Clay Hanback, Author at Big Deer

3 08, 2021

When Do Velvet Deer Antlers Stop Growing?

Clay Hanback2021-07-31T09:06:45-04:00August 3rd, 2021|BigDeer|Comments Off on When Do Velvet Deer Antlers Stop Growing?

A gentleman from the Midwest wrote and told me he had spotted some mighty fine bucks this summer, and he wondered how much more those racks would grow. It’s a great question, and I ran it by one of BIG DEER’s most respected pros, Dr. Mickey Hellickson who said: Generally, the majority of antler growth, especially with regard to tine and beam length, will be complete by early August. During mid- to late August, the antlers begin to harden; that is why growth slows and then stops. During early to mid-September, the velvet dries and is shed, usually in only a matter of hours. The cue for the hardening and velvet shedding is the change in photoperiod caused by increasing darkness and decreasing [...]

1 08, 2021

How To Hunt Deer Where Other People Don’t On Public Land

Clay Hanback2021-07-31T09:01:40-04:00August 1st, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Hunt Deer Where Other People Don’t On Public Land

Two decades ago noted Missouri biologist Dr. Grant Woods used a mix of GPS technology, fancy software and old-school observation data (a ton of hours logged in a tree stand looking for deer) to produce maps of the hunting pressure on the properties he managed at the time. His spatial analysis inevitably showed that on all the lands, most people hunted close to fields, logging roads and similar access areas. Face it, most deer hunters go the easy route and aren’t willing to work for it. Some are leery of getting lost and walking too far back in an area. For example, on one large property Grant found that all the hunters spent 100 hours or more in “hot zones” [...]

29 07, 2021

Don’t Hunt With A Clean Rifle Barrel

Clay Hanback2021-07-29T11:17:49-04:00July 29th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, trijicon, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Don’t Hunt With A Clean Rifle Barrel

Something that Texas custom gun maker Lex Webernick told me years ago stuck, and has served me well on deer hunts all over North America the last 30 years: Know your rifle and when the barrel gets dirty enough to start affecting accuracy. For example, you shoot a lot at the range and find that your rifle starts to open up a group after, say, 20 rounds. I’d clean that rifle barrel after every 15 rounds, or five 3-shot groups. But I personally never take a completely clean rifle on a hunt. I usually run 3 shots through a clean barrel to dirty it a bit, that seems to be the sweet spot accuracy-wise, and then go hunting.

28 07, 2021

How To Hunt A Buck In A Swamp

Clay Hanback2021-07-28T09:15:58-04:00July 28th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Hunt A Buck In A Swamp

Biologists worked a project in southern Delaware for 4 years, capturing and collaring whitetail bucks with GPS. They separated the deer into 2 age classes--4½ and younger and 5½ and older—and monitored their movements around swamps and marshes. They found that the oldest bucks hardly ever left the swamps until cover of darkness. The younger bucks not only left the marsh on occasion, they also readily used nearby upland forests and crop fields. The 5-year-olds routinely avoided those areas. The scientists wrote, “Not using wetland areas increased a buck’s risk of mortality by 2.7, meaning he was nearly 3 times more likely to be killed compared to a (old) buck who regularly hid out in swamps.” Further, the experts noted [...]

21 07, 2021

Kansas: 321 3/8” Butcher Buck #2 Non-Typical Archery All-Time

Clay Hanback2021-07-21T09:09:20-04:00July 21st, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|2 Comments

Last weekend at the Pope & Young Club’s Annual Convention in Reno, Nevada, the Kansas monster was officially panel scored and confirmed as the second-highest-scoring non-typical whitetail ever taken by a bowhunter. COVID postponed the panel scoring of this crazy buck, which Brian Butcher shot back on October 10, 2019, but now it’s official. Field & Stream has the full story, click here to read it.

About Clay Hanback

When Do Velvet Deer Antlers Stop Growing?

How To Hunt Deer Where Other People Don’t On Public Land

Don’t Hunt With A Clean Rifle Barrel

How To Hunt A Buck In A Swamp

Kansas: 321 3/8” Butcher Buck #2 Non-Typical Archery All-Time