How Long Does it Take the Average Hunter to Harvest a Deer?
Mar 4, 2026Cole Gander
For many hunters, myself included, harvesting a deer is the culmination of many months of hard work, preparation and countless hours spent afield. Sometimes everything falls into place perfectly, and a hunt ends with a…
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Shed Hunting Public Land: Timing, Pressure and Tactics That Work
Feb 18, 2026Brian Grossman
Shed hunting was created for hunters like me who can’t stand the thought of spending three long months indoors between deer and turkey season. Sometimes I need an excuse to hit the woods and stretch…
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Deer Report: Doe Harvest Jumps, Mature Buck Harvest Sets Another Record
Jan 9, 2026NDA Staff
U.S. deer hunters gave the antlerless deer harvest a much-needed boost in the 2024-25 season, putting the total back above 3 million for only the third time in 11 years and ahead of the antlered…
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NDA’s Best Late-Season Deer Hunting Advice
Dec 17, 2025NDA Staff
The late days of hunting season are a challenging time to fill deer tags. Deer are moving less as the rut becomes a memory. They’re wary and elusive after weeks of dodging hunters. Meanwhile, we…
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Two Does, One Lesson: The Value of CWD Testing
Dec 1, 2025Nick Pinizzotto
It was one of those evenings when you just feel like something good is about to happen. While I would have obviously taken a shot opportunity on a mature buck if presented, my focus was…
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What Deer Research Really Says About the Rut (Most Hunters Get This Wrong)
Nov 19, 2025Brian Grossman
While there’s still much to be learned about the whitetail rut, decades of deer research has taught us a lot about this special time of year. And much of this information will not only improve…
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Don’t Be Afraid to Call an Audible When Hunting Mature Bucks
Nov 12, 2025Cole Gander
For many hunters across the whitetail’s range, the rut represents the best time to be in the deer woods and provides the best opportunity all season to fill a tag on a mature buck. Buck…
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There is No Such Thing as a Nocturnal Buck
Oct 29, 2025Cole Gander
We’ve all heard it before and some of us may have even said it ourselves at some point: “That buck has gone nocturnal.” After capturing countless daylight trail-camera photos all summer long, those same cameras…
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NDA’s Recommended Practices for Deer Hunters in CWD Zones
Oct 27, 2025NDA Staff
Deer hunters who live or hunt in areas where chronic wasting disease has been found in deer are on the front lines in the fight against this disease. The National Deer Association believes that CWD…
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5 Steps to Recovering a Gut-Shot Deer
Oct 8, 2025Cole Gander
My anticipation was at an all-time high as I settled into my treestand for a late-October bow hunt in the agricultural country of northern Missouri. Less than a week earlier, I had sat in that…
