today’s article is from my friend aaron hepler. you may have heard him on the podcast and will start to see him contributing more often to the truth blog from the booth!
Search engines and online reading material are great, but there really is no place to turn the page of an actual book to learn something new. Pieces of my childhood and youth are etched in me by reading books and magazines outdoors from cover to cover, over and over again.
You are reading: Best bow hunting books
Nowadays almost anyone can write and self-publish a book. When it comes to books on whitetails and do-it-yourself hunting, it’s hard to find which materials are reliable. that’s especially true if you’re new to hunting and unfamiliar with the hunters at the forefront of the whitetail scene.
Physical reading material is just as important for veteran hunters as it is for beginners. for novices just learning the ropes, books are quite effective. notes and highlighters to the front, and some kind of mapping system will point a new hunter in the right direction. everyone needs to form a plan before walking into the woods.
As someone who has hunted for over twenty years, I can truly say that it’s easy to get distracted and forget a few basics. I frequently go back to some of my favorite books to refresh myself. it’s important to keep the basics at the forefront of your mind and build from there.
This is a compiled list of some books that have helped me develop some of my public lands skills and a little more along the way.
#5 Mature Buck Success by Design. By Jeff Sturgis
jeff is a land management and whitetail specialist. While much of Jeff’s material focuses on land management and habitat improvement, Jeff isn’t afraid to tread public ground. I had the opportunity to read four of the whitetail habitat solution series and this was easily my favorite.
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This book separates out the key differences in behavior and habits of males from the older class. Using calculated and in-depth tactics to apply wind, terrain, and cover, Jeff has built a solid resume in public spaces. Throughout the Midwest, as well as at our base in Pennsylvania, there is something for everyone to take home.
#4 Big Money Secrets by Steve Bartylla
if you follow steve in any media, you are well aware that this guy knows a lot about white tails. the man just ate with them. steve’s foundation is with deer & deer hunting magazine, but their social media accounts also have some really great information. Like Jeff, Steve is a whitetail consultant and has taught many hunters how to find success in the whitetail woods on both public and private land.
In Big Buck Secrets, Steve provides instructions on how to find overlooked areas of public land. Topics dissect how to outperform the crowd and derive satisfaction from your hunting experience. Steve also has unique thoughts on odor control regimens that many have adopted.
books about hunting often overlook the balance between work, hunting and family life. Steve talks about the importance of ensuring his home life is stable. his insights on a happy life off the pitch are invaluable.
#3 Bowhunting Whitetails the Eberhart Way by John and Chris Eberhart
john is one of the favorite guests on the truth from the stand podcast. his son chris, co-author of this book, lost his battle with cancer in 2020. he was a fan of white glue and knew how to do it wherever he went. We are sorry for your loss John. chris will be remembered and missed.
john and chris’ approach to whitetails is what i call stealth aggression. Their hunting strategies change with the changing seasons and are outlined for everyone to easily understand. both john and chris focus a lot of attention on the primary areas of scratches.
His approach to scent control is an intense regimen not followed by many other hunters. his only concern with wind direction is how a mature male can use that specific wind to move. but the wind never stops them from hunting at their desired hunting destination.
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This book is excellent for someone who has been hunting for a long time and needs a new perspective. It’s also perfect for beginning hunters as it covers all the basics of signals, strategy, and detailed gear descriptions.
#2 trophy dollar mapping by brad herndon
Brad is a hunter/writer who doesn’t appear very often in the media world. But I have read this book twice. brad really does a good job of teaching the basics of map reading.
For a hunter just learning topo read, or learning about funnels and pinch points, this is the book to buy. learning about classic terrain features, and understanding how deer relate to them, is a vital element of whitetail hunting.
This is a great book, even for experienced hunters. sometimes we all need to go back to square one to figure things out. all the knowledge out there makes it easy to overlook the basics of hunting and scouting. reading this book twice has saved me from some stale hunts. there have been “oh yeah” moments where I know I forgot to look for an important feature. remembering the basics has really put me back in the saddle if I’m having a hard time putting the puzzle pieces together.
#1 Bowhunting Whitetails on Public Lands by tony j. peterson
I’m probably a bit biased on this book. tony is a fan of public land who really took me under his wing and taught me a lot in the three years we’ve known each other. that bias is justified because his information and knowledge are spot on, especially when it comes to creatures of any kind on public land.
tony wrote this book in 2018 and it really is a compilation of all his best advice. Tony is a relatable guy that just about any bowhunter can draw ideas from. His hunting style and advice are well suited to the average person while also increasing their knowledge of how to be a successful and satisfied bowhunter. he will get a lot from this reading in terms of stories and strategies that can be applied to every bowhunt.
Obviously, all land-private hunters can employ tactics that give them an advantage over the properties they hunt. but this book strictly describes hunting on public lands. finding overlooked places, finding barriers to get away from the crowds, personal excerpts of success and failure, and much more can be found on these pages.
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