whitetail deer Archives - Page 68 of 93

19 04, 2021

Virginia Reports 20 New Deer Infected With CWD

Clay Hanback2021-04-19T09:57:39-04:00April 19th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, CWD, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|2 Comments

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has announced the results of the 2020 – 2021 Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance efforts for two prominent Disease Management Areas, which encompass 11 counties in Virginia. DMA1 includes the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren; and DMA2 includes the counties of Culpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, Page, Orange, and Rappahannock. Within the two DMAs, a total of 20 hunter-harvested whitetails were confirmed to be infected with CWD. Of the 20 CWD-positive deer, 13 originated in Frederick County, two originated in Shenandoah County, and one was harvested in each of Madison, Loudoun, Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Warren Counties. These CWD detections were a result of intensive sampling efforts that resulted in over 3,000 deer [...]

15 04, 2021

How Hot Weather Affects Deer Hunting

Clay Hanback2021-04-16T13:08:42-04:00April 15th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How Hot Weather Affects Deer Hunting

Fact: It is warmer where most of us hunt than it was a decade ago. And while it was always warm in many places in September and October, it can now be downright hot during those first weeks of bow season. It’s not unusual for warm weather to extend into November or even December. During a muzzleloader hunt here in Virginia last year, it was the warmest November in 25 years! By all accounts this pattern will continue, and so it is more important than ever to factor warm weather into your game plan. Dave Moreland is an avid hunter and a biologist who worked for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, serving many years as the state’s Deer [...]

12 04, 2021

Which Buck Should You Shoot?

Clay Hanback2021-04-12T14:43:03-04:00April 12th, 2021|Big Deer TV, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Which Buck Should You Shoot?

I took this photo a few years ago at a hunting camp in Georgia. The camp boss uses it to show their guests which young bucks to pass (sets 1 and 2 top) and which to shoot (3 maybe, 4 for sure). The board is a good visual, it really does simplify "trigger finger management." I believe in deer management, though I will never preach to anybody that you MUST hold out for a fully mature monster. Maybe you only have a few days to hunt one season. Maybe you lost your job, are going through a divorce or had some other bad experience, so you just need to get in the woods and shoot a deer, get your hands dirty and clear your mind. If you are hunting [...]

5 04, 2021

2021 Pennsylvania Deer Harvest Tops 400,000

Clay Hanback2021-04-05T10:03:09-04:00April 5th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on 2021 Pennsylvania Deer Harvest Tops 400,000

HARRISBURG, PA - Pennsylvania hunters took an estimated 435,180 deer in the 2020-21 hunting seasons, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reported today. The 2020-21 estimated harvest topped the previous license year’s harvest of 389,431 by about 12 percent. Since 1993, Pennsylvania hunters have harvested more than 400,000 deer in a license year 10 times. The statewide buck harvest -- 174,780 – set a new record in the antler restrictions era. The buck harvest also increased 7 percent over the previous license year’s buck harvest of 163,240. “About a quarter of the state’s deer hunters took a buck in the 2020-21 deer seasons,” noted David Stainbrook, the Game Commission’s Deer and Elk Section supervisor. “It’s a trend that hunters have maintained over the [...]

29 03, 2021

Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

Clay Hanback2021-03-29T11:12:21-04:00March 29th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Hunting News, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Year Of COVID: 2020 Deer Harvest Up Across U.S.

A 5% increase in new deer hunters plus more time in the woods for longtime hunters led to increased whitetail harvests in many states. Maine: Some 33,157 deer were tagged, the highest total in 18 years. Wisconsin: Hunters registered 188,712 deer during the 9-day gun season, up 16% from 2019. The number of bucks harvested was 85,340, compared to 75,236 last year. Arkansas: The state reported an increase in license sales and a record-breaking harvest. Hunters checked more deer than any season since 1938, with a reported 214,022 animals and counting. Oklahoma: All-time record license sales led to a preliminary 2020 harvest exceeding 120,000 deer. Virginia: Hunters harvested 208,131 animals, up less than 1% from the 206,976 deer taken last year. West Virginia: [...]