Deer Hunting Archives - Page 155 of 196

14 09, 2017

Big Deer’s 2017 Moon-Rut Hunting Guide

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 14th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|6 Comments

2017 rut moon phases: Full November 4…last quarter November 10…new November 18…first quarter November 26 As I have said time and again here on the blog and on BIG DEER TV, I am neither a scientist nor an astronomer. But I am a whitetail hunter and have been doing it for 40 years, more than 30 of those professionally. I’m also a moon fanatic. Over the years I figure I’ve spent between 880 and 1,000 days in a deer stand in November, during every imaginable moon phase and all waxing and waning days. My journal notes and personal observations say that there is definitely something to the November moon and how it impacts the movements of rutting whitetails. My 2017 [...]

8 09, 2017

BIG DEER Girls Go For Bucks

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 8th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on BIG DEER Girls Go For Bucks

BIG DEER blogger Dan has been watching 30-plus bucks all summer, including the 2 studs above. He writes in an update: None of them have dispersed yet, and there are more bucks showing up… I got over 4,000 pics this past week alone and saw several new bucks! Some of the regulars were back that I had thought moved on. I'm certain that they will separate and move away very soon, but I've never had this many bucks stick around this long. Or, maybe I'm wrong and they will stick around for the whole family to chase all season! This could be an awesome year for us. Today is the bow opener for Dan. He’s taking his daughter, Lexi, right after [...]

6 09, 2017

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Should You Eat The Deer Meat?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 6th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|Comments Off on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Should You Eat The Deer Meat?

Map: Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance This fall you shoot a whitetail or a mule deer in an area where CWD is known to be present in the deer herds. How do you handle that deer…should you eat the meat? Research has shown that in an infected deer CWD prions may be present in tissues and body fluids, including blood and muscle, but they are most prevalent in the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen. Thus, it is recommended that hunters in a CWD area wear gloves and bone out harvested deer (or elk). Take extra precautions when cutting around or handling organs where CWD prions are most likely to accumulate. Biologists [...]

5 09, 2017

Hunters: Drive and Park Smart to Prevent Fires

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 5th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Hunters: Drive and Park Smart to Prevent Fires

More than 70 wildfires are burning in 8 Western states, dozens of them in hot and dry Montana, where 2017 archery elk and deer seasons are opening up. Residents and the many out-of-staters that hunt Big Sky are wondering how the dry conditions and fire danger might affect their hunting. As of today, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is not recommending the closure of any seasons. “(But) if a private landowner or an agency such as the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management makes the decision to restrict or postpone hunting or other activity on their property, that is a decision we respect and accept," said FWP Director Martha Williams. Due to fire danger, currently more than 80 [...]

1 09, 2017

How Deer React to Extreme Hunting Pressure

admin2020-06-10T09:16:10-04:00September 1st, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|Comments Off on How Deer React to Extreme Hunting Pressure

Researchers at the University of Georgia put GPS collars on 13 does and monitored them during a period of extremely heavy hunting pressure with deer dogs. Every doe hung out and hid in her core area until the dogs got too close and the heat too intense. The does then ran a mile or so out of their familiar area and found thickets where they could shelter in place. Deer are crepuscular, wired to move at dawn and dusk every day. Once the sun started setting and the dogs and pressure ceased for the day, every doe got up and made its way back to its core area. Every doe was back home within 12 hours. What it means to [...]