The times are changing to the future, even in the hunting world. Technology is continuing to make it's impact on the outdoors. A major piece of that puzzle is the use of drones, mainly for recovering your deer. The use of thermal drones has been a hot topic in the hunting conversation for good reason. While the theory behind their use can be incredibly beneficial, there are also some negative connotations. We dive into the debate and share our opinions on the use of thermal cameras on drones. From scenarios in past hunting seasons, tracks we have done with the dogs, and created situations, we try and tie in as much knowledge we have to help you guys form your opinion.

When you have been deer hunting for many years, you begin to pick up on a lot small details in the woods. Some major details that some hunters both old and new still miss, can come from the animal that they are hunting. Whitetails can be meticulous creatures when it comes to their body language. Their posture, tail movements, and reactions to surrounds, can potentially be the one factor that makes or breaks a hunt. So what are some major body language "tells" that hunters should be looking for? We dive into our knowledge of whitetail hunting over the yours to bring you guys our top signs when it comes to reading deer. From making the decision to call to a deer, to seeing them casually in a field, we breakdown a few specifics in the body language of a deer to help give you guys the extra edge in the woods! What are some signs you look for?

Well folks, it is that time of year, bow season for whitetails here in Iowa has come to a close. Although, it wouldn't be a normal bow season if we didn't have it come down to the wire to fill a tag. On December 1st, the final day of the season, Easton AKA "Mr. Deercember", was able to punch his tag on an absolute stud! This makes it three bucks now for Easton in the closing days of December. On this episode, Easton breaks down his hunt and his season to give us some insight on what he learned. We all wanted to take a dive into the knowledge we had gathered from this bow season, to help give you guys and ourselves, some strategies to take into 2024. From stand movement, to hunting water, to food plot management, we dive into as many scenarios as we can think of!

Last week we broke down a study, discussing the breakdown of whitetail genetics. We asked the question, does culling your bucks truly benefit or hurt your herd potential in the future! This week we took a deeper dive into which bucks do hunters normally cull while trying to manage their deer. What traits do you look for in a "cull buck"? What age are you shooting them? These were the most common questions we felt are usually asked when it comes to culling deer. We also dive into a study done by one of our very own listeners! His study dives into the amount of crops produced in the states of Iowa and Wisconsin, and how that correlates into the size of deer in each state, as well as the health of the deer. Which, his study left us with one question. Which is a sign of better health for a buck, a bigger body or a bigger rack?

In the deer hunting world, it is safe to say many if not all of us, have heard of a buck referred to as a "cull buck". They are your bucks that typically never get bigger racks, have flaws in their racks or themselves year after year, or simply just a deer you kill as a management deer. What if we told you that these bucks could have the potential to be the father of the next world record? On this episode, David brings fourth a study that may just turn your perspective on culling deer and saving the lives of your smaller bucks. We will have the study linked below for you to take a look! We also begin the episode with a breakdown of our best late seasons strategies for all you December and January big buck hunters!

https://deerassociation.com/strike-3-for-the-myth-of-the-genetic-cull-buck/

With the rut truly in full swing in Iowa, we have been seeing bucks going crazy! So what does that mean if you are gunning for your target buck? Trying to pin him down can be a nightmare, but it can still be done. We wanted to break down hunts we have had in past seasons for our big targets and hone in on strategies that paid off. From hunting water during hot weather, to sitting only one stand, to even taking days off to scout, we have tried it all. The rut can be the toughest times to kill a deer, but it can be one of the best for finding new bucks to hunt after! What do you guys think, is the rut overrated?

"Sweet November'' started off with a bang! Warren with a sit on November 1st arrowed the biggest deer in Raised Hunting history! The deer we know as "BG" strolled by at 8 yards and that was all she wrote. With the rut in full swing in Iowa, getting into your stand can be tricky. We wanted to breakdown some strategies we have used to access our stands in sticky situations during the rut and deer season in general. From using UTVs, to getting in earlier, to even just walking in like we own the place, we have used them all. Our buddy Shane Edwards joins us again this week as we also breakdown some tips to help you guys during the rut!

This is the time that every deer hunting gets excited for! This is the time where the most bucks are on their feet, and your adrenaline is at an all time high! We are getting into the rut ladies and gentleman! All the chaos, madness, prime hunting is about to get underway. We wanted to break down for you guys our top tips of hunting the rut and the days leading up to it. With it being Halloween and the first week of November, some hunters may already be seeing some rutting activity heating up. We dive into our past hunting seasons and use our knowledge, to come up with the best rut tips for you guys. Whether you have a target buck, or you are just hunting for a good buck, we got you covered. We also dive into the topic of keeping new hunters interested. Rut can be a good time for new hunters to see deer movement, as well as the excitement of hunting whitetails is all about!

Your target buck comes out with 10 minutes left of light, but he is out of bow range. What would you do? Would you grunt at him or let him walk and wait for another opportunity? You have an up and comer walk right under your stand while you are trying to manage your population. You know he may have a chance to grow another year, but there is a big chance that the neighbor could get to him first. Are you taking the shot or passing him? We have had these same experiences over the years and with in the few weeks! There are so many scenarios that every deer hunter gets put in season after season, and we wanted to break down a few for you guys. We take our past seasons and dive into some of the shot opportunities we have had, as well as deer we have let go. We want to know what you guys would do, or other scenarios you have ran into in the stand!

We have all heard other hunters talk about the "myths" of deer hunting. Many say that hunting mornings in early October is a waste of time. Many say a deer won't do the same thing twice. You may even hear hunters talk about how the fazes of the moon effect deer movement. Well, what do you believe? On this episode we wanted to sit down and debate which myths are facts, and which ones our fiction. We give our opinions as well as bring in our hunting experiences to try and give you guys the best knowledge we can to help bust some of these "myths"! Let us know what you guys think on which ones you think are fact or fiction!