Deer Hunting Archives - Page 140 of 197

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 [...]

27 04, 2018

Maine: Deer Rides Ice Floe To Safety

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00April 27th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|2 Comments

From the Bangor Daily News: When the Allagash and St. John rivers finally begin moving after spending five months frozen over, it can be a spectator sport for local residents. On Monday, many of those residents got more than they bargained for as a young deer floated past on an ice floe. Sue Underhill Kelly was one of those who captured the scene and shared it on Facebook. “We were holding our breath as it floated by and it looked right at us…”Kelly wrote in a text exchange. “We were thinking certain death. But we watched it stay afloat until it went out of sight around a bend. We jumped in the truck and went downstream and saw it still [...]

24 04, 2018

2017-18 Virginia Deer Harvest

admin2020-06-10T09:15:54-04:00April 24th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

During the 2017–18 season, hunters harvested 189,730 deer in Virginia. This total included 95,474 antlered bucks, 12,822 button bucks, and 81,434 does (43% of the total harvest). Archery hunters killed 27,630 deer…muzzleloader hunters shot 48,811 animals…and firearms hunters (rifles and shotguns) shot 113,169 deer, or 60% of the total. Deer hunting with dogs accounted for approximately 54% of the total firearms deer harvest in the 59 eastern counties where deer-dog hunting is legal. Approximately 157,500 deer (83%) were checked using the Department’s electronic telephone and online checking through the Go Outdoors Virginia portal. According to Deer Project Coordinator Matt Knox, the stable or declining deer harvest trends experienced in most Virginia counties over the past decade were expected. Knox further [...]