“white oak”

You see a buck across a field in the soft, late light of a summer evening. You tell yourself he isn’t really that big. The velvet on his rack in the diffused light is giving the buck cartoon proportions. But he is big enough. You next look at the woods beyond the buck and wonder how you can get him in your sights in autumn daylight. To make that happen you have to concede and understand a few things.

In much of the eastern U.S., acorns are at the top of a deer’s menu come fall. But not all acorns—or oak trees—are equal, and knowing the difference can help you pick stands and plan when to hunt them.

The National Rifle Association is pleased to announce the sponsors for the 2017 National High Power Rifle Championships, scheduled for July 7-25, 2017, at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

The word “superstand” refers to a rare stand location that consistently produces bucks regardless of the season or conditions. Most times hunters luck into them. But you can find your own superstand, or even make one, if you know what to look for.

Will the big buck you spot this month still be around on opening day? To find out, we asked three of America’s top whitetail researchers.