Deer

Giving up on the rut is one of the biggest mistakes a deer hunter can make. And, it happens all the time.

Some hunters think staying put on

The late fall is my favorite time to get outside with the camera. Being a wildlife photographer, the whitetail rut holds a special place in my heart. To see big bucks vigorously chase does, mark territory, and scrap with their peers is always amazing to witness — and even better to capture on film.

Most hunters firmly believe that pressured whitetails head deep into the dark forests, duck into the thickest brush found there, and hunker down and wait it out until hunting season passes. Being smart beasts (as nature intended), the deer know you'll be looking for them there, so they've moved.

Nothing will get your heart thumping more than watching a monster rack emerge from the corn! Watch a great success story unfold (at time marker 6:43) as hard work and a great location pays off big! Plus, Grant has bucks all around him during the Kentucky gun opener.  Shoot or don't shoot? Grant has seconds to decide. Come on and watch! (time marker 1:35 to 5:41) Bowhunting the rut is on and the woods are alive!

I knew I was going to have a good week deer hunting on Anticosti Island when a deer ran across the firing line as our group was checking the zero on our

Fall hunting, especially up in the colder regions of the country, would pay off a lot better if we actually practiced what we preached. We all know better but work, family and other obligations turn a lot of us into weekend warriors instead of the stealth and knowledgeable hunters we all can be.

The more time we spend around whitetails, the more we realize they are cyclical animals. Nature has a certain rhythm and symmetry to it and whitetails are an integral part of it. They respond to the world around them (and what nature does or does not provide) with a set or series of what would seem to be predetermined responses developed over thousands of years.

Light to moderate rain has very little effect on deer and they go about their business in the same manner as they would on a sunny day.

Heavy rains or thunderstorms will cause deer to bed down in a sheltered area of some kind. Any high winds, rain or not, will also discourage their movement.