Friday, August 28th, 2026

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Friday, August 28th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

How to know whether that summertime buck will stick around for the bow opener

Patterning summertime bucks to try to arrow one on the bow opener is a tried-and-true strategy, but it isn’t always easy. As bucks go hard-antlered, they often disperse to fall ranges, or they scatter somewhat on the same property. (Contributed photo)

There are two windows of opportunity that every whitetail bowhunter should understand. The most obvious is the rut, when even the cagiest of bucks will slip up and put his neck on the line for days on end. The other is the first couple of days of the season, when summer feeding patterns bleed into mid-September.
Learning to read the situation to decide which bucks to make a play on is the name of the game, and it all starts with food.

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