Deer Science Archives - Page 29 of 44

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 [...]

25 08, 2015

How Much EHD in Whitetails 2015?

admin2020-06-10T09:19:35-04:00August 25th, 2015|Big Deer TV, Deer Science|2 Comments

From Drury Outdoors: DOD team member Rod Owen found this buck in a pond by Braymer, MO. This is one of several potential EHD reports that I have heard of over the last week. Has anyone else heard about or found any dead deer lately? Let us know where you are from and how many. EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) typically occurs from mid-August through October, or until the onset of freezing weather stops the biting midges that carry this nasty virus. I am optimistic that outbreaks will be limited and spotty this year, as we had plenty of rain in many regions this spring and summer. EHD tends to be especially prevalent in drought years. BREAKING NEWS: I just received a heart-breaking email w/pictures [...]

10 07, 2015

Rainfall 2015: Good Deer Health & Big Antlers

admin2020-06-10T09:19:36-04:00July 10th, 2015|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Science|724 Comments

All this rain we’ve been getting here in Virginia—and across the East and Midwest—is great for deer, and at this stage of the pre-season, barring any big breakouts of disease, I’m predicting a banner hunting year in most all of whitetail range. It is mid-July and the woods and fields are greener and lusher than I have seen them in years. The corn is emerald and tall. The habitat’s natural food and cover are in peak condition, and have been since spring. For months deer have consumed nutritious forbs and new-growth browse, which are high protein. The woods are a jungle of green, with good cover everywhere. With does healthy and producing good milk from eating right, they have dropped a good [...]

6 07, 2015

Virginia Bans Deer Urine For 2015 Hunt Season

admin2020-06-10T09:19:36-04:00July 6th, 2015|BigDeer, Deer Science, Hunting News|22 Comments

We’ve talked a lot about EHD (commonly known as blue tongue)but now another ugly deer disease, chronic wasting (CWD), is taking center stage. CWD is a contagious and progressive neurological disease that causes degeneration of the brain of infected animals, resulting in emaciation, abnormal behavior and ultimately death. CWD has been around for decades in the West. It was found east of the Mississippi in Wisconsin in 2002, and since then has been documented in 8 eastern states, including Virginia. Since 2009, there have been 7 documented cases of CWD in Virginia, all confined to private land in Frederick County along the West Virginia border. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) has spent more than 1 million dollars [...]

2 06, 2015

Deer Science: Bucks With 3 Beams

admin2020-06-10T09:19:37-04:00June 2nd, 2015|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Science|3 Comments

Check out the 3rd beam on the left side of this rack, what caused it? A 3rd beam on a whitetail deer’s rack is the result of either non-typical genetics or an injury. If this buck were 5 years of age or older, I’d say the cause was genetics. But he’s younger than that, so the extra beam is likely the result of an injury. QDMA biologist Kip Adams agrees: “That buck injured his antler very early in the growing process that year. If the buck would have survived the season he would not have had a third beam again the following year.” I’ve never shot a buck with 3 beams, have you? Send me a picture.