Author: Josh Honeycutt

Buck Score: 240 inches Date of Harvest: September 7, 2021 Location of Harvest: Muskowekwan First Nation (Saskatchewan) Weapon of Harvest: Ruger American .30-06 Jason Vickert hunts the Muskowekwan First Nation area quite a bit, but he had no idea this massive Whitetail called this area home. He’s lived there for quite a few years and even has a meat shop business close by. But on September 7, 2021, he had an experience he’ll never forget. After a day’s work, Vickert headed afield with his son and nephew. It was warm, about 15 degrees Celsius, with an overcast sky. The area…

A look at interesting points around all things antlers Deer antlers are some of the most interesting aspects of the animal kingdom. These fast-growing tissues are shrouded in neat facts and talking points. While there is much we still don’t know about antlers, we know a lot. Here are 20 facts about Whitetail deer antlers. Fact No. 1: Whitetails have antlers that are cast and regrown each year. These differ from horns that aren’t cast and that gradually grow over time. Fact No. 2: Antlers are derived from calcium deposits. Horns are crafted with keratin, which is a different tissue.…

Photos courtesy of Myles Tomsche Myles Tomsche finally caught up to the massive Whitetail to which he dedicated his deer season Buck Score: 195 4/8 inches (about 202 inches without broken points) Date of Harvest: December 6, 2020 Location of Harvest: Stearns County, Minnesota Weapon of Harvest: Muzzleloader Some hunters have multiple years of history with the bucks they kill. But Myles Tomsche never knew of this 5½-year-old buck until the 2020 season. In mid-October, he spotted the deer about 200 yards away while bowhunting. “I was bowhunting with my brother-in-law, Justin, and told him I had seen the biggest…

Images Courtesy of Brent Olfert Brent Olfert’s No. 1 target buck was killed by a truck during the pre-season. Then he found this deer Buck Score: 2054/8 inches (gross) / 203 inches (net) Date of Harvest: September 2, 2021 Location of Harvest: Saskatchewan, Canada Weapon of Harvest: Compound Bow Saskatchewan Whitetail chaser extraordinaire Brent Olfert is a dedicated deer hunter, and he tagged a huge Whitetail during the 2021 season. Aged 5½ to 6½ years old, the fully mature deer was a challenge, but it eventually fell to a well-placed arrow. This deer wasn’t Olfert’s original target animal, though, as…

Don’t make these blunders while chasing that wintertime giant The early season came and went. The pre-rut blew by. The rut was a blur. And now, late season deer hunting is here, and you’re still packing a tag. Something prevented you from filling it during the previous phases, but you won’t make mistakes during the final one. It’s time to execute and execute well. Fortunately, the late season can be an excellent time to fill a tag. Deer are slaves to their stomachs and if you find the food, good bedding cover, and an unpressured area, late-season hunting can be…

Finding, Preparing and Hunting the Whitetail Property of Your Dreams Hunting leases continue to gain popularity. I’ve leased numerous properties throughout the years, and I’ve experienced a high success rate in doing so. But there are things you need to know, especially when setting up a long-distance deer hunting lease. While this isn’t an exhaustive list or plan, but here’s a solid process to get you started and some of the important things you need to know. Find The Right Property Finding a lease is difficult these days. If you do find one, chances are good that you’ll pay a…

12 Mature Whitetail Deer Personality Types (and How to Approach Them) Deer hunters who consistently tag mature whitetails understand a key component—whitetail behavior. They understand that each buck exhibits traits and tendencies that culminate as a perceived personality. Seeing these tendencies and translating them into actionable information is what separates good deer hunters from true whitetail experts. Of course, whitetails don’t have personalities in the human sense. Deer are reactionary. They don’t have the ability to develop a true psychological identity. That said, a buck’s habits can still form into what seems like one. When trying to determine a buck’s…

These Age-Old Hunting Tactics Require You To Be Both Slow And Quick On Your Feet Soft snowflakes flutter from the sky and land on your face. Time stands still as you slowly place one foot in front of the other, taking long pauses between each minuscule move. Hours of this monotonous activity goes on, but for you, it isn’t monotonous at all. You see nature in a way you never have before. You’re a part of it. It comes to life around you, and you come to life around it. While treestands and ground blinds have their place, still hunting…

Things to Learn and Keep in Mind Before Hunting High-Country Whitetails As a Central Kentucky native, I don’t live in the mountains. Eastern Kentucky has plenty of mountains, but they’re not located here. In this part of the world, the landscape is intermittent timber with open areas along rolling hills. One of the best things I’ve done to improve myself as a deer hunter is to hunt different terrain types. In the past decade, I’ve challenged myself by hunting Whitetails in other terrain types—such as the plains of Western Kansas, the swamps of South Carolina, the grain ground of the…

Article by Josh Honeycutt Check Out These Solid Bedding Areas and Other Places to Intercept Deer in Daylight Not every deer hunter has access to large acreages. Most hunt small parcels of land. For those in the latter situation, the hunt often requires more patience. Other times, it requires a balance of aggressive and passive approaches. Regardless, smaller tracts of land often need to be treated differently than large ones. Fortunately, you don’t need large pieces of land to kill big bucks. It’s possible to own, lease, or get permission to hunt on small lands and have success. After all,…