A quarter-million hunters is a lot for one state to lose, but that’s exactly the deer-hunting license deficit Michigan is currently facing, based on the latest statistics. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported deer hunting ...
Whitetail
Classic Venison Osso Buco Is Stupid Simple and Guaranteed to Impress
Osso buco is one of those cliche wild game dishes that’s actually worthy of the hype. Traditionally made with veal shank, this Italian classic has found a devoted following among hunters using deer, elk, and other wild game — venison osso buco comes ...
The Hunter’s Most Important Item of Clothing: Stay Warm in a Treestand
When I first started whitetail hunting, being cold was the No. 1 thing that’d get me out of a stand early. It didn’t matter how heavy or warm my clothing was; I still froze during November and December hunts. Every Hunter’s Ed test has the same ...
5 Keys to Pulling Off an All-Day Sit During the Whitetail Rut
Hunting the whitetail rut is a fucking grind. It's the time of year all hunters look forward to, full of lows with a few highs sprinkled in. During the rut, anything can happen at literally any time. You can go from having a season full of ...
Birria-Style Venison Tacos: A Delicious Way to Prepare Tough Cuts
If you spend any time on social media, you've probably salivated over at least one video of Birria-style tacos. Birria tacos are like the Mexican equivalent of a French Dip Sandwich, and it turns out, it's an outstanding way to make venison ...
Three Late-Season OTC Western Hunts You Can Do Right Now
Didn’t draw a tag this year? Perhaps you just couldn't plan a 2021 Western hunt in time, or maybe you just weren’t sure you could get away from work or family. You must be feeling some major FOMO right now as you scroll through the socials, liking ...
Deer Ribs: A Foolproof Bone-In Recipe That Never Fails
Deer ribs are a highly underrated and often disrespected piece of wild game. At best, most deer ribs end up deboned and ground into burgers and sausages. At worst, they are discarded with the gut pile. While they may not be as thick and juicy as pork ...
How to Hunt Public Land Whitetail: A 3-Year Strategy
Hunting public land whitetails can be frustrating, to say the least. Going into a new area and figuring it out can make a deer hunter go crazy with second guesses. It’s extremely difficult to make all of the right decisions on an unfamiliar piece of ...
Public Land Whitetail Hunting Tips: The 5 Things to Keep in Mind
Every year, I find myself with a mixture of new and old hunting areas in my hunting plans. Hunting the places you’ve always hunted provides you with years of insightful knowledge of the landscape and animal movement. Hunting new areas provide you ...
World Record Whitetail: The Top 5 Non-Typical Archery Bucks
No big game animal causes more American hunters to burn vacation days and abandon all adult responsibilities than whitetail deer. From New England to Florida, New Jersey to Montana, and in all the bread-basket, rust-belt, and Great Plains states in ...
World Record Whitetail: The Top 5 Typical Archery Bucks
There are non-typical whitetail deer with racks that are mind-blowingly massive, almost alien sculptures of bone. Typical whitetails are not that. Typicals are the clean, symmetrical, even “ideal” headgear that most hunters imagine when they think of ...
So You Want to Shoot an Archery World Record?
Potential world record big game animals exist no matter your home range. (There’s a freak in every crowd.) But some regions are just downright better than others when producing archery world-record animals. What makes these places so unique? No one ...
How to Score Whitetail and Mule Deer Trophies
After you’ve taken down a giant whitetail or mule deer there’s a moment when the adrenaline subsides, your hands stop shaking, and you’re able to start forming complete sentences again. As you take hold of the rack with both hands, the siren song of ...
What a Hunting Plan for Out-of-State DIY Whitetail Quests Should Include
Traveling to hunt whitetails is an incredible way to experience new places, chase bigger deer, have a great time with friends, and grow as a whitetail hunter. I started traveling to hunt in 2014 when I first went to Ohio with my Dad and friends, and ...
5 Sleeper Public Land Whitetail States You Don’t Want to Miss in October
When it comes to chasing whitetail with a bow, October is where it’s at. Many states open archery season on Oct. 1, and the early states with openers in September see a marked decline in hunters afield when Gametober rolls around. So pack the truck, ...
This Ground Venison Crunchwrap is Way Better Than Taco Bell
We've all got a favorite fast food joint: the place we go when we're on the road, too lazy to cook, or have had a few too many drinks. For me, it's Taco Bell, and their Crunchwrap reigns supreme. A Crunchwrap is kind of like a quesadilla. It ...
How to Read Wind and Thermals to Get on Big Deer and Elk
There are hundreds of gadgets, gizmos, and products available on the market designed to help you to stay “undetectable” and beat an animal’s nose. While some of these products can help you reduce your scent, they are far from a magic-bullet solution ...
Jamaican Buck Patties: The Best Venison Recipe You Haven’t Tried
The Jamaican beef patty — spicy, heavily seasoned ground beef stuffed inside a hot, flaky crust — ranks right up there with electricity and the wheel as far as fundamental and essential human innovations. They're the perfect food to go along with a ...
Michigan’s “Do Not Eat” Deer Advisory Questions Safety of Venison
With deer season on the horizon, Michigan hunters need to heed a new advisory: Do not eat any deer killed within three miles of Clark’s Marsh in Iosco County. This area has been similarly restricted for several years, and while the advisory ...
‘Rona Deer: USDA Study Finds COVID-19 in Whitetail Population
A disturbing number of whitetail deer are testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study done by the Department of Agriculture. So far, the CDC has not declared mask mandates for wildlife. Even though it ...
How to Make A Slow-Cooked Pulled Venison Roast
When speaking of venison recipes, tenderloins and backstraps tend to be the heroes, with some version of sausage or stew meat not far behind. The good-old venison roast simply doesn’t get the love and attention it deserves. In the slow-cooked meat ...
The Experiment: A Late-Season Ohio Whitetail Hunt
The plan was laid in August. To mark the launch of Free Range American, we’d give away a world-class whitetail hunt on one of the largest contiguous farms in the Midwest — and swag out two readers with piles of gear and goodies from Black Rifle ...
A Beginner’s Guide to Shed Antler Hunting
Spring is my second favorite season. The winter weather is finally loosening its grip. The rivers are breaking up, the grass is starting to poke through the snow patches on south-facing slopes, and bears are crawling out of their dens. Yet my ...
How To Pick Out Your First Deer Rifle
Whatever your reason for reading this piece, you’re somewhat interested in the subject of deer hunting — the adventure, the benefits of harvesting your own meat, or the camaraderie with friends and family. Choosing your first deer rifle shouldn’t be ...
A Vegan Hunter and Her First Deer Kill
G is a vegan. Her kids and my kids became friends at Montessori. On our first few play dates, we talked a lot about meat, about hunting, about her experience training as a veterinarian in factory farms. We talked about killing, and sadness, and ...
It’s Time to Cut the BS in Deer Hunting
Our deer-hunting culture is changing. A whole generation that has grown up with trail cameras, food plots, and hunting television shows is after much more than a giant buck this fall (though we’ll shoot one if we get the chance). If you listen to ...