for the best tasting fish, trolling for turks is all about efficiency and productivity. The plan is to cover as much ground as possible.
This tactic, often referred to as run-and-gun hunting, is an aggressive approach that affords you the ability to go to the turkeys rather than have...

On the surface, the idea of taking to the woods to shoot a turkey appears simple. Listen for one to gobble, slink in its direction, make a few imitation hen calls, and shoot it in the face. After all, they have brains the size of a peanut and lack the superb sense of smell that makes hunting your typical quarry such a challenge.
But spend any amount of time chasing turkeys on public land and you’ll quickly be humbled—these gobblers are a...

This time of year, chasing big whitetails couldn’t possibly feel further away. That doesn’t mean your downtime between deer and turkey season should be wasted though. If you want to capitalize on the long offseason, now is the perfect time to download onX, put your virtual boots on the ground, and start e-scouting. After all, success favors the prepared.
Locating Quality Public Land
When starting from scratch while looking for public land, there...