BigDeer Archives - Page 113 of 343

3 10, 2019

Deer Hunting: 7 Tips For Aging A Mature Buck

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00October 3rd, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Deer Hunting: 7 Tips For Aging A Mature Buck

A really old buck looks old, like this one in the picture. His body is thick and blocky. Mature deer, say 5½ years and older, are just heavy. Their chests are very deep. When not alarmed, he moves slowly and with purpose, like he owns the joint. When you are aging a buck before the rut has occurred, look at stomach girth, provided you get a good, broadside view of the animal. “The older a buck gets, the bigger his belly gets,” notes whitetail biologist Mickey Hellickson. “If the bottom line of the stomach sags noticeably lower than the bottom line of the brisket, the buck is likely mature.” This characteristic does not work well after the peak of rut, [...]

30 09, 2019

2019 Oklahoma Deer Hunting Forecast

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00September 30th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on 2019 Oklahoma Deer Hunting Forecast

This fall I’ll be heading out to northeast Oklahoma, to a ranch I’ve never hunted before, to film an episode of BIG DEER TV. I was happy to read this report from the Oklahoma Dept. Of Wildlife. While I do not take this report to say it will be a banner year, it should be a good one: Oklahoma deer hunters have reason for optimism, and big game biologist Dallas Barber said habitat will have a big effect on the herd. “Just like the last few years, we have really been blessed with timely rains. These have really helped keep habitat looking good across most of the state,” he said. “As habitat continues to improve, deer populations also continue to [...]

27 09, 2019

Bowhunting: 4 Top Tree Stands For October

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:52-04:00September 27th, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Bowhunting: 4 Top Tree Stands For October

A bunch more bow seasons will open in early October; you can’t go wrong by hanging a stand in these spots: Break Line: Look for a linear strip where pines, cedars or hardwood trees come together with brush, tall grass or second-growth saplings. Deer walk and browse on these edges; bucks rub and scrape on the lines as the rut approaches. Hardwood Ridge: A narrow hogback with acorn trees within 100 yards of a corn or bean field is one of my favorite spots. Deer cut around points, ditches and gullies on a ridge; hang stands on these terrains to funnel bucks close. Bucks will stage, eat acorns and browse in ridge thickets not only in the evenings, but in [...]

25 09, 2019

How To Hunt Deer In October

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00September 25th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on How To Hunt Deer In October

Some really good hunters I know don’t hunt their best spots until around Halloween, and then they hunt them hard for the next two weeks. Their strategy is sound: put no pressure on bucks until they start rutting and moving more in daylight hours. Good in theory, yes, but I don’t believe that approach is practical for most of us. You’re busy…you bowhunt when you can. If that happens to be in October, great. The woods are beautiful, the weather is nice and there are fewer people in the timber than there will be come November. There are opportunities to get your buck, and here are some things to keep in mind. Food in the Woods Grant Woods, one of [...]

23 09, 2019

North Carolina 2019: Big Year For Big Bow Bucks!

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00September 23rd, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on North Carolina 2019: Big Year For Big Bow Bucks!

Every year when bow seasons open in September in some states across the country, one state gets particularly hot for big bucks. This year it’s North Carolina, where the archery season opened September 8. First we blogged about the 160-inch velvet 8-pointer that Brandon Johnson killed on opening day. Since then we’ve heard of 4 more NC giants. We got word of all these bucks from the Carolina Sportsman website. If you hunt or fish in the Carolinas, you need to check out and bookmark this site, it’s a fantastic regional resource. Jonathan Phillips of Pittsboro, NC shot this 9 1/2-year-old buck (above) on opening day. The Chatham County deer scored 137 5/8, proof that rack score means little. Anybody [...]