Author: North American Outdoorsman Staff

A mineral lick is where animals in nutrient-poor ecosystems obtain essential minerals. Mineral licks often occur naturally, providing the sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc required in the springtime for bone, antler and muscle growth (along with milk production) in deer, moose, elk and other wildlife. Minerals benefit deer health and antler growth (we think): There is no verified research with free ranging whitetails that proves that supplemental minerals improve whitetail health or antler production. BUT – there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and theory that makes most biologists and experts believe that there is some positive effect on whitetails…

As a dedicated whitetail conservationist, wildlife biologist and big game hunter, I have had the pleasure of managing winter whitetails for more than 25 years. From deeryard operations in the mountains of Quebec, to counting ‘pellet groups’ in Central Ontario as part of a Fish & Wildlife program, to today managing my own backyard program in the National Capital Region. You might say managing winter whitetails is a pet project of mine, and an activity I take quite seriously! Backyard deer feeding is an enjoyable pastime and can be of benefit to whitetail herds as snow depth increases. Having done…

I have 20 deer seasons under my belt, and Lord willing, I’ll have many more. While I have many mule deer and Whitetail racks in my home, I’m not too proud to say that I should have many, many more. I’ve made countless mistakes over the years that have cost me big time. Of course, deer are smart critters with the home-field advantage, so many of my hunts have ended in disgust rather than a victory in a short blood trail. The cause of those errors has usually been one or two completely avoidable mistakes. Sound familiar? LESSONS 1 Needlessly…

At the time of this writing, we are in the middle of a polar vortex here on the Canadian Prairies. With temperatures averaging around -35 Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit) it has been hard to find reasons to venture outside these last few weeks. I have been a little stir crazy so when the opportunity came up to test the new Black Mamba 31 by APA Archery I jumped at the chance. The Black Mamba 31 is being hailed by the company as one of the most accurate and forgiving bows they’ve ever created. So, the gauntlet has been thrown down with…

Mountains and mule deer seem synonymous, yet the Midwest and Great Plains offer excellent hunting for giant bucks without the climb. Think attitude, not altitude. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation spans nearly 2,000,000 acres and Neil Davies and I each had a deer tag. Shortly after noon, we met Travis Brave Bird, our Sioux guide and headed into some of the most incredible landscapes of the West. Like a teenager on his first trip to New York City, I was google-eyed at the majestic country we traversed. No shots that first afternoon, yet what an adventure! Brave Bird picked us…

Dad and I had hunted hard but the whitetail season was down to the wire with one day left in the season. It was overcast and -30 degrees Celcius, a cold front had moved in and we knew this could work in our favour. It was around 9:00am when Dad spotted a buck and with the naked eye, we both knew this was what we had been waiting for. A look through the Swarovski Spotting scope revealed a GIANT, with extra points off both sides, we knew we were looking at a 200” whitetail. I’ve had some of my greatest…