How Warm Is Too Warm, Really? For most whitetail hunting, once the afternoon hits 65 degrees, I stop expecting “good” daylight movement and start hunting like it is an early-morning-and-last-10-minutes deal. If it is 70 degrees or warmer during prime
Does a Cold Front Actually Make Deer Move More, Or Is That Just Hunter Talk? Yes, a cold front usually makes deer move more, especially in the first 12 to 36 hours after the temperature drops and the wind settles.
Don’t Guess the Wind. Check It Twice. The best way to check wind direction while hunting is to use a small wind checker in your pocket for micro-wind at your stand, and confirm the bigger wind with a weather app
Pick Your Sit Time Based on Pressure, Not Hype The best barometric pressure for deer movement is usually a rising barometer in the 30.00 to 30.40 range, especially right after a front when the sky clears and the wind lays
Pick One App and Stick With It, Or You Will Second-Guess Every Sit The best weather app for deer hunting, for most guys, is OnX Hunt paired with a real hourly forecast like Weather Underground. If I had to keep
Drag or ATV. Pick One Based on Access and How Far You Really Have to Go. If I can legally drive within 200 yards of the deer, I use an ATV or side-by-side. If I am on public land, steep
Pick Tires Based on Your Mud, Not Your Ego The best tires for a hunting ATV in mud are aggressive mud tires with deep, widely spaced lugs, in the biggest diameter your machine can pull without rubbing. If your “mud”
The Answer I Give My Friends For most deer hunters, a UTV is better because it hauls more gear, keeps you drier, and is safer on rough trails. If you hunt tight, nasty public land like the Missouri Ozarks, an
Get It Quiet Fast So You Do Not Blow Out Your Spot The fastest way I have found to keep an ATV quiet for hunting access is to fix exhaust leaks, stop plastic rattles, and slow down to under 10
Pick One Based on This, Not the Brochure. For most deer hunters, I’d buy the Can-Am Defender if you want a tougher “work first” rig for rough public land and heavy hauling. I’d buy the Polaris Ranger if you want
Pick the ATV Based on Your Terrain, Not Your Ego. The best ATV for hauling a deer out of the woods is a 4×4 utility ATV in the 450cc to 700cc range with a low range, a winch, and real
Make the Call Early, But Do Not Rush It. The best age to start training a blood tracking dog is 8 to 12 weeks for basic habits, then 4 to 6 months for real blood trails, and 10 to 18
Start Here: How I Actually Find a United Blood Trackers Tracker Fast. I find a United Blood Trackers tracker by pulling up their member directory, calling two names near my zip code, and sending a pin with OnX or Google
Pick a Blind That Lets You Hunt, Not Fight Your Gear The best elevated blind with a wheelchair ramp is the Banks Outdoors Stump 4 Elevated Blind paired with a real aluminum ramp system, because it is stable, quiet, and
Pick One Path First: Paperwork Help Or Boots-On-The-Ground Help The best organizations for disabled hunters are the ones that either (1) get you legal access and tags fast, or (2) put you in a blind with a safe setup and
What Actually Works for Hearing Aids When It Is 22 Degrees and You Are in a Stand I hunt with hearing aids in cold weather by keeping my batteries warm, blocking wind noise on purpose, and building a “no-touch” routine
Pick a State Based on What You Want Out of the Hunt The best states for women only deer hunts are Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, and Illinois, because they actually have women-only seasons or women-focused days that a normal hunter can
Pick A Stand Based On The Heaviest Thing You Will Carry, Not Your Body Weight. Most women should buy a climbing stand with a 300 lb rating minimum, and I prefer 350 lb if you are packing a backpack, extra
Pick a Women-Specific Pack, Not a “Small Men’s Pack” The best hunting pack designed for women is one that fits a shorter torso, rides on women’s hips, and has shoulder straps that don’t cut across the chest. If a pack
Pick Warmth First, Then Noise, Then Fit. The best sports bra for cold weather hunting is a high-neck, longline, medium-to-high support bra made from merino wool or a quiet brushed synthetic, with zero metal hardware and wide straps that do
Pick Games That Force Quiet Time, Not Just “Fun” Time. The best hunting games to teach kids patience are the ones that make them sit still, watch hard, and wait for a “go” signal. I use short rounds, clear rules,
Pick the Stand That Keeps Your Kid Quiet, Warm, and Not Scared. The best tree stand for hunting with a child is a two-person ladder stand with a full wrap-around rail. If you have to go portable, a roomy two-man
Make the Call: Age Matters Less Than the Kid I put most kids in a deer stand for real hunting around 10 to 12 years old, but only if they can sit still, stay safe, and follow directions every time.
Pick Ammo Like You Pick a Stand, Not Like You Pick a Caliber The best 6.5 Creedmoor ammo for whitetail is a bonded or controlled-expansion hunting bullet in the 120 to 143 grain range, and my first pick is 143gr