Tired of getting your gear ripped off? Here are some suggestions to help you prevent that from happening. 
By Darren Warner
Last year I had the pleasure of taking my nephew on his first bow hunt. We spent the summer glassing fields, trimming shooting lanes and hanging stands. As we got our gear around during the pre-dawn, both of us felt as giddy as schoolgirls in anticipation of opening day of deer season. Continue reading
Use these tactics to fill your tag during the last days of the chase season
During the later stages of the rut, food sources are still the best place to spend the last hours of daylight.
By Steve Bartylla
It had already been an amazing morning. I’d passed on two very mature bucks within easy shooting range in under a half-hour. With firearm season a day away, the only thing that gave me the resolve to pass was my belief that I could still take a larger buck.
The stand location was an obvious choice when I had scouted the area that spring. With three points dropping down and meeting together and a doe bedding areas above the intersection, bucks would surely be using the points to get between the doe groups. As an added bonus, the bottom also narrowed at this location, pinching any bottom running bucks to within shooting range. The cherry on top was the water hole 15 yards away from the tree I’d selected. Continue reading
If you think ground blinds are ridiculous for deer hunting, think again
More and more deer hunters are finding that a well-placed ground blind makes for a hot ambush. Pictured is a blind from Hunter's Specialties.
By Ron Rohrbaugh
Everyone knows that to kill whitetails with a bow you have to be at least 15 feet off the ground, right?
Wrong. Today’s combination of safe, inexpensive portable treestands and an extreme focus on hunting trophy bucks has turned ground hunting into a dying art—a trend that’s likely causing bowhunters to miss out on some great opportunities and a lot of fun. On nearly every property I hunt, there are excellent ambush sites that offer no possibility of placing effective treestands. I emphasize the word, “effective,” because there are sometimes trees available, but those in poor position relative to deer movement don’t offer shot opportunities, and trees with too little cover are sure recipes for getting busted. Continue reading
Looking for a great over-the-counter deer hunt, all for a low budget price? If so, check out Arizona … it has just what you’re looking for
By Eric Welsh
It was late December 13 years ago when I embarked on my first journey to Southern Arizona to hunt desert mule deer. My hunting buddy and I each had an over-the-counter archery deer tag in our pockets, and with other hunters’ stories in our heads, we were positive we would be wrapping that tag around some bone in the next few days. Continue reading
If you want greater consistency and performance out of your rig, follow these steps
Your bowstring's center serving and the string loop controls the vertical alignment of the arrow. If it slips one bit, accuracy will grossly suffer. Make it a habit to constantly check loop height, using a T-square, as well as the possibility of any loose servings.
By Joe Bell
Each year it seems that something on my bow goes haywire a couple weeks before opening day. My bow is shooting like a dream when suddenly, I notice some inconsistency in my shooting. Sometimes this erratic shooting behavior is just me getting excited about heading for the woods, but not always. Sometimes it’s the bow, by way of a loose center serving, a slipping peep sight, a bowstring or harness that has crept, a couple of deformed broadheads or nocks, or some arrow rest or sight screw that has vibrated loose.
Regardless of the problem, such incidences wreak havoc on my shooting concentration and confidence, which I don’t like at all. For this reason, I now go through a simple diagnosis each fall about four weeks before opening day in order to catch problems ahead of time. I recommend you do the same. Continue reading
Get the most out of the upcoming season with this in-depth survival guide 
By Steve Flores
I think most bowhunters would agree when I say that the average whitetail season can feel a lot like a roller-coaster ride, or better yet, a day at the circus. With so many highs and lows, not to mention the endless temptations in gear and tactics, it’s easy to understand how the whole process of filling a whitetail tag can sometimes turn into a chaotic mess.
For me, it’s akin to watching my own children when the “big-top” comes to town. There is so much to see and do that they literally don’t know where to begin. Choices and decisions pull their little minds in all directions. Luckily, they have their mother and me to guide them along, making sure they get the most out of the experience. Continue reading
By Joe Bell 
Do you hunt for yourself? What I mean by that is, do you hunt the way you believe is best, or do you hunt the way others do?
Personally, I find myself doing both, but as I become older, more experienced and hopefully wiser, I do prefer thinking for myself. There are two reasons I believe this is important: Every hunting situation is different, so improvising is best; and hunting the way I want usually increases satisfaction and reward.
Tired of guessing what deer are doing? Well, don’t. Follow these rules, and you’ll enjoy better action. 
By Jason Herbert
My head hung low as I climbed into the car to go home. After slaving over this property all summer, I had big plans of putting my tag on one of the shooter bucks that must live somewhere on the property, although I had yet to see proof of one.
Three documented cases of poison ivy, countless hours away from home toiling in the food plots, sweat-laden days hanging stands, cutting trails and more money spent that I care to mention—all in preparation for this, the opening weekend of Michigan’s bow season. I had just gained permission to hunt this pristine river bottom in early June. Now, it was the third evening, and I was going home empty-handed. Continue reading
By Joe Bell
Living out West, I’ve heard many bowhunters make irrational statements about hunting whitetails. Their general thinking is that these deer are easy to kill, compared to mulies and blacktails in the Western woods. In some ways, I’ve agreed with this, generally speaking. But experience has taught me that Western and Eastern hunting are completely different, and each offers a unique set of challenges. Continue reading
The devil’s in the details, so when it comes to tricking out your bow for whitetail shots, make sure it’s as perfect as it can be. 
By Steve Flores
I think it’s a pretty safe assumption that all of us bowhunters want the same things out of our chosen weapon: speed, accuracy, forgiveness and a quiet shot. And while obtaining those qualities has a lot to do with the bow we shoot, a good deal of them can be acquired, or even enhanced, by simply attaching the right add-ons to that bow. The tricky part is to accomplish this without wasting time and money. Continue reading
