Deer Hunting Archives - Page 138 of 196

11 05, 2018

When Are Deer Fawns Born?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 11th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on When Are Deer Fawns Born?

When will whitetail fawns start showing up this spring? A Pennsylvania study found that more than 80% of adult does are bred during a 6-week period from late October through the first week of December, with most of them conceiving in mid-November. From conception date, the whitetail deer has a gestation period of 200 days. Fast forward to the next spring and do the math. According to my calculations, in regions where the deer breeding season occurs from late October through early December (most of the country), more than 80% of fawns will be born from approximately May 12 through June 25, with the vast majority of little deer being dropped from May 29 through June 10, give or take [...]

9 05, 2018

Mule Deer: Why Antler-Point Restrictions Don’t Work

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 9th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Mule Deer|Comments Off on Mule Deer: Why Antler-Point Restrictions Don’t Work

Most western states and provinces have, over the years, implemented some type of antler-point restrictions during mule deer hunting seasons. On the surface, antler restrictions make sense: If by law hunters cannot shoot young fork-horns and other immature bucks, those deer will grow older and bigger next year and the next. More mature bucks is good for the health of any herd, right? And most hunters want to shoot a deer with big antlers, right? Not necessarily, say experts with the Mule Deer Working Group (MDWG). These researchers and biologists report that antler-point restrictions have proved to have limited potential to produce more trophy bucks, and they result in a myriad of challenges and problems. For example: -- Available data [...]

7 05, 2018

Top 8 Bowhunting States

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 7th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|4 Comments

A ton of interesting information in the QDMA’s 2018 Whitetail Report, including this: Can you guess the top 8 states where the highest percentage of the annual deer harvest is with bow and arrow? #1 New Jersey: Estimated 2016 total deer harvest 49,246; 58% or 28,563 with bow. #2 Connecticut: Estimated total deer harvest 10,412; 50% or 5,206 with bow. #3 Ohio: Estimated total deer harvest 182,169; 45% or 81,976 with bow. #4 Massachusetts: Total deer harvest 12,249; 42% or 12,249 with bow. #5 (three states tie): Kansas: Total harvest 84,065; 37% or 31,104 with bow. Illinois: Total harvest 144,304; 37% or 53,392 with bow. Michigan: Total harvest 341,287; 37% or 126,276 with bow.

3 05, 2018

Mills Buck 172 6/8: Virginia’s No. 4 Archery Non-Typical

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00May 3rd, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Mills Buck 172 6/8: Virginia’s No. 4 Archery Non-Typical

Yesterday I took this picture of Wayne Mills and the incredible buck he shot in Rappahannock County, Virginia, in October 2016. I had seen pictures of this deer, but to see it in person was amazing. Main-frame 12-point with split brow tines…21 score-able points and stickers for character. Net 172 6/8 non-typical. Number 4 all-time in Virginia according to the latest Pope and Young book. We spend a good 2 hours filming a video segment with Wayne and this giant, and you’ll see and hear the story on a new episode of BIG DEER TV this fall. Here’s the written version in Wayne’s words, which first appeared on the blog in November 2016: I was given permission on a new [...]

30 04, 2018

Is Gutting A Deer In Public A Crime?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00April 30th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|2 Comments

I remember reading several years ago about a Connecticut man who was arrested after local residents saw him use a hunting knife to gut a deer. The man, who said wanted to show his sons how it was done, conducted the procedure in the back lot of an apartment building. He told officers he found the carcass on the side of a state road and brought it to the parking lot, where he proceeded to show his sons field-dressing technique. But witnesses called the behavior “shocking.” When the arresting officer arrived at the scene, he reported that he was “overcome by a very strong smell emanating from the carcass,” and charged the man with disorderly conduct. Okay, the guy probably [...]