Deer Science Archives - Page 35 of 42

18 11, 2013

New Science on Hunting Pressure

admin2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 18th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Science|12 Comments

I have blogged and said on TV many times: "The NUMBER ONE THING that will kill your big-buck hunting is too much pressure. How much pressure it too much? This article from the QDMA references a study where researchers put GPS collars on mature bucks and monitored their movements and habits: “They found that at 1 hunter per 250 acres, minimal effect could be seen in the way bucks move. However, at 1 hunter per 75 acres bucks responded by choosing thicker cover (and) they traveled less… observation rates/hunter success decreased… and once the season opened, it only took three days for bucks to change their behavior…clearly there is a breaking point where having too many people in the woods affects [...]

13 11, 2013

Buck Movement & Barometric Pressure

admin2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 13th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Deer Science|4 Comments

Mike: I‘ve heard that bucks move better when the barometer is moving, either rising or falling. Is that right?—Joe from Indiana Joe: For decades, biologists have been trying to pattern deer activity as related to changes in barometric pressure. To date, nobody has been able to pin it down. Dr. Grant Woods, one of the top whitetail scientists in America, puts it this way: “I’m confident that deer move before and after significant changes in weather. However, since such changes can’t be predicted more than a few days in advance, there’s no way to plan hunting dates weeks ahead of time. After years of trying to find a pattern, the best I can offer is hunt when you can!” My personal [...]

7 11, 2013

Indiana: 2 More Giants Dead to EHD

admin2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 7th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Science, Hunting News|2 Comments

Greg saw this post on Twitter and tweeted me about another Indiana giant that likely succumbed to EHD this summer. Dave saw it too and tweeted: “Here is another west central Indiana giant that was taken by EHD. This one was found in 2012.” #shame Two more world-class bucks that this dreadful disease killed. I hope scientists can figure out some way to battle this buck killer, but to date there is nothing we can do.

30 10, 2013

Why Does a Buck’s Neck Swell in Rut?

admin2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00October 30th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Science|3 Comments

Mike: My buddies and I were talking about how bucks’ necks swell up, and none of us can find any definitive information on what causes it. We know it’s based on the mating cycle. Is it muscle mass increase, blood flow, etc.? Thanks, Jason T. Jason: In the latest research from Delaware, biologists found that the circumference of a buck’s neck can increase 50% in the rut. I asked Sarge Vasquez, a wildlife biologist and member of the Big Deer Hunt Team, for more. Sarge says: One of my old college professors, Dr. David Hewitt, wrote and edited a great book entitled, Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer. We talked about why bucks’ necks swell, and while Dr. Hewitt said he wasn't aware [...]

28 10, 2013

Indiana: Huge Buck Found Dead to EHD

admin2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00October 28th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Science, Hunting News|8 Comments

Dean W. reports that this beautiful buck, 170-class, was found in west-central Indiana by a friend of a friend and suspected to be an EHD fatality. As compared to last year, EHD has been light across North America in 2013, although there have been spotty outbreaks that have killed some bucks, like this Indiana giant. It is that way every year from Montana to the East Coast, EHD always gets some deer. Damn shame this tall-tined buck was killed by that dreaded disease.