whitetail deer Archives - Page 71 of 94

19 02, 2021

Ruger-Built Marlin Lever-Actions Available By End 2021

Clay Hanback2021-02-19T10:51:51-05:00February 19th, 2021|Big Deer TV, Deer Guns & Loads, Deer Hunting, sportsman channel, whitetail deer|2 Comments

A Michigan hunter named Goose saw me shoot several bucks recently on TV with a Marlin Model 336 in .35 Rem. and he had to have one. He ordered his .35 lever more than a year ago, and has been waiting patiently for it since. My buddy John Havlick, owner of Frank’s Gun Shop in Amsterdam, New York, texted, “Last year was absolutely crazy for us, and 2021 is starting the same way.” John says lever guns are still hot sellers with deer hunters up in the Adirondacks, but he hasn’t been able to get his hands on any Marlins for a long time. That will change, but it’s going to take the better part of another year. After Ruger [...]

18 02, 2021

How Deer Survive In Brutal Winter Weather

Clay Hanback2021-02-18T13:17:21-05:00February 18th, 2021|BigDeer, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on How Deer Survive In Brutal Winter Weather

With temperatures at or below zero across much of the country, and snow and single digits as far south as San Antonio, I thought it a good time to reprint this post, which first appeared in January 2019: How do whitetails survive intense cold and snow? Chris Whittier, a researcher and professor at Tufts University, explains it well in this article: …deer physically prepare for the winter by better insulating their bodies. In the fall, deer gradually trade their summer hair coat for a winter one, which consists of thicker, longer, and darker hairs called guard hairs, while also growing in a much thicker undercoat. This winter coat absorbs more sunlight and traps more body heat than the summer coat, and [...]

16 02, 2021

New York: New Record Typical Bow Buck 191 3/8”

Clay Hanback2021-02-23T11:04:40-05:00February 16th, 2021|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on New York: New Record Typical Bow Buck 191 3/8”

From Outdoor Life: Dieter Herbert of Huntington, New York, is a self-admitted whitetail addict. This 27-year-old New York City carpenter spends countless days and dollars scouting, planning, and hunting… In Nov. 2019 a giant buck…appeared on one his trail cameras…and he nicknamed it “Split G4.” Dieter game planned and scouted the buck for a year. On Halloween 2020, hunting from a ground blind, Dieter arrowed 227-pound Split G-4. Gross score 197 4/8, net 191 3/8. The new state record typical bow kill! Read the full story here.

12 02, 2021

Kentucky: Lady’s First Bow Buck Scores 180”

Clay Hanback2021-02-12T10:27:35-05:00February 12th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Kentucky: Lady’s First Bow Buck Scores 180”

From Realtree 2020 Rack Reports: Florida native Kim Ellis and her husband, Scott, took a road trip to Kentucky to hunt with some friends last fall. November 11 turned out to be a banner day. “It was a quiet, crisp morning,” Kim said. At sunrise two does walked within 30 yards. A 6-pointer followed a half-hour later. After that, activity slowed. Kim blind-called every 15 minutes. Eventually, a doe walked up the hill toward her position. A giant she recognized from trail-cam photos chased hot on her heels. “Thankfully, I was able to get him stopped, and that’s when I released the arrow,” Kim said. The buck wheeled and ran. She called Scott and they waited 45 minutes before blood [...]

10 02, 2021

Why Deer Shed Their Antlers Every Year

Clay Hanback2021-02-10T09:39:40-05:00February 10th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Science, Shed Hunting, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Why Deer Shed Their Antlers Every Year

Why do buck deer spend so much time and energy growing new antlers each spring and summer only to shed them 5 or 6 months later? Scientists have chewed on this for years, but “we still don’t know exactly why,” says noted whitetail biologist Dr. Mickey Hellickson, who points to a couple of theories. Some biologists believe bucks (whitetail and mule) shed their old racks each January or February so they’ll have the ability to replace antlers that might get damaged over the course of the year. If a buck had to live his entire life with snapped tines or a broken main beam, he couldn’t intimidate rivals or posture for does in the local hierarchy. A second theory suggests [...]