hunting

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck

Big Buck Profile: The 2025 Gandy Buck Ok, this first big buck profile is a little self-serving in that it is of a buck that I personally took this past deer season. While it is likely not the “biggest” big buck that we will profile this year it is definitely one of my most special […]

Thunder in the Timber: A Morning with a Longbeard

Thunder in the Timber: A Morning with a Longbeard Songbirds sing their songs and fill the cool air along a timber edge overlooking a fresh, green alfalfa field. Virginia bluebells and spring beauty add dashes of color across the awakening forest floor behind the giant oak tree I rest my back against. A deer works […]

Picking A New Pup

Engaging the Next Generation

Engaging the Next Generation The future of wildlife conservation in North America rests squarely on the shoulders of the next generation of hunters. For over a century, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation has been predominantly funded by hunters through license fees and excise taxes on equipment. As the number of licensed hunters steadily […]

Set A Rut Ambush

Set A Rut Ambush: Locations to Fool Bucks With hunting season well underway, deer hunters across the state have gotten their taste of the chase. November rolls in and we begin to see rutting bucks chase after hot does, while at the same time leaving their marks warning off potential competitors. Little do they know, […]

Hunting Locked Down Bucks

Hunting Locked Down Bucks As the old saying goes: The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and locked down bucks come November. Well, most of that saying is well-known, but in the whitetail world losing tabs on a bruiser buck during November is almost always a certainty. Deer hunting can be very fickle. There […]

Reflections on Deer Season

Reflections on Deer Season Hunting season, for us, is more than just chasing whitetails or birds; it’s our escape button. It gives us a much-needed chance for escape and an opportunity to connect with God, nature, as well as friends and family. Hunting is how we finally slow down, take a solid break from the […]

Hunting Late Season Roosters

Hunting Late Season Roosters The diesel pickup rumbled down the county road, snow swirling in the headlights. December in Iowa meant the end of the season was coming, and the weather had finally turned nasty Beside me sat Gunner, my two-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer vibrating with energy in the passenger seat. Now, it is about […]

Late Season Hail Mary

Late Season Hail Mary Late season whitetail hunting in Iowa can be incredibly productive, and for me, this is when I see the big bucks. The ones that have eluded myself and the neighbors, the ones that seemed nocturnal now are moving during the day. This is the time when you can get that trophy […]

Muzzleloading in Cold Temperatures

Guide to Shooting Your Muzzleloader in Cold Temperatures Muzzleloaders were one of our earliest guns, and they still have a special place in the hunting community. The muzzleloaders most of us use today, are in-line and much more accurate than the traditional flintlock muzzleloaders. However, you still need to consider how the colder weather will […]