Deer

The dusty breeze tickled the tops of spindly mesquites and thick bunch grass as I descended the steps of the tower stand. At the bottom, the icy chill of the late November morning hit me square in the face as binoculars were raised for what seemed like the 100th time. The...

Deer hunting all day is no easy task, something I’ve learned from personal experience. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting in your favorite stand -- or blind, depending on your preference -- for hours on end when the critters aren’t moving and bad weather decides to set in, making things...

There’s no place like deer camp. It’s hallowed ground, whether the accommodations include meager trappings and tent stakes or a full-service kitchen and prime cuts of steak. I’ve been in my share of them, each holding a sentimental quality for a variety of reasons, and not simply because of the proximity...

Deer hunting in Texas is more than just a barrage of camouflage. For many folks -- hundreds of thousands of us here in the Lone Star State alone -- deer hunting is life, and from Amarillo to Brownsville north to south and Texarkana to El Paso east to west, it’s...

The iron sights glow faintly on a frosty afternoon sit. Rays from the setting run dance along the barrel as the old whitetail doe feeds closer. The shot lines up perfectly. The West Texas breeze rises slightly as the deer steps broadside at 60 yards. An instant later the trigger eases the...

  The misidentification occurred years ago by a teenage deer hunter, but the mistake still rings true many more seasons well into adulthood. Every time I think about the scenario I still get a sinking feeling, and while I broke no law and did nothing illegal, I perpetrated a cardinal sin...

Texas archery deer season officially kicks off Sept. 30, 2023, and the whitetail outlook is about as good as it's ever been, especially in hunting hot beds including the Hill Country and South Texas. Bowhunting has never been more popular, with the pursuit taking the mainstream outdoors world by storm...

Shed hunting has become the prime offseason pursuit for deer hunters across the country -- especially in Texas -- providing a hands-on hobby to allow for extra days in the field while also helping to serve as a scouting and management tool, even on the smallest of tracts. If you’re...

He slowly slid the truck door back in place, performed the ritual gear check adopted as habit and started down a rut in the meandering ranch road. The afternoon glow was a welcome departure from the previous two days when frigid north winds and light mist made the last week...

The waiting game that was spring and summer is almost over for Texas deer hunters. Beginning next month — specifically the first Saturday in October — those with archery equipment and crossbows will get first crack at another waiting game, the one filled with feverish expectation that a burly, mature...