Butler Outdoors

Whitetail land consulting services:
- Custom Hunting Plans - Custom Habitat Improvement Plans

YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC_1FtS1M1_aqIVHin-jttSw

09/10/2026

With several severe storms that came through the Midwest earlier this summer, I lost a lot of big trees. I haven’t been able to take a full inventory, but I estimate around 15-20 large trees. Thankfully most of them were low quality trees with the majority being cottonwoods, (many in excess of 30” in diameter). The unfortunate part is that many of them fell across established deer trails, on top of established scrapes and have undoubtedly changed the historical deer patterns.

Last weekend I was able to cut a few sections out of several very large downed trees that were blocking main deer trails and even got a new rope hung to replace the mock scrape that one of the trees fell on. The area showed little to no sign of deer use, but I got a doe group using it on camera this morning, so hopefully patterns will continue to return to normal.

Have you had storm damage change the historical deer patterns on your properties? Felling trees can be a very effective technique to steer deer, but it can also ruin an area when done improperly, or if Mother Nature has her way!

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day? I don’t know about yall, but this whole “Labor” thing definitely puts a damper on my hunting!

08/27/2026

Is your archery setup ready for season?

Contrary to what many manufacturers claim as far as “field point accurate” or “fly just like your field points”, everyone should test and confirm that your broadhead tipped arrows or bolts not only hit where your field points do, but you also need to check to ensure they actually fly like your field points.

I did a little broadhead tuning this afternoon and even though I had timed, bare shaft, and paper tuned my bow, I had to make a small adjustment to my rest in order to get my field point, my Sevr Broadheads 1.75 Hybrid, and my Evolution Outdoors Jekyll Wyde to hit the same spot. Once a bow is properly tuned, it should be able to shoot a variety of broadheads without making sight adjustments.

The two groups below are from 30 and 40 yards.

08/25/2026

What is your planting choice for fall food plots?

I have been planting Vitalize Seed products for several years now, and I’ve had excellent results using their 1,2 system of Nitroboost and Carbonload. This year I decided to make my own mix using their Grain Bin, Brassica Mix, and Premium Clover+.

08/18/2026

It never fails! It seems like no matter what, I always get a blurry or partially blocked picture of a buck and can see just enough to make me think it’s a good one and want a better look!

Do you struggle with bucks teasing you on your trail cameras?

08/12/2026

I recently watched a review from Lusk Archery Adventures on these Jekyll Wyde broadheads from Evolution Outdoors, and they performed really well!

I was very intrigued so I ordered a pack to try out. I still plan to use my Sevr Hybrids primarily, but I definitely want to shoot something with the Jekyll Wydes just to see how it performs.

Have any of you tried out the broadheads from Evolution Outdoors?

08/11/2026

When do you normally plant your fall food plots?

Fall food plot success can all come down to timing! There is a balance of planting early enough before the first frost, but also timing your planting with rain!

I was able to get one of my fall plots planted over the weekend because of the high likelihood of substantial precipitation this week.

08/10/2026

Are you getting much activity on your cameras?

I finally got around to deploying a couple new Stealth Cam cameras this weekend and got a nice up and comer on 2 different cameras.

08/04/2026

Do you shoot with lighted nocks? If so, which is your preferred brand?

There are a few negatives to using lighted nocks, but after years of struggling to see my arrow or bolt in flight, being unsure of exactly where I hit a deer, or just simply trying to find my arrow after the shot, those downsides are far outweighed by the positives!

Negatives
1. Lighted nocks weigh more than standard nocks.
2. They also have a tendency to be less consistent than standard nocks.
3. Most require some sort of switch to activate and those can cause less consistent flight, sometimes a slight rattling noise, etc.

Positives
1. You can see your arrow in flight.
2. You can see where your arrow hits.
3. You can find your arrow easier.
4. All of the above can help you make the most informed decision when it comes to tracking an animal, and could increase your chances of recovery!

07/31/2026

I hear hunters claim that trail cameras have caused more big bucks to be killed than any other piece of hunting equipment! What are your thoughts on this?

I run trail cameras all year long on my property, and have been running them heavily since the early 2000’s. Although I have had numerous pictures/videos of bucks that I have harvested, and been able to identify certain bucks that I wanted to target, I can’t think of one time that I have actually tagged a particular buck solely because of using a trail camera. There is a huge difference between having a buck walk past a camera and actually being able to tag him.

I think trail cameras have been a game changer as far as hunters not being able to keep big bucks a secret, but I think them solely being the reason for causing hunters to tag a big buck is a big misconception!

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Bloomington, IL
61704

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+13095322668

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