Deer Science Archives - Page 25 of 44

20 03, 2017

Study: Trees Know When Deer Feed On Them

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 20th, 2017|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Study: Trees Know When Deer Feed On Them

Science continues to uncover interesting things in the deer world. The Deer Forest Blog reported that a recent study found that some trees know when they are being browsed by deer…and they put up a defense mechanism to stop it. The study looked at beech and maple saplings that comprised the regenerating under-story in a forest, and thus were often browsed by deer. The researchers simulated deer browsing by clipping buds off the saplings and then applying deer saliva to the wounds. They found that the saliva caused the saplings to increase production of salicylic acid, which signals a tree to produce more tannins. Tannins are bitter and not palatable to deer. The scientists concluded that the production of tannins may deter future [...]

6 03, 2017

Southeast Deer Study Group 2017

admin2020-06-10T09:16:30-04:00March 6th, 2017|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|1 Comment

The Southeast Deer Study Group meets annually for researchers and managers to share the latest information on whitetail deer. The 2017 study just concluded last week in St. Louis, and here are a few of their findings: As always there was interesting new info on the whitetail rut. Researchers from Mississippi State’s Forest Resources revealed a study that shows when bucks of similar age and body weight are present and available, does in estrus prefer to breed with the buck with the largest antlers. Another finding confirms why during peak rut you need to keep as many trail cameras rolling across your land as possible: Researchers at the Univ. of Georgia noted that you’ll get the most cam photos of [...]

3 01, 2017

Texas Unicorn Buck: Biggest Unicorn Whitetail Buck Ever?

admin2020-06-10T09:16:31-04:00January 3rd, 2017|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Texas Unicorn Buck: Biggest Unicorn Whitetail Buck Ever?

Thanks to our friend Wren for alerting me to the most unique "unicorn buck" ever. I’ve never seen a multi-pointed third beam--5 points--of this size protruding from a buck’s face; this could well be the biggest unicorn buck ever recorded in America! The original post is from the South Texas Hunting Association Facebook page: Our amigo Troy Calaway from TWC Hunt Co. with a very unique buck with a third main beam that grew out between both eyes...congrats on an awesome trophy! So what causes this rarity? Scientists say a unicorn tine is caused by trauma to the front facial bone of a buck, such as a tine puncture from another buck. Strangely, another beam then grows out from there. [...]

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 [...]

6 10, 2016

BIG DEER’S Moon/Rut Deer Hunting Guide 2016

admin2020-06-10T09:16:33-04:00October 6th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|1 Comment

From Kansas to Virginia to Canada, 90 percent of the adult does will come into estrus and be bred from roughly November 5-20, regardless of moon phase or weather. It’s been that way for decades in the Northern two-thirds of North America, and will continue to be that way forever. Take off anytime from Halloween though Thanksgiving, and you’ll hunt some phase of the rut. Anytime you hunt rutting deer you are going to have a good time, and with the potential to shoot a big buck. But I do believe that some days and weeks are better than others each year, according to when the various phases of the “rutting moon” occur each November. I base this on two [...]