BigDeer Archives - Page 159 of 342

31 10, 2017

Q&A: 6 Tips For Whitetail Rut

admin2020-06-10T09:16:09-04:00October 31st, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on Q&A: 6 Tips For Whitetail Rut

How do I locate and hunt a dominant buck in my area?—Buford Look for rubs 3-5 inches in diameter (or larger). Clusters of big rubs are sign a big buck is working the area. Hang trail cams over fresh scrapes near the rubs to get a snap-shot of the dominant buck, probably working it at night. If and when you catch the buck on his feet in daylight, move in and hunt him! Where would you spend the most time hunting in the rut—around feeding or bedding areas, on main trails or in funnels?—Steve A. My #1 Rut Spot: Set up on the downwind side of the intersection of two trails with fresh tracks and rimmed with rubs and scrapes. [...]

29 10, 2017

4 Great Treestands for October Deer

admin2020-06-10T09:16:09-04:00October 29th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on 4 Great Treestands for October Deer

You can’t go wrong hanging your tree stand in one of 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. Oak 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 the mornings as well. Creek/River Crossing: Water funnels [...]

26 10, 2017

Texas Boy Shoots First Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:16:09-04:00October 26th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Texas Boy Shoots First Buck

Today’s guest post from my friend Eddie Stevenson, a charter member of the BIG DEER Hunt Team…and a proud papa: My 6-year-old son Wesley told me back in early summer that he was ready to hunt. He’s still too small for anything with much recoil, so I decided to let him start practicing with the crossbow. He’s a natural shooter and quickly began hitting the bull-seye with nearly every shot out to 30 yards. We’ve been watching deer on trail cameras since June, and he’s become familiar with all the different deer on the property. On Friday afternoon, he told me that he was ready to hunt and really wanted to shoot a deer. With multiple bucks coming by our ground [...]

24 10, 2017

How Many Deer Breed in October?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:09-04:00October 24th, 2017|BigDeer|2 Comments

Some whitetail does come into estrus in October, as evidenced by the first bump in the chart above from the Minnesota DNR. But October breeding is spotty and hit-and-miss. If you’re lucky and in the right spot when a doe comes into early estrus, you are apt to see her come past your stand with one or two tongue-lolling bucks on her tail…or 5 or 6 or even more. But it rarely works out that way. A study in Michigan points out the norm: 80-90% of does are bred in November, with only about 5% bred in the October mini-rut. But as soon as a buck sheds his velvet in September he’s ready, willing and able to hump a hot [...]

22 10, 2017

Texas Buck: Rare Third Antler Back Of Skull!

admin2020-06-10T09:16:09-04:00October 22nd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Texas Buck: Rare Third Antler Back Of Skull!

Hi Mike: I just shot a nice 8-point buck on our property in Montague, Texas. I didn’t even notice until we got him back to the camp that he had a small additional antler! Never hearing of this before, I rushed to research. So far, what I’ve gathered is that the frontal skull lobe is capable of growing additional beams or tines if a buck is injured. But my buck’s additional antler is actually behind the main antlers, not on the frontal lobe. Have you heard of any other places on the skull for these “unis” to grow other than the frontal lobe or facial area? I’m not finding very much in general about this, your blogs on unicorns have [...]