Each issue of North American Whitetail brings you effective techniques for outsmarting monster bucks. You'll learn the success secrets of North America's most accomplished, most knowledgeable whitetail hunters - riflemen and bowhunters alike.
NEW EPISODESEVERY TUESDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET WEEK OF OCT. 2–8: “Saskatchewan Slammers”: Haynes Shelton and his dad head to Northway Outfitters in Saskatchewan to chase giant whitetails in temperatures far below zero. In Dr. Deer, Dr. James Kroll discusses timber elements and how they affect deer movement. In the Big Buck Profile, Haynes Shelton profiles Iowa’s new No. 2 typical by bow: the Curt McCarty buck. WEEK OF OCT. 9–15: “Bucks Out West”: Blake Garlock heads to Wyoming in pursuit of whitetails with his Bowtech at Trophy Ridge Outfitters. Dr. James Kroll talks staging areas and how bucks use them in Dr. Deer. During the Big Buck Profile, Haynes Shelton profiles Josh Heuser’s 250-class Missouri non-typical that was featured on the Dec./Jan. 2023 cover of North American Whitetail magazine.…
Avid readers of North American Whitetail know the magazine has been in circulation since 1982, as celebrated in our October 2022 40th Anniversary Special Issue. But what about North American Whitetail TV? Have any top fans kept up with how many seasons our brand’s television show has premiered on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel? It’s another big anniversary for us. When our 2023 episodes began airing this June, it marked NAW TV’s 20th season on air! To celebrate the two-decade milestone, we’re airing “throwback” episodes on back-to-back weeks on Sportsman Channel. Primetime slots are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 and 13 (both are Wednesday nights), at 9:30 PM ET. Both episodes also air on Outdoor Channel on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and 12, at 7:30 PM ET. These shows are…
What is deer habitat? Well, any animal’s habitat includes the physical area in which a specific population lives, and includes forage or food, cover and water. In other words, deer habitat is the landscape in which your deer reside. Just like the landscape of your own home, there are key elements that enhance the needs of daily life. Years ago, we concluded that defining the perfect whitetail landscape was the sole way to improve habitat for deer. Since the species is dist ributed almost over the entire western h emisphere, defining the deer landsc ape is a pretty tall order! Early on in ou r research, we learned that the elements of habitat have two attributes — form a nd function. The form of habitat re lates to what it…
I’m 44 years old. I’m not as flexible as I used to be, and the athletic body I had in my 20s is long gone. If I had to tell myself, I’m about 25 pounds too heavy and my lower back hurts all the time from years of farm work and large animal veterinary calls. With these things considered, I decided to try out a saddle hunting system made by the popular Tethrd brand in 2021. Saddle hunting has been around for years, and it has held a bit of an “underground” presence in the mobile hunting space for as long as I’ve been hunting. In short, I knew saddle hunting existed, but I had never done a deep dive on the tactic. When I opened the shipping box in…
From 22 feet up in his tree stand, Curt McCarty could see his lighted nock beaming from the ground below. The broadhead was buried in the dirt, but there was no blood on the arrow. As his heart sank, Curt watched the world-class typical make its way out into the field to feed with the rest of the deer. For now, it looked as if Curt had missed his shot of a lifetime. ALL ROADS LEAD TO IOWA Curt McCarty grew up in Central Florida, where he received an introduction to hunting deer, hogs and other game. Later in life, Curt’s career carried him south to Miami, where his whitetail hunting opportunities were limited compared to those of his youth. “I fished and spearfished a lot when I moved to…
During the fall of 2021, I had two bucks on my hunting property that had great potential, but they needed to mature a little more. One was a 6x7, and the other a typical 10-pointer. Eventually, a mature 8-pointer showed up during mid-October and started pushing all the younger bucks out. I know from experience that if 3- or 4-year-old bucks get pushed around too much, they will likely look for another “core” area to call their own. I decided to make this bully 8-pointer my target buck. On the eveninng of Halloween, I slipped into a tree and caught the bully pushing does around. After rubbing a tree and making a scrape, he started heading my way. I knew right where he was going to go and the range.…
