Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Deer & Deer Hunting

CONNECT & WATCH OUR 4 SHOWS WWW.DEERANDDEERHUNTING.COM DEER & DEER HUNTING • MODERN HUNTER • DDH PROPERTIES • DEERTOPIA SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITES/STREAMING APPS FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DEERHUNTINGMAG YOUTUBE: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/DDHONLINE INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/DEERANDDEERHUNTING PURSUITUP: WWW.PURSUITUPTV.COM/DEER-AND-DEER-HUNTING/ WAYPOINT TV: WWW.WAYPOINTTV.COM/DEER-AND-DEER-HUNTING WILDTV: WWW.WILDTV.CA/PROGRAM/DEERDEER RUMBLE: WWW.RUMBLE.COM/C/DEERANDDEEERHUNTING TWITTER: @DEERHUNTINGMAG PINTEREST: WWW.PINTEREST.COM/DEERHUNTINGMAG/ BROADCAST TELEVISION PURSUIT CHANNEL - SATURDAY NIGHT DEER CAMP WILD TV • WAYPOINT TV POSTED SIGNS THAT LAST I wanted “posted” signs that would be readable and last out in the elements for more than a year (which is the norm). This is what I came up with. Get a plastic, 55-gallon drum. Use 3M spray glue, and stick the signs to the barrel. Cut them out with a reciprocating saw. Then, use 4-inch largeheaded screws to mount them on a pole, tree, etc. I painted the trim…

Staging areas are one of the most misunderstood and controversial subjects among whitetail hunters, especially bow-hunters. However, understanding staging areas and how to hunt them is of particular importance if you target mature deer in pressured areas. Some states — like Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York — have extremely wary whitetails because the amount of hunting land isnʼt proportionate to the number of hunters. Special timing, tactics and patience are required to take big bucks in these areas. Learning how and when to hunt staging areas is one of the biggest steps on the road to regular success on pressured bucks. MORE OBSERVATIONS Staging areas have been traditionally defined as small spots of cover where bucks congregate before entering an open area after dark. Bucks establish these areas…

I love everything about bowhunting, especially the fact that you have to get right in a critter’s wheelhouse to be successful. Raised a rifle hunter out West and mentored by men who were military snipers back in World War II, even with what are, by today’s standards, relatively simple rifles, optics, and ammunition, and without a rangefinder, taking an animal three football fields away became routine. I first tried shooting a recurve bow while in college in the early 1970s, and frankly, I sucked at it. It wasn’t until I got my hands on my first compound bow – a Bear Archery Alaskan 6-wheel bow in 1978 – that I started giving bowhunting a real go. Compounds were first brought to market in 1967 by Holles Wilbur Allen and his…

A tagged whitetail deer is a trophy, no matter its body size or the spread of its antlers. A mature buck may carry a little more weight as a prize, having survived a few bow and firearms seasons, but any deer represents skill, persistence, and a little bit of luck. Maybe you were simply in the right place at the right time, on purpose or by accident. Either way, you filled your role as a hunter and meat gatherer. That’s something to be proud of, and something worth recording with a good photo. The truth is that a sloppy or careless photo can cheapen the moment. With a little preparation and some attention to detail, your pictures can honor the animal, tell the story of the hunt, and provide a…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, we heard leaves crushing under the weight of one, maybe two, deer sprinting through the woods. My toddler perked up on my husband’s lap. My husband and I jumped into a moment of chaos as we tried to confirm the source of the noise, ready the gun and situate our kids. “Two does, 20 and 40 yards,” he whispered after peaking out the ground blind window. I handed off my daughter, leaned to my left and whispered back, “I see one. She’s staring right at us.” I raised the gun but felt uncomfortable with the barrel’s proximity to my boys. We briefly argued about a workaround and started shuffling; I took my son and handed the gun to my husband. In my lap, Graham exclaimed he…

INGREDIENTS: FOR THE SALAD • 1 English cucumber• Kosher salt• ½ red onion, sliced thinly• 1 tablespoon soy sauce• 1 tablespoon mirin (or ½ tablespoon rice vinegar + ½ tablespoon white sugar)• 1 pinch of black sesame seeds (optional)• 1 pinch gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes) FOR THE RICE • 2 cups cooked shortgrain rice, cooled• 1 tablespoon butter or oil• 1 teaspoon kosher salt• 1 teaspoon sesame oil• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds FOR THE SAUCE • 3 tablespoons gochujang sauce (Korean pepper paste)• 2 tablespoons hot water• tablespoon maple syrup or honey• 1 teaspoon sesame oil• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar• 1 teaspoon soy sauce• 1 clove garlic, finely minced• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds FOR THE CHOPS • 2 thick-cut rib chops (2 ribs per chop on smaller deer)• kosher salt•…

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All of us have probably heard hunters say, “Hunt on opening day of firearm season, because all the shooting will get bucks on their feet and moving.” In other words, hunting pressure causes deer to move more, increasing other hunters’ odds of success on opening day. But is this true or just part of age-old deer lore that many hunters follow? While not the main focus of their project, researchers with the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator (SW CWD) Study collected location data of different age classes of bucks living in portions of Iowa, Dane and Grant counties over several years. This enabled them to examine the movement patterns of different age classes of bucks before, during and after the rut. What they learned has enormous ramifications for understanding…

Almost all bow-hunters have heard accounts of shots high in the chest and under the spine resulting in unrecovered deer. The term “dead space” has been applied to this zone, and many experienced and knowledgeable hunters believe in its existence. About 30 years ago, I went to north Florida for a special archery hunt and camped with a large group of hunters of all ages — some with three decades worth of bow-hunting stories … even back then. One evening around the campfire, someone mentioned a void in a deer’s chest below the backbone and above the lungs. Several hunters asserted their knowledge of it, and no one voiced the least disbelief. With my understanding of anatomy, such a spot was hard to fathom, but when older hunters spoke, I…

When evaluating whitetail research, I think Karl Miller said it best: “The more you learn about whitetails, the more you realize you don’t know.” Such an admission is the sign of an astute investigator. That’s why so many technical papers conclude with the phrase “more study is necessary.” Miller’s synopsis probably applies to all aspects of whitetail life history. However, unraveling the rut’s mysteries remains an especially challenging endeavor, despite the reams of popular literature that might lead you to think modern-day “rutologists” have all the answers. Initially, for example, studies suggested scrapes made by rutting bucks played a territorial role during the breeding season. That is, some researchers thought only mature, dominant bucks made scrapes and defended them against use by subordinate bucks. However, more recent studies, including my…

It’s a hunter’s version of a nightmare. Opening day is just around the corner. You’ve patterned a trophy buck, have your stands set, and the season’s plan ready to roll. Anticipation is high – then suddenly, it all unravels. Permission is revoked. The property sells. A lease falls through. In an instant, the dream of a perfect season is gone. Most hunters can relate. I once read that the only constant in hunting land is this: if you don’t own it, you’ll eventually lose it. Having already lost several hard-earned honey holes myself, I knew those were some of the truest words ever written. The ways it can happen are countless. Maybe a neighbor backdoors you on a lease. Maybe the landowner’s views change, or the farm gets rezoned or…

Gavin Glance’s 7 ½-year-old buck hit trail cameras multiple times. He even saw the deer in person once. Unfortunately, it remained outside bow range. “I would get a trail camera photo of him every seven to 10 days in the same area,” Glance said. “So, I patterned him based off the photos and other deer activity.” He bought the property to build a home and hunt deer on. A few months before deer season, a big bachelor group showed up. However, it wasn’t until October 9 that the huge deer appeared on cams. On November 9, 2024, Glance went out and settled into the stand well before the sun was up. Temps were in the high 30s to low 40s. His spot was along a field with knee-high grass, dense…

“Just finished reading this year’s article about the rut predictor following Charles Alsheimer’s observations. Great article! A group of 10 of us from Minnesota have hunted in Illinois for 17 years, and we plan our 10-day trip on the D&DH Whitetail Calendar every year. I can’t tell you how accurate it has been over the years. We harvested some great bucks! We wouldn’t have killed them based on conventional rut predictors. Keep printing the calendar, I buy multiples every year and give them as gifts. Thank you, and have a safe & successful hunting season!” • Whitetail Calendar is the perfect gift for the deer hunter on your list (or for yourself!). • The new 2026 Whitetail Calendar® features the incredible photography and rut algorithm of Charles J. Alsheimer. Use…

1 TERRA XT 2.0 CELLULAR TRAIL CAMERA Wildgame Innovations™ raises the bar for modern scouting with the all-new Terra XT 2.0 Cellular Trail Camera. Built for real-time responsiveness, this next-gen camera integrates seamlessly with the HuntSmart™ app, allowing users to request photos or videos on demand and receive them in minutes. No more waiting for scheduled uploads. With 24MP image clarity, 720P video, and an impressive 80-foot detection and flash range, the Terra XT 2.0 delivers crisp visuals both day and night. The dual-carrier auto-connect feature ensures reliable coverage in remote areas, keeping hunters and land managers connected to the field from anywhere. Whether you’re monitoring game patterns, tracking property activity, or just enjoying the thrill of what’s moving after dark, the Terra XT 2.0 offers instant insight like never before.…

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Hunting buddy Bob Pletz and I are speeding down a lonely stretch of State Highway 70, 13 miles west of Florence, Wis., when our conversation dies a comfortable death. I flip on the radio, tune to a Duluth, Minn., station and hear frantic news: President Kennedy has been assassinated. We can hear grief in the announcerʼs voice, “Trucks are pulled off to the side of the highway here,” the announcer states. “Burly truckers are sobbing like babies.” “Not the day before deer season,” Bob observes. Heʼs driving my old Plymouth station wagon, crammed with our rifles, wool coats, winter boots, duffels and other gear. A pickup passes us. Three men wearing red hunting hats sit in its front seat. A fat guy sitting next to the passenger door grins and…

CHAD LAYTON MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO Chad Layton had always wanted to hunt Ohio. “I’ve been kicking it around for several years,” he said. “I narrowed it down to one spot that really piqued my interest.” On November 27, 2023, he arrived at the publicland parking lot. He was the only one there. As he started walking in, five hunters pulled up and piled out. They had a short discussion, and Layton walked into the property. He sat on the ground and waited for shooting light. As he often does, while waiting for legal light, he reflected on scripture. This time, it was Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Around 8 a.m., a doe appeared to his left. Another glance, and he spotted a buck behind…

Billy didn’t wear enough hunter orange. Jerry rigged up a deer recovery drone his state prohibits. Sally tagged her deer incorrectly. Betsy misidentified the deer she shot. And poor ol’ Pete dumped a bottle of deer pee someplace he shouldn’t have. Not one of these rules were willfully broken but violated in ignorance. And dagnabbit if they didn’t all take home tickets from the man in green. Scenes such as these unfold in every state, every deer season. Game laws are extensive. Virtually every DNR and wildlife agency includes a long list of rules to follow. Thus, the importance of being very deliberate about reading, studying, and following hunting regs. With some time spent reading regs, these and many other blunders can be avoided. Deer hunters should never head afield…

The cold snap couldn’t have come at a better time: It was the peak of the rut. We knew deer would move, so we sat and waited. The hunting blind had been built out of old plywood, rusty nails and used shingles. The roof was capped 20 autumns ago. There were holes in it now, and through those holes dripped chilly water. In the corners were old spider webs, their intricacies lost by the passing of time. There were four rectangular windows — one on each wall. Two faced the woods, one faced the river and one that gave a clear view of the bean field. Cold air blew through the paneless windows, chilling my entire body. I placed my rifle against a wall and rubbed my hands together. Although…

As a ruminant, the whitetailed deer possesses a predator-avoidance adaptation that allows the animal to feed quickly, then retire to a safe location to complete the digestive process. We call these safe places “bedding areas,” and it is here that deer are most relaxed in a world that requires constant vigilance. For the deer hunter, understanding what deer look for in a bedding area can be an important tool for success. Whitetails occupy a vast region and enormously different habitat types, but regardless, they still need to eat, breed and rest. Feeding and resting areas change with the weather and the season. Because we’re talking about hunting season, we need to focus on bedding areas used during this time. On the Appalachian Mountain land that I regularly hunt, there are…

Few non-hunters grasp the time, energy, and heart invested in preparing a property for bow season. Countless hours are spent planting food plots, hanging stands, setting trail cameras, and studying patterns that have taken years to build. With every task checked off the list, anticipation grows—until it’s shattered by tire tracks across a field or, worse, the grisly discovery of a decapitated buck in the middle of a food plot. I’ve witnessed this kind of violation firsthand, and it’s one of the ugliest feelings an outdoorsman can experience. LINES IN THE DIRT A few years ago, my father-in-law was preparing for what should have been a bow season to remember. He had discovered a heavy nine-pointer roaming his family farm in Ohio and, convinced this deer could be the biggest…

Venison is one of the healthiest sustainable foods globally, and dining on it is a great pleasure. Deer, free-ranging consumers of herbs, grasses, acorns, berries and nuts, are free from harmful antibiotics and hormones. Their meat has less fat and cholesterol and more vitamins B6, B12 and omega-3 fatty acids than beef. Many who know venison’s health benefits avoid it, citing a wild, gamey flavor and tough texture. This can happen if venison is prepared like supermarket beef. But with a few tips, one might never buy corn-fed beef again. People can enjoy venison’s nutrition, crave its flavor and serve it with heirloom vegetables for a sustainable meal. DO NOT MASK THE FLAVOR Venison isn’t gamey; it has distinct flavor. Deer forage for grass, herbs, acorns, berries and nuts, unlike…