Author: Noel Linsey

Understanding the Whitetail Woods Whitetail deer may be the most studied game species in North America. While there are many fascinating aspects of our favorite game animal worth studying, the end goal is the same: to up our chances of harvesting a buck come deer season. Below is some helpful information geared toward helping you boost your whitetail hunting skills this coming season. Two telltale signs that bucks are present pre-rut and during the rut are rubs and scrapes. Most of us are familiar with these signposts of deer habitation in our hunting areas, but do you know the best…

It’s ugly early as you climb out of your nice warm blankets and begin to prepare for your day’s hunt in Whitetail Shangri-La. The weather is crisp, with a promise of snow in the afternoon as you eat a filling breakfast at the lodge and prepare for your day’s hunt. A handful of ginormous bucks have been spotted on game cameras in the area. While there are no guarantees in deer hunting, you’ve got your eye on the absolute atypical unit that has haunted the same spot every morning since before the rut. You’ve done the work on your end.…

At the end of September 2021, my hunting partner and I embarked on an epic trip into Atikaki Provincial Park for a 10-day canoe/backpack moose hunting adventure. With more energy than brains, we headed out and experienced the hardest, yet one of the most fun hunts, I’ve ever been on. As all questionable plans do, this one started in the cold heart of winter with a daydream about moose hunting. Bored and somewhat paralyzed by minus 40-degree weather, I sent my hunting partner a simple text that read, “MOOSE HUNT!!!!?” It was answered within seconds, with an even simpler, “Obviously!”…

Article by Noel Linsey Backcountry hunting is an adventure unlike any other form of hunting. You dispense with the stands, with the warm hunting cabin, and with the notion of a comfortable bed, and strip the hunt down to its most primordial form. Whether you hunt with a bow or a rifle, if you’ve never done a backpack hunt before, you may not realize how much thought and effort goes into ensuring your kit is ready to go. Better to figure out what to bring now than having to do it in a panic the night before you leave. The…

A mineral lick is where animals in nutrient-poor ecosystems obtain essential minerals. Mineral licks often occur naturally, providing the sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc required in the springtime for bone, antler and muscle growth (along with milk production) in deer, moose, elk and other wildlife. Minerals benefit deer health and antler growth (we think): There is no verified research with free ranging whitetails that proves that supplemental minerals improve whitetail health or antler production. BUT – there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and theory that makes most biologists and experts believe that there is some positive effect on whitetails…

How Weather Patterns Affect Deer Movement I feel like a sausage—an onion-wrapped sausage—as I waddle my way to the tree stand. Layers upon layers of thermal underwear, a sweatsuit, a windbreaker, parka, ski pants, minus 100-degree boots, a neck warmer, toque, and mittens thick enough to safely handle liquid nitrogen have me loaded up and ready to face the absurdly cold temperatures of a late-season Manitoba Whitetail hunt. I’m convinced that this hard freeze will get deer moving around and give me a chance at a buck this year. But, the truth is, I am about to spend the day…

At the time of this writing, we are in the middle of a polar vortex here on the Canadian Prairies. With temperatures averaging around -35 Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit) it has been hard to find reasons to venture outside these last few weeks. I have been a little stir crazy so when the opportunity came up to test the new Black Mamba 31 by APA Archery I jumped at the chance. The Black Mamba 31 is being hailed by the company as one of the most accurate and forgiving bows they’ve ever created. So, the gauntlet has been thrown down with…

Earlier this year my friends at Zeiss sent me the Zeiss Conquest V4, 4-16 X 50 Rifle Scope to put through its paces. Early on I decided that reviewing a scope from a bench under controlled conditions is great, however as a hunter a bench review doesn’t necessarily give you the whole picture, so I set out to put in as much time as possible in the field operating the scope under as many real-world circumstances as possible. I dragged this scope through the woods, fields, and all over the province in search of deer this season and I hope…

Of all prey species, whitetail deer can be the most challenging to entice with the use of a call, be it a grunt tube, rattling call, or a doe bleat. Learn how, and when to use your calls to improve your odds in the deer woods next hunting season. The Grunt Tube Most deer hunters are familiar with the grunt tube, however many either treat a grunt tube like an unwanted saxophone solo… which is to say way too much and way too frequent, or they’re afraid to use it and the grunt tube sits unused while opportunities to shoot…

There are very few things more exciting or challenging than stalking deer with a bow. I don’t care if it’s a Pope and Young record breaker or a big bodied doe. If you’re good, and more often than not, incredibly lucky, with a few tips you may be able to punch your tag this year using spot and stalk methods. In many areas, archery season means that you’re out looking for deer before they hit the peak rut, which, in my part of the world happens the first week of rifle season opener… of course you can still hunt with…