Big Deer TV Archives - Page 145 of 181

5 04, 2017

Cryptorchidism in Deer: “Stag Buck”

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00April 5th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Cryptorchidism in Deer: “Stag Buck”

Have you ever seen a buck in velvet well past September, maybe into November or December, or even with velvet antlers still intact in spring or summer? Commonly called a “stag,” the oddball buck exhibits unusual antler growth and retains velvet on the antlers due to low testosterone levels. Scientists refer to this condition as cryptoridism, and it’s rare. It can result from a birth defect or disease that causes a buck’s testicles (one or both) not to drop normally. Or, a buck may injure his privates, say on a wire fence (ouch). Cryptorchidism can occur in whitetails, blacktails (picture above) or mule deer (below). A stag buck is different, and he doesn’t engage in the seasonal rituals of normal [...]

31 03, 2017

South Dakota Shed Hunt

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 31st, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Shed Hunting|1 Comment

BIG DEER’s shed-hunting expert Kelly Kirsch filed this field report: Mike: Walked another 16.8 miles last Saturday and found 6. I found one that I call the “kick stand,” it stands on its own. Kind of a cool antler, my wife already claimed it! Sunday I hurt so I just hit one place, a small dam with grasses in the middle of an unpicked corn field. It just felt right! Well, we picked 8, with three sets and this one good set.—Kelly By my count Kelly is pushing 100 antlers for the year so far, with some great sets like in the picture above. Gonna be a slammer buck this fall.. For BIG DEER's best shed-hunting tips click here.

29 03, 2017

Is Old Ammo Safe to Shoot?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 29th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|3 Comments

Mike: I have some boxes of Core-Lokt .270 loads that must be 10 years old? Are those shells still safe to shoot and hunt with? Love the blog, keep up the good work.—George from Nebraska George: For starters, let me say that I’ve been hunting with .270, .30-06 and 7mm loads from a test batch I got at least 10 years old. Some of the cartridges are 15 years old.They are still reliable and accurate, and I’ve killed dozens of bucks with them. If center-fire cartridges are stored in a dry place at moderate temperatures with low humidity—say on a shelf in a dry basement where you have a dehumidifier running—they can have an amazingly long shelf life. There are [...]

27 03, 2017

2017: It’s a Tough Economy for the Gun & Hunting Industry Right Now

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 27th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews, Hunting News, Remington|12 Comments

The health care chaos last week on Capitol Hill notwithstanding, things have been looking pretty good since President Trump’s election last November. The stock market is up and consumer confidence is high as the President reduces burdensome regulations on business and moves to act on tax reform this summer. But ironically the election of our first pro-gun president in 8 years has slowed the sale of firearms and softened the overall shooting/hunting market. In recent years, with anti-gun Barack Obama at the helm and with the prospect of Hillary looming for another 8 years, law-abiding and freedom–loving Americans had a deep and well-founded concern that their gun rights were in serious jeopardy, and so we purchased guns and hoarded ammunition [...]

24 03, 2017

Spring Gobbler Fever: How to Call Wild Turkeys

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 24th, 2017|Big Deer TV, BigDeer|2 Comments

While this is a deer hunting blog, I know that millions of deer hunters will be hitting the turkey woods this spring. Here are some calling tips from one of my turkey hunting books.--MH Diaphragm Mouth Call Mouth calls have been around for 150 years. Early diaphragms were big and crude, but modern calls are streamlined and high-tech, featuring either a latex or prophylactic reed crimped into an aluminum frame. A tape skirt covers the frame and acts as an air seal. There are many mouth calls on the market. Some have one or two rubber reeds; others three or four. Some calls have clipped or notched reeds designed to put rasp into your yelps. How to Mouth Call Place [...]