BigDeer Archives - Page 84 of 342

29 03, 2021

Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

Clay Hanback2021-03-29T11:12:21-04:00March 29th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

A 5% increase in new deer hunters plus more time in the woods for longtime hunters led to increased whitetail harvests in many states. Maine: Some 33,157 deer were tagged, the highest total in 18 years. Wisconsin: Hunters registered 188,712 deer during the 9-day gun season, up 16% from 2019. The number of bucks harvested was 85,340, compared to 75,236 last year. Arkansas: The state reported an increase in license sales and a record-breaking harvest. Hunters checked more deer than any season since 1938, with a reported 214,022 animals and counting. Oklahoma: All-time record license sales led to a preliminary 2020 harvest exceeding 120,000 deer. Virginia: Hunters harvested 208,131 animals, up less than 1% from the 206,976 deer taken last year. West Virginia: [...]

26 03, 2021

#1 Key To Deer Hunting: Hunt Every Hour You Can

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T13:28:16-05:00March 26th, 2021|BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on #1 Key To Deer Hunting: Hunt Every Hour You Can

One day in November a few years ago, Brian Larue and his buddy, Bob Evenson, cut out of work early. The rut was still on in Winneshiek Co., Iowa, and the bowhunters were pumped. They had scouted and hunted their land hard all season; they knew good bucks were there and actively rubbing and scraping. Brian sneaked toward one of his favorite stands in a walnut tree, even though he figured the northwest wind would be wrong there. When he got to the stand he found the wind was more of a straight west, okay for the deer movement in the area, so he climbed up and started hunting. He looked down and noticed a big, shiny rub, only a [...]

24 03, 2021

How To Clean A Shotgun

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T11:11:28-05:00March 24th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CZ-USA, Deer Guns & Loads|Comments Off on How To Clean A Shotgun

Make triply sure the gun is unloaded. Visually and physically inspect the gun to be sure there isn’t a shell in either the magazine or the chamber. Rack a pump or semi-auto several times, or break open an over/under, several times just to be sure. Secure the gun in a gun vise and spray a little Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber around the action and down the barrel. Fit your cleaning rod with a gauge-appropriate brass brush and work it up and down the barrel. Take care not to drag the cleaning rod along the muzzle. Dowse a patch with gun solvent or bore cleaner and scrub the bore. Repeat as necessary. Run a dry patch down the barrel. Check for [...]

22 03, 2021

How To Use A Turkey Box Call

Clay Hanback2021-03-10T12:24:47-05:00March 22nd, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, sportsman channel|Comments Off on How To Use A Turkey Box Call

As you read this, I’ll be down in south Georgia at the Gopher Plantation, hunting the spring opener, running my old Lynch box and trying to strike a gobbler or soft talk one into shotgun range. These days I’ve gone back to using a box call almost exclusively, because it makes the most realistic raspy hen yelps. To run a box call generally: Hold it lightly in your left palm and work the lid gently with the fingers of your right hand (vice versa for lefties). Keep your fingers off the sides of a box so you won’t deaden its sound. Some people run a box better with a vertical hold, which I really like too. Lay a call in [...]

15 03, 2021

Are Lead Bullets Contaminating Your Venison?

Clay Hanback2021-03-16T06:45:44-04:00March 15th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|3 Comments

Back in 2008 when I was writing for Outdoor Life, I broke a story to our readers about potential lead contamination in deer meat. North Dakota, Minnesota and a few other states had allegedly found lead fragments from hunters’ bullets in ground venison donated to homeless shelters. The story caused controversy back then, with most people saying this was just a ruse by environmentalists to stop hunters from shooting lead bullets. Most people said that we have been eating deer shot with lead bullets for decades and it ain't harmed or killed anybody yet. I can’t argue with that. The lead issue kind of flamed out for a decade. I hadn’t heard much about it, until now. Kool 101.7 [...]