15 07, 2016

Deer How-To: Scouting Big Bucks

2020-06-10T09:16:47-04:00July 15th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

Excellent guest blog and advice from Montana traditional archer Luke Strommen, a charter member of the Big Deer Hunt Team: To all the BIG DEER Bloggers: Here is story and a lesson I have learned. Hope it helps you find a big buck and shoot him this season. One time I spotted a gnarly 6x6 during my scouting and glassing routines in the summer.  The mature whitetail used his primary core area throughout July and August. I saw him many times and took some distant digital images of him from one of our tree stands. He would browse in an irrigated alfalfa field, and having completed his evening ritual, he’d sneak off to spend the night in a 20-acre corn [...]

13 07, 2016

BIG DEER TV 2016 Episode 3: Anticosti Island, Canada

2020-06-10T09:16:47-04:00July 13th, 2016|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|1 Comment

Bits from the script of tonight’s episode which airs for the first time at 7 pm Eastern on Sportsman Channel. Set your DVR: So what’s the recipe for a grand adventure? A place that piques a hunter’s innate curiosity… is hard to reach… is far from the beaten path, where an isolated population of animals thrives in idyllic habitat where nature can take its course… On the border of New Brunswick and Quebec, crystal streams feed the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Anticosti Island, creating a natural wonderland. I’m here to hunt Anticosti’s resident and wild whitetail herd, which was introduced to the island 120 years ago by a man named Henry Menier, a chocolate manufacturer from France. After two [...]

5 07, 2016

3 Tips to Age Summer Bucks

2020-06-10T09:16:47-04:00July 5th, 2016|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|Comments Off on 3 Tips to Age Summer Bucks

From Cody: I recently put up my trail cam and captured a picture of a deer I have never seen before. I have more than one photo of this deer so I know he is continuously coming back into my area. I can’t seem to age him and was wondering what your thoughts were? I am from the great hunting state of Iowa and also wondering if this is a normal size for a buck this time of the year.   Whitetail bucks can be tricky to judge in late spring and summer when they are happy, lazy, fat and stress-free, especially in high-producing agricultural areas with great nutrition. Many people overestimate the age of a buck now. I ran [...]

20 06, 2016

June 20, 2016: Strawberry Moon & Summer Solstice

2020-06-10T09:16:47-04:00June 20th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|Comments Off on June 20, 2016: Strawberry Moon & Summer Solstice

We talk a lot about moon phases on BIG DEER Blog because I believe the moons in the fall especially the full one in November sparks big bucks to move and hence is a great week to hunt. My ongoing interest in the moon turned up this: Today’s full moon, which coincides with the summer solstice, is a rare and once-in-a-lifetime event. The last time the full moon lined up with the longest day of the year was back in June 1967. Today there will be approximately 17 hours of light. This Full Strawberry Moon gets its name from the Algonquin tribes, who took it as a signal to gather strawberries and ripening fruit. As far as fish and game [...]

14 06, 2016

7 Facts About Summer Velvet Deer Antlers

2020-06-10T09:16:47-04:00June 14th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|1 Comment

This buck’s rack is coming along nicely. Did you know and those antlers will grow another 1/8- to ¼-inch per day for the next 2 months? Here are more interesting facts about the whitetail’s summer antlers: --Antlers are made of bone, consisting mostly of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other minerals. Although some of the minerals needed for antler growth are taken from food, scientists note that lot of them are sucked from the buck’s skeleton, which may cause him to develop osteoporosis during the summer. Setting mineral licks for the deer can help. --Throughout June and July, velvet antlers grow via a complex system of blood vessels, which causes them to be hot to the touch. Top whitetail scientist Dr. [...]

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