BigDeer Archives - Page 230 of 330

25 03, 2015

Hunting TV: Why I Air No-Kill Episodes

admin2020-06-10T09:19:38-04:00March 25th, 2015|Big Deer TV, BigDeer|7 Comments

In the last couple of seasons of BIG DEER TV, we have aired episodes from Wisconsin, New York, Montana and other places where we hunted hard, had fun and did not shoot a buck. Those "no kill" shows were some of our most popular and highly rated episodes. One good trend in hunting TV is that more and more viewers want to see and hear the real story, whether it ends with a buck or not, and more and more producers and network executives are getting that, albeit slowly. Every time somebody questions me on whether we ought to air a no-kill episode or not, I point them to this letter I got one time from a viewer: Mike: I want to tell [...]

24 03, 2015

New Science: Deer Eat Eggs, Baby Birds

admin2020-06-10T09:19:38-04:00March 24th, 2015|BigDeer, Deer Science, Predator Hunting|1 Comment

For years here in VA we have been blaming critters like raccoons, skunks and opossums for for preying on quail nests and contributing to the decline of wild birds here, but could another nest predator be to blame? Whitetail deer! Nola.com: Pam Pietz, a wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in North Dakota, set up miniature video cameras that ran 24 hours a day to document the fate of grassland songbird nests. She was surprised to find deer raided as many nests as badgers, and more than weasels or red foxes. I can see a deer munching songbird or quail eggs if it happens across them, but Pietz’s research found they will also eat tiny unborn birds in a nest! Biologists [...]

20 03, 2015

Crossbow Debate: A Deer Scientist’s Perspective

admin2020-06-10T09:19:38-04:00March 20th, 2015|BigDeer|12 Comments

I got this email one time from one of the top whitetail biologists in America. He said I could use his name if I wanted to post it, but I have decided to keep it mum because there is a still small but vocal minority of crossbow haters out there, and I don’t want this man to get a bunch of hate mail. (BTW, it is not Grant Woods, whom I quote often on the blog.) The scientist wrote: Mike: I have enjoyed your articles and posts on the use of crossbows in archery seasons over the years, and feel you have been as unbiased as possible. While the crossbow debate has lost some vigor in recent years, it can still bring out [...]

19 03, 2015

197″ Danflous Buck Scores Win at Ohio Deer & Turkey Expo

admin2020-06-10T09:19:38-04:00March 19th, 2015|BigDeer|Comments Off on 197″ Danflous Buck Scores Win at Ohio Deer & Turkey Expo

In December 2011 I posted the story of an incredible buck that then 14-year-old Devin Danflous shot with a 20-gauge as the giant walked by at 15 yards. To make the hunt even sweeter, Devin’s dad, Kyle, was sitting beside him in the double stand. The Licking County monster had 21 scorable points and netted 197 1/8. Just got this update from Devin: Hey Mike: I recently took my buck to the Ohio Deer and Turkey Expo and entered it into the “historical non-typical class.” It won first place! Also my dad got his big 8-point from last season scored at 146 4/8 inches, and it tied for 2nd place for “current year archery 8 point.” Thought I’d share since [...]

18 03, 2015

Deer Rifle Update: Remington Model 783

admin2020-06-10T09:19:39-04:00March 18th, 2015|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Guns & Loads, Remington|9 Comments

I was one of the first hunters to shoot and test the Model 783 back in 2012. That November John Fink, who works for Remington, shot the first ever buck with the 783 on a hunt with me in Saskatchewan. We filmed that 160-inch giant going down for my show, Big Deer TV On Sportsman Channel. When I posted my first review on the Model 783 in January 2013, I had shot the rifle (in .30-06 caliber) quite a bit, but I had never killed a deer with. I have since shot 5 bucks with the 783, 2 with the .30-06 and 3 with one chambered for .270. A recap of the Model 783’s features and specs: Built in Mayfield, KY, the 783 bolt-action has [...]