October is an exciting month for deer hunters looking for a mature buck moving during daylight hours. You've put the late summer and early fall behind you and all that goes with it - sweat, heat, bugs, etc. By this point, the leaves are changing, the cool air is invigorating and deer season is well underway. For the average whitetail hunter in the midwest, deer movement tends to change in a magical way as you get closer to the rut.

Start it out by smoking the shoulder at low temperature (225F) for a few hours, then transfer it over to a large aluminum pan, add onions, peppers, spices, and a beer (or broth) for a bit of moisture, then seal it all up with foil and continue cooking until the meat falls from the bone. All that connective tissue in the shoulder melts into the meat for a wonderful flavor.

In recent years the demand for highly mobile elevated whitetail deer hunting equipment has exploded. Hunters want to go deeper into the woods, but not be burdened by the weight and noise associated with hang-on and climber tree stands. Enter the hunting saddle. Three seasons ago I picked up my first saddle and have been through an entirely new iteration of my setup each year based on changing personal preferences and advancements in the equipment coming to market. Where I have landed today is what I would consider my “ultimate mobile hunting setup for whitetail”. Here’s a quick overview:

Many hunters believe that summer scouting is the best way to find where the deer will be during hunting season. While summer scouting certainly has its advantages, fall scouting can be even better in many ways. Here are a few reasons why in-field fall scouting can give you an edge come hunting season.

Over the past few seasons, the saddle hunting craze has swept the hunting world. Initially tree saddles were only used by a small group of dedicated hunters. Now, tons of people looking for a viable mobile solution had flocked to saddle hunting, finding it easy, safe and comfortable.

I first heard of saddle hunting in college. From what I could tell at the time, saddle hunting didn’t make any sense. Straps hung everywhere, one wrong move and you’d fall out of the tree and there was no way hanging in what looked to be a tree diaper could be comfortable at all. I decided to stick with my 20lb steel climber. Sure I couldn’t use it on a ton of trees and yes it was loud. But it was safe.

Before ever stepping into the field every bowhunter must be sure that their bow is as accurate as possible for a couple of reasons. First, having the trust and confidence in your equipment is paramount as the mind can have a huge effect on your overall accuracy. Secondly, it’s our responsibility to swiftly, effectively, and humanly kill the animals we hunt.

There are tons of recipes on the internet offering great ways to cook that gobbler you shot this spring. As for us, here at Bowga Hunting, we believe the best way to cook a wild turkey is simple… and it involves your smoker.

There are many different shotgun loads for turkey hunting and there’s more to turkey hunting than just shooting a bird with a shotgun. To be the best turkey hunter you can be, it starts with knowing the capabilities of your gun, the pattern of your gun, and knowing the different turkey shell loads and their effective ranges.

Choosing a shotgun for turkey hunting can be a decision that most people have never made before. They may have been handed down a relative’s shotgun, or have just gone out and bought one. If you are in the boat I am in, then you’ll want some guidance in the process before you make the big purchase. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a shotgun for hunting turkeys.

For those of you who were unable to harvest a deer this year or who need some supplemental meat for their freezer, roadkill might be solution you didn’t know you needed. The thought of eating an animal you find on the side of the road might make you squeamish, but it can be perfectly safe and legal if done right.

It’s pretty hard to beat this curry recipe. It’s very easy to make, looks good and it can be thrown together in under 30 minutes. It’s also pretty versatile - you can use ground venison or some of the tougher cuts of venison steak. Serve it with some flatbread or on a bed of rice and, baby you got a stew going.

I think we can all agree that, for most people, the venison loins (backstraps) are the best cut of meat. There are tons of ways to prepare it and, as long as you don’t over cook it, it’s really hard to do it wrong. That being said, we’ve been hard at work in the kitchen and may have come up with the best venison loin recipe you’ve ever had. Don’t believe us? Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Ever heard of a deer laying eggs? Us either. But the combination of deer meat, bacon, jalapenos, and cheese makes you wish they would. These tasty bundles of venison awesome are perfect for any occasion, and are a sure thing to knock the socks off any other dish at the party!

We’re rounding out October, which means most whitetail hunters have one thing on their minds: rutting bucks. Near the tail end of October and through the first two weeks of November (at least where we hunt in the Great Lakes Region), rutting activity start to increase and bucks become all the more killable. It all starts with the pre-rut.

Like thousands of other hunters in Michigan (and around the country), I was able to hit the woods for the first time this past weekend. I picked an area that I had lightly hunted over the past few years and decided to jump right into an area I believed would be great during the early season. I hiked back in a mile and slowly crept into my spot - a location I believed to be situated right outside of a bedding area on public land. As I began to get set up, I heard crashing through the swamp… and coughing… and metal clanking. Someone had blown up my area and walked right through the bedding area.

The best e-scouting strategy for hunting deer doesn't have to be hard or confusing. We aren't using magic, hunting private or high fence areas. Its a basic strategy that we've used to be successful scouting whitetail deer using escouting maps like Huntwise

I spent the majority of my early years uncomfortable while I was out hunting. My clothing “system” was made up of assorted gear from the Army surplus store, a sweat suit and hand-me-downs. As the temps would drop, I’d add another layer of cotton clothing (in no particular order) and sweat my butt off as I walked out to my stand. Within an hour, I’d be slightly damp and freezing.

It takes hours of practice to become proficient with a recurve or longbow in hand. For all you traditional archers out there, these next few months will be critical for your success in the woods this fall.

However, not all of us live in areas where we can step outside our back door and let a few arrows rip. I’ve recently moved out of my house in the woods and into a condo, which means I’ve had to rethink my traditional archery practice set up. I wanted a simple set up that I can toss in my car or in my backpack whenever I have a few minutes to sling a few arrows.

One of our favorite things to do with bear is to cure an entire shoulder or hindquarter into a ham. Ham can be used for many different recipes from breakfast all the way to dinner. Check out our recipe for savory smoked black bear ham on a pellet grill!

When you think of the ideal turkey-killing scenario, images of toms flying down at daybreak probably come to mind. We all love those sunny spring mornings where the woods continually erupt with the sound of gobbles. Click to learn How You Can Kill a Late-Day Turkey!