Happy Trails Archives - Page 5 of 7 - Mississippi Sportsman

May 26, 2026

Scrape activity includes more than just deer pawing at the ground. They also use overhanging limbs to leave scents and serve as signposts of their social ranking.

The skinny on scrapes

January 19, 2015 Mississippi Sportsman

One of the more fascinating aspects of the whitetail rut revolves around the wonderful, and at times mysterious, phenomenon known as “scraping.” […]

When do deer go into rut? Recent studies show breeding dates remain consistent from year to year — no matter the moon phase.

Debunking the moon myth

December 18, 2014 Bill Garbo

With the whitetail rut fast approaching, I thought it would be perfect timing to revisit and discuss a subject that has been debated for decades in deer camps far and wide. […]

As this month’s title implies, we’re going to spend a few minutes tracking and dissecting the progression and timing of the rut so we can anticipate where to place our trail cameras and stands for best affect this season. […]

Photos like this one are proof that the extra effort in preparing mineral licks, licking branches and mock scrapes is time well spent.

Early-season camera sites

October 20, 2014 Bill Garbo

As we move into the transition period between late summer and fall here in the deep-south, let’s examine some of the criteria that can be used to select the best sites for trail camera surveillance. […]

Lodging a stick behind a camera when it is strapped to a tree helps angle the camera properly.

Planning and optimizing your camera setup

September 18, 2014 Bill Garbo

From my personal experience interacting with other hunters, a surprising number of trail cam users are perfectly happy for their camera setups to do nothing more than just take a buck’s picture as he passes by. […]

Plan ahead like a pro

August 19, 2014 Bill Garbo

There are many things that hunters can do ahead of time to ensure they get the most out of their trail camera efforts during the upcoming hunting season. […]

Effectively monitoring and maintaining trail-cam sites means having the right equipment when checking them.

Start preparing now

July 21, 2014 Bill Garbo

As we transition through the humid and hot doldrums of mid-summer, it is time to begin preparing for the upcoming trail camera season. […]

Paying attention to how much or your packing rod stick out past the barrel of your smokepole is one way to ensure you don’t double load.

Lessons learned the hard way

June 19, 2014 Bill Garbo

We are all products of, and are shaped by, our individual collection of lifelong experiences and lessons, both good and bad. […]

Am I falling apart?

May 19, 2014 Bill Garbo

Trying to maintain an acceptable level of fitness and flexibility in order to continue enjoying hunting and fishing for as long as possible. […]

The author’s son and grandson have spent time together in the field ensuring the youngster learned how to hunt and handle a gun safely.

Our kids are the future of hunting

April 17, 2014 Bill Garbo

The proper training of kids to be safe and responsible hunters and gun handlers can be as challenging as it can be rewarding. […]

Only through experience was the author able to determine this buck, which wasn’t on any trail-cam photos, was a shooter.

Preparation meets opportunity

March 17, 2014 Bill Garbo

When selecting a monthly topic for Happy Trails, my usual goal is to write about something that will allow me to share the knowledge and experience that I have gained through more than 40 years of chasing whitetails. I also like to provoke thought and discussion about certain topics and issues. […]

The impact of the moon phase is a hotly debated subject in many hunting camps.

Does the moon really matter?

February 18, 2014 Bill Garbo

As regular readers of “Happy Trails” have come to know, I am a trail/scouting camera fanatic, and use the data I derive each season from my web of cameras to tell me when and where deer, and bucks in particular, move on my personal hunting property. […]