Big Game Hunting

Big-game hunting tips and tactics for chasing deer, elk, bears, antelope and more.

Explore Big Game Hunting

Latest in Big Game Hunting

Introducing A Child To A Deer Rifle
Guns

Introducing A Child To A Deer Rifle

By John B. Snow

browning mountain pro in 6.8 western
Guns

How to Pick the Ideal Rifle for Hunting Big Game in the West

By Ron Spomer

Twin boys shot a pair of Carolina bucks with their crossbows.
Hunting

Two 7-Year-Old Twin Brothers Make 40-Yard Crossbow Shots on a Pair of Carolina Bucks

By Bob McNally

Maine needs deer hunters to harvest more does.
Hunting

Maine Is Asking Whitetail Hunters to Kill More Does

By Bob McNally

Sometimes you just have to make a move on a western buck.
Hunting

8 Tips Treestand Deer Hunters Can Use to Kill Western Whitetails

By Jace Bauserman

elk hunting preparation use good gear
Survival

11 Ways to Start Preparing for Your Fall Elk Hunt in the Offseason

By Aram von Benedikt

four bucks standing in a field near a wire fence
Hunting

Learn the 10 Habits of Highly Successful Deer Hunters

By Tony Hansen

Take hunter safety seriously.
Hunting

As Hunters, We Need to Take Field, Firearm, and Bow Safety More Seriously

By Tyler Freel

Ohio Crossbow Hunter Tags a Monster Non-Typical Buck Scoring Nearly 200 Inches
Hunting

Ohio Crossbow Hunter Tags a Monster Non-Typical Buck Scoring Nearly 200 Inches

By Bob McNally

The remains of a missing bowhunter were discovered last month.
Hunting

Idaho Hunter Discovers the Remains of a Bowhunter Who’s Been Missing Since 1968

By Alan Clemons

Adenovirus hemorrhagic disease is killing blacktail deer on B.C. islands.
Hunting

Officials Estimate Hundreds of Blacktail Deer Have Died from Fast-Spreading Disease

By Bob McNally

The author shot this mule deer from a treestand.
Hunting

How to Bowhunt Pronghorn, Mule Deer, and Elk from a Treestand

By Jace Bauserman

A CWD outbreak that originated at a deer farm in Wisconsin is causing big problems for managers.
Hunting

A CWD Outbreak at a Captive Deer Farm in Wisconsin Is Creating Problems in 7 States

By Bob McNally

Nebrasak, Wisconsin, and Michigan all have good OTC opportunities.
Hunting

3 of the Best Midwestern States for Hunting OTC Whitetails This Season

By Brian Lovett

Ella with her giant Kansas whitetail.
Hunting

This 10-Year-Old Made a 200-Yard Shot on a 200-Inch Deer for Her First Kansas Buck

By Drew Palmer

moose hunting rifle
Guns

The Best Moose Hunting Rifle? Sometimes It’s a Beater, Ruger M77 Guide Gun

By Tyler Freel

Long range shooting in the field
Guns

Long-Range Shooting School for Hunters

By Brian McCombie

Georgia Bowhunter Shoots a Pair of Pope & Young Whitetails on Opening Weekend
Hunting

Georgia Bowhunter Shoots a Pair of Pope & Young Whitetails on Opening Weekend

By Bob McNally

tweak a ballistic calculator
Guns

How to Fine-Tune Your Dope for Long-Range Shooting

By John B. Snow

This Georgia Buck Never Shed Its Antlers. It Grew Into a Velvet Giant
Hunting

This Georgia Buck Never Shed Its Antlers. It Grew Into a Velvet Giant

By Bob McNally

How long should you wait after blood trailing?
Hunting

Should You Really Wait 30 Minutes Before Blood Trailing a Deer? Not Always

By Natalie Krebs

Still hunting from the ground is a good option for hunters who don't want or have a blind or treestand.
Hunting

No, Hunting Whitetails from the Ground (Without a Blind) Is Not a Lost Art

By Beka Garris

The massive South Dakota Beadle buck, in the field.
Hunting

South Dakota Bowhunter Tags a Giant 218-Inch Nontypical Buck

By Bob McNally

A whitetail that died near water due to an EHD outbreak.
Hunting

After Reports of 700 Dead Deer, New York EHD Outbreak Confirmed in 7 Counties

By Bob McNally

Joe Lacefield's velvet buck from Kentucky.
Hunting

6 of the Biggest Kentucky Velvet Bucks from This Fall

By Josh Honeycutt

Southwest Georgia Bowhunter Takes Rare Piebald Buck
Hunting

Southwest Georgia Bowhunter Takes Rare Piebald Buck

By Bob McNally

After a deer got tangled in its own legs, an Arkansas hunter saved the buck.
Survival

Arkansas Hunter Saves Buck That Gored Its Own Hind Leg

By Bob McNally

The new possible record Pennsylvania elk.
Hunting

This 455-Inch Pennsylvania Elk Might Be the New State Record

By Bob McNally

Two Ontario men saved this moose.
Hunting

Two Ontario Prospectors Saved a Bull Moose Stuck Up to Its Neck in Mud

By Bob McNally

Making important bowhunting shots is the product of deliberate practice.
Hunting

How I Made the Most Important Bowhunting Shot of My Life

By Jace Bauserman

Tule elk can only be found in California.
Hunting

Volunteers Are Lugging Water for Miles to Save California’s Tule Elk

By Bob McNally

Delicious and easy to make, venison meatballs will be a family favorite.
Hunting

Venison Meatballs Are the Best Meal to Make with Your Final Package of Deer Meat

By Beka Garris

Giant 200-Inch Velvet Mule Deer Buck Taken in Utah
Hunting

Giant 200-Inch Velvet Mule Deer Buck Taken in Utah

By Bob McNally

EHD Could Take a Lethal Toll on Deer During Record Drought
Hunting

EHD Could Take a Lethal Toll on Deer During Record Drought

By Bob McNally

Grab an OTC pronghorn tag.
Hunting

Didn’t Draw a Tag? Here are 3 of the Best States to Hunt Last-Minute Pronghorn

By Jace Bauserman

bowhunting range
Hunting

No Shot: The Best Whitetail Bowhunters Are Still Limiting Themselves to 40 Yards

By Tony Hansen

dan aadland rifles horseback
Guns

5 Great Rifles for Horseback Hunts

By Dan Aadland

Practice will make you a better elk shot.
Hunting

3 Go-to Practice Strategies That Will Make You a Better Bow Shot This Elk Season

By Jace Bauserman

Have a plan for game meat care before you head afield this fall.
Hunting

How to Properly Care for Wild Game Meat in the Field

By Tyler Freel

Hunting pressure can cause your big game hunts to go awry, unless you know how to turn it to your advantage.
Hunting

Crowds Moved in on Your Big-Game Hunt? Make the Hunting Pressure Work for You

By Tyler Freel

New York's current hunting laws prevents deer hunting after sunset.
Hunting

New York Should Let Hunters Shoot Deer During the Best Hunting Hours

By Natalie Krebs

A satirical photo of a hunter with a dead grouse.
Hunting

The Problem with Those Somber Hero-Shot Hunting Photos Everyone’s Been Taking

By Tyler Freel

Here is how to set up the ultimate whitetail bow.
Hunting

How to Set Up the Ultimate Whitetail Compound Bow

By Jace Bauserman

Fawn recruitment is faltering.
Hunting

Whitetail Fawn Recruitment Is Declining at an Alarming Rate, and No One’s Quite Sure Why

By Josh Honeycutt

Maine deer endure harsh winters, and this new law will help allocate more habitat.
Hunting

Maine’s New $40 Million Budget for Buying Land Will Help Deer Survive Winter

By Bob McNally

P&Y is trying to reinvent itself.
Hunting

Pope & Young Club Reinvents Itself to Appeal to Younger, More Diverse Bowhunters

By Andrew McKean

hiking in the tongass national forest
Conservation

Management of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest Is Back on Track for Hunters, Anglers

By Bjorn Dihle

Two mountain goat hunters walk a ridge.
Hunting

Lost in the Gloom: A Dream Mountain Goat Hunt Turns into a Nightmare

By Alex Robinson

You need to try different tactics for better public land success.
Hunting

How to Beat the Crowds in the Public-Land Whitetail Woods

By Brodie Swisher

A 6.5 Creedmmor did the job on this mule deer.
Guns

The 6.5 Creedmoor Isn’t Even the Best 6.5mm Deer Hunting Cartridge

By Ron Spomer

Bowhunter packing out an elk
Hunting

Elk Hunting Arrows and Broadheads: Tough Lessons Learned from a Hunt Gone Wrong

By Darren B. Jones

Looking for hunting land? Pick a property that's worth the investment.
Hunting

The Best (and Worst) States for Buying Cheap Hunting Land

By Tony Hansen

Overpopulated axis deer are ripe for regulated market hunting.
Hunting

The Outdoor Life Podcast: Meet the Godfather of Hawaiian Market Hunting

By Natalie Krebs

Alaska caribou hunt
Hunting

Plan to Close 60 Million Acres of Public Land to ‘Non-Local’ Caribou and Moose Hunting Stalls. But More Requests to Restrict Hunting in Alaska Are on the Way

By Tyler Freel

This velvet buck was shot by the author in Kentucky
Hunting

How to Tag a Velvet Whitetail Buck (and the Best States to Make It Happen)

By Brodie Swisher

texas whitetail deer
Conservation

Chronic Wasting Disease Outbreak in Texas Deer Breeding Facilities Could Be a Major Issue for All Deer Hunters

By Emily Reed

Canadian outfitters are in dire straits after more than a year of covid-related setbacks.
Hunting

Jim Shockey on the Real Trouble With the Border Closure: Here’s Why It’s Not So Easy to “Roll Over” Your Outfitted Canadian Hunt

By Jim Shockey

traveling whitetail buck
Hunting

A Rutting Whitetail Buck Traveled Nearly 200 Miles in 22 Days

By Bob McNally

Famous Bear, Grizzly 399, Kills Elk Calf on Camera
Hunting

Famous Bear, Grizzly 399, Kills Elk Calf on Camera

By Bob McNally

The Outdoor Life digital edition
Hunting

All-New Digital Edition: The Alaska Issue

By The Editors

Don't panic when you make a follow-up shot.
Guns

How to Make the Perfect Follow-Up Shot with a Rifle

By Tyler Freel

A hunter holds a traditional bow and runs through an open field.
Hunting

This Ultra-Runner Is on a Quest to Persistence-Hunt a Pronghorn

By Christine Peterson

Don Higgins' buck from Illinois is one of the new state records.
Hunting

200-Class Archery Buck Officially Scored as the Second-Biggest Typical Whitetail in Illinois

By Bob McNally

Use a decoy to get closer to big deer.
Hunting

Can You Really Stalk Within Bow Range of a Mature Whitetail Buck?

By Jace Bauserman