Field and Stream - Bow Hunting Whitetail Deer RSS

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of January.

The Best New Knives of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:04:49 -0500

These are the best new knives for outdoorsmen available in 2012.

The Tale of a 21-Point, 200-Class, Double-Drop Iowa Monster Buck

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:11:41 -0500

The story of a monster 21-point buck from Iowa.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department Lobbies for Deer Baiting Bill

Online Editors — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:48:48 -0500

by Scott Bestul

As a rule, deer biologists tend to hate baiting. But in a likely unprecedented move by a state game agency, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department is asking the state legislature to help them legalize baiting in the state. According to this AP story, biologists are struggling so mightily to control whitetail populations that they’re looking to add another strategy to their toolbox.

It’s important to note that in this case, officials intend to limit the use of bait to urban areas or other deer-control hotspots. Their hope is to be able to lure deer to spots where the animals would be more vulnerable to harvest, and to areas where shooting is safer. No plans seem to be in the works to legalize baiting on a broad basis at this time.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day 2

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:22 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 2.

Ray: Planning for Next Season

Online Editors — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:52:41 -0500

Rut Reporter Brandon Ray is an expert on the region. Ray was born in Dallas and shot his first deer with a bow in Central Texas at the age of 15. The full-time freelance writer manages his family’s Texas Panhandle ranch, is a licensed New Mexico guide, and last year took a 184 gross P&Y non-typical trophy. States covered: TX, OK, NM.

I'm already thinking about next year's deer season before the current one ends. And as we prepare to say adios to the 2011-2012 season, here are two things worth doing.

Because of drought across the region in 2011, winter forage is even more reduced than normal in the southern and middle sections of the region. In the northern extremes, where crops like wheat often help deer through the winter, production is way down. To help deer, and specifically rut-weary bucks, through the cold and stressful days of a long winter, I keep my bait areas and corn feeders running until spring.

SHOT Show 2012 From The Floor: Day I

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:40 -0500

Photos from the floor of SHOT Show 2012, Day 1.

Trivia Question: What Bow Did Bo Duke Shoot?

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:36:21 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

We all have our embarrassing secrets. I’ll spare you mine, for the most part. But for the purposes of this blog, I will admit to one: As much as I would like to trace my interest in archery to the likes of Hill, Bear, Pope, or Young, the truth is that the real greats were all before my time. No, being a product of the television generation (an embarrassing admission itself), my initial fascination with archery was sparked by the exploding arrows of—cringe—Bo and Luke Duke.

Vibration and Hand Shock from Compound Bows in Super Slow Motion

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:39:01 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

If you saw David Maccar’s recent post “High-Speed Video: .308 vs. Soup Can” (if you didn’t you should) then you know that we recently had the use of some spectacularly sophisticated high-speed cameras.

For this video, we wanted to see something that is normally only felt: hand shock and vibration from a bow. At 19,300 frames per second, two things jump out at me:

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:15:14 -0500

The 60 best photos submitted by readers in 2011.

Field & Stream's Best Photo Galleries and Blogs of 2011

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:53:52 -0500

The 25 best online stories from F&S in 2011.

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From December 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:44:10 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of December.

First Shots Photo Collection

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:59:48 -0500

A collection of jaw-dropping hunting and fishing photos from Field & Stream's "First Shots" magazine section.

Ray: Hunting Through the Weather Extremes

Online Editors — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:38:07 -0500

Here is more proof that the weather and the rut can be at opposite ends of the spectrum in Texas. Last week, on Dec. 20, it was 25 degrees in the Panhandle town of Amarillo. The wind was out of the north at 25 mph and the wind chill was nine. A blizzard came through northeastern New Mexico, the top of Texas and western Oklahoma the night before, dropping up to 10 inches of snow in some parts. If you were hunting bucks at the top of the region then, you should have been hunting the food.

Illinois Twofer Bucks: 325 Inches of Antler After 30 Years on the Bench

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:22:56 -0500

Illinois hunter nets 325 inches of antler in one season.

How to Tell Good Acorns—And Pick The Right Tree To Hunt Near

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:23:29 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

You need to know who to steal from, goes the saying (even though it should go “whom to steal from”), and for this video I have stolen a tip outright from Bestul, who stole it from a logger buddy of his. When you’re hunting an area with lots of oaks and you need to figure out which trees the deer are feeding under, make sure to keep a sharp eye out for acorns that do not have their caps. It’s something a lot of hunters overlook but shouldn’t. Acorns that fall with caps often have rotten or punky flesh; those that fall without caps typically have fine, firm flesh and are therefore preferred by the deer.

The 75 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From November 2011

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:13:59 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of October.

A Worthy End For a Nearly 10-Year-Old, 190-Inch Iowa Buck

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:43:52 -0500

Photos: Nearly 10-Year-Old, 190-Inch Iowa Buck

A Self Bow Buck on The Best Day of the Rut

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:37:25 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

The Field & Stream head office (Dave Hurteau) sent all us field editors an e-mail telling us to be sure to hunt our designated “Best Day of the Rut” – November 12. Since I have not bowhunted since 1989 I planned to call my cousin Shaun to tell him to go deer hunting in my place and report back.

Before I could call him, he called me and asked if I would come help him find the deer he had just shot. We found it only about 100 yards from where it had been hit. The long, lumpy gray muzzle makes me think it is an old buck.

What makes the story even better is that Shaun made the bow in the picture. It’s a self bow, meaning it’s made from one piece of wood – in this case, osage orange. This particular style of self bow is an “ambush bow” -- a 65 pounder with a fairly compact 58” knock-to-knock length. In fact, Shaun had just finished it that same day, made a string, took some test shots, went hunting and killed a buck with it.

He named the bow for a friend who had recently died in an accident, and painted it in Lakota fashion as a tribute. The red to starry black represents the transition from Warrior Path to the Star Path.

Guest Shoot Me Down: Expensive Bows Are Worth Every Penny

Online Editors — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:32:13 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

In our last “Shoot Me Down,” I argued that “Speed Kills” because a fast bow allows you to use a heavier arrow and larger broadhead without giving up too much in trajectory. In response, lovetohunt gave us a thesis on kinetic energy, momentum and most interestingly, bow-and-arrow efficiency. Now, as our SMD winner, he is here to rant and rave as my special guest.

Take it away, lovetohunt:

Expensive bows are worth every penny.

All too often I see people hunting with bows that look like they were made in a toyshop 15 years ago. These folks can’t seem to justify spending the money on today’s better models, but I don’t think they realize that these expensive bows kill deer better than those ancient bows do.

Use a Rangefinder to Learn How to Judge Distance Without One

Sarah Smith — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:17:47 -0500

Many of you have heard this tip; it’s an oldie but a goodie. So think of this video more as a reminder to actually get out there and do it. You don’t need a bunch of expensive targets; two or three cheap bag versions will work fine with field points. And don’t forget to take those targets into the woods once in a while for this type of practice session, as distances look surprisingly different depending on the amount and type of cover.

The 50 Best Photos from Round II of the 2011 F&S Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:51:21 -0500

The Best 2011 Round 2 Trail Cam Photos

Wisconsin Hunter Switches From Gun to Bow to Chase His Buck of a Lifetime

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:59:30 -0400

Jeff Weber switches from gun to bow to tag this monster typical.

B&C Confirms Wade Ward's 188-Inch Typical Oklahoma State-Record Archery Buck

Dave_Maccar — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:19:06 -0400

Wade Ward tagged this new OK state archery record buck with a crossbow in January.

The Giant 180-Class Flyer Buck of Buffalo County, Wisconsin

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:58:34 -0400

Troy Muche tagged this 180-class bruiser with the wild forked flyer in Wisconsin.