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.
Most letters from magazine editors include a sentimental story or reflection, maybe a current event, or just a summary of the articles within a monthly issue. I know because I’ve written those same types of editorials! But not this month. Instead, I’ll spare you a monologue and instead answer the No. 1 land management question I’m asked every year. This one comes from folks of every experience level, be they hardcore land pros or never-planted-a-plot newbies. I’ve got room for about 1,000 words to answer what could be (and is) the subject of entire books. Note, it didn’t fit entirely on this page, so you’ll have to flip to pg. 104 if so inclined to finish reading my reply to this million-dollar question: “What’s your favorite food plot for whitetails?”…
For the last 20 years, North American Whitetail TV has not only provided viewers with heart-pounding hunts for free-ranging trophy deer, but we’ve also used our show to educate hunters on all-things whitetails. One subject we’ve consistently produced reliable content for is land management. Our fan-favorite Dr. Deer and Build Your Own Deer Factory (BYODF) segments have aimed to educate viewers on proven, science-backed information regarding whitetail biology and herd and habitat management. NAW’s staff biologist Dr. James C. Kroll has been the leading source for these segments, and over the last two decades he has shared a lifetime’s worth of white-tailed deer knowledge with NAW TV viewers. Since our show has been running on television for two decades, naturally there are aspects of deer biology and management that we’ve…
When Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) showed up in southern Wisconsin in 2002, it may have been the first time the average American hunter realized that deer have diseases! Yet, all animals and humans have a host of diseases, some of which can be restricted just to a single species or group (Endemic) or spread across several species, even to humans (Zoonotic). The appearance of CWD sparked a general panic among the public, and the blame rests squarely on the outdoor media. For starters, it was falsely reported three men had died from eating CWD tainted venison. Later, anti-hunting groups applied the term “Zombie Deer Disease” to CWD, again reporting falsely that humans can contract the disease. Recently, another group of diseases known as Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), or Blue Tongue…
I remember the first deer feeder I saw as a kid while walking through the woods in North Carolina. It was a rusty old 55-gallon barrel suspended about 10 feet off the ground by steel cables and a pulley that was screwed into a tree. There was either an aftermarket or homemade spinner and marine battery contraption welded to the bottom. Not daring walk underneath it, I examined from afar all its holes and jagged edges. It looked like part death trap and part hornet or wasp hotel! Growing up, we never used feeders on our hunting land. Baiting was legal though, so we simply poured corn on the ground — especially during the summer in front of our trail cameras, and certainly during bow season to bring deer closer…
Few other dreams seem as far-fetched as shooting the next Boone & Crockett world-record typical whitetail. Milo Hanson’s net 213 5/8-inch giant from Saskatchewanh as officially held the mark for 30 seasons now, and he set it by such a wide margin – 7 4/8 inches – that many hunters doubt he’ll ever be beaten. Maybe he won’t. He’s crazy big. Plus, B&C now defines typical points more strictly than ever, making 213 5/8 net even tougher to beat. That said, scores of wild bucks with frames big enough to do it have existed, and several recently. Built from unofficial data compiled by whitetail historian Dan Vandenberg, with additional research by our online contributor Cameron Coble, the accompanying map shows every known location of wild, officially measured whitetails with at…
I became obsessed with the thought of hunting the Midwest when I was a child. Primarily, I dreamed of someday visiting Kansas. When I was a senior in high school, I made my mind up. I was going to try and find a job as a hunting guide and move to Kansas. After several failed attempts, someone gave me a shot! And it was better than anything I could have ever expected. The outfitter I worked for had right around 40,000 acres, and my full-time job was figuring out where to put my hunters each week of the season. The experience that I got and lessons I learned truly came daily. I realized even then (in 2006) how lucky I was to do something I loved and be exposed to…
