BigDeer Archives - Page 98 of 342

21 07, 2020

Jim Crumley’s #1 Deer-Habitat Tip

Clay Hanback2020-07-21T09:34:28-04:00July 21st, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Management, whitetail deer|1 Comment

My friend Jim Crumley, who created Trebark back in 1980, is almost single-handedly responsible for the camouflage craze of the last 40 years. Retired now and loving it, Jim has two passions: Managing whitetails and bowhunting them on his 300-acre property along the James River in southwestern Virginia. “Managing your land for deer is not rocket science,” Jim says. In fact, the more he has worked his mountain land over the years, the simpler his plan has become. “The easier and more cost-effective you make your management plan, the more you’ll stick with it, the harder you’ll work and the better your results.” Jim does a lot of his work with a tractor and a bush-hog right now in the [...]

16 07, 2020

Trail Cam: How To Get Buck Pictures If You Can’t Use Corn Or Minerals

Clay Hanback2020-07-16T09:40:00-04:00July 16th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

For a decade on a Virginia farm I hunt, we’d start refreshing our mineral sites in June, set cameras near each lick and get thousands of images of deer over the next 8 weeks. While we might not have captured every buck that summered on the farm each year, I bet we got pictures of 80-90 percent of the bucks. Every year we’d get pictures of 3 or 4 top-end stud bucks on the farm. If your state allows it, using corn and/or minerals to attract deer to your camera sites is the very best way to inventory the bucks on a property, and to watch their racks grow to their full potential in August. But a couple of years [...]

15 07, 2020

Contest: Let Mountain Dew Help Pay For Your Hunting License.

Clay Hanback2020-07-15T11:50:07-04:00July 15th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Contest: Let Mountain Dew Help Pay For Your Hunting License.

As part of its “Out Here. It’s DEW.” campaign, Mountain Dew’s $100,000 Outdoor Stimulus will reimburse one 2020 hunting and fishing license per household for the first 5,000 outdoor enthusiasts who apply. Those who win the contest will receive a one-time $20 payment toward their fishing and hunting licenses, paid out via Venmo or check. Licensed fisherman and hunters’ permits fund wildlife conservation, education and restoration within their states. Beginning Wednesday, July 15 at 10:00 a.m. ET, hunters and anglers can apply for the Mountain Dew Outdoor Stimulus by visiting the contest’s landing page and submitting photos of their fishing or hunting licenses from the last year. Click here for the full story.

9 07, 2020

3 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Velvet Deer Antlers

Clay Hanback2020-07-09T08:07:56-04:00July 9th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|1 Comment

Velvet antlers grow via a complex system of blood vessels, which causes them to be hot to the touch. Top whitetail scientist Dr. Grant Woods notes, “There is so much blood carrying protein and minerals to a buck’s antlers this time of year that even small antlers are easily detected by thermal imaging devices. Antler tines show up like neon signs when flying over with thermal cameras in summer.” Tiny hairs on the velvet stick out and make the antlers look bigger than they are. The hairs act as a radar system so the buck won’t bump into trees, fence posts, etc. and damage his soft antlers. Sebum, a semi-liquid secretion, on the hairs gives the velvet a shiny look. [...]

6 07, 2020

July Scouting For Whitetail Bucks

Clay Hanback2020-07-06T08:42:08-04:00July 6th, 2020|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

July 4 is the official kickoff to deer-hunting season, the time when you start laying the groundwork to shooting a big deer in 3 or 4 months. Take a few days this month to tuck your pants into knee-high boots, spray down with strong bug dope and go for a power walk across your hunting areas. Look for the food and cover that will be available to deer from September through December. First, start with the easy stuff, noting the lay of corn, soybean, alfalfa and clover fields and clover plots on the land. Then probe deeper into the woods and point your binoculars into the tops of oak trees to see what kind of mast year it will be. [...]