Gear Reviews Archives

14 05, 2024

Longbows and Recurves for Deer Hunting

Clay Hanback2024-04-25T08:56:49-04:00May 14th, 2024|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Longbows and Recurves for Deer Hunting

There is a contingent of modern bowhunters out there who have shot their share of deer with compound bows, and now they are looking for a different challenge. “It’s not just different, it’s the ultimate challenge,” says Jonas Strong, who has hunted deer with longbows and recurves all his life out in the river bottoms of eastern Montana. “You use your skills to get within ‘wolf range’ of your quarry, mere yards where a doe or buck instinctively senses danger. Then you have to draw your bow and shoot without the animal seeing you. There’s nothing like the rush of it.” Gearing up for Traditional Archery Strong suggests a traditional, or “trad,” bow of 60, 62 or 64 inches. “The longer [...]

2 05, 2024

Pee Sport for Deer Hunters

Clay Hanback2024-04-23T09:58:43-04:00May 2nd, 2024|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews|Comments Off on Pee Sport for Deer Hunters

We have all climbed into a tree stand (or ground blind) for an all-day sit and struggled with the dilemma, especially when bowhunting a big buck: Do I let fly right off the stand, or pee in a bottle? If you’re in the bottle camp, there’s a new product you need to take a look at. Says the makers of Pee Sport, “It’s the highest-class pee bottle on the market. It’s a premium product for a premium price ($39.99). Sounds a bit high for a pee trap, but the manufacturer insists this is a quality product. “We chose the highest-grade, degradation-resistant, odor-free silicone we could. Unlike the cheap hospital-looking pee bottles online, you'll only need to buy Pee Sport [...]

11 01, 2024

Choose the Best Hunting Knife

Clay Hanback2024-01-10T09:20:16-05:00January 11th, 2024|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Choose the Best Hunting Knife

The experts at Buck Knives offer these tips on selecting the best blade for hunting. Will the knife be used or field-dressing and skinning deer, or to clean and skin small game like rabbits and squirrels? Pick the right knife for the job. For gutting and skinning deer, you could choose a knife like the Buck Ranger Skinner, which has a large, curved-belly style. A thinner clip point design would be better suited to dressing small critters. Materials matter--quality steel and handle components ensure a knife can be easily sharpened and held and controlled as you work. A rubber handle, like found on Buck Vanguard, ensures a tight, safe fit all the time and especially in wet conditions. For deer [...]

6 11, 2023

Rut-Hunting Gear: Keep it Simple

Clay Hanback2023-10-24T13:32:30-04:00November 6th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Rut-Hunting Gear: Keep it Simple

I pack and use simple but effective gear every day that I hunt the whitetail rut: Carry a grunt call and use it every day. Hunters grunt in and shoot many giant bucks each November. Most any tube will do the job. I lay trails and set wicks with Mega-Tarsal Plus buck scent, and Special Golden Estrus doe near my stands. Make sure to use synthetic deer lure if your state requires it. You can bring in a buck with a rattle bag or box, but nothing beats real antlers. Antlers off a 130- to 140-class buck are good. They have enough mass and tines to mimic the deep thudding and grinding of two mature bucks. Most realistic.

22 10, 2023

Use Tarsal Scent for Pre-Rut Bucks

Clay Hanback2023-10-22T11:17:00-04:00October 22nd, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Gear Reviews, whitetail deer|1 Comment

This is a true story, I swear. One morning in Virginia, I shot a 10-pointer with my muzzleloader and got on the trail. I could smell his rankness in the air and in the blood as I tracked, and when I found him I covered my nose with my sleeve and thought, Whoa, you stink. The deer’s hocks were dripping and black as motor oil. I rolled the buck over, held my breath and started gutting. Leaves popped. I peeked up and saw another 10-pointer bearing down on me, head and rack held low, hair bristling on his neck. I crouched lower behind the dead deer. A rut-crazed buck is unpredictable, and I figured staying put rather than trying to [...]