2 06, 2017

Can a Whitetail Buck Have Two Home Ranges?

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00June 2nd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|2 Comments

Ninety-nine percent of bucks have a home range of a mile or so where they spend 95% of their time year-round. The boys venture out of their core areas once in a while, especially during the November rut, when they often leave for days or weeks on doe excursions. But they eventually come back home where they feel safe and comfortable. Of course there is the rogue buck. Researchers with Pennsylvania’s Deer-Forest Study monitored GPS-collared Buck 12783, which had 2 distinct home ranges. Source:Penn State College Agricultural Sciences In the image above, his main home range is the eastern (right side) mass of blue. To the west is a “vacation home” that he used for 2 years. The researchers believe [...]

31 05, 2017

You Can Shoot a 20-Year-Old Whitetail Doe

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 31st, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on You Can Shoot a 20-Year-Old Whitetail Doe

Most of us who shoot a 5- or 6-year-old doe with bow and arrow think we’ve done something, and we have. A doe that lives that long in the wild is crafty, one of the smartest deer in the woods. Imagine a doe that lives 10 or 15 years longer yet! This Instagram post from wildlife biologist @MattRossqdma caught my eye: Camel Doe…throwback to the absolute oldest deer I will ever kill. September 18, 2002. She was easily in her late teens, if not older…my friends said she looked just like a camel. She tasted fine to me! Matt went on to say that he based the New York doe’s age on his experience of having aged thousands of jawbones [...]

26 05, 2017

Memorial Day 2017: Thank You Veterans and Heroes

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 26th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Memorial Day 2017: Thank You Veterans and Heroes

Got this from a loyal blog reader this time last year. I could not have said any better myself. I reprint in honor of all those who have served and especially to those who gave all: Mike: A nice blog for the weekend would be a dedication to the REAL HEROES of our country. The men and women that serve and have served in our Armed Forces are owed well-deserved respect and gratitude from us. "To those who have fallen, you will never be forgotten.” We WOULD NOT be able to pursue our dreams of freedom and hunting if not for the men and women that we honor this weekend. At a minimum, raise a drink during a celebration this [...]

23 05, 2017

Tough Buck: Arrow Is Splint for Deer’s Ribcage

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 23rd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Tough Buck: Arrow Is Splint for Deer’s Ribcage

I saw this unique trophy on the Drury Outdoors Instagram, here’s the gist of it: The section of ribs shown belonged to a buck that was shot with a bow by Jackie Stegall in North Carolina 30 years ago.  Jackie had no idea what he would find when the skinned the 4-pointer, which looked healthy and acted normally. But sometime at the mid-point of skinning, Jackie saw that he was not the first archer to shoot the buck! Notice how the ribs had healed and grown around the arrow shaft, which had in effect become a splint for the broken ribs. Jackie recently gifted this amazing trophy to his son, Robert, for his 30th birthday. Amazing. The broadhead looks like [...]

22 05, 2017

Weird Whitetail: Deer with White Eyes

2020-06-10T09:16:29-04:00May 22nd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Weird Whitetail: Deer with White Eyes

A few years ago a Canadian hunter sent me this… Mike: I thought this would be right up your alley since you like cool and unusual deer stuff. That is what makes your web page so great. I harvested this buck outside of Dryden, Ontario. He had white eyes! His eyes where not fogged over with cataracts or anything, and I can assure you he was not blind. They were just white, devoid of color. His hide was not piebald, although it was a little lighter than some. But except for the eyes, the deer was normal looking and acted normal. Have you or any of the blog readers ever seen this type of eye coloring on a deer? Thanks, [...]

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