Ducks
Know what affects duck migrations
Duck season that come in before December are often overlooked by many hunters because of other hunt seasons, warm weather or just waiting for the big push of migratory ducks after Christmas. […]
Statewide NC
Freshwater Fishing
Suspending jerkbaits more common than in the past
Deep inside my tackle box, there is a Rapala floating minnow that’s a victim of a late 1980s how-to article. Above the front hook, I drilled three holes and inserted a split shot in each, then sealed the wounds with epoxy. At the time, it was one of only a few ways that anglers could make their jerkbaits suspend. […]
Deer Hunting
Frigid days bookmark deer activity this time of year
Unlike deer hunters in Canada or south Texas, hunters in the Carolinas have to prepare for both ends of the weather spectrum. It is not uncommon to get 80-degree highs for a few days and snow flurries a few days later. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Catch more bass by understanding Wylie’s shad
Find the shad, and you’ll find the bass. That well-worn wisdom is true on Lake Wylie, especially in the winter. But to find the shad, it helps to know a little about them. […]
Deer Hunting
Without alarms, deer more likely to run into trouble
The Carolinas, despite their rural setting, are far from what most people would call a wilderness. The overwhelming majority of the states’ deer population is accustomed to automobile horns, sirens, dogs barking and other symptoms of human occupancy. […]
Deer Hunting
Sex sells when it comes to deer scents
Using scents throughout the rutting period is mainstream to what most deer hunters accept as scent luring the animals into range. To whitetail deer, odors are a language until themselves that tell a very pungent story. […]
Deer Hunting
The lowdown on food attractants
Anyone who has ventured into the woods with gun or bow in hand has considered a strategy of hunting deer based around feeding preferences: natural, planted or dumped out on the ground. But have you ever considered a hunting strategy based on the scent of food? […]
Deer Hunting
Good glass is good judgement when hunting cutovers
Good optics are a must for hunting clear-cut areas. The need to search for deer in the briars and brambles that swallow them in these areas is essential. […]
Deer Hunting
Make a big noise
Hearing enhancement is often overlooked when hunting clear-cuts. How can it help when I’m hunting animals I don’t expect to see at close ranges? But it’s common to hear hunters say, “I heard the deer before I saw him when he was walking through the clear-cut. It sounds like paper tearing.” […]
Deer of the Year
First North Carolina hunt ends in trophy buck for California transplant
For 21-year-old Collin Howlett of Walnut Cove, his deer hunting aspirations will be tough to match after his mind-boggling mid-day hunt on Nov. 5. Shortly after noon, Howlett drilled a 170 ¾-in bruiser on a friend’s Rockingham County hunting property after only sitting in the stand for 45 minutes. […]