8 06, 2018

Deer Antlers: How They Grow in June and July

2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 8th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|2 Comments

Antler tissue is the fastest growing tissue known to man. Beams and tines may grow a quarter-inch or more per day, the process driven by a buck’s hormones and the photoperiod of the summer days. According to Missouri scientist Dr. Grant Woods, a buck’s rack will show most of its points by mid-June, though tine length is typically less than half developed at this time. Most beam length will grow by late June. Those are general rules, but Grant points out that the growth of individual racks varies. “Some bucks will show a lot of antler growth early, while others seem to add a bunch to their rack during July,” he says. More interesting facts about summer antlers: --Antlers are [...]

4 06, 2018

Laws and Ethics of Drones & Hunting

2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 4th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|5 Comments

I heard an amazing prediction the other day: In less than 20 years every person in the world will have a “pet drone” or at least access to a drone. What will 10 billion of the things buzzing around the land mean for hunting? Is there any place for a drone in the deer woods? As the technology advances and drones become cheaper and easier to fly, it is inevitable that people will try to find a way to use them for all activities, including hunting. People already have. State troopers and wildlife cops in Alaska are aware of at least one drone-assisted (and illegal) moose kill, back in 2012. Other than shooting cool footage for personal video or a [...]

31 05, 2018

Is “Lion Zebra Death Struggle” The Best Taxidermy Ever?

2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 31st, 2018|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Is “Lion Zebra Death Struggle” The Best Taxidermy Ever?

Got this from a guy who wrote: Mike, don't know anything about this other than it is cool as hell! The message with the picture read: "World Taxidermy Championship a few years ago, notice how carefully this was put together...look at each angle and remember, there are no ropes or lines holding any of this up. The Lion is held up by his tail, where it contacts the zebra’s leg, and the entire mount is supported by the zebra’s back leg. Pretty amazing. And cool as hell.

25 05, 2018

Memorial Day 2018: Thank You Troops

2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 25th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|2 Comments

Received this note from a loyal blog reader. I could not have said it better myself, and I reprint in honor of all those who serve and have served, and especially to those who gave all: Mike: A nice blog for the weekend would be a dedication to the REAL HEROES of our country. The men and women that serve and have served in our Armed Forces are owed well-deserved respect and gratitude from us. "To those who have fallen, you will never be forgotten.” We WOULD NOT be able to pursue our dreams of freedom and firearms and hunting if not for the men and women that we honor this weekend. Raise a drink during a celebration this weekend [...]

23 05, 2018

Deer Science: What Causes Most Fawn Deaths?

2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 23rd, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Predator Hunting|Comments Off on Deer Science: What Causes Most Fawn Deaths?

Our friend Jeff saw this newborn on his New Jersey farm last Saturday. If the little deer can make it until early August, its chances of survival soar. Scientists note that most fawn deaths occur in the first 12 weeks of life. A grad student at Penn State’s Department of Ecosystem Science and Management examined the causes of fawn deaths listed in 29 different populations, and calculated the proportion of fawns that died from each of 3 categories: human, predation, and natural causes. Not surprisingly predators, namely coyotes, bobcats, bears and dogs, killed the most fawns, about 25% of them in the populations studied. About 8% of fawns died from natural causes like starvation, disease, hypothermia and drowning. About 5% [...]

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