Clay Hanback, Author at Big Deer

8 12, 2020

Vampire Buck: Deer With Fangs

Clay Hanback2020-12-08T10:04:53-05:00December 8th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Vampire Buck: Deer With Fangs

I just saw on Twitter where an Indiana hunter shot a buck with fangs. I have been hunting whitetails for more than 40 years, and blogging about deer for 2 decades. The Indiana deer is only the third “Vampire Buck” I’ve heard about (the others were in Texas and Oklahoma). Here’s the scoop on deer w/fangs. Some 7 million years ago, dating back to the Miocene Epoch, ancestors of the modern whitetail had long, curved, sharp canines. Paleontologists say the small deer-like animals used the fangs, or tusks, for survival. Over time, whitetails evolved antlers for defense, and the upper canine teeth regressed. While lower canines are present in all whitetails today, upper ones are uncommon. Brian Murphy, a well-known [...]

7 12, 2020

How To Judge Bucks After The Rut

Clay Hanback2020-11-24T08:59:40-05:00December 7th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Judge Bucks After The Rut

Lindsay Thomas of the National Deer Association is an expert at sizing up bucks on the hoof. I asked him to give us some tips for the December post-rut. “Judging the age of a buck after the rut can be difficult for the same reason it's tough prior to the rut,” he says, “because not all of the important aging characteristics are in place. “We don't recommend estimating the age of bucks in summer because all of them have skinny necks. Until testosterone rises as the rut approaches, you don't get the neck swelling that helps distinguish older bucks from younger bucks. “Over the course of the rut, we know bucks can lose a lot of weight from the exertion [...]

4 12, 2020

Hunt Late Deer Rut on Public Land

Clay Hanback2020-11-23T14:14:18-05:00December 4th, 2020|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Rut, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Hunt Late Deer Rut on Public Land

Here’s an opportunity for you public-land hunters if you’ve not shot your buck yet. In a study awhile back, scientists at Mississippi State’s vaunted deer research program found that in early to mid-December (or into mid-January in Southern areas with a peak rut in December) you can often have good rutting action on a typical WMA or national forest where does far outnumber bucks. The biologists said that on uncultivated land where the buck:doe ratio is out of whack, there aren’t enough bucks to breed most of the adult does during the peak November estrus cycle. Some 28 days later the “missed” does come back into heat. But since there aren’t as many hot-to-trot does now, the estrus ones draw [...]

2 12, 2020

How To Rattle Bucks In December Post-Rut

Clay Hanback2020-11-23T11:04:13-05:00December 2nd, 2020|BigDeer|Comments Off on How To Rattle Bucks In December Post-Rut

One cold, still morning in early December, we hiked down into a canyon near the Cimarron River in western Oklahoma and set up on a rocky outcropping. As pink dawn was breaking, my friend Kenny hissed, "Buck in the river.” I peeked at the deer, an old fellow with a bull chest, thin hips and a gray face. I hadn’t looked at his rack yet but I knew he was a shooter, probably 5½ years old. “Eight pointer, gnarly,” Kenny reported from behind his binoculars. “He’ll be on our side of the river in a few steps.” The old warrior stepped out of the misty river and disappeared into thick brush. He popped out 250 yards away and I was [...]

30 11, 2020

What Is Ground Shrinkage?

Clay Hanback2020-11-23T09:58:57-05:00November 30th, 2020|BigDeer|1 Comment

If you’ve been hunting whitetail deer for very long I don’t have to tell you because it’s happened to you on occasion. According to the Urban Dictionary, ground shrinkage is: when you see a big buck through your gun scope, but when you walk up to it on the ground, its antlers have magically shrunk. While shrinkage has a negative connotation, it’s not really a bad thing. It’s one of the quirks of deer hunting. It happens. Embrace it. The Texas buck in the photo is a good example. His rack was a good 20 inches smaller on the ground than when I lined my 6X scope on him at 200 yards, but he was still a fine deer, and [...]

About Clay Hanback

Vampire Buck: Deer With Fangs

How To Judge Bucks After The Rut

Hunt Late Deer Rut on Public Land

How To Rattle Bucks In December Post-Rut

What Is Ground Shrinkage?