Deer Science Archives - Page 14 of 43

13 08, 2019

The Debate Over Deer Urine

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00August 13th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, Hunting News|Comments Off on The Debate Over Deer Urine

Earlier this summer South Carolina became the 9th state to ban the use of urine-based scents for deer hunting. In a press release, the South Carolina DNR said in part: “the department is following the lead of other states in proactively prohibiting the use of (urine) in order to minimize the potential for CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) introduction into South Carolina.” In response to this and other state bans on urine-based scents, two major scent companies—Wildlife Research Center and Tink’s, have issued this response: The argument made by rule makers to ban these products is that they unnaturally congregate deer like bait or feed, thereby increasing interaction between animals and possibly increasing the spread of disease. While a scent set-up [...]

26 07, 2019

South Carolina 9th State to Require Synthetic Deer Lures

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00July 26th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on South Carolina 9th State to Require Synthetic Deer Lures

In this day and age of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) South Carolina becomes the 9th state to prohibit the use of natural deer urine, and to require hunters to use synthetic deer lures only. The new regulation takes effect with the start of the 2019-20 whitetail season. Earlier this summer Tennessee also issued a new regulation that requires the use of synthetic scents. Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and my home state of Virginia are the other states that have banned natural deer and elk urine. In a press release, the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources wrote: “the department is following the lead of other states in proactively prohibiting the use of (natural attractants) in order [...]

10 07, 2019

Summer Deer Scouting: Mock Scrapes And Trail Cameras

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:15:18-04:00July 10th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Summer Deer Scouting: Mock Scrapes And Trail Cameras

A new regulation this year in Virginia prohibits the use of minerals to attract deer in one of the counties I hunt. Since I’m now forced to give up monitoring mineral licks, I’m making mock scrapes and setting trail cameras beside them. Several studies have shown that whitetail bucks will visit scrapes with fresh scent year-round, and especially in the summer months. The fake scrapes are good places (not as good as mineral licks, but the next best thing) to get images of bucks that will roam your area this fall. A mock scrape is not only scent-based, but also a visual sign. Rake out at least a 2 foot by 3 foot area below an overhanging branch. As you [...]

4 07, 2019

Can Deer Antlers Help Cure Cancer?

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:15:18-04:00July 4th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Can Deer Antlers Help Cure Cancer?

According to an international study lead by Chinese researchers and published in the journal Science , a system of cancer-related genes allow deer to grow a new set of antlers every year, but the animals rarely die of cancer thanks to other tumor-suppressing genes in the body that keep the aggressive cells in check. An antler is a complex organ of bone, blood vessels, nerves, muscle and velvet. “Deer can completely regenerate (this) organ. No other mammal has that ability,” said Wang Wen, the study’s lead author. The researchers also noted that while deer might get tumors all over their body, the growths do almost no harm and disappear with time. This jibes with what we have posted on BIG [...]

1 07, 2019

Tennessee To Hold CWD Workshops For Hunters, All States Should

bluemillion2020-06-10T09:15:18-04:00July 1st, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|Comments Off on Tennessee To Hold CWD Workshops For Hunters, All States Should

I have researched, written, blogged about and produced TV shows concerning Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the biggest potential thread to deer herds and deer hunting to come down the pike in the last 50 years, maybe ever. I still find myself confused and scratching my head as CWD is documented in new areas, and as wildlife agencies come out with new info and regulations for dealing with the disease in the short and long term. I can only imagine how confused you, the average hunter who works hard and raises a family and doesn’t have time to research stuff like this, might be. That’s why I was so glad to see a tweet from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) [...]