13 08, 2019

The Debate Over Deer Urine

2020-06-10T09:14:53-04:00August 13th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, Hunting News|Comments Off on The Debate Over Deer Urine

Earlier this summer South Carolina became the 9th state to ban the use of urine-based scents for deer hunting. In a press release, the South Carolina DNR said in part: “the department is following the lead of other states in proactively prohibiting the use of (urine) in order to minimize the potential for CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) introduction into South Carolina.” In response to this and other state bans on urine-based scents, two major scent companies—Wildlife Research Center and Tink’s, have issued this response: The argument made by rule makers to ban these products is that they unnaturally congregate deer like bait or feed, thereby increasing interaction between animals and possibly increasing the spread of disease. While a scent set-up [...]

7 05, 2019

2019 And Beyond: Warm, Wet Weather Means More Snakes

2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00May 7th, 2019|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|3 Comments

I hate snakes and I cannot lie. Any snakes, from garters to rats to rattlers to moccasins. Any kind, color or size, I am scared of them all. My heart rate soared and my blood pressure spiked when I read this: After a winter (2018-19) that was warmer and wetter than average across much of the U.S., the country needs to be on snake watch… Snakes like those conditions. Increased populations are expected. And there is more bad news. A new study by Stanford University professor Grant Lipman and the University of Colorado’s Caleb Phillips shows that rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes may bite more people after rainy seasons. The study, which analyzed 20 years of snakebite data, found a significant [...]

22 04, 2019

Earth Day 2019: Let’s Celebrate America’s Hunters

2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 22nd, 2019|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|Comments Off on Earth Day 2019: Let’s Celebrate America’s Hunters

On this Earth Day, I refer you to a passage written by two of America’s top deer biologists, Drs. Larry Marchinton and Karl Miller: In the United States roughly 3 million white-tailed deer are harvested each year… This translates to about 150 million pounds of meat. Add to this the amount of elk, turkey, squirrel, rabbit and other game as well as wild fruits, nuts, and vegetables that is consumed. To produce this amount of beef, chicken, or vegetable crops in addition to that which is already produced would be ecologically devastating. Acres and acres of wild places would have to be destroyed to accommodate this increased agricultural production. More wildlife habitat would have to be plowed under. More pesticides [...]

18 04, 2019

Alabama: Would You Pay To Bait Deer?

2020-06-10T09:15:19-04:00April 18th, 2019|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|7 Comments

Alabama has a penchant for strange and confusing game laws, like the current deer-baiting regulation, which allows you to use bait as long as the feed is placed at least 100 yards away from your stand and not in your direct line of sight. Who knows exactly what that means? How could a game warden enforce it? Well, that law might change, possibly to be replaced by another unusual statute. The Alabama Times Daily reports that the state’s House of Representatives has voted to allow people to flat-out use bait—for a fee! House Bill 197 allows for baiting of deer and feral pigs on private and leased lands for a $14 annual “bait privilege license fee” and a $1 issuance [...]

22 03, 2019

Can You Salvage Roadkill Deer In Your State?

2020-06-10T09:15:25-04:00March 22nd, 2019|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News|3 Comments

From Popular Science: Jessica Mundall came across a dead buck while driving. The animal had just been hit and killed by a semi-truck, and was still “super fresh.” She and her husband, both hunters, processed the deer on the side of the road…. “After that, we were hooked,” says Mundall, 26, who works for the state’s fish and game department in Boise, Idaho. “We ended up getting our freezer filled off of roadkill.” Idaho is one of 20-some states that allow the free salvage of roadkill animals (you simply need to report your take to the state and answer a few questions within 24 hours). Other states that allow it include Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, West Virginia, Montana, Tennessee and Alaska. [...]

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