Deer Hunting Archives - Page 162 of 184

5 12, 2016

Big Deer Year 2016: Comeback of Pike Country Illinois

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00December 5th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

In my preseason posts on BIG DEER I predicted that 2016 would be the best rack year we’ve seen since 2010 across America. That turned out not only to be true but an understatement, as gigantic bucks have been killed from Virginia to Indiana to Kansas to Wisconsin and all places in and around and in between. A part of the buck boom has been the comeback of Pike County. "We took in more big deer this October than any year I can remember," says award-winning taxidermist Todd Smith. That is quite a statement from someone who has had a taxidermy business based out of Pittsfield, Illinois, in the heart of Pike County, for more than 25 years. "The bucks [...]

2 12, 2016

December Whitetail: How to Hunt Post-Rut Bucks

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00December 2nd, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on December Whitetail: How to Hunt Post-Rut Bucks

If you’ve still got a buck tag in your pocket, read on. One recent winter in North Dakota was atypical, as it has been in many parts of the county these last few years. “We had almost no snow and record high temperatures,” said bowhunter and BIG DEER blogger Derek Plautz. “Needless to say it made the hunting difficult.” Derek hunted hard, and the first week of December he started getting trail cam pictures of a shooter 10-point. “He only showed up on cam one time in shooting hours,” he said, “but at least we knew he was there. We hunted him for several weeks.” With only 2 nights left in the 2011 season, Derek decided to change it up. [...]

30 11, 2016

Maryland Girl Shoots First Deer

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00November 30th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

Guest post from longtime blogger Danny Myers. I enjoy these type stories as much as any we post, as the shooting of a first deer is a rite of passage for the boys and girls who will be the future of hunting: Well Mike, I guess we won't get to see what that lopsided 7 point will turn into next year. (You put this deer on the blog earlier this year). He came out one morning with 2 small bucks chasing a hot doe. After an agonizing 15 minutes of waiting on him to slow down, Lexi made a great shot and was able to get her first deer. Maryland has a 2-day Junior Hunting Season. On the first day [...]

28 11, 2016

Pennsylvania Bowhunter Shoots 8.5-Year-Old Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00November 28th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|4 Comments

The Deer-Forest Study blog, written by biologists and researchers from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is one of my favorites, and I monitor it weekly. Biologist Jeannine Fleegle posted this one earlier this week: A couple of weeks ago, we got a phone call from a hunter reporting a tagged deer. Nothing out of the ordinary about that this time of year. (Note: The PA researchers tag some wild does and bucks every year and monitor their movements with GPS and the like; the tagged deer are legal game, and hunters who shoot and report them get a reward.) When we looked up the tag, we discovered that this buck (11144) was tagged in 2010 as a yearling, which [...]

25 11, 2016

Idaho: Big Country, Big Whitetail Bucks

admin2020-06-10T09:16:32-04:00November 25th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

Guest blog from our longtime friend Vinnie C. from Florida, who has blogged with me from day 1 since I launched Big Deer 8 years ago. Thanks for your support and this great hunting post man: Left Florida with 95-degree weather and traveled to NW Idaho where temps were in the 20s and 30s. Time to hunt giant whitetails! I was hunting with very good friends: Lou, who owns the property I've hunted for at least 5 years now; Vince, who invited me along years ago; and DJ, the newest member of the group. Opening day, October 10, was cold and rainy early, about 38 degrees. At sunup I sneaked down a hillside to my favorite rock, a vantage I [...]