whitetail deer Archives

17 03, 2025

Ghost Bucks and Broken Racks

Clay Hanback2025-03-17T10:59:27-04:00March 17th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|1 Comment

I headed to northeast Oklahoma the day after last Thanksgiving, full or fire. I’ve had some of my best hunts of the last decade in this region during the first week of the December post-rut. My friend Corey Corson, who runs the hunting on Liberty Ranch outside Pawhuska, showed me cam images of three old 8-point target bucks. Corey said that nobody had hunted those bucks all season. As I climbed into my stand near a corn feeder in the chilly predawn the first morning, my only concern was that I would kill out the first hour of this six-day hunt. As I climbed out of my blind at dark on day three, I was getting concerned. I’d seen several [...]

12 03, 2025

State Laws of “Deadhead” Deer Skulls

Clay Hanback2025-03-12T11:37:21-04:00March 12th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

A “deadhead” is the commonly used term for a buck deer carcass that you might stumble across in the woods, with antlers still attached to the skull. Generally, such a buck has been dead for several months or even a year or two, and the carcass has been ravaged by time, weather and predators. All that might remain are a grisly skull with antlers, a portion of the spine and maybe some rib bones wrapped tautly with pieces of hide black as used motor oil. If the skull has been lying on the ground for more than a few months, you might see teeth marks on the antlers where squirrels and mice have gnawed them. Rodents are attracted to the [...]

28 02, 2025

Track Deer w/Drones, Best States to Tag Two Deer and More News from Across Whitetail Nation

Clay Hanback2025-02-28T09:21:41-05:00February 28th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

Among new regulations enacted in 2024, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says that hunters can now legally use drones to look for and track wounded deer. Also, the MDC has mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sampling stations for deer harvested during opening weekend of firearms deer season in certain counties. Hunters must take their deer, or the head of it, to a sampling station within the county of harvest on the day of the kill. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announces that for all regular deer seasons combined, the annual bag limit for bucks has been reduced from three to two. Louisiana hunters can now track wounded deer with dogs and lights, and if necessary, use [...]

17 02, 2025

How Many Bucks Do Hunters Shoot Each Year?

Clay Hanback2025-02-17T11:57:52-05:00February 17th, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|0 Comments

According to the National Deer Association’s 2025 Deer Report, hunters across the U.S. are tagging a historically high number of bucks. The total buck kill of 3,086,182 in the 2023-24 season (the last season for which complete harvest records were available) is only the second time the harvest has topped 3 million in the last 25 years. Big news: We’re shooting more mature bucks than ever! In 2023, 43 percent of the bucks shot across North America were 3½ years or older. That’s the highest percentage of mature buck harvest that the NDA has ever reported. Oklahoma hunters get the gold star for holding out for a mature deer; an impressive 85% of bucks shot in the Sooner State in 2023 [...]

3 02, 2025

How to Choose the Best Taxidermist

Clay Hanback2025-01-26T12:48:46-05:00February 3rd, 2025|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Management, Hunting News, whitetail deer|0 Comments

My hope is you’ll shoot a giant 10-pointer this fall and holler to your buddies, “Men, I’m putting this big boy on the wall!” Depending on where you live, expect to pay $600 to $800 or even more for a shoulder mount. To help you get the best return on your investment, here are some tips for choosing the right taxidermist. Check with Local Hunters You probably know some of the best hunters in your area, or at least know of the locals who kill a good buck most every year. Ask around, call them up and find out which taxidermist they use. If possible, visit their man caves, check out their mounts and see the work for yourself. You [...]