Researchers in Pennsylvania looked back at their 20 years of data capturing, collaring and tracking wild deer on hunted lands, and found that if a buck survives to his first birthday, on average he will live another 1 to 2 years. If a doe survives her first year, she has a good shot of living another 3 to 4 years. The oldest buck the scientists observed lived almost 9 years; a doe survived for 15 years! /
Iowa’s 2022 deer harvest increased 7 percent over the 2021 season, due, in part to the new Excess Tag January Antlerless Season approved by the Iowa Legislature last spring. “A lot of hunters chose to participate in the new season, and the harvest was on par or a little above the other firearms seasons,” said Jace Elliott, state deer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “Hunters reported more than 2,500 deer taken during the Excess Tag January Antlerless Season, thanks, in part, to favorable weather across the state.” Overall, hunters tagged deer at a rate of 30-35 percent which is similar to previous years, for a total reported harvest of more than 109,600 deer. Deer harvest varied regionally, [...]
Thanks to Ryan Reed-Baum of Trulog Siding for this guest post: Hunting cabins are typically located in areas that get an ample amount of bad weather. You don't want a new cabin to begin to deteriorate after two seasons, which can happen if you're not careful. Many cabins are in regions that deal with a lot of snow and winter weather. This means a lot of snow-weight on your roof, a risk of freezing pipes and potential damage to windows and other portions of the property. In the summer, the heat mixing with humidity can lead to rot and mold inside and outside your cabin, which can make staying there not only uncomfortable but also a biohazard. Sealing a cabin [...]
Troy Dietterich sent this photo and email: I may have shot a Bullwinkle nose deer. I have it butchered and in my freezer, and plan to eat it as it is mixed in with my other deer meat. I did not contact any state departments about this and just stumbled upon this issue as a friend sent me the article. Southeastern PA, WMU 5C Killed Oct 29 2022 A.M. This deer was the biggest one around. This area rarely produces deer larger than 120''. This buck scored 153 6/8'' gross and weighed 246# live weight and 192# dressed. Just a massive animal for these parts. I butchered the deer myself and the meat and bones/joints all looked healthy. I did [...]
I’ve been researching and writing/blogging about whitetail deer for more than 30 years and one thing has remained amazingly constant. If you want to kill a big buck, a really big buck and maybe even a Booner, hunt in one of these 9 states. Wisconsin Illinois Iowa Minnesota Kentucky Ohio Kansas Indiana Check a 2000 version of the Pope & Young or Boone & Crockett record book, and you’ll find those states at or near the top for buck entries. Look into the future and read a 2030 version of a record book and the data will remain similar. The top states have agriculture, edge and cover; rich soils; and well-established buck genetics. Most have a one buck per year [...]