When we scout and hunt a property for deer from September through December, we poke around and look for rubs, scrapes and tracks. But we are reluctant to walk around too much or penetrate too deeply into the woods for fear of bumping deer. That’s good, but trouble is, by working only the perimeters of a hunting area, you only get a glimpse of how and where the deer, and bucks, live and travel. But in the spring, you can walk freely in the woods and investigate every ridge, bottom and thicket for signs of deer. Why not kill two birds with one stone and combine your scouting with your turkey hunting in April and May? At daylight, listen for [...]

The Vermont Big Game Trophy Club reports that Chris Harding’s 2017 Bennington County giant is the highest-scoring buck recorded in the state since 1991. The buck scored 176 7/8 NT, with an inside spread of 23 2/8”. Way to go Chris, I believe this is the first Vermont buck ever posted on BIG DEER.

How likely are you to shoot a buck that qualifies for the Boone and Crockett record book in your lifetime? It varies depending on where you live and hunt of course, but according to B&C your overall odds are approximately 1 in 20,000. Some 10 million deer hunters enter about 500 whitetails a year into the B&C records. Keep hunting and keep the faith. While your odds of shooting a book buck aren’t great, they are a lot better than your chances of winning Mega Millions!