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13 05, 2019

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) 2019 Update

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 13th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|6 Comments

On this just released CWD tracking map focus on the light-gray blocks, which show the current confirmation of the disease in wild populations of deer. Cases in north Mississippi and west Tennessee are relatively new, as is the gray block in north-central Virginia (Culpeper County), 20 miles from where I hunt. There are CWD deniers in the hunting industry, but I am not one of them. The scientists and organizations I work with and believe in regard CWD as a real threat with the real potential to disrupt if not decimate deer populations and hunting in the future. Every year that I look at an updated CWD map, I see the expansion of the nasty disease, and we all must [...]

7 05, 2019

2019 And Beyond: Warm, Wet Weather Means More Snakes

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 7th, 2019|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|3 Comments

I hate snakes and I cannot lie. Any snakes, from garters to rats to rattlers to moccasins. Any kind, color or size, I am scared of them all. My heart rate soared and my blood pressure spiked when I read this: After a winter (2018-19) that was warmer and wetter than average across much of the U.S., the country needs to be on snake watch… Snakes like those conditions. Increased populations are expected. And there is more bad news. A new study by Stanford University professor Grant Lipman and the University of Colorado’s Caleb Phillips shows that rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes may bite more people after rainy seasons. The study, which analyzed 20 years of snakebite data, found a significant [...]

5 05, 2019

Decline In Hunter Numbers Traced To Baby Boomers

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 5th, 2019|BigDeer|3 Comments

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies show that nationwide, participation in hunting has dropped from 14 million hunters several years ago to 11.5 million today. In 2019, only 5% of Americans hunt, about half as many as 50 years ago. My home state of Virginia, for example, has lost one-third of its deer hunters in the last 25 years, from 300,000 in the 1990s down to 200,000 today. Experts with the Virginia Dept. Of Game and Inland Fisheries say the decline in licensed hunters is the #1 deer management issue in the Commonwealth. There are myriad reasons for the decline--family/work obligations; more people living in urban areas; lack of access to hunting land; too many people glued to iPhones, Netflix, [...]

1 05, 2019

How Much Are Shed Antlers Worth?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 1st, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Mule Deer, Shed Hunting|1 Comment

How much cash can you get for your shed antlers? For starters, depends on condition and grade of the sheds: Grade A: Antler in perfect condition, brown and beautiful, with no fading…no broken tines or chew marks…this year’s drop, antler picked up within a few weeks or months. Grade B: Antler in good condition, still natural brown color, may be dull or faded on one side and slightly weathered, probably last year’s drop. May have slight broken tine or chip. Grade C: Antler faded and weathered to white and chalky, on the ground for 2 or 3 years. Here are February 2019 estimates from Antlerbuyers.com: Elk Grade A: $13.50 a pound* Elk Grade B: $11 a pound* Elk Grade C: $3 a [...]

29 04, 2019

How To Cut Mineral Stumps For Deer

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 29th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on How To Cut Mineral Stumps For Deer

Ever noticed how whitetail deer love to browse the sprouts from recently cut tree stumps? Marcus Lashley, assistant professor at Mississippi State’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, has figured out why—and developed a simple, cost-effective way to create more good feed for the deer on your land. Marcus had long noticed that even when forbs and other foods were in abundance, deer still preferred to browse the sprouts from cut hardwoods when available. “As a kid sitting on a tree stand, I noticed that deer were eating from the stump of a hardwood I’d cut down. I was curious about why, because hardwood trees are nutritionally poor for deer,” he said. With research funding through MSU’s Forest and Wildlife [...]

Big Deer Blog

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) 2019 Update

2019 And Beyond: Warm, Wet Weather Means More Snakes

Decline In Hunter Numbers Traced To Baby Boomers

How Much Are Shed Antlers Worth?

How To Cut Mineral Stumps For Deer