Blog - Big Deer

14 01, 2022

94-Year-Old Virginia Huntress Shoots 30th Deer

Clay Hanback2022-01-10T11:22:02-05:00January 14th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

There were lots of big deer shot across North America in the fall of 2021, but this little story from Torrey, Virginia tops them all. Virginia “Gin” Dunning went out one day during the early antlerless season last September and shot a fat old doe for the freezer. Look at the picture, Gin made a perfect high shoulder shot. My favorite shot, I’m pretty sure that deer dropped on the spot. This would not be a remarkable feat save for the fact that the Virginia huntress is 94 years young! Gin’s daughter, Betty, who was along on the hunt, says her mom has killed 30 deer over the past 50 years, most of them bucks. But she was absolutely thrilled [...]

13 01, 2022

First Case of CWD Confirmed In Alabama

Clay Hanback2022-01-10T10:46:44-05:00January 13th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|0 Comments

A sample recently collected from a hunter harvested deer in west-central Lauderdale County has been confirmed positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the first case of CWD detected in Alabama’s deer herd. CWD was first detected in west Tennessee and Mississippi in 2018 and has been moving slowly toward Alabama. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) implemented multiple proactive regulations to combat the spread into Alabama. Compliance from the public, notably hunters, helped delay the spread into the state for several years. The sample from the CWD-positive deer was submitted as part of the state’s ongoing CWD surveillance and volunteer testing program. Due to CWD detection in Lauderdale County, ADCNR has enacted a new regulation [...]

10 01, 2022

Winter Behavior Of Whitetail Deer

Clay Hanback2022-01-10T09:41:37-05:00January 10th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, whitetail deer|0 Comments

After a mild fall across the Midwest and East (the new normal) whitetails are now in “energy conservation mode” notes Pennsylvania scientist Duane Diefenbach in this Deer-Forest Blog. At the peak of the rut back in November, bucks moved on average over 2 miles per day. Right now, 2 months later, movement is less than half that; just over a mile at night and only a 1/4-mile in daylight. For bucks, energy expenditure is at rock bottom. No need to prowl for does, and not time yet to grow new antlers. Just hang out, survive and wait for spring. Diefenbach says the winter movement of does (a mile or 2 a day) has not changed much since November. But does do [...]

6 01, 2022

How Far Apart Do Mature Bucks Shed Their Antlers?

Clay Hanback2022-01-03T10:02:50-05:00January 6th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting, whitetail deer|0 Comments

Shed hunting season is coming, and here's new science to help you out. Nebraska researchers collected and analyzed cast bone in the Platte River Valley from 2009 to 2020. Here’s what they deduced from the 11-year project. Generally, the distance between matched sets of antlers from bucks 2.5 years old or older is twice as far apart as matched antler sets of 1.5-year-old bucks. If you find one small antler, chances are the other little antler from that young buck is close by. Some matched sets of sheds from 1.5-year-old bucks were found less than 5 yards apart. But when you find one big antler, you will likely have to walk and search farther to find the matching side. The [...]

3 01, 2022

Another Bullwinkle Buck W/Swollen Nose Shot In Alabama

Clay Hanback2022-01-03T09:28:12-05:00January 3rd, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Deer Science, whitetail deer|0 Comments

Field report from Johnny Sorensen down in Henry County, Alabama: I harvested this 8-point (nearly 17-inch spread with broken brow tine) on December 24, 2021 at approximately 8:00 am in Henry County, Alabama. The deer acted normal in all aspects of a buck in rut. He was emaciated a bit more than you would expect of a rutting buck. I did not weigh him but would guess 120 pounds. As poor as he was, he had obvious signs of fighting and rutting. Multiple bruises about the body were found. He was first observed traveling through woods on a neighboring property and responded to a doe in estrus bleat. He stayed in the wood line on our property and came to [...]