Gear Reviews Archives

11 01, 2024

Choose the Best Hunting Knife

Clay Hanback2024-01-10T09:20:16-05:00January 11th, 2024|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Choose the Best Hunting Knife

The experts at Buck Knives offer these tips on selecting the best blade for hunting. Will the knife be used or field-dressing and skinning deer, or to clean and skin small game like rabbits and squirrels? Pick the right knife for the job. For gutting and skinning deer, you could choose a knife like the Buck Ranger Skinner, which has a large, curved-belly style. A thinner clip point design would be better suited to dressing small critters. Materials matter--quality steel and handle components ensure a knife can be easily sharpened and held and controlled as you work. A rubber handle, like found on Buck Vanguard, ensures a tight, safe fit all the time and especially in wet conditions. For deer [...]

6 11, 2023

Rut-Hunting Gear: Keep it Simple

Clay Hanback2023-10-24T13:32:30-04:00November 6th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Rut-Hunting Gear: Keep it Simple

I pack and use simple but effective gear every day that I hunt the whitetail rut: Carry a grunt call and use it every day. Hunters grunt in and shoot many giant bucks each November. Most any tube will do the job. I lay trails and set wicks with Mega-Tarsal Plus buck scent, and Special Golden Estrus doe near my stands. Make sure to use synthetic deer lure if your state requires it. You can bring in a buck with a rattle bag or box, but nothing beats real antlers. Antlers off a 130- to 140-class buck are good. They have enough mass and tines to mimic the deep thudding and grinding of two mature bucks. Most realistic.

22 10, 2023

Use Tarsal Scent for Pre-Rut Bucks

Clay Hanback2023-10-22T11:17:00-04:00October 22nd, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|1 Comment

This is a true story, I swear. One morning in Virginia, I shot a 10-pointer with my muzzleloader and got on the trail. I could smell his rankness in the air and in the blood as I tracked, and when I found him I covered my nose with my sleeve and thought, Whoa, you stink. The deer’s hocks were dripping and black as motor oil. I rolled the buck over, held my breath and started gutting. Leaves popped. I peeked up and saw another 10-pointer bearing down on me, head and rack held low, hair bristling on his neck. I crouched lower behind the dead deer. A rut-crazed buck is unpredictable, and I figured staying put rather than trying to [...]

6 07, 2023

How a Cell Phone Can Save a Hunter’s Life

Clay Hanback2023-07-06T08:46:33-04:00July 6th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews|1 Comment

You always carry your cell with you every minute you are hunting, right? Do it, it could save your life. Let’s say you’re hunting in new mountains or woods and get turned around or full-blown lost…. Suppose you’re climbing a rock ridge, slip and fall, and break your ankle…. You get chest pains… Or heaven forbid you fall out of a tree stand or off the ladder and are seriously injured and about to lose to consciousness. In an emergency, there are 2 ways your cell can get you help in a hurry. SOS Message Swipe the SOS slider on your iPhone and it will automatically call the closest local emergency number and share your location with emergency services. After [...]

14 06, 2023

Number 1 Tick Prevention Tip

Clay Hanback2023-06-14T09:24:11-04:00June 14th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews, Hunting News|Comments Off on Number 1 Tick Prevention Tip

Over the next few months, we’ll be outside hiking, fishing, scouting deer, setting trail cameras and otherwise having loads of fun in the outdoors. We sure don’t want a nasty tick ruining the party, and possibly infecting us or loved ones with Lyme or another disease, so read on. According to Dr. Thomas Mather, Tick Expert at the University of Rhode Island, the biggest mistake you can make is not wearing tick-repellent clothing. “Ticks are out there, and they're likely to get on you if you go into their habitat. (Wearing) permethrin-treated clothing, especially socks and shoes sprayed with permethrin, is the easiest way you can help repel ticks and potentially keep them from biting you. It's essential to take all preventive measures. [...]