Popular searches
Articles
Topics
Shop
Recipes
Scout
How a Spreadsheet Can Help You Kill Your Target Buck
Mature bucks don’t do things by accident. Outside of a few bewildering moments during the rut, there’s almost always a reason for their movements, almost always a why. For this reason, the best deer hunters in the world make it a priority to ask and answer a whole lot of “Why Questions.”
Why did...
Mark Kenyon
Sep 20, 2023
Read More
Featured Gear
Contributors
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."
Check out some of Mark's favorite gear.
Read More
Tony J. Peterson
MeatEater Contributor Tony Peterson has penned hundreds of hunting articles, several books, and developed multiple podcasts. Peterson’s whitetail-related contributions stem from real-world experience and a passion for hunting new ground each season. He's considered one of the top whitetail hunters...
Read More
Spencer Neuharth
Spencer Neuharth is the director of web content at 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...
Read More
Clay Newcomb
Clay Newcomb is a 7th-generation Arkansan that grew up in the Ouachita Mountains. He's a hunter, mule skinner, curious naturalist, and observer of rural culture. He's also a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, and owner/publisher of Bear Hunting Magazine.
Check out some of Clay's favorite gear.
Read More
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."
Check out some of Mark's favorite gear.
Read More
Tony J. Peterson
MeatEater Contributor Tony Peterson has penned hundreds of hunting articles, several books, and developed multiple podcasts. Peterson’s whitetail-related contributions stem from real-world experience and a passion for hunting new ground each season. He's considered one of the top whitetail hunters...
Read More
Spencer Neuharth
Spencer Neuharth is the director of web content at 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...
Read More
Clay Newcomb
Clay Newcomb is a 7th-generation Arkansan that grew up in the Ouachita Mountains. He's a hunter, mule skinner, curious naturalist, and observer of rural culture. He's also a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, and owner/publisher of Bear Hunting Magazine.
Check out some of Clay's favorite gear.
Read More
Hunt
Hunt
How Spooked Is Too Spooked When It Comes To Mature Bucks
In 2020, I drew a coveted Iowa archery tag. The plan was to hunt public dirt as much as I could in October, because I had some work obligations that would take me away during November. During opening weekend, I hunted, scouted, and found three areas that were littered with buck sign.
When I drove...
Tony J. Peterson
Sep 19, 2023
Read More
Hunt
How to Use Your Binos More Effectively While Whitetail Hunting
Western hunters have the optics thing figured out. Big country will do that to you. They understand that instead of walking across a mountain basin to see what’s on the other side, it’s a hell of a lot easier to let their binos do the walking for them.
In the smaller country of the whitetail...
Tony J. Peterson
Sep 1, 2023
Read More
Hunt
5 Hot Tips for a September 1 Deer Opener
The days are getting shorter and a familiar chill is in the air after the sun sets. You know the feeling; the eve of deer season is finally upon us. Even if deer season is just a few short days away, it’s not too late to hedge your bet and prepare yourself for a successful September archery hunt...
Dylan Tramp
Aug 28, 2023
Read More
Hunt
5 Hard Truths About Public Land Whitetail Hunting
As a hunter living in the United States, we are truly blessed by the recreation opportunities public land provides us. It’s a privilege we shouldn’t take for granted. As wonderful as it is, attempting to tag a mature whitetail on public land can certainly be humbling.
However, by adapting to your...
Dylan Tramp
Aug 21, 2023
Read More
Hunt
3 Terrain Features You Should Be Using To Access Your Whitetail Stands
Access is everything. This refrain is uttered a billion times a year in the whitetail-sphere. Often, by the most prominent and accomplished voices in the space. Do you know why?
Because it’s true.
If you don’t think through how you get into, and out of, your stand sites, then you have problems...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 14, 2023
Read More
Hunt
I Won’t Shoot Past 30 Yards With My Bow
There is so much that can be argued over in the world of bowhunting whitetails. Fast arrows vs. energy-laden heavy shafts. Mechanicals vs. fixed-blades. Single-bevel vs. double-bevel.
There’s one thing that can’t be argued: There is nothing that makes more of a difference in the quick, efficient...
Tony Hansen
Jul 27, 2023
Read More
Scout
Scout
How a Spreadsheet Can Help You Kill Your Target Buck
Mature bucks don’t do things by accident. Outside of a few bewildering moments during the rut, there’s almost always a reason for their movements, almost always a why. For this reason, the best deer hunters in the world make it a priority to ask and answer a whole lot of “Why Questions.”
Why did...
Mark Kenyon
Sep 20, 2023
Read More
Scout
3 Overlooked Food Sources for Early-Season Whitetails
Find the feed tree. Pin down bed-to-feed patterns. Strike early and sit that field edge to ambush your target buck before the pressure heats up. These are all great tactics that can help you arrow an early season buck, or doe for that matter, but what if that bumper crop from last year dried up...
Adam Moore
Sep 14, 2023
Read More
Scout
Why You Should Scout Out Whitetail Observation Stands Now
If you want to play whitetail chess while your competition plays checkers, then learn to use observation stands. The idea of setting up to watch is simple enough, but it goes against our nature, and that means most folks won’t do it.
When the average hunter gets the opportunity to spend a morning or...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 25, 2023
Read More
Scout
Tips for Finding a Fresh Whitetail Hunting Spot Right Now
One of my good friends works in insurance, and if he can’t sell you something, no one can. He just has a gift for small talk and befriending people. I’m the exact opposite. I would rather never talk to strangers, and if I’m forced into a small-talk-type situation, I spend most of it fantasizing...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 16, 2023
Read More
Scout
How to Scout for Overlooked Whitetail Hotspots on Public Land
Whether you’re dealing with over-the-counter elk out West, or whitetails back East, the main public land strategy has been to get as far away from easy access as possible.
This works, until it doesn’t.
Out west, the outfitter with the horses can walk you down without even trying. This makes those...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 11, 2023
Read More
Scout
3 Long-Range Glassing Mistakes Whitetail Hunters Make
Nothing beats actual observation when it comes to developing a pattern on a specific buck. Trail camera images and videos are a distant second, and definitely worth the effort. But, if you want to learn about what deer actually like to do, there’s nothing better than seeing it with your own two eyes...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 9, 2023
Read More
Scout
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pre-Season Trail Cameras
As the first half of summer tips over to the second half, the value of trail camera images changes. June and July are for gathering inventory. From now until the opener, the job is to identify real patterns and figure out how to hunt them.
This involves more than leaving a few cameras on destination...
Tony J. Peterson
Aug 4, 2023
Read More
Manage
Manage
Understanding a Whitetail’s Diet
Whitetails are one of the most widely spread mammals across North America. Many factors have contributed to their proliferation over the years, but none are as prominent as their ability to digest just about any plant. They possess unique salivary glands that produce enzymes that block some...
Logan Jensen
Aug 31, 2023
Read More
Manage
How the Experts Manipulate Deer Travel for Better Shots
Top-tier deer hunters are never satisfied. After interviewing hundreds of these folks on the Wired to Hunt Podcast, this stands out as one of the only rock-solid consistencies among all of these hunters. They’re constantly trying to improve, constantly trying to learn more, constantly trying to fine...
Mark Kenyon
Aug 29, 2023
Read More
Manage
Unlikely Conservation Group Improving One Million Public Acres for Deer Hunters
For many long-time hunters, the words "Quality Deer Management Association" brings to mind images of big giant bucks, exclusive hunting leases, and John Deere tractors planting lush green fields. That organization, while undoubtedly effective at educating hunters about deer and land management...
Mark Kenyon
Aug 2, 2023
Read More
Manage
How to Identify Your Property’s Soil Type
There is nothing more important to a land manager than understanding what kind of soil you’re working with. Researching the soil types of your property can be done in multiple ways, some more in-depth than others.
The easiest way is to use the USDA Web Soil Survey. It’s an online soil database that...
Logan Jensen
Jul 21, 2023
Read More
Manage
Understanding Thermal Cover in Conifers
The term “thermal cover” is thrown around in the whitetail world almost as often as the term “food plot.” Cedar patches, pockets of spruce, and fields of warm-season grasses all come to a hunter's mind. But understanding the process and science behind what thermal cover truly is, will help you to...
Logan Jensen
Jun 20, 2023
Read More
Manage
The Best Public Land Volunteer Events for Hunters and Anglers this Summer
Hunters and anglers like to talk a big game about being some of the original and most impactful conservationists. Some even go so far as to say that their pursuit is conservation. In a lot of ways, they’re right. For generations, our community has done incredible work for conservation. But what does...
Mark Kenyon
Jun 9, 2023
Read More
Gear
Gear
Whitetail Gear You Can and Can’t Live Without
There are non-negotiable items that every whitetail hunter should have in their pack—ranging from a backup headlamp and extra rangefinder batteries to a gutting knife and a small limb saw. And then you have a portable bow hanger, rubber gear ties, spare gloves, and a backup release. Don’t forget the...
Dylan Tramp
Sep 14, 2023
Read More
Gear
What’s Inside 4 Proven Mobile Hunter’s Packs
Organization. Unfortunately, it's not something that comes naturally to me, but when it comes to sneaking in tight to a buck's core area, I've learned the hard way being unorganized isn't an option. When mobile hunting, having a well-thought-out approach to packing your gear is the foundation for...
Alex Gyllstrom
Jul 19, 2023
Read More
Gear
Why You Should Reconsider Your Trail Cam Strategy
The trail cam game used to be such an easy one to play. Placements were simple, obvious, and prolific photographic producers—simply establish a mineral site and await the glut of images that would follow. As autumn colors developed, you moved onto active scrapes—even those along field edges—to hang...
Tony Hansen
Jul 11, 2023
Read More
Gear
3 High-Stress Archery Exercises to Prepare for the Moment of Truth
I boarded the plane from Michigan to Washington State with my bow case in the cargo bay and a battered ego in tow. I was coming off one of my toughest hunting seasons to date, one in which I’d put a bad hit on a doe and missed a giant buck a month later. Now I was in search of solutions.
My...
Mark Kenyon
Jul 10, 2023
Read More
Gear
What Makes an Ideal Whitetail Hunting Bullet?
Whether seeking accuracy, penetration, violent expansion, or maximum effective range, experienced hunters know what kind of performance they want out of a deer bullet and stockpile that ammo with unwavering confidence. For new hunters, or those looking to squeeze out every ounce of performance in...
Dylan Tramp
Jul 7, 2023
Read More
Gear
How to Create a Fair Chase Cell Camera
The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was a video from the Archery Trade Association show this past winter announcing a new livestream-enabled cell camera.
The excited brand representative laid out a scenario in which a hunter gets a text message on their phone with a photo of a big buck...
Mark Kenyon
Jun 22, 2023
Read More
Gear
How to Buy Your First Deer Hunting Bow
Pick an archery range in a populated area and then head there about three weeks before your state’s deer season opens up. You’ll see folks who can hit a golf ball at 40 yards consistently and others who can’t hit a four-foot-square bale blind with half a dozen arrows.
The folks in the latter...
Tony J. Peterson
May 17, 2023
Read More
More Whitetail Content
Whitetail
America’s Rarest Huntable Deer
White-tailed deer are ubiquitous in North America. It seems like half of the country heads out into the woods to pursue the enigmatic species every fall and winter, to experience the great outdoors and fill their freezers. But there’s one subspecies of whitetail very few hunters know about, in a...
Lakhan Clark
Sep 15, 2023
Read More
Whitetail
Why Opening Week Is Better Than The Rut For Mature Whitetails
In my home state of Minnesota, the firearm season opens the first weekend of November. This means that for many years, bowhunters relinquished the woods to the orange army within the first few days of the month. When I was younger, that bothered me a lot. I wanted to hunt the rut, but it just wasn’t...
Tony J. Peterson
Sep 12, 2023
Read More
Whitetail
Do Deer Inbreed?
Spend much time at deer camp, and you’ll probably hear a hunter blame wonky antlers, piebald coloration, and other genetic abnormalities on inbreeding. But the science says incestuous mating usually isn’t to blame, and inbreeding is a nearly insignificant concern for whitetail hunters.
Astronomical...
Emily Kantner
Apr 10, 2023
Read More
Whitetail
When To Abandon Your Rut Hunting Plan
The danger with rut hunting advice is that it’s often diluted, over-simplified garbage. Well, maybe not garbage, but much of the how-to content built around killing a buck during the rut assumes an awful lot about the audience and the conditions that aren’t always true.
For example, the weather...
Tony J. Peterson
Nov 2, 2022
Read More
Whitetail
Welcome to Whitetail Week: Sales, Tactics, and More
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for whitetailers everywhere. We want to celebrate the season by offering advice from seasoned pros along with some great deals on whitetail-specific products to set you up for success in hunting North America’s most sought-after big game animal. As a bonus...
MeatEater Staff
Oct 10, 2022
Read More
Whitetail
MeatEater Has a New Whitetail Hunting Show!
Whitetails are pursued by more hunters and found across a wider swath of America than any other large mammal, which is why this past season Mark Kenyon set out for the ultimate whitetail tour and education. He traveled the country in 2021 on a mission to meet the most unique characters that hunt...
MeatEater Staff
Sep 7, 2022
Read More
Whitetail
Video: Deer Carcass Completely Decomposes in 5 Days
“In nature nothing is wasted; everything is recycled.”
The famous quote from scientist David Suzuki is on full display in this educational video. It only takes five days for the forest to turn this roadkilled fawn into a pile of bones. If the camera would have stayed there a bit longer, we would...
Spencer Neuharth
Jan 4, 2022
Read More
Whitetail
Deer Fart Almost Ruins Hunt for Potential Oklahoma Record Buck
Zach Meadows spent most of November 3 trying hard to slow his heart rate and keep his hands from shaking. The typical whitetail buck of a lifetime was marching around right near him, and while he wasn’t quite within arrow range yet, the deer was getting ready to spar with a nontypical of similar...
Katie Hill
Nov 16, 2021
Read More