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About Clay Hanback

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So far Clay Hanback has created 80 blog entries.
27 11, 2019

5 Deer Hunt Tactics For Thanksgiving

2020-06-10T09:14:51-04:00November 27th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

You and millions of other guys and gals have a few days off this week, and for many of you this is the last best chance to get your 2019 buck. After stuffing your face Thursday, get out there and try these tactics. Hunt where two or three ridges converge and peter out into a creek or river bottom. The thicker the cover in the area the better. If food sources are anywhere close by, the spot will be a dumping ground for whitetails. Set a gun stand or blind on a vantage 100 yards or so downwind of a convergence of hills and draws and watch for a day or two. If and when a burly shooter rolls by, [...]

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25 11, 2019

How To Still-Hunt A Buck Deer

2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00November 25th, 2019|BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, Mule Deer, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Still-Hunt A Buck Deer

One of my hunting mentors of the 1990s was Jack Atcheson Sr., a renowned hunting consultant and taxidermist from Montana who has hunted on 5 continents and shot as many head of game as any man on earth, from Cape buffalo to elk to sheep to all the varieties of North American deer, and some big ones. One time on a wilderness backpack hunt for mule deer, Jack told me we were going to still-hunt and stalk the entire week, and he was going to teach me how to do it. “I’ve been hunting deer for 25 years,” I reminded him with a smirk. “Yeah, but this week you’re gonna learn how to do it right.” On day one, we [...]

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22 11, 2019

How To Grunt Up A Buck

2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00November 22nd, 2019|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Grunt Up A Buck

One afternoon in Iowa, Pat Strawser sat in his stand and watched some does and small bucks enter a picked cornfield. A heavy 7-pointer popped into view, followed by more does. “I was trying to keep track of all the deer when a huge buck strode into the field,” said Pat. “He pinned his ears back and marched toward the Big 7.” The hunter grabbed his grunter and went to work. He called several times--nothing. Gradually he increased the volume and intensity of his calls until both the mature bucks picked up their heads and looked his way. “They were about 125 yards out,” says Pat. “Once I had their attention, I gave even louder grunts and then a snort-wheeze. [...]

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20 11, 2019

Hunt The Rut: What Is A “Buck Excursion?”

2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00November 20th, 2019|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Hunt The Rut: What Is A “Buck Excursion?”

A recent post at QDMA starts out like this: One thing researchers have deciphered in recent years using GPS technology is a somewhat new behavior that white-tailed deer do called an excursion, which is a brief trip or trips outside their established home range. This behavior especially occurs during the rut, and I have a personal story from the 2018 season to prove it. We have been running 8-10 trail cameras for years on a 1,000-acre farm in the Virginia Piedmont. Imagine our shock and excitement when we checked a card and saw one image of this awesome buck from November 18, obviously an older deer with a ton of character. We had never seen this freak before, no images [...]

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18 11, 2019

Outdoor Life’s 101 Best Tips For Hunting The Deer Rut

2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00November 18th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Outdoor Life’s 101 Best Tips For Hunting The Deer Rut

Back in the early 2000s, before I had my own TV show and started the Big Deer Blog, I was the Deer Hunting Editor for Outdoor Life (OL) magazine. I had that dream gig for nearly a decade and wrote 100s of columns and dozens of feature articles for the magazine, back in the days when people still bought and read paper magazines. Then came TV and YouTube and blogging, and I drifted away from OL and the other hunting publications I wrote for, many of are now, sadly, defunct. Funny how things have a way of coming full circle. I majored in English in college long ago, and writing has always been my passion and still is. So a [...]

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