Tracking a deer after the shot is where hunts are either finished cleanly or fall apart fast. Even experienced hunters slip into habits that cost them time, sign, and sometimes the animal altogether.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — I got lucky with my first deer. I took a shot with my .243 rifle and the deer ran straight towards my tree stand, dropping 20 yards away. That early dose of beginner’s luck was just ...

There is perhaps nothing more frustrating, angering and morale-sapping for a deer hunter than losing a wounded deer. Every hunter worth their salt — archery or firearm — makes every effort to place ...

For a good part of the season, deer hunting can be as much an obsession as it is enjoyment. Why else would anyone spend so many hours sitting in a tree? But when the rut is over in the North Country; ...