Big Deer Blog

30 09, 2014

Minimal EHD for Deer Herds in 2014

2020-06-10T09:22:46-04:00September 30th, 2014|BigDeer, Deer Science, Hunting News|3 Comments

The QDMA reports that hemorrhagic disease, including EHD and bluetongue virus, will have minimal impacts on whitetail herds this year. Small, scattered cases of EHD have been reported in Georgia, North Carolina, Louisiana, and New Jersey, but with frosts and colder weather coming on, no major outbreaks will occur in 2014. This is what the deer herds across America needed, especially after the record 2012 EHD outbreak. That, followed by a couple of brutal winters, killed thousands of deer in many states. Ironically, while the hard winter of 2013 was tough on deer in the North, it likely helped herds nationwide by reducing the populations of midges that bite deer and transmit the EHD virus. Minimal EHD is fantastic, but I hear predictions that the [...]

29 09, 2014

Kentucky: Giant Velvet Archery Buck, 175”

2020-06-10T09:22:46-04:00September 29th, 2014|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer|5 Comments

Today’s fine guest blog is from Kentucky bowhunter Jeff Fogle, who hunted the Crabclaw Buck for 4 long years: Mike: I first saw him 4 years ago in the summer of 2010. He was 4 years old then and already completely nocturnal. I attempted to hunt him a few times, but never saw him. In 2012 I studied aerial maps hard to try and find where he was bedding. I had a gut feeling about a particular ridge top that I had never hunted, so in late October that year I hung a stand and hunted it. I saw him on Halloween and again on Nov. 1st, but he slipped by me both times. These were the only 2 times [...]

26 09, 2014

Top Spot for a Trail Camera

2020-06-10T09:22:46-04:00September 26th, 2014|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

In the book Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting, Wisconsin bowhunter and QDMA member Todd Reabe reveals where he gets amazing daytime photos of monster bucks on his small, well-managed property. And day images are what you want, because that shows when and where you might arrow a whopper when he’s on his feet in shooting light. Todd stays away from field edges and instead aims his cameras into hidden pockets and strips of security cover. “Small funnels and bottlenecks of thick cover between feeding and bedding areas are the best spots for my cams,” he says. Look for these secret cam hotspots on aerial photos and then go in, ground scout and hang your cameras for images of big [...]

24 09, 2014

David Hale: 5 Bow Tactics For Big Bucks

2020-06-10T09:22:46-04:00September 24th, 2014|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|2 Comments

Back in 1972 Kentucky farmer David Hale sold his tractors and cows. He teamed up with local barber Harold Knight, and they started building and peddling turkey, deer and duck calls. It worked out. Knight and Hale has become one of the most successful game-call companies in America. My good friend David, with whom I have hunted many times and have always thoroughly enjoyed it, has become a legendary outdoorsman. He enjoys all types hunting, but his passion is bowhunting whitetails. David  offers 5 tips for bowhunting the early season: Most bucks don’t travel far in September or October. If you spot a big 8 or 10-pointer, he’ll almost certainly live close by for the next few weeks. Heck, he [...]

21 09, 2014

Kansas Monster Mass Buck!

2020-06-10T09:22:46-04:00September 21st, 2014|BigDeer|4 Comments

This giant was shot yesterday on a ranch a short distance to the south of where we will be hunting and filming in Kansas the first week of December. I have been looking forward to this hunt in Kansas for a while, but now I am really pumped for it. Gonna be a great rack year out there...maybe I'll even get a crack at a big drop. Check out the huge bases on this wild deer, what mass!

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