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Here are the Top 5 Reasons to Backpack Hunt
A backpack hunt may be just what you need to reinvigorate your soul. My first backpack hunt was a true challenge. With each breath, I could feel the moisture building on the inside of my sleeping bag. Laying awake right before my alarm sounded, I tried to steal any last bit of warmth I could before crawling out of my tent and braving the cold. Not far away, there were rutting Coues deer in the basin I was camped above. I’d hiked in the previous night and set my tent up atop a grassy mesa. On the hike in, I was questioning my sanity. The overloaded backpack weighed me down, not to mention the unknown of the area I would be hunting. I had my doubts during that first backpack hunt all those years ago. What was once doubt though, has turned into a love so pure I am smitten…
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Special Raffle Coues Hunt in Arizona
A Once-In-A-Lifetime Quest for a Special Raffle Coues Tag Winner I’ll spare you the “It all started when…” story regarding my Special Raffle Coues Whitetail tag. Suffice it to say, I was overtaken with surprise when the caller ID on my phone read “AZGFD” as I watched the Arizona Super Raffle’s live feed on the same phone. In the chaos of answering the phone while trying to watch the live feed, I was unaware of what tag I had drawn. I wasn’t disappointed to find out I had drawn the Super Raffle Coues Whitetail tag. As you might imagine, soon after, my phone blew up. Hopefully, a giant Coues buck was in my future. Expectations and Goals Like any passionate Coues hunter, my dream was to shoot a mega-giant. Several of my friends have taken Coues bucks well over the 120-inch mark. I have captured images of several bucks exceeding…
Archery Elk Hunting is Energizing for Hardcore Hunters
Archery Elk Hunting Is Much More Than Chasing Bugles In September You would be hard-pressed to find a more passionate hunter group than those who prefer archery elk hunting. Collectively, they continually scour maps, evaluate gear, and practice calling techniques to others’ dismay. The list goes continues … To most, archery elk hunting is defined by the echoes of bugling bulls and frenzied harems of cows during the magic month, of September. Still, even the most hardcore of hunters is limited by time. It’s plain to read the lot’s desires: experience the most action-packed hunt possible; an adventure with all of the fragrances, sounds, and emotions of elk country. While archery elk hunting might be the pinnacle for this group, don’t discount that to their enjoyment, other hunts are planned for the latter part of the season, not just September. To go on record, I love the heat of the…
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A Remarkable Mule Deer Hunt Begins by Scouting
If a mule deer hunting in the high country for trophy bucks is on your bucket list, get a tag, and start scouting. During the summer — scouting season — mule deer bucks in the high country are found close to where they will spend their fall. Many bucks may be within a half-mile or often within a few hundred yards of where they will reside when the fall mule deer hunting season arrives. Spend that time wisely to find that trophy buck of your dreams. Of course, depending on where you will be hunting, you may have to draw a tag first. Top Rut Top Rut provides the right data at the right price, arming hunters with the industry’s most accurate draw odds, harvest data, and application trends. The right data is accurate by mimicking each state’s draw procedures. Currently, Top Rut provides data for Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,…
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Arizona Elk Hunting Is a Fantastic Choice for Gigantic Bulls
Arizona elk hunting is arguably the best there is. The state was once the home of the Merriam’s elk, a smaller-bodied ungulate with massive antlers. Cattle grazing and overhunting the sub-species led to its demise in the early part of the 20th century. Arizona’s current elk population is courtesy of Yellowstone National Park. From 1912 to 1967, almost 14,000 elk were transplanted from Yellowstone to other regions in the West, Arizona included. In 1913, 80+ elk were transplanted from the park to Cabin Draw near Chevlon Creek in what today is unit 4A. In the mid-80s, the state’s elk population exploded, growing exponentially. During the 90s, the elk population grew to an estimated 50,000-60,000 animals, putting Arizona elk hunting on the map. However, that number proved to be over the carrying capacity of the elk’s range within the state, and the herd was trimmed. Currently, the state’s elk population hovers…
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Whitetail Deer Hunting North America
North America’s white-tailed deer has emerged as the world’s most popular big-game species. Whitetail deer hunting across North America has emerged as the world’s most popular hunting opportunity. No other big-game animal has created such an economic institution and deep-seated obsessions, whitetail hunters annually spend upwards of $38.3 billion pursuing big-buck passions, or simply supplying healthy venison for the table. This could be viewed as a reflection of the animal’s widespread availability, but also the United States’ undisputed prosperity. The white-tailed deer has proven so popular it has been introduced to foreign countries such as New Zealand, Norway, Eastern European countries such as Croatia and Slovakia (and others), and the U.S. Hawaiian islands. The white-tailed deer has proven so popular it has been introduced to foreign countries. Why Whitetail Deer Hunting? Ready availability is the whitetail’s biggest selling point. From the most populated states of the East to the eastern…
Texas Deer Hunting: Outstanding Whitetail Hunting in Its Five Regions
Whitetail deer hunting in the Lonestar State is unlike hunting anywhere else, largely in part due to the sheer size. Texas covers 268,586 square miles. For reference, Delaware, the first state could fit into Texas 108 times while Rhode Island, the smallest state, could fit 221 times. Luckily Texas whitetails are one of the most studied, written about, and outright famous members of the deer family, Cervidae. Texas is home to an estimated 3.6 million white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus), providing a vast amount of hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities. The whitetail deer show variations throughout their range of distribution. Some variations are due to genetic changes from being isolated and others simply examples of local herds adapting to habitat, forage, or climatic conditions. Now, why is this important to know when hunting whitetails in Texas? The first being there is plenty of opportunities to hunt whitetails, and second, you…
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Bowhunting Whitetails Across the Nation
5 Key Factors to Bowhunt Whitetails Successfully I’ve been fortunate enough to have hunted whitetails across their range in North America, from Canada to the Carolinas, Montana to Mississippi. I’ve often been asked what is the difference between bowhunting whitetails in the East compared to the West. And while there are differences — more on that in a moment — it’s first wise to talk about the similarities. No matter where they live, whitetails are whitetails. They have the same amazing senses of smell and hearing wherever they’re found. And they have the same basic needs — food, water, and shelter. They experience an intense rut, though it can be of a shorter duration in the north than it is in the Deep South, where it stretches over months. So as bowhunters, when planning a hunting strategy, it doesn’t matter where one is hunting, you must respect the whitetail’s senses…
Guided Whitetail Deer Hunts: The Truth About Hiring a Professional
The Truth About Guided Whitetail Deer Hunts While DIY hunting is all the rage these days – and certainly, my favorite – there is a time and place to seriously consider guided whitetail deer hunts. That’s true for even the toughest backcountry hunter. How so? To do it right, DIY hunting requires time and lots of it. You have to do the research, then do more research, especially if you are traveling far from home. Ideally, you’ll be able to do some pre-hunt on-the-ground scouting to supplement all the Google Earth mapping, topographic map reading, and whatever info you’ve gleaned from speaking with people. Failure in any one of those things will cut your odds drastically. You have to put in the time, and be willing to spend a lot of days in the field – especially on unfamiliar ground. What if you don’t live in a state where “monster”…
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Elk Hunting on Public Land: 5 Expert Tips for Success
Elk hunting on public land can be difficult, yet rewarding. The rock group Europe’s song “The Final Countdown” was beginning to play in my head as I slipped along the rocky ridge trying to locate a band of bulls I’d found the day before. It was the last week of the archery elk season and the tag I held was for one of the lowest success units in all of Wyoming. It truly was the final countdown and the public-land bulls had likely blasted off for parts unknown. Following a well-traveled trail down a steep slope, I hit a bench and detoured with the trail. What I discovered next might be the answer to my success challenge. A hidden spring spawned a wallow and from the looks of its muddy banks, I had just missed a mud-bath bull. I’d have to wait for another encounter to put my Mathews bow…
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Nebraska Deer Hunting, Make Time for an Amazing Adventure
Nebraska deer hunting — whitetail with a muzzleloader — can be quite the adventure. I couldn’t have scripted the hunt any better. Whitetails — Dakota — were filing out one by one to the western Nebraska winter wheat field. In tow behind the brigade of does and fawns was a mature, classy-looking 4×4 buck only steps away from my muzzleloader tag. I was hidden in an abandoned irrigation pump site; and, as I scanned the field one more time to ensure my concealment I turned to check on the buck. To my astonishment, the buck was gone. I gripped my T/C Triumph firmly and eased up on my knees to get a better viewpoint. Questioning my first sighting, I sighed when I spotted him again, bedded a mere 60 yards away. Unfortunately, I only had eyeballs and antlers in view. I knew I didn’t have a shot. Plus, shooting light…
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Coues Whitetail an Informative, In-depth Look for Hunters With Grit
Coues Whitetail, AKA the Coues, Couse, Coos, Cows, and more. In the desert mountains of the Southwest lives a unique sub-species of the whitetail deer family, the Coues White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi). The deer received its name from noted naturalist and frontier historian, Elliott Coues, even though he never collected a specimen himself. By trade, Coues was an Ornithologist but also doubled as an Army surgeon, serving in the Southwest during his career. Although Coues, the scientist, pronounced his name “cows,” the deer’s given name is more commonly pronounced, “koos.” The Coues whitetail is much smaller than its eastern cousin is. On average, a mature buck measures approximately 31 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs approximately 100 pounds on the hoof. Does are considerably lighter. Similarly, the antlers of bucks grow proportionally to their smaller body size. A mature, record-book whitetail buck taken in other reaches of the…
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Texas Whitetail Deer Hunting | Panhandle Bucks
Texas Whitetail Deer Hunting | Panhandle Bucks | Mark Kayser Texas Whitetail Deer Hunting | Panhandle Bucks Texas whitetail deer hunting…there’s nothing else like it! By Mark Kayser [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Only one state holds the title for the birth of modern whitetail hunting: Texas.[/perfectpullquote] Only one state holds the title for the birth of modern whitetail hunting: Texas. Texas whitetail deer hunting is synonymous with deer management. Whitetail management, food plot innovations, hunting products, and calling strategy all can be traced to the Lone Star State. Have you had luck rattling in whitetails? Give some credit to innovative Texas hunters. Does your food plot attract a nightly herd of whitetails? Thank a Texan. It’s also the birthplace of quality deer management and a hunting destination you should enjoy at least once during your hunting career–there’s nothing like Texas whitetail deer hunting! I’ve had the good…
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Time for Midwest Whitetail Adventure, Gigantic Bucks are Looming
The Midwest whitetail inhabits the central regions of the US from Colorado to Minnesota. For a reasonable chance at a trophy-class Midwest whitetail buck, there are few secrets. Midwestern states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and the like dominate the conversation. Then there are the outliers such as eastern Colorado or northern Oklahoma. Of course, you can’t rule out the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, which produce some real studs each year. The state where I have done most of my serious trophy hunting the past several years is Kansas. It’s no secret that Kansas in general, and the eastern half of the state in particular, produces a good number of really big –gigantic at times — whitetail bucks every year. Here the excellent farm country habitat and superb genetics, coupled with a rifle season lasting less than two weeks, help the deer get enough age on them…
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Idaho Whitetail Hunting, One Exciting Double
Scott Haugen doubles while hunting whitetails in Idaho. Positioned overlooking a rose hip-choked bench, it was obvious whitetails had been everywhere. Trails crisscrossed through and around the brush, and beaten paths led to and from the bordering stands of timber. We’d see a few does on that first evening of the hunt, and then a buck. It was only one buck, but I knew he was the one. His main beams extended to the tip of his nose. His back tines would project a good 14 inches into the sky. The massive 10-point rack was impressive, and just the quick glimpse we caught of him chasing does through thick brush revealed that he had at least 160-inches of antler. However, it happened so quickly that there was no time to prepare for a shot. Sleep came tough that night, for though I knew there were big bucks in the area,…
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Hunting Trophy Whitetail, Top Reasons to Hope for Gigantic Bucks
A Guide for Hunting Trophy Whitetails “I think he’ll go 180 inches or better,” one of my hunting partners stated with a straight face. That’s all it took; he had my full attention. I trusted his judgment on the buck he’d seen in September and he rarely added invented points to a score, but what intrigued me even more was his description of the buck. “He’s a main frame 5-pointer, but he has a lot of garbage points, especially on his G2 and brow area.” Hunting Trophy Whitetail Bucks in October A group of us hunted a particular South Dakota ranch and our unwritten rule was to respect efforts if someone was working an area for trophy whitetail bucks. Nevertheless, if nobody is hunting and someone else has an open weekend the entire ranch is available to hunt. Luckily, I had a week in late October open when none of…
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