Blog | Big Deer

9 12, 2019

Kentucky 2019 Deer Season Has Record Harvest

Clay Hanback2019-12-09T07:52:24-05:00December 9th, 2019|BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that (gun) hunters harvested 107,039 deer during the 16-day season, breaking the previous record of 106,804 that was set last season. Hunters shot 35,143 deer on opening weekend, 19,234 during the second weekend and 11,576 during the third weekend, with the second- and third-weekend hauls also representing weekend records. Officials said a poor mast crop this fall led to deer moving more and being more visible. Also, the weather during the November gun season was ideal, not too warm and not too cold. The modern gun season was recently extended from 10 days to 16 days in much of the southeastern portion of the state, and that lead to more opportunities for [...]

4 12, 2019

Deer Hunting: How To Use The Wind To Your Advantage

Clay Hanback2019-12-09T13:01:02-05:00December 4th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

To a buck you’re a big, walking stink-ball, like Pigpen in Peanuts if you’re old enough to remember. You need to clean up your act, and we’ll get to that later. But for starters, here’s how to read and play the wind and use it to your advantage. The truth is, no matter how badly you stink you can still punch your tag if you hunt in a spot where a buck can’t smell you. App Check On your phone’s weather app, check the hourly for the day and times you’ll hunt. For example, say you find that the wind will be out of the W at 10 mph at 6:00 a.m, but at 8:00 it will turn NW or [...]

2 12, 2019

6 Things To Remember When Hunting Public-Land Bucks

Clay Hanback2019-11-26T13:59:43-05:00December 2nd, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|0 Comments

I’m a big fan of Penn State’s Deer-Forest Blog. It’s science-based and consistently provides practical and relate able information for wildlife observers and hunters alike. In this recent post the researchers talk about deer behavior in big woods on public lands. Many of you hunt that type of habitat and those tough bucks. Here are a few highlights you need to remember: Having tracked GPS-collared deer for years in big, rough, hunted woods in Pennsylvania, the researchers say that one critical learned behavior of deer is to find safe zones where they avoid hunters. When deer are disturbed, they do what deer do--run away. If they run to a spot where they don’t get disturbed again, then they will [...]

27 11, 2019

5 Deer Hunt Tactics For Thanksgiving

Clay Hanback2019-11-29T12:35:15-05:00November 27th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

You and millions of other guys and gals have a few days off this week, and for many of you this is the last best chance to get your 2019 buck. After stuffing your face Thursday, get out there and try these tactics. Hunt where two or three ridges converge and peter out into a creek or river bottom. The thicker the cover in the area the better. If food sources are anywhere close by, the spot will be a dumping ground for whitetails. Set a gun stand or blind on a vantage 100 yards or so downwind of a convergence of hills and draws and watch for a day or two. If and when a burly shooter rolls by, [...]

25 11, 2019

How To Still-Hunt A Buck Deer

Clay Hanback2019-11-13T10:19:48-05:00November 25th, 2019|BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, Mule Deer, whitetail deer|0 Comments

One of my hunting mentors of the 1990s was Jack Atcheson Sr., a renowned hunting consultant and taxidermist from Montana who has hunted on 5 continents and shot as many head of game as any man on earth, from Cape buffalo to elk to sheep to all the varieties of North American deer, and some big ones. One time on a wilderness backpack hunt for mule deer, Jack told me we were going to still-hunt and stalk the entire week, and he was going to teach me how to do it. “I’ve been hunting deer for 25 years,” I reminded him with a smirk. “Yeah, but this week you’re gonna learn how to do it right.” On day one, we [...]

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