BigDeer Archives - Page 71 of 342

9 10, 2021

Should You Shoot A Doe In October?

Clay Hanback2021-10-13T09:29:55-04:00October 9th, 2021|BigDeer|Comments Off on Should You Shoot A Doe In October?

Most of us wait until after the rut and later in the season, December or even January where legal, to shoot a doe or two for the freezer. But should we consider filling our doe tags now? Specialists at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) say targeting antlerless deer earlier in the year has its advantages. They note that shooting does and reducing the total number of deer in an area can have an immediate impact on available food and habitat. Less overall pressure on available nutrients can help bucks achieve better physical condition as the rut approaches. Healthier bucks can lead to more successful breeding and therefore better hunting during the rut, since bucks stay active and on the search for does. One [...]

8 10, 2021

4 Spots To Hang a Tree Stand In October

Clay Hanback2021-09-30T10:12:50-04:00October 8th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

You can’t go wrong hanging tree stands in these spots this month: 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 or River Crossing: Water [...]

6 10, 2021

2021 Deer Forecast: Texas Season “One For The Books”

Clay Hanback2021-10-05T09:08:32-04:00October 6th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|3 Comments

If you’ve always wanted to hunt Texas, this season is the time to go: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists say that 2021-22 is expected to be a deer season for the books. “White-tailed deer forecasts and expectations are, in large part, driven by habitat conditions that the deer are experiencing across their range in Texas in the eight to ten months prior to the season,” said Alan Cain, TPWD White-Tailed Deer Program Leader. “Though the end of 2020 was dry, and early 2021 experienced freezing conditions that delayed green up of important browse plants, the late spring and summer rainfall acted like liquid fertilizer for forb, grass, and woody plant production and has provided a buffet of natural [...]

4 10, 2021

How To Hunt A Whitetail Buck In October

Clay Hanback2021-09-30T10:56:24-04:00October 4th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Hunt A Whitetail Buck In October

Some good hunters I know don’t go into their best spots and stands until just before Halloween, and then they hunt them hard for the next 2 weeks into November. Their strategy is sound: put no pressure on bucks until they start rutting heavy and moving more in daylight hours. Good in theory, yes, that approach is not 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 [...]

1 10, 2021

CWD Spreads South in Virginia

Clay Hanback2021-09-27T10:41:54-04:00October 1st, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on CWD Spreads South in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says a deer killed last season in southwestern Montgomery County tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. The discovery was made by a taxidermist that participates in the state’s CWD surveillance program, and was confirmed by the department after additional testing and collection of DNA samples from the deer. The deer marked the first case of CWD in southwest Virginia and triggered the creation of a new disease management area that includes Montgomery, Pulaski and Floyd counties. For the 2021 season, a mandatory sampling day has been scheduled for November 13. All hunters who bag a deer in the new disease management area that day will be required to take the animal to a [...]