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The early morning October sunlight sifted through the treetops and glinted off the white antlers of a small fork horn buck that was slowly feeding through the oak grove in front of me. I stood frozen in my stand, bow in hand, waiting for my shot opportunity as the deer gradually came closer. At 15 yards, I had my shot. I drew my bow and threaded the arrow through the hole in the hemlock branches, intending for the broadhead to enter just above the right shoulder blade, and out the opposite side

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew the exact time deer activity would take place on your hunting property, not only seasonally, but also daily? That would be great for some, but might take the fun out of it for others. With the way technology has advanced in recent years, we now have smart phone apps that say they can help hunters predict deer movement. NEW TECH I’m not opposed to newer technology instead of having to sit on a stake-out somewhere with a spotting scope glued to your eye. Trail

Peak rut is a magical time in the woods. It’s the one time when normally wary whitetail bucks drop their guard and roam about during daylight hours. Predictability goes out the window, but that’s part of the fun. You just never know what might show up at your stand or when. For those wishing to maximize their hunting time by keying in on the rut, here are a few tips on recognizing when it’s on. 1. All Season Biologically, the rut includes all behavior associated with courtship and breeding, and

While preparing to leave for my morning commute to work, I first walked into my backyard and looked over the large hayfield that bordered it. After all, it was mid-November, and the rumors that the bucks were chasing does were weighing heavily on my mind. I walked 40 steps to the yard's edge and peeked into the field. Sure enough, a mature buck stood directly over a bedded doe 100 yards into the field. I quickly returned to my garage, picked up my binoculars, and revisited the yard's edge. The

Mark and I have both observed that when the rut has really turned on, the older-age-class bucks usually don’t move until later in the morning. In Missouri, the pre-rut and the rut starts kicking-in the first week of November. The bucks will be looking for that first estrous doe that is getting ready to breed. During this time, we want to have our stand set-up in an area where we can get to and from our stand without spooking any deer. When the rut is full-blown, we plan to climb into our stands

I rely heavily on my trail camera pictures and the information I analyze from them and also have analyzed at www.myspypoint.com. There’s also a third factor that goes into my hunting plan- especially during the rut. On the properties I own and the places I have exclusive rights on to hunt, I don’t harvest does until after the rut. A mature whitetail has specific needs at certain times of the year and at particular times each day. Before the rut, he needs security, food, water and sanctuary

While getting dressed for work on October 26, 2021, I received a phone notification from my Muddy Manifest Cellular Camera. To my surprise, a mature ten-pointer I had never encountered before was pictured walking through the area I planned to hunt during rifle season. That morning, I received three pictures of the mature buck up on his feet, moving after a cold front had passed through the night before. When the Missouri rifle season began in early November, I had put the mature buck in the back

Every situation is different and there aren't any rules where there aren't exceptions to them. However, over the years I've picked up some general practices that will help in most situations when choosing a deer stand placement. USING TRAVEL CORRIDORS FOR DEER STAND PLACEMENT If you’re an angler, you know about fishing around structure. In this context, structure is simply stuff that fish or animals relate to. You want to find the “spot on the spot” -- that something different that draws and

It seems that too many hunters have developed unrealistic expectations for the whitetail woods. I blame myself, the rest of the hunting industry, the internet and outdoor programming for making it this way. People watch hunting shows on TV or online and think they should have the same success as the outdoor stars they see in videos. Are these improbable outlooks? Is it even possible for “Joe-hunter” to experience the same success on any property? Isn’t it really all about what makes you, your

It’s the peak of the chase-phase and you somehow made enough phone calls to free up your evening schedule so you could spend a few hours in your treestand. You develop a stand entrance game plan on your way to your property and execute it perfectly. As the sun sinks to touch the horizon you can sense deer moving toward you and then, out of nowhere the woods erupts with an unseen deer snorting and stomping. You cringe and possibly mumble under your breath that your position has been compromised