Blog

Research-backed hunting strategy. Peer-reviewed science applied to the field.

The Ultraviolet World of Wild Turkeys: Avian Color Vision and What It Means in the Field

Turkey retinas contain seven photoreceptor types, four spectral-filtering oil droplets, and UV-A sensitivity documented by microspectrophotometry. The visual system facing you in the spring woods is far stranger than "turkeys have good eyesight."

April 2026

Behavior and Survival Under Harvest: Bold Moose Die Young

Ten years of GPS collar data from Sweden shows that moose with bolder habitat choices are harvested at higher rates. An elk study from Alberta found the same pattern. Hunting may be quietly selecting for shyness in ungulate populations.

March 2026

Remote Sensing and Deer Overabundance: Measuring Forest Damage From Above

Drones with thermal cameras can count deer with up to 94% accuracy. LiDAR detects browse damage in the canopy decades after it happened. Wildlife management is getting a new set of eyes.

March 2026

Antler Mineralization and the Calcium Debt: How Growing Bone Reshapes a Deer's Skeleton

Bucks strip calcium and phosphorus from their own ribs and leg bones to fuel antler growth, entering a reversible osteoporosis cycle every year. The biology behind the most expensive bone in the animal kingdom.

March 2026

30 Weeks to Hunting Season: A Periodized Training Program

A structured program from March through September. Aerobic base, strength and power, then hunt-specific conditioning. Four days a week, minimal equipment, backed by exercise science.

February 2026

Deer and the Landscape of Fear: GPS Research on Risk Mapping

GPS collar data reveals that deer weigh hunters, wolves, hikers, and roads as separate risk layers, and the way they balance those risks shifts dramatically with the calendar.

February 2026

Elk Behavior Under Hunting Pressure

Elk respond to rifles, roads, and hunters with measurable behavioral shifts. Peer-reviewed studies show exactly how, and that knowledge can change how you hunt.

February 2026

Whitetail Behavior Under Hunting Pressure

GPS collar data shows bucks shrink their home range, go nocturnal, and dig into dense screening cover when hunters arrive. What that means for stand placement, timing, and approach.

February 2026