Welcome to the 2017 season of Midwest Whitetail. We kick off the show with the velvet bucks we’ve been filming this summer. Then, we take a side-trip to a new food plot on the Winke farm that has been two years in the making.

Summer scouting revealed several mature bucks on Winke's farm, including a narrow 10-pointer called “Tight Rack II." The most likely spot to hunt him is a small, narrow food plot in the middle of the farm, but the recent drought wiped out the clover planted there, so Winke is rescuing it with Fri...

Winke talks about a very old buck on his farm that he is excited about hunting this season and shows us where he will be hunting him. Then he updates on the progress of the two plots he planted in the most recent episodes. Finally, a review of the Redneck Soft Side Blinds.

Host, Bill Winke, introduces another buck that he plans to hunt this fall and discusses the first steps in the patterning process. First, you need to find the buck’s fall range and to do that, you need to start getting the trail cameras out. Winke also shows how important it is to not to be sky-l...

I use the Hooyman electric pole saw to clear a ditch that will permit easy access to one of my stands. Then I discuss swirling winds, how they are formed and how to avoid them. Finally, Jared Mills and Mike Reed discuss their fall plans and some of the bucks they will be going after.

When another hunter messes up his afternoon plans, Mike Reed carries his stand to an area loaded with oak trees dropping acorns. Mike ends the evening taking a great buck in this public urban zone in eastern Iowa. Then Zach Rozmus shows us how to make a bridge across a deep creek bed by droppin...

Both Jared Mills and Bill Winke have at least one old buck that is moving well in daylight and has a small core area. These are very killable bucks and both will be prime targets for the coming week. We discuss what makes them killable and some of the steps we take to narrow down the exact spots ...

The theme of this week’s episode is Risk vs Reward. Anytime you go into the woods, you risk educating the deer you are hunting. Sometimes the risk makes sense and sometimes it doesn’t. Mike Reed and Bill Winke unpack this subject in the form of two early season hunts. Mike also discusses how stag...

One of the most discussed topics at this time of year revolves around rut timing. Which days will be best? What days should I take off for vacation? Bill digs into his experience banks on this; he has tagged a lot of good bucks during a very specific time period each year. Caleb and Taylor Byers ...

Whether preparing for opening day or getting ready for the rut, we’re discussing the importance of having a plan. Sometimes the plan works to perfection, as evidenced by Jim Scherer’s opening day buck in Illinois. Other times it is all about making adjustments, just like Anthony Heller did when...

Throughout most of the Midwest, the last week of October can produce exciting pre-rut activity. Combine that time frame with a major cold front, and you have the recipe for some of the best hunting of the season. Bill, Jared and Caleb all take advantage of this opportunity and head to the woods o...

In this episode, Bill Winke takes us back into the tree to hunt the Wide 10 and enjoys one of his most memorable hunts. The buck is out very early dogging a doe that is either in estrous or very close to it. This mature buck’s behavior highlights a key strategy for the rut – when you find the fir...

It’s mid-November, and Bill, Jared and Mike are heading to their favorite rut stands; the edges of doe bedding areas. During the rut, setting up on the downwind side of a bedding area can be the very best tactic for encountering a mature buck. After analyzing the map and talking strategy at the...

For some, it’s been a great rut. For a lot of others, it’s been one of the toughest ruts in recent memory. On this week’s episode, we revisit some of the most exciting 2017 rut hunts from around the country. From second chances with Mitch Mollerus to 70-year-old Bill Yost’s quest to kill a mature...

Not many people get a chance at a buck of a lifetime in back to back seasons. Caleb Byers is one of the lucky few. On this week’s episode, we catch up with Caleb and Taylor, who have been battling the loss of their best farm this season. On November 9th, Caleb looks up to see a world-class anim...

Learning the behaviors and personalities of individual deer can be fascinating. This story of a 7.5-year-old buck that Mike Reed named “DY” is a prime example. With 3 years of encounters, unique antler changes, a great post-rut calling sequence, and an incredible display of toughness by the buck,...

A small secluded plot near a bedding area is one of the best all-around locations to encounter bucks. On the final day of the early archery season, Bill finds success from a Redneck Blind in one of these small plots, one that he created back in the spring. Following Bill’s hunt, we catch up with...

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Drew McClain and his number one buck. After multiple close calls, Drew finally caught up with “Club." Next, Mike Reed takes his wife Kathryn to the blind, and it finally comes together on a great 5.5-year-old buck. Also, please take a few minutes to watch Pas...

Hunting with a bow during the late season can be challenging. Trying to do it without a good food source is even tougher. Jared & Josh get creative and put the canoe in the river and head to a bedding area. From all of us at Midwest Whitetail, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!

With cold weather and snow across most of the Midwest, it’s hard to draw up better late season conditions. We join Caleb Byers taking advantage of this opportunity as he targets multiple good bucks on a soybean field. We also join Seth Sheldon, in Missouri, for a Christmas Day hunt. Seth’s sea...

This has been one of the best late seasons in recent memory. Several days in a row with wind chills well below zero led to deer moving early and often. Caleb Byers stuck it out on his main plot, with a sliver of hope that “Split Brow” would show himself. With minutes left on the clock, the 4 y...

Mike Reed has had one of his most successful seasons yet and the late season wasn’t any different. Frigid temperatures, a variety of food, and multiple days to hunt made for the perfect late season recipe. But with minutes of daylight left, the “Crab Claw 10” makes his way into the field.

It’s hard to believe another season has passed us by. It’s been an exciting ride, full of ups and downs. We take a look at the best moments from the past fall. We’ll also give you a look at some of the new products from our sponsors at the ATA show. Please check back in the next month for the ...

On March 25, Caleb Byers recovered the giant deer he hit the previous November. He found it in a nearby creek. Caleb tells the entire story of the hunt, the recovery, and the history with an amazing 233-inch whitetail. We then join Skip Sligh as he discusses the importance of soil testing and how...