Hey Mike, this is Devin Danflous I shot the 200-inch, 21-point back when I was 14 (see picture below). This is my dad's buck from this season. It's a buck I jumped up toward the beginning of the year and I was determined to get him. My dad went out one day while I was at school, sat in a blind where I shot my big buck and shot this pig of an 8-point. I was happy for him and glad that one of us got the buck.—Thanks, Devin from Ohio
Hot off the press, the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State reports: Based on bucks wearing GPS radio collars during the 2013 rut, buck movements declined through the early morning. From 8AM to 11AM, bucks moved the least during that period of the day. But you better be in the woods and ready by 11:00 as buck movements increased to some of their highest levels from 11AM to 2PM. The (chart) above shows movements of bucks wearing GPS radio-collars from November 1st to 10th (early November) and November 11th to 20th (mid-November). The distances bucks moved are in 3-hour periods. Peak buck movements were from 2 to 5AM and from 11AM to 2PM. This further confirms what I have [...]
Today’s blog is from 20-year-old Ohio bowhunter Pierce Moore: As opening day in Ohio closed in, I made the sudden decision to take off the first week of bow season. I told a few people I was taking off the first week, and they looked at me like I was crazy. The first week of season is when the deer have had the least amount of pressure, if any pressure at all. I also took into account the moon phase for the week, and I was left with no doubt in my mind that I had to be in the stand opening week. I had two mature bucks I was anxious to see from my tree stand and hopefully have the [...]
November 8 Regardless of weather or phase of the moon, most does in the northern two-thirds of America will be bred between November 5 and Thanksgiving—this year, next fall and so on. Historically, November 8 has been and will continue to be one of the top big-buck days within this window. Get this: A whopping 15 Boone and Crockett bucks were killed on November 8, 2003, by far the most of any day that fall. Why so good? Well, in two or three days most of a herd’s does will pop into heat. For these two or three days prior, the horny big boys lug around in a daze and wait for that to happen. A giant might walk right [...]
Buck Stink: One November morning I shot a 10-pointer, walked up, took a step back and said, “Man, you stink!” The buck’s hind legs and hocks were black and wet from rub-urinating in scrapes. I held my breath and started gutting. Leaves popped. I looked up and saw another 10-pointer bearing down on me, rack poised for battle and the hair bristling on his neck. I crouched behind the dead buck. A rut-crazed animal like that is unpredictable and potentially dangerous, and I figured staying put was my best bet. The intruder marched within 10 yards, grunting and giving me the sideways evil eye. When my deer didn’t pose a threat, the bad buck whirled and trotted off. Ever since that day, I set a [...]