Big Deer Blog

23 05, 2025

State of America’s Mule Deer 2025

2025-05-23T10:40:46-04:00May 23rd, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Mule Deer|0 Comments

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has compiled key concerns and feedback received from the public regarding mule deer management in the state following a series of public meetings and an online comment period. From August-December 2024, Game and Fish held 37 Mule Deer Community Conversations across the state. Staff met with members of the public to discuss mule deer management, including how best to address factors affecting mule deer populations. “These community conversations provided an excellent opportunity for the public to discuss the challenges facing Wyoming's mule deer. Public understanding and input are crucial to our agency's work,” said Game and Fish Deputy Wildlife Chief Justin Binfet. “Mule deer face significant issues, from habitat loss to chronic wasting disease. [...]

12 05, 2025

13-Year-Old Shoots Giant Indiana NT 199”

2025-05-12T13:40:19-04:00May 12th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

Article written by Big Deer Field Reporter Dean Weimer: Thirteen-year-old Cayden Miller grew up on his grandparents’ 17-acre farm with his mother, Mary Jo, a few miles northeast of Shipshewana, Indiana. Cayden’s Grandpa, Ray, has been a hunter since his youth and he’s instilled in his grandson a love for the outdoors. Unfortunately, Cayden's mother passed away on Thanksgiving morning 2020, so the fall can be a trying time of year for Cayden. But luckily for him deer hunting season offers up plenty of joy to get his mind off things. Fortunately for Cayden and Grandpa Ray a fantastic buck, nicknamed “Beamer,” had been living in and around their small farm for the last few years. And each year, thanks [...]

7 05, 2025

3 Things to Do Now Before Next Deer Season

2025-05-07T09:35:14-04:00May 7th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

The 2024 deer season ended a few months ago, guess what? Time to start the initial prep for next fall! Initiate these 3 things now and carry on throughout the summer, and you’ll be ahead of the game when archery season rolls around in September. Reevaluate Your Hunting Land If you’re satisfied with the public or private ground you hunted last year, great. But did you lose permission to a farm, or lose a lease, or just get tired of the pressure on a WMA near home? If so, start looking for new ground. I could write a book on how to search for good hunting opportunities on the vast array of public lands across the U.S., but here I [...]

30 04, 2025

New Science on Buck Bedding Areas

2025-04-26T13:09:24-04:00April 30th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

“Everybody needs a safe, comfortable place to sleep, even deer,” says Pennsylvania biologist Jeannine Fleegle, who contributes to the great Penn State University Deer-Forest blog. Penn State’s research shows that the best security cover is vegetation thick enough to hide 90% of a deer from observation at a distance of 200 feet or less. “That’s pretty thick,” Fleegle notes. “Saplings and shrubs do the job very well.” Is that thicket 70 yards ahead of you dense enough to hide 90% of a bedded doe with a rut-crazed buck standing guard over her? Or shield a big buck that is rubbing or scraping? Think like that and look with binoculars that as you still-hunt or approach a blind. Also, mature bucks use multiple [...]

25 04, 2025

How to Approach a Dead Deer

2025-04-23T11:22:13-04:00April 25th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

One December day a few years back, a Virginia hunter name Rob shot a 10-pointer just before dark. He hiked back to his truck, put up his rifle and called a buddy to help with the drag. When the boys went back in 30 minutes later, the buck was gone. They swept their flashlights around and shined the deer hunkering down in a nearby thicket, eyes glowing and still alive. No rifle, what now? Rob and his friend drew their knives and sneaked into the brush. They jumped on the buck, wrestled it and held it down while one guy stabbed its neck. The buck went ballistic, pounding the hunters with hooves and tossing them aside like rags dolls before [...]

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