Predator Hunting Archives

14 11, 2024

Will Coyotes Get the Deer You Shot?

Clay Hanback2024-11-14T12:21:54-05:00November 14th, 2024|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Predator Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Will Coyotes Get the Deer You Shot?

You just shot a buck with your bow, and are unsure of the shot. A bit high, or a little back? There are coyotes in your area. Should you push it and track the deer immediately, or wait a few hours or maybe overnight? A Dog Man’s Advice John Jeanneney, a New York breeder of top blood-trailing dachshunds, tracks more bowshot whitetails in a season than most of us will in a lifetime. In his book, Dead On!, John says it’s time to re-think our tracking strategies. With most arrow hits, even marginal ones in and around a buck’s vitals, John says to get on the blood trail and go. No more waiting 30 minutes to several hours. And no [...]

15 03, 2024

Should Poison Be Used to Control Feral Hogs?

Clay Hanback2024-03-15T09:26:51-04:00March 15th, 2024|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Hunting News, Predator Hunting, sportsman channel|Comments Off on Should Poison Be Used to Control Feral Hogs?

Texas recently approved the use of a warfarin-based toxicant called Kaput in its ongoing battle (and seemingly futile) war to control wild hogs. This action has spurred renewed discussion on the research and developments surrounding feral hog toxicants. Should other Southern states try them to control their out-of-control swine herds? Alabama’s Wildlife and Freshwater Director Chuck Sykes said at the present time he is not sold on the idea that Kaput is the best solution to a difficult problem. “Based on the data we have now, I’m not in support of it. There are a lot of questions about the use of toxicants. We’ve been working with the USDA for more than five years on the use of sodium nitrite.” [...]

18 04, 2023

When Coyotes Kill the Most Fawns

Clay Hanback2023-04-18T14:22:07-04:00April 18th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, Predator Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on When Coyotes Kill the Most Fawns

Won't be long until the whitetail fawns start dropping, and to that end here's some new research. In South Carolina, researchers from Clemson University tracked the movements of 49 fawns and, separately, the movements of their mothers. Seventy percent of the fawns died before September, most of them eaten by coyotes. The 14 fawns that survived tended to have more aloof mothers who kept a greater distance from their fawns when apart, and who also visited the fawns mostly during daytime hours. The study found that does that visit their fawns at night, when coyotes are more much more active, dramatically increased their fawns’ chances of dying.

22 02, 2023

Are Bobcats Deer Predators?

Clay Hanback2023-02-20T13:50:15-05:00February 22nd, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Predator Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Are Bobcats Deer Predators?

In a word yes. But unlike the coyote, the bobcat is not a major killer of whitetail deer. A 6-year research project conducted in Texas found that bobcat scat contains much more deer during the month of June—the major fawning period-- than any other time of the year. This and other studies have concluded that while bobcats across their range do indeed prey on fawn deer in the spring, they are not a major predator, and only rarely kill adult deer.But a big male cat is an opportunistic eater of even big deer! A few years ago, John from North Carolina sent me this story. John was hunting the last day of deer season. A mature doe with 2 button bucks [...]

28 01, 2023

Beginner’s Guide To Coyote Hunting

Clay Hanback2023-01-25T07:40:54-05:00January 28th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Management, Predator Hunting|2 Comments

When deer season closes here in Virginia, my friend Rick is not ready to hang up his camouflage just yet. “Hunting coyotes in the winter extends my time in woods,” he says. “I’m not the greatest caller, but coyotes are mating now, and some days they run to my calls. If I call in 3 or 4 dogs this month and shoot a couple, I’ll be happy.” Here’s a quick primer if you've never done it and want to try it. Do You Need a License? Many states consider Canis latrans a nuisance species, and no hunting license is required. In other places, you’ll need a general state hunting license for varmints. Read your regs and be legal. Where to [...]