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So far Clay Hanback has created 512 blog entries.
22 11, 2020

Hunt the Rut Planner: Tips For November 22 Week

2020-11-22T10:09:12-05:00November 22nd, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Hunt the Rut Planner: Tips For November 22 Week

Deer behavior: Post-rut begins most everywhere, but there is still more breeding going than you think. If you get lucky and find one of the last receptive gals, you’re apt to see one or more bucks following The does that have been bred transition back to food plots, fields, browse, and other food sources. Bucks are tired, spooky and largely nocturnal; the colder it is this week, the more likely you are to see a buck in daylight hours. Key sign: Primary doe trails, buck tracks, fresh rubs, reactivated scrapes Science fact: Research of collared bucks from Maryland to Texas shows that 20 to 40 percent of mature bucks continue to make long trips out of their core areas in [...]

19 11, 2020

Use Weather Change To Shoot A Big Buck

2020-11-19T09:26:58-05:00November 19th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Use Weather Change To Shoot A Big Buck

How the weather impacts big buck movement… You’ve been hearing and reading that for years, and I’ve been researching, studying and blogging about it for decades. Warm weather, climate change, rain, snow, cold fronts… Truth is, just when I think I’ve got the answer, I read another scientific study that blows up my best theory…or a big buck does something entirely different on a warm or cold day than what I expected. But finally, I’ve got solid and foolproof advice on how you can use a weather change to kill a big buck. It comes as a result of a muzzleloader hunt in Virginia last week. Let me set the stage. It was late pre-rut, leading into the peak, which [...]

16 11, 2020

91 Tips For Hunting Peak Deer Rut

2020-11-16T09:47:59-05:00November 16th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on 91 Tips For Hunting Peak Deer Rut

You don’t need a grand plan to kill a whitetail when the rut is on in November. Just go out and have fun, hunt every hour that you can, and use these time-proven pointers to your advantage. 1) Did you know? Studies show that one mature buck may blaze as many as 1,200 rubs from late September through November, or some 17 rubs a day. 2) Which rubs are the best sign? Look for antler-blazed trees as thick as your bicep. All bucks rub saplings, but only mature bucks work trees 4 to 6 inches in diameter or larger. 3) A copse of antler-mangled saplings or cedar branches are sign of an aggressive buck, the kind of beast you want [...]

10 11, 2020

Rut Call: Grunt-Snort-Wheeze

2020-11-03T09:23:19-05:00November 10th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Rut Call: Grunt-Snort-Wheeze

During intense encounters in the rut, bucks sometimes “grunt-snort,” which consists of a low, guttural grunt followed by one to four short, rapid snorts. Further, rival bucks sometimes add a third element, an expulsion of air through their nostrils, thus the “grunt-snort-wheeze.” "The grunt-snort-wheeze is the most aggressive of all the deer calls, often made by bucks just before a fight," says whitetail biologist Karl Miller. "Hunters can use it to bring in a dominant deer, but it can also scare off some bucks." While there is no doubt the snort-wheeze can produce dramatic results and bring in a big buck in the rut, it is not a call you should rely on frequently.  I much prefer to blow tending [...]

8 11, 2020

Deer Call: How To Work A Buck With A Grunt

2020-11-03T09:02:46-05:00November 8th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Deer Call: How To Work A Buck With A Grunt

Grunting is most effective when you spot a buck first, and then go to work with your grunt tube. You should grunt at every buck, both shooters and small 4- or 6-points, that you see slipping down a ridge or ducking into cover up to 125 yards away. In my field-testing, a deer can hear your calls that far if the wind and terrain are right. The more bucks you see and call to, the more you learn from their reactions. When a buck hears your grunts, 9 times out of 10 he will stop and look your way. Sometimes he might stand there and stare, but more likely he’ll drop his head and continue on his merry way. Okay, [...]

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