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2 weeks ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Hunting gobblers that have been called to and even shot at is a difficult undertaking, but you can improve your success odds with the seven details outlined here. Photo by John Hafner. Somewhere in Central Florida, I arrived at a wildlife management area (WMA) one hour before daylight, planning to hike more than a mile to reach a spot I’d scouted a few days prior. A dozen hunters were already in the parking lot, and more showed up as I grabbed my gear and began walking.
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3 weeks ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Crossbow Report: Barnett Hyper Raptor BCX BUK OPS X-Factor" For this intro, let’s categorize hunters in three ways. One group seeks every possible advantage. The next group harnesses some equipment advantages but with limits. Then, there are purists who consider today’s technological advancements “cheating.” I’m a very successful hunter, but I’ve eaten enough tag soup — yep, rifle tags included — to keep me humble and reaffirm that even a long-range rifle doesn’t make...
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3 weeks ago | 
grandviewoutdoors.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Advanced Turkey Decoying Tips" The timber bordering the field I was hunting erupted with gobbles as I planted my decoys about 10 yards away before hopping into my ground blind. When legal shooting light arrived, I loaded a Victory VAP SS arrow tipped with a Rage Hypodermic onto my Mathews LIFT. A brief silence followed by slightly muffled gobbles meant that the two gobblers had floated to the forest floor. Would they stay in the timber or enter the field? Suddenly,...
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1 month ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Oops . . .
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1 month ago | 
bowhunter.com | Darron McDougal
Bugles rang out from the dark timber above me. Daylight was delayed by foggy conditions and visibility was limited. A mountain drizzle drenched my layers as I struggled up muddy slopes and fought through jungle-thick brush, in hot pursuit. An absolute mess, I was so soaked you could have wrung me out like a dishcloth. But I’d come too far to quit. The mountains demanded all I could give, and I wouldn’t stop giving it until I got my shot or a remote basin swallowed up the two mountain kings.
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2 months ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Loitering" Wayne Endicott Springfield, Oregon We set our store’s culture. Who we are is who will be sitting on the stool across the counter from us. Sure, someone occasionally comes in using filthy language and hangs around for a long time. In subtle ways, we try to influence them. I’m a Christian, and I believe I’m called to be salt and light to all people in the store and beyond. We’ve cultivated an environment where we don’t rush people out the door. Even though I...
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2 months ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Remember, if you can see a gobbler, he can see you. Use pre-dawn darkness to slip close to a roost, and call sparingly. Photo by Jeffrey B. Banke. Dawn loomed as I slipped through the dew-coated pasture grass. About 9 a.m. the previous day, I had glassed a gobbler strutting in the pasture, and I thought for sure he’d be back there. Yet, the lack of gobbles as I approached the gargantuan maple tree where the bird had been the previous morning had me second-guessing the spot. Still, I continued on.
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2 months ago | 
gameandfishmag.com | Darron McDougal
Born and raised in the northern Midwest, I've spent 22 seasons hunting the king of spring in North America's heartland. In my opinion, no species east of the Mississippi River lends itself to public-land hunting like the wild turkey. In one day, a turkey hunter can pop in and out of multiple parcels until he gets a tom gobbling. In other words, a persistent hunter who spends enough time in the timber stands a solid chance of finding a bird to hunt.
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2 months ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Gobblers can be tough to anchor with a bow and broadhead. Having the right equipment helps your cause. Photo by Darron McDougal. Two gobblers sounded off from the towering maple trees about 60 yards away as I carefully entered my ground blind in the pre-dawn darkness. About 20 minutes later, the birds landed 100 yards away, where they gobbled and strutted. I coaxed them with a few soft calls. In they came.
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Feb 14, 2025 | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Bow Report: Mathews Lift X 29.5" Last year, Mathews Archery accomplished a tremendous feat with its Lift. Since compound bows have become practically all riser in terms of axle-to-axle length, I’m not aware of any other premium, machined-aluminum compound bow that has weighed less than the 2024 3.99-pound Lift 29.5. Shorter limbs made possible by a top-mounted cam axle, as well as the most geometrically intricate Bridge-Lock riser design yet, yielded a mass weight that...
