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Mark Kenyon

Mark Kenyon
Mark Kenyon is the author of That Wild Country, founder of Wired To Hunt, and host of the industry-leading Wired To Hunt Podcast. He is a nationally published writer, a QDMA certified Deer Steward, and MeatEater's resident "whitetail guy."

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Whitetail Deer

What You Need to Know About the 2020 Rutting Moon
Deer hunters love few things more than pondering the whitetail rut.
Has it started yet? When will it peak? What gets it going? But the most controversial question of all might be whether the moon has anything to do with the rut.
While there’s little to no research that shows a clear correlation between the moon and deer movement, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence. For the sake of argument and out of an abundance of curiosity, let’s examine...

Ep. 382: Mastering the Mind for Better Hunting with Ryan Holiday
Today on the show I’m joined by New York Times best-selling author Ryan Holiday to discuss the mental side of hunting and a series of time-tested philosophies and principles that can help us improve in this arena.
Topics discussed:

Why it’s important to consider the mental side of hunting
How ancient ideas can help us still today
Ideas for self improvement
The importance of understanding the difference between the things you can control...

Ep. 381: Rut Fresh Radio 10/21/20
Today on the show we’re  getting from-the-field updates on deer behavior, activity, and tactics from deer hunters across the country for the last week of October.
States covered:

Georgia
Michigan
Virginia
Nebraska

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Mark Kenyon  on Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook
MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube
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Whitetail Deer

How to Kill a Whitetail Buck During a Cold Front
Utter the words “cold front” around any group of whitetail hunters and you’re sure to get some combination of toothy grins, racing pulses, and nervous hands. Few things incite more optimism and excitement in a whitetail addict.
While studies on the impact of dropping temperatures on deer movement have been inconclusive, hordes of hunters attest to the cold front’s power. So, why exactly is that and how can you take advantage as a hunter?
How Cold...

Ep. 380: Dad’s First Bow Buck and the Back 40 Transformation
Today on the show we’ve got the roller coaster story of Year 2 on the Back 40 and my father’s recent hunt there which ended with his first kill with a bow and his biggest buck to date.
Topics discussed:

What worked and what didn’t work for habitat improvements in Year 1 of the Back 40
Why our plots failed
Why we didn’t see as much deer activity as expected the first year
How we improved our fields in Year 2
The new food...

Ep. 379: Rut Fresh Radio 10/14/20
Today on the show we’re  getting from-the-field updates on deer behavior, activity, and tactics from deer hunters across the country for mid-October.
States covered:

Alabama
Illinois
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania

Connect with Mark Kenyon and MeatEater
Mark Kenyon  on Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook
MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube
Shop MeatEater Merch

Whitetail Deer

How Crop Rotations Impact Deer Movement
Agriculture dominates the landscape of America’s heartland. The same can be said of its influence on the deer and deer hunters that live there.
The presence of crops that deer eat dramatically impacts where deer live and travel, as do any changes to those crops. Due to an agricultural practice known as “crop rotation,” in which farmers plant fields with different crop types every other year, deer habits change annually in many places.
The...

Ep. 378: What Would Andy May Do?
Today on the show we’re running acclaimed DIY bowhunter Andy May through a series of challenging hypothetical deer hunting scenarios to better understand his deer hunting thought process and strategies.
Topics discussed:

How Andy would seek out and hunt a buck that seemingly roams over an area well over a mile or two square
How to make the most of areas without trees
How to scout and hunt your way into new properties
Public land hunting...

Ep. 377: Rut Fresh Radio 10/7/20
Today on the show we’re  getting from-the-field updates on deer behavior, activity, and tactics from deer hunters across the country for the second week of October.
States covered:

Wyoming
Indiana
Louisiana
New York
Iowa

Connect with Mark Kenyon and MeatEater
Mark Kenyon  on Instagram , Twitter , and Facebook
MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube
Shop MeatEater Merch

Whitetail Deer

How to Kill a Whitetail Buck in October
October is the most interesting month of the whitetail season. Just hear me out.
It’s like the slow ride up the first big hill of a rollercoaster, every passing day akin to a click on the tracks, building towards the much-awaited rush of the rut. The suspense of October alone is enough to make it a winner. But there’s more.
October also presents the most diverse conditions of any month during the season, with shifts in weather, food, hunting...