“hunting apps”

We hope you are as proud as we are to celebrate a big birthday for the world’s largest and best hunting magazine.

Hunting properties vary in size and habitat but on every one of them you can create a plan to optimize the tract with shelter, food and water. Thinking about these essentials now pays later when deer perceive their reliance on the cornerstones of life.

Most hunters will never attend the U.S. Army Sniper School in Ft. Benning, Ga., or similar courses conducted by other branches of our military, but the basic elements of this type of training should be recognized as worthy techniques for any hunter to take to the field. Here are a few elements from their playbooks we can pocket for future success.

Thanks to changes in elk behavior due to land use, development, human encroachment and more, the elk we hunt today do not behave as the species did in our granddaddies’ days. Here’s how to zero in on modern habitat where elk seek refuge, and how to hunt it.

Knowing all you can about the habitat the local deer herd calls home is critical to understanding their patterns, knowing where to place stands and how to plan and adjust for the coming hunting seasons.

The bulls we seek increasingly reside in nosebleed seats deemed inaccessible or so low and surrounded by development we just can’t imagine ways to stalk them. Here’s how to hunt them in either locale.

If you’re looking to make a hunter out of your young apprentice, realize that comfort can either water or whither a new hunter’s interest. Make sure those early hunts are as enjoyable as possible, and you’ll be begging them to take you along in later years.

Success rates in general elk units hover in the teens. Such a dismal success rate may be disheartening, but committing any number of cardinal sins can feel even worse. Here’s what not to do to tag a bull this fall.

Mule deer bucks you scout in the summer heat may disperse miles as the mercury falls. Keep a handful of tips in mind as you decipher their habits and movements so you’re not left scratching your head during hunting season.