Clay Hanback, Author at Big Deer

20 12, 2021

How Long Do Whitetail Deer Live In The Wild?

Clay Hanback2021-12-20T09:32:42-05:00December 20th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|1 Comment

In the wild, a doe or buck that survives 4 or 5 years has lived a good, long life. Six or 7 years or more is ancient and rare for a wild deer. So I found it fascinating to read a report from Pennsylvania a few years ago that confirmed 2 wild does, which had been captured, ear-tagged and released, had lived to at least 13! One of those does was documented on a trail camera, and the other was shot by a hunter. That a deer could live 13 years in the wild with all the cars, coyotes and hunting pressure is yet another testament to how amazing whitetails are. As for the pictures here, I shot this fully [...]

16 12, 2021

Should You Leave Tree Stands In The Woods All Year?

Clay Hanback2021-12-13T15:26:37-05:00December 16th, 2021|Big Deer TV, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Should You Leave Tree Stands In The Woods All Year?

Many bowhunters hunt several properties miles apart and sometimes in multiple states. At any given point in the season, they might have 10, 20 or more lock-ons and ladders pre-set in the woods. It’s always best to pull every metal stand down after hunting season, but sometimes this is more work than you are willing to do. If you decide to risk it and leave stands out all year, keep these things in mind. The straps, chains or cables that connect platforms and steps to trees are your foremost consideration if you decide to leave stands out. These connectors will weather and wear, and thorough inspection and service are a must. Tree stand guru Matt Cheever doesn’t skimp. On all [...]

13 12, 2021

Gene Wensel’s 222” Recurve Buck

Clay Hanback2021-12-13T14:36:15-05:00December 13th, 2021|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

I ran across an article written by legendary bowhunter Gene Wensel, whom I have long admired for his knowledge of the whitetail, his fine writing and most of all his genuine and deep-felt love of the outdoors and hunting. This passage is from from the story of Woody, the giant buck that Gene shot on December 30, 2004 (that's Gene in the foreground of the photo and his brother Barry in the back). The 222” non-typical is likely the highest-scoring whitetail ever killed with a recurve bow, arrow and broadhead. Gene wrote: “Hunting is a basic human instinct no different from eating, breathing, sleeping or reproducing. Every human is born with an instinct to hunt. I heard someone say that [...]

8 12, 2021

98-Year-Old Mississippi Hunter Shoots Black Deer, Rarest Of All Whitetails

Clay Hanback2021-12-05T10:19:09-05:00December 8th, 2021|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

A Mississippi hunter shot this black, or melanistic, buck. It’s unclear when he killed it, but best I can determine he shot the rarest color phase of whitetail around last Christmas. Story goes the 98-years-young hunter drilled the buck through the heart at 125 yards. I have posted several melanistic bucks on the blog over the years, but this one is truly magnificent—solid black with white highlights! Nice rack with heavy bases, the unique buck eluded hunters and survived for 4 years. Black, or melanistic, deer are even less common, the rarest of the rare. The first one recognized by a scientist was in 1929. Of the tens of millions of whitetails that have been shot by hunters in the [...]

5 12, 2021

How To Shoot A Deer In The Wind

Clay Hanback2021-11-24T12:16:25-05:00December 5th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on How To Shoot A Deer In The Wind

Around a big field or out on the plains, it might be calm or just a slight breeze where you’re sitting and glassing, but the wind might be blowing a near gale out where a buck is walking or feeding 200 to 350 yards away. “Glass the leaves or weeds around a deer, whatever you can, to determine if you need to factor in the wind on your shot,” says Texas rifle maker and crack game shot Lex Webernick. But don’t worry about remembering some fancy wind-doping equation. “If the wind is blowing 5 or 10 mph and the grass or weeds are moving slightly, hold dead-on a deer,” says Lex. “But if you’re having trouble keeping the cap on [...]

About Clay Hanback

How Long Do Whitetail Deer Live In The Wild?

Should You Leave Tree Stands In The Woods All Year?

Gene Wensel’s 222” Recurve Buck

98-Year-Old Mississippi Hunter Shoots Black Deer, Rarest Of All Whitetails

How To Shoot A Deer In The Wind