Whether you're a hunter about to embark on your first hunting season or a seasoned pro who's been champing at the bit to get back out there, information is essential to the overall success of your hunting season.
Here's a list of 10 must reads for your hunting season.
This magazine isn't exclusively about deer hunting, but it certainly doesn't lack substance on the topic. Cabela's lets you know where the pristine hunting locations are, what gear to bring and provides insightful techniques for when you get there.
Many new hunters would be excited just to take a buck at all, but for those with a bit of experience, this tell-all read provides critical and enlightening insight from a true deer-hunting expert. This is purely oriented around helping readers land what every hunter is looking for—the big buck.
This book is a great read for the beginning hunter. It gives the background knowledge every hunter needs before they begin a hunt. With detailed illustrations and a heavy stress on the basics, this is the perfect book for those looking to get involved for the first time.
There is an entire section of this site dedicate solely to whitetails. Articles on gear, hunting techniques and locations are prevalent, but it's the interaction with others on the message board that really sets the community of this site apart. They've also got a collection great pictures from hunters posting galleries of their most recent hunts.
This site has everything the experienced hunter could ever want. With articles on scents, glands, food plots and plantings, a breakdown of every state's hunting and a deer density map, this site will keep an experienced deer hunter entertained for hours on end.
Blade Magazine has everything you would ever need to know about knives. The best part about their magazine is that they are always up to date, as they produce 12 issues a year. With general info on knives, tips like blade grinding for upkeep and an array of informative member videos, they are one-stop shopping for everything you would ever want to know about knives.
Petersen's Bowhunting is for the experienced archer. They've got in depth articles on topics like how to store hunting gear, the ins and outs of aiming and everything you would ever want to know about bowhunting. For those serious about bowhunting, Petersen's is a must read.
Hunting Illustrated has some of the best spreads of hunting pictures around. For an entertaining magazine that will "wow" you with pictures that jump off the page and always-intriguing articles, you would be hard pressed to find a better magazine than Hunting Illustrated.
This isn't a deer hunting specific publication, but it's certainly worth a read for even the most experienced deer hunter. They've got everything from hunting dogs to an in-depth look at food sources that will help you pinpoint bucks.
This magazine is from the people at Buckmasters. For those who find guns and ammo far more appealing than the crossbow, GunHunter has you covered. They cover one topic without being one-dimensional and provide readers with the most updated readings on shooting.
Deer Hunting Season: 10 Must Reads for 2011
Oct 20, 2011
Whether you're a hunter about to embark on your first hunting season or a seasoned pro who's been champing at the bit to get back out there, information is essential to the overall success of your hunting season.
Here's a list of 10 must reads for your hunting season.
This magazine isn't exclusively about deer hunting, but it certainly doesn't lack substance on the topic. Cabela's lets you know where the pristine hunting locations are, what gear to bring and provides insightful techniques for when you get there.
Many new hunters would be excited just to take a buck at all, but for those with a bit of experience, this tell-all read provides critical and enlightening insight from a true deer-hunting expert. This is purely oriented around helping readers land what every hunter is looking for—the big buck.
This book is a great read for the beginning hunter. It gives the background knowledge every hunter needs before they begin a hunt. With detailed illustrations and a heavy stress on the basics, this is the perfect book for those looking to get involved for the first time.
There is an entire section of this site dedicate solely to whitetails. Articles on gear, hunting techniques and locations are prevalent, but it's the interaction with others on the message board that really sets the community of this site apart. They've also got a collection great pictures from hunters posting galleries of their most recent hunts.
This site has everything the experienced hunter could ever want. With articles on scents, glands, food plots and plantings, a breakdown of every state's hunting and a deer density map, this site will keep an experienced deer hunter entertained for hours on end.
Blade Magazine has everything you would ever need to know about knives. The best part about their magazine is that they are always up to date, as they produce 12 issues a year. With general info on knives, tips like blade grinding for upkeep and an array of informative member videos, they are one-stop shopping for everything you would ever want to know about knives.
Petersen's Bowhunting is for the experienced archer. They've got in depth articles on topics like how to store hunting gear, the ins and outs of aiming and everything you would ever want to know about bowhunting. For those serious about bowhunting, Petersen's is a must read.
Hunting Illustrated has some of the best spreads of hunting pictures around. For an entertaining magazine that will "wow" you with pictures that jump off the page and always-intriguing articles, you would be hard pressed to find a better magazine than Hunting Illustrated.
This isn't a deer hunting specific publication, but it's certainly worth a read for even the most experienced deer hunter. They've got everything from hunting dogs to an in-depth look at food sources that will help you pinpoint bucks.
This magazine is from the people at Buckmasters. For those who find guns and ammo far more appealing than the crossbow, GunHunter has you covered. They cover one topic without being one-dimensional and provide readers with the most updated readings on shooting.
Whitetail Deer Hunting Report: Everything You Need To Know About 2011 Season
Donald Wood
Oct 19, 2011
It’s time once again folks, for one of the most exhilarating sports in the world, whitetail deer hunting.
While archery season has come and gone in many areas of the nation, there are a certain few that are allowing extended archery, but the majority of the USA is gearing up for rifle season.
All states have different ways of doing things and the seasons change from place to place, but there are similarities in the deer and how to hunt them from Pennsylvania to Texas.
We’re here to show you the best way to get that trophy buck you have been dreaming all year about. Good luck and safe hunting!
Rutting Season: Starting in mid September or so, depending on the area you’re in, the best time to start tracking the actions of deer is during rutting season, and it's key to start watching tendencies of deer starting far before you ever step foot in the woods for a hunt.
Deer are ready to mate around this time each year, and they will be shedding the velvet that has grown on their antlers during the year. It’s during this period that you want to be observing the trees around trails where you will hunt for rubs.
Rubs are scrapes on trees where deer grind off the velvet on their antlers and expose the bone antlers. These rubs happen along common pathways the deer use to obtain food and these spots can be used as great reference points to find your hunting location.
Keep Warm: While many hunters worry first about the weapon they carry into the woods, that's where they make their first big mistake. Hunting season is late fall and winter and avoiding the cold at all costs is the most important part of the hunt.
If you are cold and sitting for long periods of time, your body will start having trouble functioning and you will not be able to last as long in the woods as your fellow hunter who has the proper attire.
The key for me has always been layering your clothes so that the temperature doesn’t have the chance to permeate your clothing. Another key has been the insulated one-piece suits that allow for good functioning but still keep you cozy.
The most important body parts to keep warm should be your extremities and your head because that’s where most of the heat is released from your body, but when covering your head be sure to make sure you can still hear what’s going on around you.
Finding the Perfect Spot: Finding the right spot is going to take at least one, and preferably more, trips to the spot you want to hunt for the main portion of hunting season. Pick a general area in public hunting lands or on private property you have secured permission to hunt on, and scout the land.
All of the technology in the world can’t make up for a good, old-fashioned walk where you leave the cell phone at home, keep your mouth shut and eyes open and study the land.
Deer are creatures of habit, and if you can pick the location where they will appear in the morning hours or the evening hours, you will be in the right spot to take that prized buck.
Patience: This will be the biggest key to hunting every single year you decide to try to take the trophy bucks. Big deer aren’t all around us, but the key is putting yourself in the best position to have a chance at seeing the monster buck.
You won’t get a monster deer on your first time in the woods, heck; there is a good chance that you could not see a deer the whole day at times. Don’t worry, though, there’s always tomorrow.
In a fast paced world of instant gratification, hunting hearkens back to a time where you waited patiently for things and enjoyed the free time. Hunting is an old sport and people who don’t understand that will miss the point of the adventure and the majesty.
Deer Hunting Season: Ranking Top Spots in the U.S. for Big Bucks
Donald Wood
Oct 19, 2011
While deer hunting isn’t as accepted in the mainstream today as it was in the past, the culture of hunting and hunters is still very much alive and thriving in the United States.
Hunting white-tailed deer is usually a tradition in families in rural areas. But many hunters come from generations of hunters, and no matter where they make residence they will find a spot to hunt.
As a hunter myself, there is no sensation like the thrill of the chase and the adrenaline rush of getting that big buck, and these following states are the best for getting big bucks.
1. Iowa
While the number of deer in Iowa isn’t nearly as abundant as the other states on this list, Iowa will produce deer far bigger than anything you will find anywhere else in the USA.
Whether it’s the abundance of farmland and consistent food sources for the deer, the estimated 200,000 deer in the state will be some of the biggest bucks taken each season.
Iowa has taken the initiative several other states have taken in that they are controlling and limiting the number and size of the deer a hunter can take to ensure the population stays strong but controlled.
Overpopulation of deer in a state predicated on farming would cause problems for the farmers and the deer.
While it was hard to put one state above or below the next, Ohio was as close to being No. 1 as any state on this list besides Iowa.
Ohio is one of the best places in the entire nation to hunt bucks, and the sizes of the bucks taken from this state are rivaled by few others. Monster buck after monster buck gets pulled from these woods, and if you have a chance to go on a hunt in Ohio, take the chance.
Not only does Ohio boast the second biggest non-typical buck ever recorded, the state has the right terrain, habitat, crops and genetics that consistently produce big bucks. You won't regret this experience.
The wide open spaces of Texas have been known for many animals, but for white-tailed deer hunters Texas is a hunting Mecca. While I don’t agree with hunting deer at confined ranches with guaranteed kills, Texas is the capital of these phenomena.
With over 2 million acres of huntable land (both private and public) across the state of Texas, there is plenty of room for deer to grow and develop into the kind of trophy bucks hunters are looking for.
With over 2,600 deer taken last season on record, the plethora of deer in the state allows for a consistent revival of the population year after year and a consistent quality of the hunt.
Kentucky is one of the must-go places on this list because of the beautiful scenery and the even more beautiful abundance of big bucks.
The Bluegrass State boasts 1,602,978 acres of state game lands or 6.3 percent of the land in the state that can be used for hunting. That makes for plenty of room for deer to grow during the year, and the possibility of finding the big one isn’t too far-fetched.
[Kentucky] ranks in the top five nationwide for whitetail deer production and falls at number two in the harvest of "specialty" types of bucks, the Boone and Crockett bucks, per square mile.
Not only is there an abundance of deer and land to hunt on, Kentucky has friendly people known to offer trips and hunting excursions to outsiders looking to hunt.
While Pennsylvania has been known for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the truth of the matter is that some of the biggest bucks taken each year come from the mountains of Pennsylvania.
As a Pennsylvania resident and an avid hunter, there is no place in the United States I would rather hunt than my state and seeing the deer plucked from the woods each year keeps me coming back.
The biggest buck taken in the history of the state was in Bradford County, which is conveniently where my cabin is located, and the area around northern Pennsylvania is a hotbed of huge bucks with over a million acres of state-commissioned hunting land.
