Deer Science Archives - Page 28 of 44

24 03, 2016

Anilogics Science and Deer Mineral Licks

admin2020-06-10T09:16:49-04:00March 24th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Management, Deer Science|1 Comment

Right now is the time to establish a few mineral licks on your hunting land. Licks are easy and relatively inexpensive to make and maintain, and they serve two purposes: 1) provide vitamins for all the deer, from bucks growing new antlers to pregnant does getting ready to have fawns; and 2) they are top spots for you to set trail cameras and monitor bucks all summer. Science of Minerals “As land managers and hunters, we supply minerals for similar results in deer that we see in livestock that share the same environment,” says Dr. Brian Dorcey, a lifelong deer hunter who received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State. “Some of the well documented benefits of supplying supplemental [...]

8 03, 2016

Antler Injuries & Non-Typical Deer Racks

admin2020-06-10T09:16:49-04:00March 8th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, Deer Science|Comments Off on Antler Injuries & Non-Typical Deer Racks

According to Penn State’s Deer Forest Blog, a lot of things can go wrong during the 160- to 170- day growing season when bucks put on their new racks in spring and summer. Biologist Jeannine Fleegle notes that antler injuries are fairly common with wild deer. When a growing antler is damaged or broken, it bleeds profusely, and blood can fill the inside of a velvet beam or tine. When the antler starts to harden and mineralize later this summer, a heavy, swollen, club-like antler can appear. Common question I get: How long will a buck carry that abnormal rack after the injury year? Fleegle points out that the deformity could persist for several sets of antlers or for the [...]

18 02, 2016

Southeast Deer Study Group 2016

admin2020-06-10T09:16:59-04:00February 18th, 2016|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Science|1 Comment

This respected group holds an annual conference at which biologists and researchers present their latest findings on whitetail biology and management. The 2016 meetings just wrapped in Charlotte, NC. I followed Tweets from the conference #SEDSG. Some of the most interesting new science: Elizabeth Cooney @UGAWarnell studied fawning sites and found that does often choose igloo-like domes of vines/shrubs in which to drop and hide their young. (I found that fascinating.) Rebecca Shuman @UGAWarnell reported that fawns are at most risk during their first week of life. In a study, 51 of 70 fawns perished, half of those in the first 7 days of life. Of the 51 fawn deaths, 45 were killed by predators, mostly coyotes. Bobcats and black [...]

12 10, 2015

Hunt The October “Mini Rut”

admin2020-06-10T09:17:02-04:00October 12th, 2015|Big Deer TV, Bowhunting, Deer Science|Comments Off on Hunt The October “Mini Rut”

Mike: I've read about an October “mini rut,” and I'm a believer. I've always had good luck seeing bucks on either side of Oct 15. A few years ago on October 11th, bucks were chasing everything that came into a field. A nice 3-year-old got in on the action. He actually did a lip curl for several minutes where one of the does had stopped to pee. Later, a second buck came along, trailing that same doe's path and stopping at the same spot for several minutes before continuing on the scent trail. Makes one wonder if maybe a few does do cycle a month early. Are you aware of any proof of this? Bob from WI Bob: Yes, every scientific rut chart/bar graph you’ll see will show that some [...]

18 09, 2015

BIG DEER Moon & Rut Hunting Guide 2015

admin2020-06-10T09:17:03-04:00September 18th, 2015|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|3 Comments

From Kansas to Virginia to Canada, 95 percent of adult does will come into estrous and be bred from roughly November 5-20, regardless of moon phase, or weather for that matter. That is the case every year. So take off anytime from Halloween though Thanksgiving, and you’ll hunt deer in some throes of the rut. And anytime you hunt rutting deer you have the potential to shoot a good buck. But I do believe that some days and weeks are better than others to take your hunt vacation according to the various phases of the “rutting moon” in late October and November. A lot of people are moon skeptics, but not me. There are a lot of variables to moon phase [...]