Deer Science Archives - Page 18 of 44

31 10, 2018

What Causes A Leg To Grow Out A Deer’s Body?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:27-04:00October 31st, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on What Causes A Leg To Grow Out A Deer’s Body?

Okay, something freaky for Halloween. Saw on Twitter where somebody shot this deer the other day and said, “This is a first for me, an extra leg growing out his neck!” Scientists say the extra leg is likely that of a twin that didn’t form all the way. According to QDMA this is most likely a case of a “parasitic twin.” Twin fawns probably began to develop inside a doe, but the twin embryos did not completely separate and one of them stopped developing normally. The leg on this buck’s back neck may actually be a non-functioning remnant of the twin that failed to develop fully, but that remained attached to the healthy embryo. Parasitic twins are rare but have been documented [...]

29 08, 2018

Hunting Canada? CWD Transport Laws For Getting A Buck Into the U.S.

admin2020-06-10T09:15:51-04:00August 29th, 2018|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, Mule Deer|4 Comments

Over the next 4 months, thousands of hunters will travel north to Alberta and Saskatchewan in search of big mule deer and whitetails. If your passport and paperwork are in order, getting into Canada with your bow or firearm is usually not much of a hassle. But nowadays, if you’re successful, getting your buck back into the U.S. can be a major hassle unless you know and follow the ever-changing rules for transporting deer parts. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been confirmed in wild deer in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, therefore CWD transport rules are in effect for bringing antlers, hides and meat back into every state in U.S. The rules: --The Big One: Before leaving camp and crossing the [...]

1 08, 2018

Will Summer Whitetail Bucks Stay On Your Property This Fall?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:52-04:00August 1st, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|2 Comments

You set cameras and scout and look all of August, and locate a big 10-pointer and a couple of great 8s, any of which you’d love to tag this season. Will the bucks stay on the property and in the same general area come late September and October? Or will they go AWOL, never to be seen again this season? Tennessee researcher Bryan Kinkel has conducted extensive preseason censuses of the whitetails that live on his clients’ hunting lands across the Southeast. His observation data and trail-camera photos show that 50 percent of the older bucks may spend the spring/summer months at one end of their home range, but then shift to another core area for fall and winter. These [...]

30 07, 2018

8 Scientific Facts About Whitetail Deer

admin2020-06-10T09:15:52-04:00July 30th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|1 Comment

The Right Rubs: In the book Whitetail Country Michigan biologist John Ozoga points out that the first good-sized rubs--on trees 2 to 4 inches in diameter--that you find in late September were made by bucks 3½ years and older to mark their home ranges and “to proclaim their control over a given area.” Other bucks and does will see the fresh blazes, and they might come over and lick or rub their heads on them. But those deer will get a whiff of the rub maker’s fore-head and salivary scent, and they’ll know who’s living there large and in charge. Finding clusters of big rubs is a key strategy for your entire season. From late September through December, most of [...]

25 07, 2018

5 Things About Summer Deer Antlers

admin2020-06-10T09:15:52-04:00July 25th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|1 Comment

Velvet antlers have a complex system of blood vessels which causes them to be hot to the touch. Top whitetail scientist Dr. Grant Woods notes, “There is so much blood carrying protein and minerals to a buck’s antlers this time of year that even small antlers are easily detected by thermal imaging devices. Antler tines show up like neon signs when flying over with thermal cameras in summer.” (Note: True and amazing how velvet antlers glow in a thermal imaging device. Last week on a nighttime hog hunt on a managed property in Georgia, I scanned the woods for hours with Trijicon’s IR Patrol thermal monocular and looked at a lot of good bucks; the hot-blooded antlers shined twice as [...]