A bull elk was shot and left to rot in the Pigeon River State Forest, and the Michigan DNR is looking for help from the public to help nab the poacher.

For many deer hunters, the whitetail rut is their favorite time of the year because mature bucks come out of hiding in search for a hot doe.

In a day when heavily managed private lands are the norm and hunters don’t kill a specific buck unless they “have a history” with the animal, this story serves as a reminder about what’s most important.

To up your whitetail rut game, here are a few amendments for your playbook to consider.

Can one bowhunter recover from blowing the shot of a lifetime, regroup and come back to find success?

Identify the variables and create a plan to make them more predictable to make this year’s rut sits more reliable.

A “suicide squeeze” is a baseball play where the batter bunts, sacrificing himself at first base so the third-base runner can score. In bowhunting, it pertains to rutting bucks traveling through funnels occupied by bowhunters. Execute the play this November to score a wall-hanger buck.

If you’re not interested in an expensive guided hunt or crave the satisfaction that comes from doing it yourself, here’s how to pull it off.

When topography and foliage mix perfectly, the coupling creates natural funnels that concentrate rutting buck movement.

Going airborne, as you would for whitetails, in the right locations and under the right circumstances can yield big results on mule deer.

Bumping whitetails as you leave an afternoon stand is never a good thing. Here’s how to avoid this common mistake.

These two bucks get caught fighting on camera before one of them gets a little too close in the heat of the moment.

FeraDyne Outdoors partners on a photo contest with Tom Miranda and the Lazy CK Ranch in Texas.

If luck wasn’t on your side for a coveted draw tag in Kansas, then pick up an over-the-counter Oklahoma whitetail tag.

To minimize the chance of a poor hit, bowhunters can learn from this informative video that details a deer’s reaction to the sound of a shot.

Backpacking into wild country can net greater success on bigger bucks.

Every region of North America has unique whitetail rut dates. Here is how to determine the rut times in your area.

Whitetails west of the Mississippi River and beyond have all the wiles of eastern deer — and the bonus of big antlers.

Whitetail bucks can be aggressive during the breeding season, and all deer can be dangerous when wounded.

Finding and taking mature bulls consistently is this group’s forte.