2 01, 2014

Deer Hair Loss: Is This The Mange?

2020-06-10T09:23:05-04:00January 2nd, 2014|BigDeer, Deer Science|2 Comments

From longtime blogger Dutch: Mike: I think some time ago there was a thread on the blog about hair loss in deer. This past Friday, I was hunting on my family’s farm in Virginia and had this little lady stop by. She was definitely the boss doe in charge of her group, and seemed perfectly healthy other than not having any hair on her back. I've never seen this before and my first thought was mange but whenever I've seen animals with mange in the past, it's been in random splotches on their bodies, usually with little sores. This just seemed so uniform. Just wanted to share and see if you or anyone else had any thoughts.—Dutch I reached out [...]

6 12, 2013

Rutting Buck Swims River!

2020-06-10T09:23:19-04:00December 6th, 2013|BigDeer, Deer Science|2 Comments

Hi Mike: Check out the photo taken by a buddy of mine while crabbing on the Navesink River in New Jersey. This buck was dogging the doe up and down the river bank until she got fed up and jumped in to swim across. They swam a good 300 yards across that section which dumps out into the Atlantic about a 1/2 mile away. The way bucks chase does always amazes me. Just when you think you've seen it all! —Paul Milata

18 11, 2013

New Science on Hunting Pressure

2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 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

2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 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

2020-06-10T09:23:20-04:00November 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.

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