Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

Firearm seasons are open or have been in most of the nation; however, that does not mean that you can’t take a good buck with a bow.  Since most rifles and muzzleloaders now shoot tight groups at 200 yards, that is the kind of location that many rifle hunters seek.  Ironically, once the fireworks start, many bucks head for the thickest cover they can find.

Prime Example

This 8-point buck fell two hours into my first sit at my favorite whitetail spot.  It’s not a stand or a blind, but a medium-sized tree tucked into a cedar-choked creek bed about 100 yards wide.  I wear full camo, except for an orange hat, which is required during firearm season, and I almost always get a shooting opportunity the first day.  My best buck from this spot topped 160, but I rarely get to hunt more than one day and usually take the first 8-point-or-better that comes by.  Despite the presence of an outfitter who hunts this area, I have success because rifle hunters prefer to see distance rather than thickets.  Their loss, my gain.

Surviver

Our state’s rifle season opened on November 29th, and this nice buck stands 15 yards in front of my bow stand after darkness fell and the rifles ceased.  I’ve captured pictures of this buck for several weeks, and he avoided the pumpkin army that hunts the adjacent public land and 25 or more rifles on our hunt club.  We call a deer of this caliber a hunt-club 8-point because deer seldom reach 3 1/2 years old due to high hunting pressure.  If it has three points on one side, it meets the legal requirements of our hunt club, unless it’s a youngster’s first deer, and any antlered animal meets that situation.

Seek Out Sanctuaries

Hunting pressure can force deer into pockets of cover they use infrequently, such as abandoned farm sections, cover between commercial buildings, and even suburban backyards.  One of my spots belongs to an elderly lady who hates that deer eat her roses, which prompted her to invite me to “help out.”  Her backyard is barely an acre but has several large blowdowns from a recent storm and a secluded corner where my ladder stand is.  As of yesterday, a buck was working a mock scrape there and may give me an opportunity.  Look for small pockets of cover that most hunters will overlook, and you could find Mr. Big’s bedding hide-out.

Leaves, twigs, branches, rocks, and shadows are just a few of the pattern elements that have shaped camouflage clothing over the past 50 years, but many younger hunters are opting for solid colors like green, black, and brown pants and jackets while hunting.  As premium hunting gear becomes more expensive, the ability to wear name brands in the woods and on the street has appeal.  Some hunters select brands like Carhart for their versatility and durability for work or rugged outdoor adventure.

Do Deer Wear Camouflage?

I have seen pictures that look devoid of deer, yet when examined closely, there may be five or six whitetails bedded in leaves or short grass, invisible at first glance.  Often, the only time a hunter picks them out is with the twitch of an ear or glint of an antler.  If you’d like to experiment with this trend, try switching to solid-color trousers, as many Western hunters do.  You may want to vary your top and bottom colors, especially if you hunt on the ground.

Avoid the Blues

Blue is the one color to be avoided, as scientific experiments have proven that deer see blue better than any other color.  Ironically, many hunters often sport blue jeans in moderate weather.  Whether you wear solid or a camouflage pattern, being still is paramount.  A deer can spot a polar bear in a snow storm if it moves enough.

Zachary works for a plumbing business that owns a small tract of land between massive warehouses on the outskirts of town where sounds of the Interstate highway can be clearly heard.  Ninety-nine percent of deer hunters would not give such a place a second thought, yet the few acres of abandoned farmland between the buildings is a whitetail sanctuary of sorts.  A perk of RT Services Plumbing and Heating is the ability to hunt several small tracts of land owned by the company, and Zachary was climbing to his stand as the first hint of daylight appeared.

Industrial Park Tree Stand

This young man likes hunting and taking videos of bucks, a tricky tactic that backfired two weeks ago when a large 8-point passed near his stand.  Filming with a phone and shooting a compound don’t mix well, and the deer got past the stand without a shot.  Sunday morning, Zachary was barely in his stand when this 8-point showed at 30 yards.  On the prowl for does, the buck headed away until Zachary stopped it at 42 yards with a grunt call.  His Ted Nugent arrow zipped through the buck and downed it within 20 yards.

A Plummer’s Perk

Despite the youngster’s physical prowess, dragging the 150-pound buck quickly became a chore, so he cashed in another perk and hiked to the equipment shed where he cranked up a front loader and soon made quick work of the transport.  Inspecting the deer, it had been gored by another buck and bore the rips in its hide on one side.

Now is the Time

The days before Thanksgiving are an excellent time to tag a last-minute bow buck before the firearm seasons open.  Deer are moving, but you must be in the woods or behind the shed to score.  Even if you can’t get to your favorite hunting ground, consider small patches of cover near commercial areas or large woodlots near the edge of town.  Big bucks flourish in these semi-sanctuaries, but you must be there to score.

Peak breeding is over in most of the country, but I’m not discouraged.  In many states, the firearm season opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving or a few days before, allowing a precious few days to bowhunt before it’s boom time in the big woods.  Jeff Sturgis, of Whitetail Habitat Solutions, suggests that as bucks end their restless mating jaunts, they will focus again on food, which means that a cut corn field, unharvested beans, winter wheat, and other ag crops will be whitetail buck draws.

Family Time

I am especially thankful for this time of year because my three grandsons hunt with me and have for the past several years.  The two youngest still use crossbows, but the oldest loves the challenge of a Bear compound, and he has been practicing and hunting when his busy work schedule allows.  Since they only have a short window of hunting opportunity, I try to save certain spots with high deer traffic specifically for them.

Hunting with a Youngster

My middle grandson, shown above, has special respiratory problems, which means he doesn’t handle cold temperatures well.  Whenever hunting with youngsters, it’s essential to put their needs above the quest for a deer.  In his case, we make sure that he’s bundled up, take warm drinks with us, and when he says that he is cold, we pause the hunt, warm up with a snack, and then resume.  Ironically, this exact scenario played out two years ago when frigid November temperatures settled in.  We took a break, headed to a nearby fast-food stop for a hot sandwich and hot chocolate, and returned.  Twenty minutes later, this seven-pointer came cruising along.

Round Up the Pumpkins

If baiting is legal, round up your neighbor’s leftovers and bust them in the woods.  It may take a day or two for deer to get used to the new food source, yet they will eventually consume them.  Plus, smashing pumpkins is always fun for youngsters.

Don’t Forget the Calls

Although the rut may be winding down, bucks will still respond to estrous bleats and grunt calls.  Even if they ignore your efforts, they rarely spook or avoid the area.  Deer calling takes patience and persistence, but it only has to work once.

Jeff Sturgis Advice

After successfully harvesting my target buck on the first night of the Pennsylvania archery season, I shifted my focus to hunting the bucks I had captured on my SpyPoint cameras in Ohio. Before returning to the Ohio lease, I decided to purchase a second antlerless tag, as the lease was overrun with does. I wanted the tag handy in case a doe gave me another opportunity. I was confident that I would fill the second doe tag at some point during my time hunting on the lease.

Chasing Ohio Bucks

My SpyPoint Flex-S and Flex-M cameras captured numerous pictures of bucks moving through the lease. I had been busy finishing up my coaching duties for the high school soccer team, which prevented me from visiting the lease until my soccer season was over. Once the season concluded with a playoff loss, I turned my attention to the Ohio lease. I made plans to head there on the morning of October 25th. The weather was perfect for deer activity, and I hoped that a few bucks would be cruising for a hot doe.

A Perfect Morning

The morning of October 25th was nearly perfect. The wind was favorable, and the temperatures were comfortable. I climbed into the stand about half an hour before sunrise and prepared for the hunt. As the sun slowly rose in the east, it began to illuminate the woods around me. My Darton Sequel 33 hung from the bow hanger, and my new Painted Arrow Outdoors Mag-Pro camera arm held one of the two cameras I planned to use for filming that morning. The start was slow, but soon deer began to move everywhere, and I held out hope that a buck would appear.

As we approach the end of 2025, it’s an exciting time for archers. Bow manufacturers are unveiling their 2026 flagship bows, and social media is buzzing with information about each new release. Are you considering a new bow for the upcoming 2026 season? Have you explored the latest models at your local archery shop? Below, I’ve provided some information on the new bows that have already been released, organized alphabetically by company. You might just find the perfect bow for your 2026 season!

APA King Cobra DGX

ATA: 32 1/4 Inches

Weight: 4.1 LBS

IBO Speed: Up to 363 FPS

Peak Weights: 40,50,60,70,80,90,100 LBS.

Draw Lengths: 24-30 Inches

Cam: X2 Dual Cam

Brace Height: 5 3/8

Let Off: 80%

Price: $1,629.00

Link: https://apaarchery.com/products/king-cobra-dg/

APA Black Mamba Pro 6

ATA: 31 3/8 Inches

Weight: 3.9 LBS.

IBO Speed: Up to 357 FPS

Peak Weights: 40,50,60,70,80

Draw Lengths: 24-30 Inches

Cam: X2 Dual Cam

Brace Height: 6 1/16th

Let Off: 80%

Price: $1,779.00

Link: https://apaarchery.com/products/black-mamba-pro-6/

Bear Archery Redeem

ATA: 30 Inches

Weight: 4.9 LBS

IBO Speed: 340 FPS

Peak Weights: 45-60 and 55-70

Draw Lengths: 25-30 Inches

Cam: EKO2 Cam

Brace Height: 6.25 Inches

Let Off: 80% and 85%

Price: $1,299.99

Link: https://www.beararchery.com/products/bear-archery-redeem-compound-bow

The day before I arrived, a rifle hunter took this 4X4 mule deer on the private ranch I had permission to hunt.  Bowhunting the open plains of South Dakota with a bow is always challenging and made more so during the firearm season.  I had prepared well for this adventure and looked forward to an exciting hunt.

South Dakota offers archery “any deer” tags valid for both whitetail and mule deer, as their habitats often overlap.  That was the dream situation I found myself in this past week.  My three-day hunt on a private ranch would be intense, and the Federal Government Shutdown had fouled my plans; yet, I arrived late in the afternoon of the first day.  My friend Matt Sullivan had hunted the ranch for the past 20 years, and he and his sons had success rifle hunting.  Could I succeed with a crossbow?

Key Geer

In the wide-open Great Plains, shots can be long and accuracy demanding, and I took maximum preparations for the quest.  The screaming arrow launched from a Barnet Raptor BCX, mounted on a Final Rest grasping tripod, was my goal, aided by the Burris OracleX for precise aiming and range determination.  Barnett Head Hunter arrows, tipped with Grim Reaper 150-grain heads, explicitly designed for crossbows, would seal the deal.

Quick Encounter

Like mountain sheep or moose hunting, a key tactic is to find high ground and glass for game.  At our first high point, we could see for miles in three directions, and Sullivan was quick to spot a mature buck 200 yards away.  Although the calendar indicated that the rut should be in full swing, we hadn’t seen bucks roaming the prairie.  The instant the big 4×4 spotted our silhouette, it paused for a few seconds and then raced away, leaving two does behind.  With a rifle, the hunt could have ended quickly, yet all we could do was watch and hope it would return the next day.

Too Small, Too Soon

I’ve been hunting South Dakota for many years and taken some great whitetails, but never a mule deer buck.  Two hours later, we crested a small knoll and watched a 2X2 crest a ridge 100 yards ahead of us.  With the deer out of sight, it would have been a perfect stalking situation to close the distance and take a high-percentage shot.  With a full day of hunting tomorrow, I chose to pass on the opportunity.

If you live in the suburbs of the USA and can’t get a day from work to hunt the big woods, consider the first or last hour of the day in your backyard.  Not literally, of course, but at this time of the year, major bucks are leaving their sanctuaries like national parks, state parks, development sites, and other places that are unhuntable to roam miles from their sanctuaries in search of does.

Luke Barnett chose this option yesterday when he visited a friend’s farm just outside of Washington, DC.  At 2:00 in the afternoon, this monster came cruising along, and Barnett was on target.  The owner wasn’t jealous about the harvest, because he knew that these big deer often were only seen once on their circular journey away from their sanctuary home.  The trick is to be in these bordering properties now and spend as much time as you can.

Barnett permitted Bowhunting.Net to publish his picture with the following disclaimer: “Make sure you mention that it was a 100-yard shot running, 20 below zero, and five miles back.”  OK Luke, we heard that one before.

Year after year, Grim Reaper Broadheads help hunters successfully fill their tags. This year marks Grim Reaper’s 25th anniversary, and hunters have already taken some impressive animals. Regardless of the type of animal you are hunting, Grim Reaper has a broadhead that will ensure you can “Watch ’em Drop!” Check out these amazing animals harvested by staff members and customers.

Hogs Don’t Stand A Chance

Butch Thomas from Morrell Targets had an amazing hunt in Texas! He expertly took down a hog using a Grim Reaper broadhead, and the blood trail made tracking it easy. Great job, Butch! Your success is truly inspiring!

Kansas Stud

Grim Reaper Pro Staffer Mike Rossi successfully harvested a massive Kansas 10-point buck using the Pro Series 100-grain Whitetail Special broadhead. The Whitetail Special is a highly regarded head with an impressive 2-inch cutting diameter. Deer don’t stand a chance when shot by a Grim Reaper Whitetail Special.

Rifle seasons are beginning across the country. However, some devoted archery hunters choose to stick with their bows instead of switching to rifles. Many hunters find archery hunting more challenging and enjoyable than rifle hunting. Here are a few tactics to help archers fill their tags during rifle season. As always, be sure to check your state’s game laws to confirm that using a bow is permitted during this time.

Stand Location

Using a bow during archery season requires several strategies. The most important factor to consider is your stand location. To increase your chances of success, you need to have excellent stand placements. When I hunt with my bow during Pennsylvania’s rifle season, I position my stands in two specific areas: bedding zones and draws. 

I particularly enjoy hunting near bedding areas because the deer tend to be more relaxed and move naturally. Bucks often visit bedding areas to scent-check does in the thick cover. Positioning a stand in or just outside a bedding area can significantly improve your chances of filling your tag.

The second location where I like to set my stand during rifle season is at the bottom of a draw. If I can identify a draw that deer use to exit from a bedding area, I place my stand there. I consistently see action throughout the day when I choose this location.

Use A Decoy

Pennsylvania boasts an impressive 850,000 licensed hunters, making rifle season truly dynamic! When I head out with my bow during this busy time, I love using a doe decoy to enhance my chances. Safety is my top priority, so I always hunt from an elevated stand and carefully place my decoy in thick cover. Plus, since bucks are still in rut, a doe decoy can be incredibly effective at drawing in a rut-driven buck for that perfect archery shot. Based on my own successful experiences with this tactic, I can genuinely say that incorporating a doe decoy into your strategy during rifle season can be a game-changer. 

The second week of November marks the beginning of the seeking-and-chasing phase across many regions of the United States. During this time, dominant bucks that have been with does are back on the hunt for other receptive does. While it can be frustrating to sit in the stand all day during this period, patience can yield significant rewards if you’re in the right spot at the right time.

Checking In

Does come into estrus every day, causing bucks to be highly active and cover large distances while briefly stopping at scrapes. During this time, it’s common to see multiple bucks roaming through the woods and visiting these scrapes. These cruising bucks share a singular focus: locating and breeding estrus does. One buck interacting with the Buckbranch is being closely observed by a younger buck in the background. The 8-point buck is primarily from a neighboring property and is on the move, searching for does.

Seeking Through The Snow

Living in Northwest Pennsylvania, it’s common to see the first snowfall in November. I enjoy hunting during the rut when there’s snow on the ground because it makes it easier to spot bucks, and the snow slows them down. A new buck has appeared on the farm, and I can tell it’s a new one because he has a double throat patch. I don’t have any previous videos of this deer, which gives me another great reason to sit in my stand all day during this time.

It is early November, and bucks are actively searching for receptive does. Now is the perfect time to set up a doe decoy. I have primarily hunted in Northwest Pennsylvania my entire life. While I’ve also hunted in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and New York, I spend most of my time pursuing bucks in Pennsylvania. Initially, I never thought a doe decoy would be effective in Pennsylvania, so I never used one. That changed in 2021 when I decided to purchase a doe decoy and give it a try during the rut. Here is what happened…

Boudica the Doe Decoy

My mother-in-law always gets me Cabela’s gift cards for Christmas, and I usually save them to buy something special. During the summer of 2021, Smokey McNicholas, the owner of Smokey’s Deer Lures, called to discuss a new gland lure he was developing. He asked me if I had ever used a doe decoy, and I told him I hadn’t. I expressed my skepticism, mentioning that I didn’t think a doe decoy would work in Northwest Pennsylvania. Smokey encouraged me to get a doe decoy, suggesting I could test his new gland lure during that archery season. I agreed to purchase a decoy to assist him with his testing.

I researched online to find the best decoy and ended up choosing the Boss Babe from Flambeau. Once the decoy arrived, I assembled it and hoped that the combination of the decoy and gland lure would be effective. I decided to name my decoy Boudica, after one of my favorite historical female figures. I wanted this decoy to be both deceptive and tough!

Surprising Success

Smokey sent me his new gland lure, Interdigital Plus, which is a blend of doe interdigital scent and a small percentage of estrus. The idea is to make bucks think that a doe is entering estrus. On Friday, November 5th, I took a day off from school and headed to the woods early with Boudica, the decoy, and the gland lure. I set up Boudica between two active scrapes and applied the Interdigital Plus to cotton balls placed in her feet. After setting up the decoy, I walked back to the main trail and put the gland lure on my boots. Next, I walked directly to Boudica to create a scent trail, hoping a buck would come to investigate. I climbed into my stand and waited. 

At around 9:30 a.m., I spotted antlers emerging from the thicket to my right. I pulled out my grunt tube and made a few low grunts. Suddenly, the buck burst out of the thicket and saw Boudica, my decoy. I quickly grabbed my Darton bow and waited to see how things would unfold. The buck made his way to the main trail, picked up the scent from the gland lure, and walked directly towards Boudica. Just before he could reach his target, I released a Black Eagle Rampage arrow, hitting him perfectly in the boiler room. The buck ran about 40 yards before collapsing. I couldn’t believe what had just happened! I was really impressed that the decoy and gland lure had worked so effectively.

Calling an animal into bow range is one of the greatest bowhunting successes.  Whether it’s a bull elk, strutting gobbler, or a big whitetail buck, knowing that you fooled that animal at its own game is exhilarating.  Some calls, such as elk bugles and the grunt-snort-wheeze for whitetails, are dominance challenges that may be effective under certain situations; however, they will likely repel as many as they attract, perhaps even more.

The estrous bleat is made by does and therefore rarely spooks a buck, regardless of age.  Even if you lure in a small buck, that act may entice a more mature buck to investigate.  The estrous bleat can be made by tube-style calls as well as can styles, the latter being effortless to use and nearly foolproof.  Doe bleats can be made when deer are in sight, as well as cold calling.  Since the sound is very soft and does not carry far, using it frequently may increase the likelihood of success.

Here’s a Calling Scenario

If you need a spark in your day, click here.

Jeff Sturgis is one of the most prolific whitetail deer specialists online today.  His life’s work involves habitat modification, food plots, and planting for wildlife, among other initiatives.  In fact, it is a full-time job for him and four other employees.  Sturgis doesn’t just talk about hunting whitetail deer; he’s an avid bowhunter and incorporates hunting strategies into his many organic and structural tactics, such as mock scrapes, water holes, food plots, and others.

What About the Moon?

Sturgis is quick to reject deer hunting myths that lack scientific backing, such as the notion that “Moon phases influence the rut.”  This weekend, we are experiencing a “super-moon,” which is the brightest of the year.  Will that have an impact?  Additionally, much of the nation is expected to experience a dramatic cold snap.  Will deer movement patterns change?  Here’s Sturgis with great advice for this weekend’s deer outlook:

I have a fantastic deer tag for South Dakota this fall.  It’s an “any deer” license, which means I can shoot a whitetail or mule deer, buck or doe.  I’ve made arrangements to hunt a large ranch where I hope to catch a big muley chasing does and make a lethal shot.  I ordered two packs of Grim Reaper Whitetail Specials for my Barnett crossbow, which has been set up with a Burris OracleX sight.  Since mule deer shots tend to be long, I have every confidence that I can make a 43-yard shot by using the rangefinding scope.

Checking My List

I’ve written many articles about prepping for adventure bowhunts, and I believe this one is particularly relevant, especially for those using modern rangefinding scopes. Here are six suggestions, whether you use a stand scope or one of the new ranging models.

1. Take your own target- Drive it or fly it, but you’ll need a quality target to tweak sight-ins and ensure broadhead flight. Whether you remove your scope and transport it in hand luggage or leave it attached during the flight, you will need to check that your zero hasn’t changed.  I experimented with three ranging scopes, and during the process, I destroyed 11 arrows when the inserts pulled out; the arrows couldn’t be removed from targets or misses that destroyed the arrow.  Compound archers practice every day on adventure hunts, and you should too.  Without a quality target, this isn’t possible, or you’ll consume all your arrows.

2. Practice like a compound archer. If you plan to shoot at 50 yards, practice at 80, even 100.  Precision matters.  Shooting a “little” left or right won’t matter for a 20-yard tree stand shot, but at long range, an inch can turn into two or three, a matter of wounding instead of a clean kill.  Additionally, practicing at a longer range will demonstrate your limits and reinforce best practices in shooting.

3. Eyes First- Take the extra time needed to watch a setup video and read the instructions before sighting in a rangefinding scope. Even if you are a tech wizard, watch the setup how-to until you feel comfortable.  I printed directions from the internet, underlined the steps needed, and took them with me.  These setup procedures are not intuitive, and without “reading the directions,” you are asking for frustration.

“Do you have rattling horns?” asked the stranger as I climbed down from my all-day sit in an Alberta tree stand. “It really works during the first week of November.”    I hadn’t brought rattling antlers with me, but my outfitter found a pair that I took back toward the stand the next morning.  Also, instead of driving me to the tree stand, I asked him to drop me off by the highway, and I’d walk the half mile across a huge alfalfa field.  I had rattled hundreds of times back home in Maryland, and it had never worked, but I was willing to take the local’s advice.  As the first hint of dawn broke, I paused in an island of trees in the enormous hay field and banged bone against bone.  In the distance, I saw what I thought was a coyote, jogging toward me.  As the animal crested a small hill, my heart stopped.  This was a big Alberta buck and headed right for me.  Thanks to the rattling trick, the mature buck came on a frozen rope.

My Second Biggest, Almost

That buck fell in the late 1990s, but it gave me confidence enough to carry rattling antlers or at least a rattling bag on every whitetail hunt, especially during the rut.  I was invited to hunt in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., a few years ago, and climbed into a tree stand in early afternoon.  My host asked me to shoot a doe, and it wasn’t long until a mature nanny came by.  Using an Excalibur crossbow, I shot it at 32 yards and created a swift demise with a massive blood trail.  In the cold November temperature, I pulled the doe near a tree and climbed back in the stand for the last hour of daylight.  I began using my grunt tube and soon heard a steady crunch of leaves approaching the stand.  At 50 yards, I caught the first glimpse of large antlers when the buck stopped suddenly, sniffed the blood trail, and turned directly away.  I grunted aggressively, yet the buck continued to shy away.  Grabbing my rattling bag, I banged it loudly, which stopped the buck.  I began grunting, and the deer came a few steps closer, but stopped.  Back to the “horns,” the deer approached another few yards.  For the next five minutes, I inched the big deer closer until it stopped in a small opening 42 yards away.  I ranged the deer, aimed carefully (I thought), and shot.  The arrow cut white hair under its chest.  In the excitement, I had shot the 30-yard reticle for the 40.  This was a monster buck, and I can’t discount the effects of buck fever.

Jim Schell’s Favorite Time

“Here’s your buck,” said Jim Schell, owner of Rough Country Outfitters of Wyoming, at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show.  I had booked a whitetail hunt with Schell the previous year and had to cancel at the last minute.  The picture was of a great buck my “replacement” had taken after Schell rattled it into range. “We have great success rattling in big bucks from November 7-11.  It can work at other times, but in my experience, that time period works best.”

Keep the Faith

Few tricks in the whitetail woods work every time, but that doesn’t mean they are ineffective.  When I bowhunt in rifle seasons in South Dakota, I seek out the thickest cover I can find and have had success replicating a fight between dominant deer.  Younger bucks seem to respond best, but just as in the two cases above, rattling could lure in the biggest buck of your life. I once had a young 6-point buck walk within 10 yards of my spot on three occasions, responding to antler crashing.  Eventually, he got bored because the noise stopped. I’d wait 10 minutes before starting another session, and he came back two more times.

Tricks of the Trade

I recall attending seminars where experts advised on how often to rattle, where, and when.  In my experience, it tends to work best in the early morning, especially when the air is still and a buck can hear the comotion for half a mile.  Grunts and bleats don’t travel well, but the “tink” of bone-on-bone can lure a buck from a neighboring property or sanctuary.  I engage a rattle bag or antlers for about 30 seconds in short bursts and then lay the horns down.  Bucks can come crashing in to investigate, and you want your bow in your hands.  Sometimes, sharing personal experiences —such as the one I have done in this post —is more meaningful than presenting statistics.  As the rut heats up, I believe your chances of a big deer will improve if you use this trick.  It doesn’t work often, BUT IT ONLY HAS TO WORK ONCE!

The image of the big 8-point in the early afternoon was impressive.  Batteries in the camera had been dead for weeks in an area that was difficult to access.  This big buck and several smaller ones had endured three months of bow season, two weeks of rifle hunting, and two black powder stints, yet here it was.  Since baiting is legal in Maryland, I thought I’d increase my odds of bagging the deer by scattering half of a bushel of corn in the spot.  Ironically, that was the worst thing I could have done, as it caused an increased deer presence and forced Mr. Big back into a nighttime feeding routine.

Don’t Change Anything

Camera images are an excellent scouting tool, yet they can cause a hunter to overthink the situation.  Once a hot spot is found, it can be tempting to move a stand, cut more shooting lanes, put out scents, and use other aggressive tactics.  As I learned from the instance above, the best approach is to leave the situation as it is and use a saddle, climbing tree stand, or build a small ground blind on the perimeter to create a promising ambush.

Find a Pre-Rut Corridor

Finding a fresh rub or scrape is exciting, but you only have one piece of the puzzle.  Hunters have more success if they can capture a travel route a buck uses in the pre-rut, and this can be done by scouting the perimeter of the fresh sign or posting or moving additional cameras to learn that route.  It is particularly frustrating when you catch a great deer in your area at night, but it doesn’t show up during business hours.  The following video speaks of finding daylight opportunities at “nocturnal” deer and is a strategy that anyone can follow:

Here’s a Solid Plan

Wild Camo produces some of my favorite videos.  As a trained educator, I love the graphics she uses to make points and create a plan in a step-by-step method.  Here’s a strategy that anyone can pull off.

Fall turkeys are an exciting challenge and pair perfectly with hunting the pre-rut.  Many states, like Pennsylvania and West Virginia, have a week or two when both deer and turkeys are in season and obtainable on the standard license.  These same two bowhunting powerhouses also have their archery bear seasons in as well, so TALK ABOUT EXCITEMENT!

Love the Oaks

Deer, bears, and wild turkeys love acorns, and if you can find a stand of oaks that are still dropping or have dropped a surplus of nuts, you have a keen spot for success.  Best of all, whatever gear you are using for whitetail deer will work well for turkeys or bears, and if you are dressed in camo and in a tree stand or saddle, you’ll likely get a shot at a relaxed animal.  Aiming points for turkeys are the neck and center of the back for close shots, and the top of the leg, which is virtually the center of the bird on a broadside angle.

Fool a Flock

The three toms shown in the lead photo fed in front of my stand this morning, one week before the PA season opens.  Although they were in a failed late-season cornfield, they basically ate grass as I watched them through my binoculars from a friend’s Amish-built elevated box blind.  Gobblers form bachelor groups at this time of year, and if you spot one longbeard, you are likely to see several.  Large flocks of turkeys are often hens and this year’s poults.  Gobblers don’t usually strut in the fall, but they do gobble and can be lured with a raspy, yelp that has a deeper sound and slower cadence than a hen call.

Light Gear

With the rut approaching, a hunter can easily load up with rattling antlers, a grunt tube, scent attractants, bleat call, and more.  Luckily for a fall gobbler, all you need is a mouth diaphragm or, better yet, a box caller with a “gobble side” that easily makes the sound of a tom.  Since deer and turkeys often occupy the same terrain, calling like a wild turkey won’t spook deer and may act as a confidence sound that “the coast is clear.”

Enhanced Accuracy

The box blind I hunted this morning is designed as a rifle stand for shots at 75-100 yards.  I’m not interested in shooting at those ranges because an animal’s slight movement can ruin the shot, yet I have complete confidence out to 50 yards.  I’m a longtime fan of Burris Optics, especially their OracleX scope that has a built-in rangefinder, and I set it atop my Barnett Raptor BCX.  With the push of a button, the scope ranges and provides a tiny red aiming point, perfect for the small kill zone of a wild turkey.  The window for multiple game animals in season is very short, so do your best to get into the woods.  Good Luck!