Big Deer Stories Archives - Page 75 of 113

26 09, 2016

Early-Season Deer Tactic: Hunt A Stand While It’s Hot

admin2020-06-10T09:16:45-04:00September 26th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting|Comments Off on Early-Season Deer Tactic: Hunt A Stand While It’s Hot

Not temperature-wise, but when a spot is “buck hot.” One afternoon a buddy drilled a 10-pointer with his bow from a lock-on near an alfalfa field. I drove our ATV over at dusk, and we looked around for 30 minutes. I was supposed to be looking for blood splatter, but I got big-eyed with all the trails and fresh shiny rubs (20 that I could see) in the grassy funnel between the bedding timber and the grain. Steve hollered, “Here he is!” We weren’t quiet as we dragged his 10-pointer, loaded it, and rattled off across the field. The next afternoon I stood in the same tree stand and drew an arrow on the third buck that slipped out of [...]

23 09, 2016

Biggest Mistake Deer Hunters Make

admin2020-06-10T09:16:45-04:00September 23rd, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Biggest Mistake Deer Hunters Make

I asked that simple question of my friend, Dr. Grant Woods, one of the top whitetail scientists in the world. He told me: “Whitetails react incredibly quickly to either a positive or a negative stimulus. A lot of hunters fail to take that into account quickly enough. For example, if deer see or hear you in a tree stand near a food plot, they will learn to avoid that spot very fast. They will still go to the plot (positive stimulus) but they will circle your stand (negative stimulus). You might sit there, not see any deer and wonder what is wrong. Hunters, especially bowhunters, need to take into consideration how fast deer, and especially mature bucks, react and adjust [...]

20 09, 2016

Trail-Cam Tuesday: Illinois Ugly Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:16:46-04:00September 20th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

Our friend Zach just got this picture of “Ugly Buck” (my name and term used with affection) with a lop-sided rack and a crazy brow tine. I love character racks, and this buck is a great shooter. Zach has history with Ugly. “I missed this deer last year at only 5 yards, he was right underneath my stand and that's the one shot that no one ever practices,” he said. “I got a picture of him this year on 4th of July but hadn’t seen him since, until now. Come on October!” This is at least the fourth shooter that Zach has on his land, good luck buddy.

16 09, 2016

Don’t Let “Buck Fever” Kill You

admin2020-06-10T09:16:46-04:00September 16th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|2 Comments

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a target zone for aerobic exercise that elevates your heart to within 50 to 75 percent of its maximum rate. For example, 80 to 120 beats per minute for a healthy 60-year-old and 95 to 143 beats a minute for a 30-year-old. Medical researchers in Michigan fitted 25 deer hunters (average age 55) with heart monitors. The heart rates of those hunters who shot at and hit a buck soared as high as 118 percent of their max rate. Big time buck fever excitement! In a Wisconsin study of 10 men with monitors, the hunters’ heart rates went from 78 beats per minute with no deer in sight to 100 beats when they spotted [...]

14 09, 2016

Easy & Cheap Homemade Deer Blind

admin2020-06-10T09:16:46-04:00September 14th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Gear Reviews|Comments Off on Easy & Cheap Homemade Deer Blind

From our friend Kclap in Virginia: Hello Mike, thought I'd pass along a few pics of a couple deer blinds we made out of old swing/play sets for kids. Start with the wooden frame of an old play set, similar to the picture below. The old sets we used were both headed to the landfill. You can often find free ones in local papers or on Craigslist. Add a few sheets of cheap plywood sides and roof with screws, match the paint to your hunting area and they're ready to go. The blinds are great for scent control and offer a steady shooting rest. Add a comfortable arm chair and you can sit and hunt all day. Good luck and safe [...]