The Top 10 Deer Hunting Blog Posts of 2018

Deer hunting is a whirlpool of beliefs, theories, facts and fallacies. Some ideas are right. Some are wrong. And others fall somewhere in-between. Now, I'm not saying your granddaddy ain't a good deer hunter. Chances are he's killed more deer with his open-sighted, lever-action Marlin 30-30 than all the local youngins hollerin' Smoked him, Pole-waxed that joker, or my personal (least) favorite, Just gave that ol' slob a dirt nap combined. But our past (and current) generations of deer hunters are somewhat responsible for a number of myths that deer hunters still believe today . . . continue reading . . .

Deer hunting is about three things: Food. Water. And cover.

It's that simple. Yet it's so difficult to get up close to and kill deer ‚ especially mature deer. It's even tougher to do it on a consistent basis. Why is that? Oftentimes, it's because hunters pay too much attention to the first two and not enough to the third ‚ cover.

Habitat is crucial for deer not only for food availability but also because of the need for quality bedding cover. Find that and you're in the money. But again, once that's found, hunters often fail to either recognize or discard the fact that you must get close enough to that bedding area to catch that deer on its feet in daylight. Obviously, you don't want to get too close. But you do have to get close enough to put yourself in the game.

Every buck is different. They all have their own personalities and preferences. That's why each one chooses different bedding locations ‚ of which could be any of the 15 following things. So focus on these places that big bucks commonly bed to get close enough to kill one. They all offer advantages to the deer that calls them home. And remember, once shed season rolls around, these are great locations to find white gold as well . . . continue reading . . .

I'm going to be up front and honest with you. I'm not a biologist. I don't have a degree in wildlife biology. And I don't conduct peer-reviewed research on whitetails.

But I have dedicated a big portion of my life to studying and learning about the white-tailed deer. Throughout the years, I've gathered as much information about the species as I could garner. Furthermore, I've reached out to some of the leading biologists in the country to help debunk some of the world's biggest deer myths.

Knowing there are so many myths and misconceptions out there about whitetails bothers me. Obviously, there's no harm in not knowing what you don't know. But some hunters continue to propagate these false ideas despite knowing they aren't accurate or true.

Whitetails are my passion. They're your passion, too. So here goes. These are 15 of the whitetail world's hottest secrets and most commonly believed myths.

We're here to help set the record straight . . . continue reading . . .

There are myths out there in every facet of the world. And the deer hunting realm is no exception. The number of myths out there are many. And the deception is real.

I'll readily admit that I've believed in several of these at some point in my life. But education corrected my flawed perceptions, and I'm a better and more knowledgeable deer hunter and steward because of it.

So I ask you, have you ever fallen victim to one of these tall tales . . . continue reading . . .

Some of my fondest hunting memories aren't of hunting at all. They center around deer camp. The camaraderie of friends and family, some distant and seen only for these few days a year. Watching sparks rise from a campfire until they blend with the bright stars of the night sky. The food cooked over an open fire that always seems to taste better than anything cooked at home. These are all parts of camp that make it special. While you might not always be successful when it comes to bagging your quarry, you can always have a great time in camp.

Whether it's a camp you've been attending for years, or one you were just invited to, here are a few habits that will ensure you don't get invited back next year and a tip or two to make sure you do . . . continue reading . . .

Which Choice Is Your Go-To Mount Option?

Taxidermy has a rich history in North America. It's been part of our deer hunting heritage for hundreds of years. Many people have had deer hanging on their walls for generations.

See, deer mounts aren't just trophies as some people falsely believe. They're preserved memories. They're something to spark thoughts of past hunts as we look back on days of years gone by. They're encapsulations of hunts we shared with family, friends and adventures alone in the wild. They're a part of deer hunting.

Here are some options, what they cost, and how you can keep your adventures afield alive long after they're over . . . continue reading . . .

Killing a big mature buck is hard. There isn't anything easy about it. So when it all finally comes together, you want to cherish and remember that memory. You want to encapsulate it. And I like to do that by having my deer mounted. I visited Sam Coffey of Custom Wildlife Mounts and got the 411 on the different mount options available to deer hunters.

Have you always wanted to get your buck mounted, but haven't? Still got that cape in the freezer waiting for the right time to take it to the taxidermist? Got a set of horns laying around from a buck you killed when you were a kid, but didn't have it mounted then because you couldn't afford it? Wait no longer. Pick a pose from this photo gallery and get that deer to the taxidermist.

But before you do, let's clarify the difference between a pose and a variation. A pose is the position of the neck. Variations are small, detail-oriented options you can have with each pose . . . continue reading . . .

Deer hunting is a never-ending journey. If you do it and do it right, you should never stop learning. We can know a lot about the white-tailed deer due to the extensive research biologists are conducting. We can perfect approaches and tactics by observing whitetail behavior and implementing said tactics in the field. We can even elevate our knowledge of all things deer and deer hunting by reading and watching educational material. But we'll never know it all. Not ever.

That said, we all have to start somewhere. And those just starting at something are generally referred to as rookies. Or, if you're more hip on today's lingo (which I'm not), you're a newbie.

So, based on this list, are you one? Still a little wet behind the ears? No shame if you are. We've all been there. We're all friends here. And the Realtree.com Deer Hunting page is the place to learn from and enjoy the latest in deer hunting content and research, regardless of your knowledge or skill level . . . continue reading . . .

There's no excuse for taking a bad shot on a deer. Even being uneducated isn't a good one. Sure, bad shots happen. But they should never do so intentionally. Take good, quick-killing shots. Here are some shots that don't fall into that category . . . continue reading . . .