Author: Kevin Wilson

He was clearly on a mission. The three-year-old buck broke from cover and beelined for the scrape a stone’s throw from my stand. The mother of all scrapes, it was visited regularly by what appeared to be every deer in the area. Measuring 45 inches in diameter, the bucks had dished it deep into the forest floor. Standing in it, the young buck sniffed, licked, and rubbed his orbital glands on the overhanging branch, then pawed at the ground and urinated. Twenty minutes later, a doe with two older fawns visited the scrape. Following a similar routine, the doe sniffed…

And how to get those extra hours in the extreme conditions. In case you came here just to find out what you should buy – I’ll cut to the chase and list my favorites here.  But below, you’ll find all my picks as well as how to layer for the cold weather hunts and not let discomfort be the difference between you and a successful harvest.  Spoiler alert – Sitka has separated themselves from the pack. Best Base Layer: Sitka Gear Merino Heavyweight Half Zip Top and Sitka Gear Merino Heavyweight Bottom Best Insulating Layer: Sitka Kelvin Aerolite Jacket…

Understanding the Whitetail Rut and How to Hunt the 7 Different Phases The most prolific and accessible big game species in North America, Whitetail deer have been studied Ad Infinitum. Their sex life has become a focus of that attention, mostly because the biggest of the big bucks become more exposed, and thereby more vulnerable, as they throw caution to the wind and travel during daylight hours, driven by their innate instinct to breed. Even still, much speculation persists around whether whitetail rut cycles occur early, on time, or even late. With due respect for those who follow lunar phase…

Trail cams have evolved by leaps and bounds over the past couple of decades. Almost every hunter has at least one, and many hunters maintain a fleet of them. From their humble and cumbersome beginnings with print film to today’s digital, video, and even wireless cams, they’ve literally become an integral tool for today’s hunter. Today, users can set preferences for motion sensitivity, image and video timing, delay, and quality. Some even have GPS tracking capabilities. The biggest problem is that trail camera use has become so prolific, that they have created social issues, prompting some jurisdictions to ban them…

Article by Kevin Wilson Ask 10 different deer hunters which is the best rifle caliber, and you could get just as many different answers. With so many new, and, arguably, improved options available today, the decision isn’t just about caliber, but also about the many advancements in cartridge and bullet design as well. Visit any internet shooting forum and you’ll quickly discover posts addressing this topic. It’s a fair and intriguing question because the growing list of options can be dizzying. Before we can even start to discuss the topic, we need to establish some definitions. For the purposes of…

Aesthetically sublime and ergonomically superior, Swarovski Optik has yet again raised the bar with their NL Pure binocular If you follow the optics world, you know that the list of binocular manufacturers just keeps on growing. Even still, European companies continue to lead the industry in optics excellence. Advancing their technology to ensure that discerning outdoor enthusiasts have the best possible tools at their disposal, Austria’s Swarovski Optik has once again set the bar with their line of NL Pure binoculars. Thinking back a decade ago, I remember contemplating how any company could possibly improve on, what appears to be…

With the growing popularity of hunting shows and Youtube channels, it’s not only common, but it’s easier than ever to video our hunting adventures. Even still, if you’ve tried to capture your own hunts, you know it’s not as easy as it looks. Here are some of the finer points that will help you get the job done. Most of us are either already videoing our hunt, or at have at least contemplated documenting them. With the advent of outdoor television several decades ago and the growing popularity of hunting shows and Youtube channels, not to mention lightweight affordable equipment,…

Apparel manufacturers are meeting our need for weather, habitat, and activity-specific clothing. No longer is it just about the pattern, functionality and fit now rank as top priorities. Perched 18-feet up in a tall leafless aspen, my wife Heather, was bowhunting the second estrus. With little cover, her subtle camouflage blended in well with the variable grey surroundings. She’d already invested 10 days on stand. If it weren’t for her technical apparel, designed specifically for cold November air, there’s no way should could have endured the frigid temperatures that Alberta throws at deer hunters. It was November 25 and the…

“Clack, clack, clatter…clash, clack, clatter, clack.” The sound of antler on antler resonated through the woods. Then, I gave my best rendition of a Whitetail buck tussle by adding a few soft, but deep, grunts. Moments later, I heard a branch snap. Waiting patiently, I recognized that I had the attention of a buck. I grunted again. Minutes passed before the buck finally stepped out from behind thick cover. Slowly making his way under the spruce trees, he stopped and meticulously sniffed the trail. I recognized then that I had made one of the most critical mistakes in the book.…