Hunting

Two Does, One Lesson: The Value of CWD Testing

Dec 1, 2025 Nick 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, 2025 Brian 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, 2025 Cole 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, 2025 Cole 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, 2025 NDA 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, 2025 Cole 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…

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A Deer for Ryan

Oct 7, 2025 Tovar Cerulli

In the dream, I was hunting with Brady. He was in good spirits, enjoying Vermont’s finest autumn weather and the chance to hunt deer in a landscape so different from his familiar Rocky Mountains.  On…

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9 Tips for Making Doe Harvest and Venison Donation a Community Celebration

Sep 22, 2025 Kim Zuhlke

Despite widespread awareness of the importance of doe harvest, many hunters struggle to meet goals and maintain deer populations in balance with habitat. Our local group of NDA volunteers, the Coulee Country Branch, has been…

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No Stand Needed: The Art and Advantages of Ground Setups for Whitetails

Sep 10, 2025 Nick Pinizzotto

Opening morning finally arrived, and I had my ambush spot picked out well in advance due to my thorough scouting efforts. I had been watching a bachelor group of five bucks consistently using a heavily…

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CWD is Ravaging My Family’s Land, But It’s Not Too Late for You

Sep 9, 2025 Paul Annear

My first season deer hunting in Wisconsin was 2001, the same season that produced Wisconsin’s first deer to test positive for chronic wasting disease. CWD has always been at the forefront of deer hunting discussions…

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