Big Deer Stories Archives - Page 15 of 113

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 [...]

26 04, 2019

What Is The Lifespan of Whitetail Deer?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 26th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|3 Comments

Two of the most amazing facts from the 2018 deer season: A young hunter in Vermont shot a wild doe that, according to a tooth-wear analysis, was 20 years old! And another hunter in Vermont killed a 12-year-old buck! Which begs the question: How long do deer live? In captivity, whitetail does have been documented to live 18 to 25 years, and bucks 14 years. In the wild, where hunters consider a 5-year-old buck to be an old one, deer have the capability to live longer than you think. A doe in Louisiana was aged at 21 1/2 years. Recent data from Pennsylvania confirms 3 wild does to be at least 13.5 years old. Interestingly, other does from Vermont in [...]

18 04, 2019

Alabama: Would You Pay To Bait Deer?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 18th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|7 Comments

Alabama has a penchant for strange and confusing game laws, like the current deer-baiting regulation, which allows you to use bait as long as the feed is placed at least 100 yards away from your stand and not in your direct line of sight. Who knows exactly what that means? How could a game warden enforce it? Well, that law might change, possibly to be replaced by another unusual statute. The Alabama Times Daily reports that the state’s House of Representatives has voted to allow people to flat-out use bait—for a fee! House Bill 197 allows for baiting of deer and feral pigs on private and leased lands for a $14 annual “bait privilege license fee” and a $1 issuance [...]

16 04, 2019

Deer Tip: How To Read A Buck’s Body Language

admin2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 16th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Deer Tip: How To Read A Buck’s Body Language

One November morning in Kansas, the rut was rocking when Greg Brownlee saw a doe walk out of a tree line and proceed to cross a CRP field. She stopped and looked back. "Oh boy, this is it," he thought. Greg’s heart dropped as he glassed a young buck with one antler come out the trees toward the doe. Then he caught more movement—an enormous rack overtook the little buck and made for the doe! The hunter started to get excited, but quickly took 5 deep breaths to calm down. "If I think about it too much, I could screw this thing up," he thought. The giant started toward the doe, but when he got about 150 yards out from [...]