John Weiss - The Whitetail Hunters Almanac

Books by John Weiss

1976 ADVANCED BASS FISHING, E.P. Dutton

1977 ADVANCED BASS FISHING, Stoeger Sportsman's Library

1978 HUNTING GEAR YOU CAN MAKE, Outdoor Life Book Club

1979 THE WHITETAIL DEER HUNTER'S HANDBOOK, Winchester Press

1981 TRAIL COOKING, Outdoor Life Book Club

1982 CARE & COOKING OF FISH & GAME, Winchester Press

1982 TRAIL COOKING, Van Nostrand Reinhold

1983 OUTDOOR COOKERY, Outdoor Life Book Club

1984 VENISON! Outdoor Life Book Club

1985 ADVANCED BASS FISHING, Outdoor Life Book Club

1987 ADVANCED DEER HUNTING, Outdoor Life Book Club

1993 THE ADVANCED DEER HUNTER'S BIBLE, Doubleday

1995 THE OUTDOOR CHEF'S BIBLE, Doubleday

1995 THE PANFISHERMAN'S BIBLE

2000 THE WHITETAIL DEER HUNTER'S ALMANAC, Lyons Press

2002 PLANTING FOOD PLOTS FOR DEER AND OTHER WILDLIFE, Outdoorsman's Edge Book Club

2004 BUTCHERING DEER, Outdoorsman's Edge Book Club

2006 SUREFIRE WHITETAIL TACTICS, Outdoorsman's Edge Book Club

2011 THE BASS ANGLER'S ALMANAC, Lyons Press

More Than 800 Tips and Tactics to Help
You Get a Deer This Season

John Weiss

S KYHORSE P UBLISHING

Dedication

For my daughter, Lisa McQuerrey,
herself a magazine writer and book author,
whose son Jack, age 11, already has taken two deer.

Copyright 2013 by John Weiss

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62873-570-3

Printed in the United States of America

It was in 1972 that I saw the publication of my first feature magazine article. It was a piece about whitetails, bought by Field & Stream, and for many weeks after, I found it curious that my favorite hunting hat no longer fit. In the years since, I've been fortunate to see the publication of more than 1,900 additional magazine articles, virtually all of them illustrated with my own photography. Moreover, this is my eighteenth book on assorted outdoor subjects.

Obviously, since the Field & Stream article appeared, I've come to know countless editors in the outdoor publishing world.

This particular aspect of my career has been somewhat paradoxical. It was Socrates who observed that one does not accomplish much without having his words and ideas regularly honed by flinty critics, and this is especially true in the world of publishing. In fact, most of the editors I've had the privilege of working with over the years have repeatedly demonstrated their skill with very sharp pencils. However, in the final analysis, I'll also confess that virtually all of these talented editorial techniciansbut especially Jay Cassell, who edited the book you're now holdinghave made me look a lot better in print than I do when trying to figure out the nuances of computers and other office electronics.

The point of all of this personal background is to set the stage for this book and make it clear from the outset that one cannot possibly see the publication of almost 2,000 magazine articles and numerous books without having lived the words one has put down on paper. One must have experienced the topics one writes about and have traveled extensively. And perhaps most importantly, one must have worked alongside many experts in the tremendously diverse field of deer hunting. To me, this is typically more rewarding than actually stringing together an assemblage of words because my travels have taken me in pursuit of whitetails in nearly every state where the species lives. I've also hunted most of those Canadian provinces that whitetails call home. I've even reveled in the experiencein laboratories under the supervision of biologistsof bottle-feeding abandoned newborn fawns, artificially inseminating does, and doing blood cultures.

But when it actually comes to the pursuit of whitetails, I've rarely hunted alone. I've always been in the company of someone from whom I've been able to soak up information like a sponge. The list of these individuals is lengthy and includes many of the country's foremost deer biologists associated with research institutions, universities, and state and provincial wildlife departments. On the list are also the innovated designers of hunting equipment, including all of the major deer call manufacturers, archery equipment makers, ballistic technicians, and design engineers associated with centerfire rifle, slug, shotgun, and blackpowder arms companies. I've also shared deer camps with owners of major camo manufacturers, most of whom first began work on their revolutionary clothing designs at kitchen tables, using Magic Markers to experiment with patterns on bed sheets. Ive met researchers from deer scent and decoy companies; these truly display inventive minds. Finally, and often the most memorable, there are the unvarnished woodsman typesamong them, guides and outfitterswho have a special knack for living in the outdoors. Most of them can slip and slide as unobtrusively as a wisp of wood smoke; they don't at all mind bathing out of a bucket for weeks at a time; and they often have the uncanny ability to know where a big buck will show up and whenoften before the buck itself knows. You'll meet many of these individuals in the coming chapters and will become privy to their insights and skills. So no matter where you live, how you like to hunt, or with what specific type of equipment, I am confident that the knowledge and insight of my frequent field companions will be highly beneficial to your success.

John Weiss

Chesterhill, Ohio

September 4, 2013

I have been hunting whitetails for thirty-six years. My articles about deer hunting have appeared in Deer and Deer Hunting, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Field & Stream, Petersens Hunting, and a host of other magazines. For the past thirty years, I have been hired by many outdoor show promoters to appear as their featured whitetail-hunting lecturer. My long-time column in Whitetail Hunting Strategies, The Deer Doctor, has generated thousands of letters from readers over the years. My book Whitetail Strategies is considered the last word about common sense deer hunting tactics. In other words, I know quite a bit about whitetail deer and how to hunt them. The reason I have sung my own accolades above was not to brag about myself, but rather to advise you, the reader, of my expertise in this area. Its because of my extensive knowledge of whitetails that I wanted to write this foreword for John Weisss newest book and to acknowledge him as a premier whitetail deer hunter and communicator.

John Weiss is the author of fifteen books, including classics such as The Deer Hunters Bible, The Whitetail Hunters Guide