Big Deer TV Archives - Page 86 of 195

1 04, 2021

Wild Hog Hunting At Georgia’s Gopher Plantation

Clay Hanback2021-04-01T10:02:01-04:00April 1st, 2021|Big Deer TV, CZ-USA, sportsman channel|Comments Off on Wild Hog Hunting At Georgia’s Gopher Plantation

There are some 9 to 10 million wild hogs in America, tens of thousands of them rooting across all 159 counties in Georgia, including down in Ware County where the Gopher Plantation is located. An invasive species, feral swine cause significant damage to crops and natural resources. The economic impact of hog destruction in Georgia alone is estimated at more than $150 million. Feral swine are incredibly prolific. Sows have 1 to 2 litters of 4 to 6 piglets per year. Once little hogs reach 10 to 15 pounds, natural predation is not a factor. Hunting and trapping afford a modicum of control, but once a population of wild hogs is firmly rooted in an area, like it is at the [...]

29 03, 2021

Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

Clay Hanback2021-03-29T11:12:21-04:00March 29th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

A 5% increase in new deer hunters plus more time in the woods for longtime hunters led to increased whitetail harvests in many states. Maine: Some 33,157 deer were tagged, the highest total in 18 years. Wisconsin: Hunters registered 188,712 deer during the 9-day gun season, up 16% from 2019. The number of bucks harvested was 85,340, compared to 75,236 last year. Arkansas: The state reported an increase in license sales and a record-breaking harvest. Hunters checked more deer than any season since 1938, with a reported 214,022 animals and counting. Oklahoma: All-time record license sales led to a preliminary 2020 harvest exceeding 120,000 deer. Virginia: Hunters harvested 208,131 animals, up less than 1% from the 206,976 deer taken last year. West Virginia: [...]

24 03, 2021

How To Clean A Shotgun

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T11:11:28-05:00March 24th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CZ-USA, Deer Guns & Loads|Comments Off on How To Clean A Shotgun

Make triply sure the gun is unloaded. Visually and physically inspect the gun to be sure there isn’t a shell in either the magazine or the chamber. Rack a pump or semi-auto several times, or break open an over/under, several times just to be sure. Secure the gun in a gun vise and spray a little Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber around the action and down the barrel. Fit your cleaning rod with a gauge-appropriate brass brush and work it up and down the barrel. Take care not to drag the cleaning rod along the muzzle. Dowse a patch with gun solvent or bore cleaner and scrub the bore. Repeat as necessary. Run a dry patch down the barrel. Check for [...]

22 03, 2021

How To Use A Turkey Box Call

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T12:24:47-05:00March 22nd, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, sportsman channel|Comments Off on How To Use A Turkey Box Call

As you read this, I’ll be down in south Georgia at the Gopher Plantation, hunting the spring opener, running my old Lynch box and trying to strike a gobbler or soft talk one into shotgun range. These days I’ve gone back to using a box call almost exclusively, because it makes the most realistic raspy hen yelps. To run a box call generally: Hold it lightly in your left palm and work the lid gently with the fingers of your right hand (vice versa for lefties). Keep your fingers off the sides of a box so you won’t deaden its sound. Some people run a box better with a vertical hold, which I really like too. Lay a call in [...]

17 03, 2021

Tips For Hunters Concerned With Lead In Venison

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T10:20:44-05:00March 17th, 2021|Big Deer TV, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Tips For Hunters Concerned With Lead In Venison

In our last post, we reported that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture found that some 7% of the venison donated to shelters has some level of lead contamination from bullets. If this issue concerns you, the Minnesota DNR offers these tips, which are relevant anywhere in the country. ENJOY YOUR HUNT Get out. Have fun. Nothing in the DNR’s lead bullet fragmentation study suggests you shouldn’t go deer hunting. TAKE LEAD EXPOSURE SERIOUSLY Pregnant women and children under six should never be placed in a situation where they could ingest lead particles. That’s because pregnant women and younger children are especially sensitive to lead exposure. They absorb most of the lead they take in, and the brains of infants and [...]