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Articles by Aaron Hepler
How to Scout Clear-Cuts
Logging cuts, also known as clear-cuts, are some of the best places to find mature bucks in the big woods. They provide a focal point in an otherwise monotonous landscape. You can also readily spot them while e-scouting. The problem is, everyone else realizes this too. While clear-cuts attract deer for bedding or browse, they also attract a lot of pressure. Luckily, whitetails adapt regardless of hunting pressure, and logging cuts can still hold mature bucks.
Ep. 1053: The Jared Mills Trail Cam Masterclass
Subscribe This week on the show I’m joined by Jared Mills to walk through his unique trail camera strategies and routines, from summer through fall - including his goals, camera set-ups, and philosophy on how best to use trailcam intel.
Ep. 1043: Shawn Luchtel on Failure, Food Plots, and Big Buck Myths
Subscribe On this episode of Wired To Hunt, Jake visits with Heartland Bowhunter's Shawn Luchtel for a conversation centered around one of the most underrated teachers in deer hunting: failure. Instead of rehashing big buck stories, Shawn walks through the whitetail calendar month by month, sharing the mistakes, bad assumptions, and hard-earned lessons that have shaped the way he hunts today.
Ep. 109: Deer Sausage, Where I Find God, and Mowing Ditches with Shane Profitt
Subscribe In this episode Transcript This week Reid and Dan host Nashville artist and Mr. Long Live Country, Shane Profitt, out in God's Country. If you are looking for a cornerstone good ol' boy conversation you've come to the right place. The three of them cover everything from fishing to deer season to what makes the perfect wild game sausage.
How to Find Deer With Limited Time
Most deer hunters aren't living the dream of unlimited time in the woods. Tony Peterson recently pointed out in an earlier article how easy it can be to fall into the "must be nice" crowd. The reality for almost all deer hunters is a full-time job, kids, and obligations that thin our time in the field. Everyday life makes us weekend warriors with hunts squeezed into short vacations and a random day here or there.
Ep. 928: Foundations - The Secret to Good Treestand Setups
Subscribe In this episode This week, Tony explains why learning to read trees and keeping an open mind on how to set up in them, is often the key to killing more big bucks by not just defaulting to our go-to stands. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips Presented By New
Ep. 898: Foundations - Is it Time to Think About the "Other" Deer?
Subscribe In this episode This week, Tony talks about how to find hunting opportunities for all of the deer subspecies that aren't whitetails. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips Presented By New On Sale On Sale
Debunking Common Myths About Scrapes
I was minutes away from leaving. I’d had enough. More than enough, actually. Enough staring into an incessant bitter wind at a whole lot of nothing. Enough driving and scouting my way through prime whitetail country without seeing a single deer in more than 72 hours. It was mid-November, and I had no time to waste time perched in a tree, quickly losing interest and confidence. I decided to take one last look down the alley before bailing. And there it was.
Is It Time To Ditch Your Treestand?
My world in bowhunting began from a humble ground-swatting position. It wasn't until I turned fourteen that my dad gave me a clunky climbing stand, the kind that's built to last. This was a game-changer. I was experiencing deer hunting from an elevated position, and that perspective increased my love for deer hunting like nothing else. After a few years of grinding tree bark, clinking, and clunking around the woods, I needed something more. Often, I'm overly skeptical of "trending" gear.
Clear-Cuts: Food Plots Of The Big Woods
Manicured food plots and tractor work still have their place in the deer hunting community. But clear-cuts are a mecca for concentrated deer populations in the big woods. These areas can be the strategic hunting locations you've been searching for. Clear-cuts can accommodate any hunting style, whether you prefer firearms or archery tackle, ambush hunting, or spot-and-stalk. Scouting a cut may seem daunting, especially if it's large, but you can find the right spot with the right approach.
7 Reasons Your Trail Cam Pictures Suck
I’m all too familiar with frustrating trail camera experiences. Ending up with poor-quality images or no pictures at all feels like a waste of time. If you're new to using trail cameras, you can avoid this mistake and learn from my experience. You could be happy just to know there are deer in the area. Or you may be frustrated with camera performance and want to learn more about capturing usable trail cam pictures.
The 3 Best Funnels For Quick Shed Hunts
Any time spent in the woods is valuable, but let's talk about the target goal of shed antlers. Days filled with work meetings aren't always a lost cause. A few short minutes could be all you need to grab a few antlers this spring. Shed hunting doesn't always need to take place where you want to hunt. It's beneficial to zero in on areas known for wintering bucks. A little map reading and an evening drive to learn local buck habits will go far.
How to Identify the Core Areas of Mature Bucks
It’s a rare day that I focus my hunting efforts on individual bucks. It’s just not my style, and I don’t have much ground to work with where it’s a feasible strategy. It’s not that I haven’t gone down that road in the past—because I have—it’s just that today, it doesn’t make much sense for me. What does make sense for me, and probably for you as well, is to learn to identify general mature buck core areas.
4 Tips to Locate Mature Buck Home Ranges in the Offseason
Hunters have an undeniable fascination with giant antlered, big-bodied bucks. If you've decided to take on the challenge of understanding mature bucks, you're in danger of becoming addicted and obsessed. However, studying mature bucks can also increase your fun in the woods. Mature bucks are king in the big woods. They live in constant survival mode due to hunting pressure, predators, and the drive to carry on their bloodline. It's no wonder that they are rare creatures.
Which Scrapes Matter During Offseason Scouting
I've spent a substantial amount of time hunting whitetails in the big woods. Understanding scrapes has, without a doubt, led me to more consistent encounters than any other hunting tactic. Their basic framework is an open patch of dirt with an overhanging licking branch. The size of a scrape might tell you that many deer use it. A scrape with more depth and a foul smell is a telltale sign that a mature buck frequents it. Its location could tell you when deer actually visit the area.
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