BigDeer Archives - Page 77 of 343

16 08, 2021

Tree Stand Selector For Deer Hunters

Clay Hanback2021-08-16T13:39:21-04:00August 16th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Tree Stand Selector For Deer Hunters

Need a new tree stand or two this season? Consider these tips before shelling out several hundred dollars of hard-earned money. Choose a fixed-position stand if: You hunt a place with lots of crooked or stunted trees with low-growing branches (a climber won’t work here). You typically hang 3 or 4 stands and leave them in the same spots all season. You’re reasonably fit. Hanging and pulling fixed perches and steps are hard work. You’re a stickler for concealment. A fixed-position stand is the smallest of the lot, and it’s the easiest to hide high in a tree. Choose a climbing stand if: There are plenty of straight trees 8 to 20 inches in diameter where you hunt. You don’t [...]

11 08, 2021

Can A Deer You Shoot Give You COVID?

Clay Hanback2021-08-09T11:13:32-04:00August 11th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Can A Deer You Shoot Give You COVID?

The recent and shocking USDA study that found that 33% of tested wild whitetails were exposed to the COVID-19 virus brings up 2 huge questions as we prepare to hit the woods and shoot deer this season. One, could you get the virus from a deer you kill and handle? The USDA’s Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says there is no evidence that any animal, including deer, plays a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people. Based on the available information, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is low. But they do say further research is needed. Is a deer you kill this fall safe to eat? APHIS says there is no evidence that people [...]

9 08, 2021

USDA Study: Whitetail Deer In U.S. Exposed To COVID Virus

Clay Hanback2021-08-09T11:04:41-04:00August 9th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|Comments Off on USDA Study: Whitetail Deer In U.S. Exposed To COVID Virus

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently completed a study that analyzed serum samples from free-ranging whitetail deer for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Results indicate that certain deer populations in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania were exposed to the virus that causes COVID 19. APHIS collected 481 samples between January 2020 and March 2021 from Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Scientists detected SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 33 percent of those samples. The results varied by state: Illinois = 7 percent of 101 samples contained antibodies; Michigan = 67 percent of 113 samples; New York = 19 percent of 68 samples; and Pennsylvania = 31 percent of 199 samples. It should be pointed out that there [...]

5 08, 2021

How To Scout Deer On 50 Acres

Clay Hanback2021-07-31T09:33:22-04:00August 5th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How To Scout Deer On 50 Acres

After supper on August evenings my buddy Rick strolls down to the barn behind his house, anchors a spotting scope on a fence post and glasses the deer that come to munch the Imperial Clover that he sows in his 10-acre back field. At dusk 2 or 3 nice 8-pointers generally show up with a couple of spindly bucks, and a few does. Rick studies the bucks and patterns where and they walk out of the woods that border the field. Every fall he hangs a tree stand inside the wood line and tags one of the best deer. You can scout and hunt like that if you own or lease a 20- to 50-acre tract of mixed fields, woods [...]

3 08, 2021

When Do Velvet Deer Antlers Stop Growing?

Clay Hanback2021-07-31T09:06:45-04:00August 3rd, 2021|BigDeer|Comments Off on When Do Velvet Deer Antlers Stop Growing?

A gentleman from the Midwest wrote and told me he had spotted some mighty fine bucks this summer, and he wondered how much more those racks would grow. It’s a great question, and I ran it by one of BIG DEER’s most respected pros, Dr. Mickey Hellickson who said: Generally, the majority of antler growth, especially with regard to tine and beam length, will be complete by early August. During mid- to late August, the antlers begin to harden; that is why growth slows and then stops. During early to mid-September, the velvet dries and is shed, usually in only a matter of hours. The cue for the hardening and velvet shedding is the change in photoperiod caused by increasing darkness and decreasing [...]