First Fork Publications

10/05/2024

My latest article on the October lull is now available to read. Lots of great reader input for this one as well as two research studies from different parts of the country. Hopefully it adds up to one definitive answer!

One of the hottest debates of the season each year among deer hunters is the October Lull. Is the October Lull real or just a myth?

09/26/2024

Amazing how time flies! It's been almost a year since I posted last. But a new season is almost upon us and I'm working on a new article about the October lull and would like some feedback. What do you think...is it real or a myth? Your input is much appreciated!

12/18/2023

With bobcat season opening over the weekend here in Pennsylvania, this might be useful info. Rub sets are downright deadly on bobcats in certain situations!

Bobcats rarely work sets the way fox and coyotes do. They’re not known to sit on a dirt pattern and work a hole or a backing to get to the source of a particular scent. They’re aloof personality would lead you to believe that they really don’t care about the source of the scent at all and they...

11/01/2023

Sometimes things just come together exactly the way they’re supposed to! My best buck to date. Potter County big woods buck on state forest land! Truly a dream buck for me. I just feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to put my tag on a deer like this.

06/06/2023

A new post is available on the website. Hope you'll check it out. What advice would you give new bowhunters?

My first year of bowhunting was filled with mistakes. Unfortunately, you don’t get many do-overs in the outdoors, but if I only knew then what I know now…well, I guess we could say that about a lot of things in life. At least I learned from those mistakes, and although the little failures were t...

01/08/2023

A new post is available on the website, this one discussing a few case studies of deer tracked via GPS collars. Some interesting things to be learned here.

Thanks to GPS and other tracking technology, scientists have the ability to closely monitor whitetail movements. Every year, and all across the country, a multitude of studies are performed and hundreds of deer are fitted with GPS collars as researchers try to figure out, among other things, where d...

12/26/2022

First day of flintlock, a tradition here in Pennsylvania. It’s cold but deer are moving. This time of year, find the food and the security cover and you’ll find the bucks.

12/20/2022

Still looking for a late season buck? The latest post on First Fork Publications tells the story of one of my favorite bucks, a drop-tine 8-point taken during a stretch of single-digit temps and deep snows. Hunting mountain bucks ain't easy. Killing them during the late season is dang near impossible, but this article provides some solid strategies to help you be successful.

Post-rut, post-gun season mountain whitetails are not easy when you hunt public land. I’ve always been a little envious of those private land guys in their heated blinds overlooking food plots during the late season because, this time of year, if you’re hunting over the right food sources and ca...