I distinctly remember the weather that day. It was a lackluster December day, slightly overcast, with temps at least five degrees above normal. Sure, there was snow on the ground, but nothing about the conditions gave me butterflies about my odds of killing a good buck. If anything, I was hoping to see a few does, as I didn’t have any good bucks left on camera. I talk all the time about poor attitudes being hunt killers, but I’m not always great at practicing what I preach.  

In Spring of 2025, massive wildfires threatened lives, rural communities, recreational property and forests in St Louis and Lake Counties in Northeast Minnesota.  These catastrophic wildfires were fueled by a perfect combination of drought,  unseasonably high temperatures (high 80s), low humidity (less than 20%) and extreme winds (25-40 mph) when the forest was just starting to green up over the opening weekend of the Minnesota fishing season.  

For seasoned whitetail hunters, trail cameras are more than tools—they’re the backbone of pre-season scouting, early-season strategies, and real-time intel during the rut. Coincidence? Maybe. But if you’ve hunted long enough, you know coincidence doesn’t explain consistent patterns. Mature bucks don’t live five, six, or seven years by luck. They’re adaptive survivors, hyper-aware of change, pressure, and intrusion.

How much is your property worth?

This seems like an odd way to start answering the question, but it’s important to realize that a recreational property is often worth just as much as building a new house. Even a 40-acre tract with no access and no utilities in northern Minnesota is likely going to sell for $100,000. Would you build a house worth that much without a plan? Can you come up with an appropriate floor plan that will use every square foot of space efficiently? It’s too expensive to fix stuff after it’s built, and our deer hunting properties are no different. Respect your property for what it’s worth. 

Most articles I read about stand selection are usually surface-level information. We get it by now—hunt funnels, set up downwind of trails, yada yada. What isn’t discussed nearly enough are the cornerstones and enhancers. 

There are likely two types of hunters—those who have tracked a wounded deer and those who haven’t…yet. Sometimes, even a well-placed shot won’t drop a big buck immediately, so having some basic tracking skills and the right tool in your hand could mean the difference between going home empty-handed or going home with fresh backstraps. That’s why onX Hunt is a must-have when you’re on a blood trail.

There’s a phrase I hear just about every year up at our Northwoods deer camp in the fall. At some point in the season, I hear my dad say “It ain’t easy up here,” as he stares into the campfire with an empty meat-pole behind him. He’s right, in the sprawling Northwoods of northern Minnesota, the deer numbers are sparse, and the cover is vast. But, despite the disadvantage, our deer camp is nestled in the remote aspen and balsam forests of northeastern Minnesota and a crackling campfire keeps our spirits up each evening as we await the morning hunt.

It was a cold Wyoming morning with a light wind and a foot of snow on the ground. Clearing a pine-covered ridge, overlooking a steep-sided canyon, I spooked a herd of white-tailed deer that fled up the canyon floor, climbing out and halting on the far side a good 500 to 600 yards away. 

When I was making my first yesteryear solo ventures into the deer woods, compared to today, my pack was, well, okay…it didn't exist. As I would leave the communal campfire before dawn, wishing everyone good luck, my deer hunting mentor, “Old Man Weasel,” would stop me in my tracks and ask, “Got yer knife and a length of rope? How about a piece a wire for tagging? Don't want to be cutting your boot lace.” All that stuff, plus some extra ammo rounds, maybe a liverwurst sandwich, plus a compass pinned to my jacket, had to be crossed off my mental lest before I headed to my stand. 

Beavers can be a royal pain. They flood roads and trails impacting access to your hunting lands. They can also destroy valuable timber and if you own the timber and were counting on a pay out, it really bites.

ARGO Xtreme Terrain Vehicles (XTVs) have established a reputation as rugged, reliable, and remarkably versatile all-terrain “Go Anywhere” machines. Designed to conquer challenging landscapes and unpredictable environments, ARGO XTVs are the ultimate companion for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals alike. Whether you're navigating dense forests during a hunting expedition, accessing remote fishing spots, or tackling demanding utility tasks, these vehicles deliver unmatched performance, reliability, and excitement.

I’ve always marveled at how just about anywhere in Minnesota where I’ve run trail cameras, I can usually get pictures of a big buck at some point throughout the fall season. Whether it’s a vast aspen clear cut in Itasca County, a willow swamp in Ottertail County, or the suburbs of Stillwater, Minnesota in a thick subdivision woodlot, I’ve gotten pictures of giant bruiser bucks. How lucky we are to have these noble beasts roaming our woodlands and living among us?