Big Deer TV Archives - Page 166 of 193

21 10, 2016

October 21: The Best Hunting Starts This Weekend

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00October 21st, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on October 21: The Best Hunting Starts This Weekend

After lazy weeks of fattening up on grain and acorns in summer and early fall, whitetail bucks get antsy and start to move around more in mid-October. Historical “rut curves” assembled by biologists over decades show that bucks really begin to rev up their scraping right now, around October 20. Better yet, the data show that 5 to 7 percent of a herd’s does are bred by bucks around October 21, give or take a few days. That’s not a whole lot, but good things happen when bucks start to rip more scrapes and prowl for the first estrus does. The more they are on their feet, the better your chances of seeing and shooting one. Bonus: There’s little hunting [...]

19 10, 2016

Virginia Bowhunter Shoots Massive 7-Point Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00October 19th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|2 Comments

Today’s guest blog from fellow Virginia hunter Chris Davis. These are the stories I like the best, hard-working, hard-hunting Americans doing their thing, grateful for the opportunities we have, thankful for the chance to one day shoot a big deer: Opening day of bow season in Virginia, I went behind my house in the morning because I only had a few hours to hunt. I saw a fawn come by, but not much else. I noticed rubs on big cedar trees that were fresh. I decided to come back in the afternoon when I had more time. When I returned later that day I saw squirrels, birds and a few hawks flying around. Daylight was starting to fade when [...]

14 10, 2016

“Stag Buck” Velvet Antlers: What Causes This?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:33-04:00October 14th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|2 Comments

BIG DEER TV producer Justin Karnopp sent me this text: Shot velvet buck with no testicles. Coolest buck I’ve ever killed! I can’t wait to see the video footage. This will make a terrific episode for next season, as a stag buck like this is very rare. According to QDMA a birth defect known as cryptorchidism causes a buck to keep velvet antlers beyond the normal velvet-shedding time of late summer: In extreme cases both testicles remain in the abdominal cavity and never descend into the scrotum. The normal production of testosterone is diminished, and the antler cycle of hardening, velvet shedding and antler casting is altered. These same results can sometimes be produced in a buck that is born [...]

10 10, 2016

Drink a Busch…You Might Win a Hunt

admin2020-06-10T09:16:33-04:00October 10th, 2016|Big Deer TV, BigDeer|Comments Off on Drink a Busch…You Might Win a Hunt

Busch beer brings back its Blaze Orange cans for hunting season. Hidden randomly within packs of the orange Busch and Busch Light cans are 100,000 “Gold Trophy Cans.” If you’re lucky enough to find a gold can within a pack, take a photo with it and submit the picture on Busch.com. You’ll be entered to win weekly hunting prizes (day packs, etc.) and if you get crazy lucky you might nab one of 5 grand prizes—an all-expense-paid hunt. You can also download a can wrap to enter the contest without a purchase. Every valid entry receives a Busch beer hunting koozie, so at least you get something. Go to Busch.com for all the details. DISCLAIMER: I gladly support and promote [...]

6 10, 2016

BIG DEER’S Moon/Rut Deer Hunting Guide 2016

admin2020-06-10T09:16:33-04:00October 6th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|1 Comment

From Kansas to Virginia to Canada, 90 percent of the adult does will come into estrus and be bred from roughly November 5-20, regardless of moon phase or weather. It’s been that way for decades in the Northern two-thirds of North America, and will continue to be that way forever. Take off anytime from Halloween though Thanksgiving, and you’ll hunt some phase of the rut. Anytime you hunt rutting deer you are going to have a good time, and with the potential to shoot a big buck. But I do believe that some days and weeks are better than others each year, according to when the various phases of the “rutting moon” occur each November. I base this on two [...]