Bowhunting Archives - Page 42 of 65

30 07, 2018

8 Scientific Facts About Whitetail Deer

admin2020-06-10T09:15:52-04:00July 30th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Science|1 Comment

The Right Rubs: In the book Whitetail Country Michigan biologist John Ozoga points out that the first good-sized rubs--on trees 2 to 4 inches in diameter--that you find in late September were made by bucks 3½ years and older to mark their home ranges and “to proclaim their control over a given area.” Other bucks and does will see the fresh blazes, and they might come over and lick or rub their heads on them. But those deer will get a whiff of the rub maker’s fore-head and salivary scent, and they’ll know who’s living there large and in charge. Finding clusters of big rubs is a key strategy for your entire season. From late September through December, most of [...]

20 06, 2018

Why Do Deer Jump The Bow String?

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 20th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|Comments Off on Why Do Deer Jump The Bow String?

Hey Mike: Wondering if you could settle a friendly argument. A buddy and I were discussing deer jumping the string. I say it is all noise related and they instinctively react; he says it could also be visual—they see the arrow coming. Wondering your thoughts? Also, do you ever see a bow being fast enough that you don’t have to worry about them jumping the string or is that impossible? Thanks--Jake in WI Jake, you win, it’s an instinctive reaction. I heard a guy say one time, “It’s like when somebody blows a horn or sets off a firecracker close, you jump.” When a deer hears your bow go off in his natural environment, same thing. I’ve heard people say [...]

18 06, 2018

Summer 2018: First Trail Cam Bucks

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 18th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|Comments Off on Summer 2018: First Trail Cam Bucks

Our friend Dan says, “I’m keeping an eye on this one.” He just did his first card pull of the summer and has more than 1,300 pics from just 2 cams…”15 different bucks so far, this one is the biggest for now…3 others have potential with a lot of growing to do in the next 2 months.” Dan says more bucks are likely to show up on their “summer range” soon in his area. Last summer, by mid-July, Dan had accumulated more than 10,000 images of deer, and 30 different bucks. It’s a unique and interesting situation, click here for details. By Dan’s standards the buck action at my Virginia mineral/camera sites is minimal right now, though the wide rack [...]

11 06, 2018

Whitetail Management: A Little Land Work Leads To A Monster Buck

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 11th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Management|3 Comments

Now is the time to put in food plots, work the timber, create mineral sites, and otherwise improve the private property you’ll hunt on this fall. You don’t have to go hog wild and spend thousands of dollars doing it, especially if you live in the right big-buck zip code. Here’s proof that some sweat equity mixed with smart scouting can pay off big. A few years ago Mike from Iowa obtained a small chunk of ground with a cabin on it. He scouted and hunted a couple of seasons, but didn’t see many bucks bucks, either on camera or from a tree stand. “My confidence in the farm was low, but after doing some timber-stand improvement and putting in [...]

6 06, 2018

Arizona Bowhunter Shoots World Record NT Coues Deer (139 2/8)

admin2020-06-10T09:15:53-04:00June 6th, 2018|Big Deer Stories, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting|1 Comment

A panel of Pope & Young Club measurers recently scored a non-typical Coues deer at 139 2/8, which ties the existing P&Y record for that category. (The rack’s velvet was stripped prior to the official measurement.) The magnificent deer was shot by Wesley Ely of Wilcox, Arizona in August 2017. Here is Wesley’s story in his words: It all began on a summer scouting trip in 2013 when I noticed a young buck with massive antlers. I continued to scout and occasionally hunt the area while the buck kept getting bigger each year. In 2017 I decided to devote all of my time off to find the buck’s summer habits. Sixteen days before opening day, I began to pattern this [...]