Food plots come in so many different sizes, shapes, and configurations. Fortunately for deer, turkey, and just about all other wildlife, any food plot variety will provide a likable food option and beneficial nutrition to the fur and feathered creatures roaming on Carolina soil. The spring season is time to plant warm season forage and seed-producers to feed wildlife during the heated months of the year. And it is prime time to get a strong stand of nut grasses underway, and specifically chufa. What the heck is chufa anyway?  Chufa is a nutgrass that produces nutritious and tasty tubers ..read more

Deer, wild turkey, and other wildlife have needs like everything else in the natural world. If it isn’t obvious enough, food ranks at the top of the list for critical needs for wildlife. For a property to be a haven for deer and other wildlife, a solid food source must be present throughout the year and in great abundance. Every property needs a decent coverage of food plots. And if a property doesn’t have any, they should be created. Wildlife in the Carolinas in most counties live the good life and have various food options. From oak-lined ridges covered with acorns to massive agriculture fi ..read more

Seven adult male hunters were winners at the 2024 Dixie Deer Classic, held March 1 – 3 at the NC State Fairgrounds. Rick Nightengale won Best by Muzzleloader, Typical Male Award for his Stokes County buck that officially scored 170 inches. Nightengale also won the Best of Show Award for the deer, which he killed at his friend Jonathan Humphrey’s property in early November. Rick Nightengale with his Stokes County trophy buck. Here’s a video of Nightengale’s hunt:   Grayson Clayton won Best by Crossbow, Typical Male Award. His Forsyth County buck scored 163 inches. Grayson Clayton won Bes ..read more

Rick Nightengale won the Best by Muzzleloader Typical Male Award, as well as Best of Show. (Photo by Brian Cope)Rick Nightengale wins Best of Show Award The 2024 Dixie Deer Classic was held March 1 – 3, and 19 award-winners from North Carolina were crowned.  Rick Nightengale won the coveted Best of Show Award for his Stokes County buck that officially scored 170 inches. Nightengale, of St. Matthews, SC, was hunting his friend Jonathan Humprey’s property when the big buck stepped into range back in early November. Youth Awards Ransom Summers won the Best by Crossbow Typical Male Youth Awar ..read more

Five adult females won awards at the 2024 Dixie Deer Classic which was held at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds March 1 – 3. Chesney Luck of Luck’s Outdoors won Best by Bow, Typical Female category for her Moore County buck that scored 136 3/8 inches. Chesney Luck poses with her award-winning buck. Patricia Cole won Best by Bow, Non-typical Female award. Her Vance County buck was scored at 144 7/8 inches. Patricia Cole with her Vance County buck. Ansley Vaughan took top honors for the Best by Muzzleloader, Typical Female with her Durham County buck that scored 123 1/8 inches. Vaughan not ..read more

Get your deer antlers scored Antlers will abound throughout the Palmetto State as the search for new state record deer antlers gets underway during the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ annual series of measuring sessions. Each winter the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) measures deer antlers throughout the state, with a major effort during the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic scheduled for March 22-24 at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia. A total of 8,171 sets of white-tailed deer antlers, including 7,845 typical racks and 326 nontypical, are currently ranked on South Carolina’s ..read more

When March arrives in the Carolinas, winter usually realizes it has worn out its welcome and is heading out. We usually experience a few previews of spring weather during February, but by March the cold weather is losing its grip, and the segments of warmer weather begin growing longer in anticipation of the arrival of spring. For 2024, March 20 is the first day of spring. This will be the second big event of March, as Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 10. March is a time of transition for sportsmen in the Carolinas. Winter hunting seasons are winding down. Fishing is going the ot ..read more

The Carolinas are two of the most diverse states in the nation. On one end of our states, beaches and salt marshes proliferate. And on the other, 5,000-foot peaks line the landscape. And all are within a day’s drive from anywhere within each State’s borders and all within the Southeastern US’s mild, but subtropical climate. Diversity within such a small geographic area creates a unique ecosystem with endless opportunities of various plant and animal communities. Wildlife in the Carolinas are adapted to plenty of groceries, from forb-rich meadows and oak ridges, to agriculture fields as far as ..read more

Rex Blackburn was selected by our panel of judges as the 2023 Bag-A-Buck Grand Prize winner.NC hunter wins subscription and hunting trip Our panel of judges have chosen Rex Blackburn as our Bag-A-Buck Grand Prize winner for the 2023-24 hunting season. With more than 500 submissions this season, it was not an easy decision. Blackburn submitted two entries early in North Carolina’s season, and both submissions caught the attention of our judges. Blackburn’s first submission was for the Guilford County buck he killed on Sept. 20. It was a buck he’d been observing through trail cam photos for 3 ye ..read more

Mark Petrantoni hunted this buck for 4 years, finally killing it at the end of December.Carolina hunters killed lots of trophies in 2023 The 2023-24 deer hunting season in the Carolinas was a big success for many hunters. Numerous trophy bucks, first bucks, uniquely-colored bucks and meat-in-the-freezer bucks fell to sportsmen in both states. Some of those will make the record books in North and South Carolina, and many will no doubt be entered and displayed at the Dixie Deer Classic and Palmetto Sportsman Classic for official scoring. Once again, our Bag-A-Buck Contest was our biggest ever, t ..read more