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    Spencer Neuharth

    Spencer Neuharth is the senior hunting editor of MeatEater, producer of Wired to Hunt, and founder of Rut Fresh. His writing has been featured in over a dozen magazines, including Field & Stream, Petersen's Hunting, and Men's Journal. His work is a reflection of his roots as a whitetail hunter and training as a biologist.

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    Whitetail Deer

    3 Best DIY Whitetail States for 2020

    Spencer Neuharth

    Mar 20, 2020

    It’s becoming increasingly common to travel beyond the border of home states in pursuit of punching tags on North America’s most popular game animal. Although nearly every state hosts huntable whitetail populations, there are a few that stand above the rest. These states have exceptional public land opportunities, economical tags, good license availability, and trophy potential that should titillate every DIY hunter.
    Honorable Mentions
    Narrowing...

    Whitetail Deer

    Fact Checker: Do Outdoor Stores Pay Big Money for Big Mounts?

    Spencer Neuharth

    Jan 3, 2020

    Myths, lies and old wives’ tales loom large in the outdoor pursuits. Here at MeatEater, we’re dedicated to separating facts from bullsh*t, so we created this series to examine suspect yarns. If there’s a belief, rumor or long-held assumption you’d like us to fact check, drop us a note at factchecker@themeateater.com.
    Claim
    Big box stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops will pay premium prices for exceptional deer mounts.
    Origin
    Every time a...

    Whitetail Deer

    Rut Fresh Report: 12/12

    Spencer Neuharth

    Dec 12, 2019

    Sadly, the best deer hunting is over for most of the country. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to tag a mature buck in mid-December though. As Mark Kenyon said on the Wired to Hunt Podcast, “The late season is the great season.”
    Like we often preach when hunting the rut, you just need to keep it simple this time of year. But, instead of focusing on doe bedding and pinch points, look for thermal cover and obvious food. Bucks and does alike are...

    Whitetail Deer

    Are Big Rubs Made by Big Bucks?

    Spencer Neuharth

    Dec 4, 2019

    For archers seeking out deer sign, it doesn’t get much more obvious than rubs. In most cases, rubs start showing up in mid-September when bucks begin to feel a spike in testosterone. It’s a visual and chemical way for deer to communicate: shredding the bark off a tree while leaving behind scent from their forehead glands.
    There’s a lot of lore when it comes to rubs, as they’ve been captivating outdoorsmen for centuries. You’ll often hear...

    Whitetail Deer

    Rut Fresh Report: 11/21

    Spencer Neuharth

    Nov 22, 2019

    Much of the country is now on the other side of the rut, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Although the first couple weeks of November offer the best chance at a rutting buck, the second half of the month is still a great stretch to tag a mature whitetail. In fact, for some big buck killers, this is the preferred time to strike.
    At this phase in the rut, most does have been bred and will yet again be distancing themselves from bucks. This can...

    Whitetail Deer

    Rut Fresh Report: 11/14

    Spencer Neuharth

    Nov 14, 2019

    The rut is a bell curve that climaxes in mid-November. Every day you get closer to that date, daylight buck movement increases. Every day you get further away, daylight buck movement decreases. This is an important concept to grasp as we approach what hunters consider the lockdown phase of the rut.
    Lockdown is when a buck finds a willing doe that’s in estrus. Many hunters imagine a two to three-day window where buck movement shuts down and that...

    Whitetail Deer

    Rut Fresh Report: 11/7

    Spencer Neuharth

    Nov 7, 2019

    This is it—the rut is here. If you whitetail hunt in the East, Midwest, or West, these next couple of days will be the best of the season.
    During this stage of the rut, you can ignore almost all outside factors. Temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation, and moon phase aren’t going to deter a buck from moving this week. The most important thing is that you’re in the field as much as possible.
    To kill a buck during the rut, just keep it...

    Whitetail Deer

    Fact Checker: Can You Identify a Mature Buck by Droppings?

    Spencer Neuharth

    Nov 6, 2019

    Myths, lies and old wives’ tales loom large in the outdoor pursuits. Here at MeatEater, we’re dedicated to separating facts from bullsh*t, so we created this series to examine suspect yarns. If there’s a belief, rumor or long-held assumption you’d like us to fact check, drop us a note at factchecker@themeateater.com.
    Claim
    An observant hunter can identify deer sex by studying droppings. Large piles of soft scat are made by bucks, and small piles...

    Whitetail Deer

    Rut Fresh Report: 10/31

    Spencer Neuharth

    Oct 31, 2019

    For many serious big buck hunters, right now is the favorite time of year to tag a mature whitetail—even though we’re still a week out from the best rutting activity. The reason is that these next couple days are when those homebody bucks will get out of their beds a little sooner in the evening, freshen their favorite scrapes in daylight, and start checking doe groups for those first willing females.
    Last week, those wise bucks would have still...

    Whitetail Deer

    Hunter Gored by Buck He Shot, Dies in Hospital

    Spencer Neuharth

    Oct 24, 2019

    We run a lot of coverage of bears, lions, and wolves attacking humans, but this is a new one for us. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, a 66-year-old hunter died this week while recovering a whitetail buck that he’d shot.
    “I’ve worked for the game and fish commission for 20 years, and it’s one of the stranger things that’s happened,” said Keith Stephens, chief of communications, in an interview with KY3 News.
    The hunter was...