Deer Hunting Archives - Page 153 of 196

6 10, 2017

How To Tell A Mature Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00October 6th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

I present you with this trail-camera image of an Alabama buck I hunted for a while last season. Three things jump out and tell you this old boy is at least 6 years old. *Overall appearance is thick and blocky, with a deep, heavy chest. That is the first thing to look for and the easiest tell, as younger bucks are sleeker. *You might have heard, “Look for a saggy belly, that’s an old deer.” Yes, and this is proof. A pot-belly does not show up until a buck is at least 5 and more typically 6. It’s one of the most reliable tells of a mature whitetail. *Short face. And close up in bow range, an old buck’s face [...]

5 10, 2017

North Dakota Bow Success

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00October 5th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on North Dakota Bow Success

Today’s guest blog from our friend Derek, an excellent bowhunter from North Dakota: Hi Mike: It has been a roller coaster season, up-down-up, for me this year. Opening night (Sept. 1) I had my 7 year old daughter with me in the ground blind, her first time coming along on a bowhunt. We saw a few does, fawns, and smaller bucks come in close and it was awesome seeing how she enjoyed it. I enjoyed a few more evening hunts in that blind and in another stand, seeing plenty of promising action but no mature bucks close enough. On September 15th I was once again in my blind and one of my target bucks, a wide 8, showed up with an hour left of [...]

3 10, 2017

How Do You Feel When You Lose A Deer?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00October 3rd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|4 Comments

Mike: I’m sick. I shot a doe the other night but couldn’t find her. I looked all night and for the next day and half. Some blood at first, but then nothing. I feel so bad I’m going stop hunting for the rest of the year. Just wanted you to know, because I can tell from your TV show that being ethical and respectful means a lot to you.--John John: A lot of people who are going about hunting the wrong way would have poked around a little bit and said, "What the hell, it's just a doe, I've got more tags…" But you didn't and I applaud you for that. Losing either a doe or a 10-point buck is [...]

28 09, 2017

2017 EHD Tracker: KY and PA Update…and now West Virginia

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 28th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on 2017 EHD Tracker: KY and PA Update…and now West Virginia

The EHD outbreak in eastern Kentucky gets worse. The Northern Kentucky Tribune printed: reports of dead and/or dying deer received by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has ballooned to 2,967...tissue and blood samples taken from fresh specimens in the field confirmed that the cause was Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), specifically the EHD-2 strain… As of Sept. 12, reports have come in from 72 Kentucky counties. By comparison, a month ago reports were received from just 21 counties. The outbreak in Pennsylvania has also gotten worse. Nearly 1,000 dead deer have been reported in Beaver, Washington and Allegheny counties. An official said, “Regrettably I have to tell people we’re probably going to find a lot more (dead) deer [...]

27 09, 2017

Deer Season 2017: Big-Buck Q and A To Help You Out

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 27th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Deer Season 2017: Big-Buck Q and A To Help You Out

Some questions and answers from the BIG DEER files, with hopes the strategies in the answers will help you out this fall. Mike, is it true that once a buck sheds velvet, he’s ready to breed? Jacob, Oklahoma Bucks peel velvet from their antlers from mid-August through the first week of September, so the fuzz has been off a while now. The day a mature buck becomes “hard horn,” his demeanor begins to change, he gets more aggressive by the day and yes, he is ready, willing and able to breed a doe. But in reality he won’t get that opportunity until mid-October, when the first does come into early estrus. It was warm where I hunt last fall, with [...]