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How can you tell the difference between a 2½-year-old buck and a mature 5½-year-old deer in those few tense seconds before you shoot or don’t shoot? Start by familiarizing yourself with the ever-changing features of the whitetail buck.

Scrapes are basically “points of interest” along corridors that deer travel at night. Scrapes that draw daytime visits usually offer added attractions.

The most effective scent strategies are also among the most simple to execute. You just need a system.

Be their tails white or black, be they donkey-eared with wide crowns or basket-racked desert dwellers, the pursuit of deer across this land is as American as it gets. Here’s a look at the new gear that will get you there, keep you there and, we hope, return home stained a little red.

We investigate 10 commonly held beliefs about deer behavior and separate facts from folklore.

Processing your own deer is easy and fun. It saves the cost of having it commercially processed, the quality of the resulting meat is outstanding and you don’t need any fancy tools or a butcher shop.

CWD-Free Deer Attractant, from Inventive Outdoors, is a hybridized urine attractant that is fully CWD free, and is legal in all States that allow scent attractants.

Take a look at some great deer gear to help up your chances in the woods this season.

Wildlife Research Center has released Buck-Fire Raging Estrus, the latest in its line of Micro Brew Craft Scents.