deer hunting

Salvaging a Deer Season

Salvaging a Deer Season

By Kaleb Comstock

The 2023 season was shaping up to be far different than I expected/hoped it to be. This past summer in Nebraska, we encountered our third straight drought year, a deer hunters worst nightmare. With a drought, you always run the risk for EHD. Despite a drought, my summer trail cameras looked beyond promising at the river farm with multiple shooters including bucks I called Splitz and Half Rack. Two 5.5 year olds pushing 160” and a handful of great 3 year olds. The anticipation was high going into the season. 

3 Lessons Learned From Killing 4 Mature Bucks on The Same Small Property

3 Lessons Learned From Killing 4 Mature Bucks on The Same Small Property

By Kaleb Comstock

When it comes to killing big, mature, bucks, we need 150 plus acres of prime ground surrounded with unbelievable food and bedding, right? While that’s certainly my dream property, that’s definitely not the kind of property I have permission to hunt. Instead, I have access to less than 80 acres of nasty, thick river bottom that many people wouldn’t think would hold a big buck. That couldn’t be more false. I am going to dive into three things that I have learned from hunting this small property that has led me to kill four mature bucks in five seasons.

6 Tips For Asking Permission To Hunt on Private Land

6 Tips For Asking Permission To Hunt on Private Land

Asking permission to hunt on a strangers land can be a bit uncomfortable and sometimes even intimidating. What do you say? What if they say no? Don't fret too much, the worst thing that will possibly happen is for a landowner to say no. But how do you go about it in the best way to hopefully gain access on a few properties? There are ways to go about it effectively, and ways that will almost guarantee you a denial. Follow these six tips to help your chances when attempting to gain access to hunt private land. 

The Importance of a Hunting Partner

The Importance of a Hunting Partner

Deer hunting is something that is really unique. It brings people together, and creates friendships that otherwise might have never existed. If you have been following along with WhitetailDNA at all, you will probably have noticed that I include a lot about my hunting partners. I have my good friend Tyler that I do all of my hunting with in North Dakota, and then my friend Ben that I do everything with in Nebraska. Then I have friends here and there who I will go scouting with, help hang trail cameras, or call up to help hang stands. The value of having a hunting partner is something I treasure, as I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I do without them, and more importantly I have someone to enjoy my experiences with. If you don’t have some type of hunting partner, and go solo on everything, here is why you should change that

4 Steps to Harvesting an Early Season Buck

4 Steps to Harvesting an Early Season Buck

A month and four days until bow season opens where I’m located. I can’t believe it’s almost here. I am counting down the days until September 2nd. Early season can be a great time to arrow a mature buck. In fact, I think it may be the best time of the year to do so. If your archery season opens in September, you have some time to make it happen. For those of you that live in a state that opens October 1st, the first few days of the season can be really good, if the right conditions apply. Here’s how you can go from no target buck to a shooter on the ground between now and opener.

Summer is Here! (Finally)

Summer is Here! (Finally)

It's June, and you know what that means, it's summer! Every year it's a thrill for me seeing bits of green in crop fields, knowing that I will be glassing bean fields in the coming months, and getting that itch to see what bucks are back, and what new ones show up. I can't wait for fall to be here, but at the same time, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in the summer months. I'm going to go over at a high level on how I attack summer, and the months leading up to archery season. 

Springing for Whitetails

Springing for Whitetails

It's April, deer hunting isn't for at least another five months, so I can relax while I wait for it to turn fall right? Wrong, spring is one of the most important times of the year when thinking of next fall and connecting on a mature buck. Sure, everyone, or at least a fair majority of people shed hunt and turkey hunt this time of year. The rise of shed hunting in the last decade has kicked spring scouting to the back seat. So what do I find important about the spring besides finding antlers?

Walking in the Dark

Walking in the Dark

It seems to simple right? But in reality, I'm not so convinced it is as cut and dry as we all think. Have you ever thought of how you walk into your stand in the morning? Or even how you walk back to the truck after a great evening sit? Now, I mean the actual act of taking step after step into and out of your sacred hunting ground. You may have the best entry and exit route ever known to man. If there is the right wind, it could be bulletproof. Think though, just for a second, what the conditions are when you are physically walking into and out of your stand. It is usually under the cover of darkness. Knowing how to to do this successfully may lead to a greater amount of success in the future.