Santa Claus, Christmas carols, and candy canes be damned—now is not the time to get distracted from deer hunting if you still have a tag. The late season can be one of your best chances to kill a buck, but only if you play your cards right. That means paying attention to the weather. Why? By the...

Late season can be one of your very best chances at a mature buck all year, but that’s only if several criteria are met. The most important of those criteria is simply having a mature buck on your property that’s moving in daylight. Attracting a big buck to your land can be as simple as having food...

The peak of the whitetail rut is now behind us in most parts of the country. I hate to say that, but it’s true. If you’re still holding on to a buck tag this fact might be causing you some stress, but don’t despair. The post-rut can be just as promising as the peak if you know where to look. Here...

Every whitetail hunter wants a crystal ball for the rut. When will bucks be chasing? When will breeding happen? When will bucks be moving at midday? Unfortunately, these questions are easier asked than answered. The whitetail deer breeding season can be wildly unpredictable—or as regular as reading...

“Reaping” has been one of the hottest trends in the turkey hunting world over the last decade. The practice involves a hunter crawling towards a gobbler while concealed by a tail fan until the tom comes in to fend off the perceived challenger. The result is a close-range shot at a fired-up turkey. A...

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...

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...

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...

Few things excite deer hunters more than a cold front. The impact of temperature on deer movement (both positive and negative) is almost gospel within the deer hunting community. But, as is the case with barometric pressure, science doesn’t help back up these claims. So, how should a deer hunter...

Hunting deer, especially mature bucks, involves a constant balancing act between getting into positions that allow shot opportunities while trying to keep deer unaware of your presence. Each time you go into a stand or spot, you risk educating deer. The key is to know when to be aggressive and when...