Deer & Deer Hunting is written and edited for serious, year-round hunting enthusiasts, focusing on hunting techniques, deer biology and behavior, deer management, habitat requirements, the natural history of deer and hunting ethics
A good friend once told me that while hunting is not a spectator sport, adding a best buddy to the mix can boost enjoyment and add efficiency to the experience. I took that to heart when I first began hunting turkeys in earnest and as a result have shared the spring woods with a long list of top-shelf hunting partners. I’ve always believed that the measure of a man is greatly enhanced by the company he keeps. And that rings true with an even higher degree of sincerity in regard to the quality of hunting buddies he keeps. I’ve been fortunate to have known — and hunted with — many such indisputable men. Those who lurk in the early morning gloom doing their very best to imitate a seductive hen…
COULD THE ZIKA VIRUS INFECT WILD TURKEYS? Following the mosquito-spread outbreak in south Florida of the Zika virus, researchers began investigating whether the disease could affect animals as well as humans and in what way. Given that wild turkeys inhabit many areas where mosquitoes are found, especially the Osceola subspecies found in south Florida, it’s natural to wonder if they could be at risk. So far, however, no evidence has been found that the virus infects animals the same as it does humans. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only apes and monkeys have shown any sign of infection when exposed to the virus. That resulted in only mild fever with no other symptoms. The Zika virus may cause birth defects in pregnant women infected with…
TURKEY TWEETS @TWITTER.COM/TURKEY_HUNTING TURKEY POLL! What’s your favorite call to use when you’re chasing thunder chickens during springtime? BOX CALL 20% MOUTH CALL 37% SLATE/GLASS WITH STRIKER 36% “HERE TURKEY, TURKEY!” 7% SHOP DEER HUNTING.COM Bug Off, Mosquitos! Only a few hunting products can earn the “once you use this, you’ll never go back” distinction. The ThermaCell Mosquito Repeller is one of those rare finds to meet that high mark and the Turkey & Turkey Hunting crew uses them regularly throughout the hunting season. The ThermaCell Mosquito Repeller provides 225 square feet of coverage against mosquitoes, black flies and other insects. Each unit comes with three mats and one butane cartridge. They’re available at www.ShopDeerHunting.com along with holsters, tree hangers, butane and mat refills, and a larger lantern with a…
If you’ve killed a big gobbler with a giant beard and spurs, or multiple beards, sometimes it’s fun to find out how it would score based on the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) system. The NWTF has scads of information about turkeys, hunting areas, conservation success stories, where to find your local chapter and much more at its website, www.NWTF.org . One cool feature is its own Dr. Tom, who answers reader questions, such as the one about scoring. Here’s part of his answer: The collection of World Wild Turkey Records began in 1980 by outdoor writer and wild turkey hunting enthusiast Col. Dave Harbour and his wife, Bobbi. They established categories so differences between subspecies would not be an issue. After consulting with wildlife biologists, Harbour…
Primos Take Out Turkeys love tasty, nutritious food plots and the insects that are present there throughout the spring and summer. Find the best location for optimal sunlight and growth, conduct a soil test, follow the seeding directions and fertilize if necessary. Using quality food plot seeds, such as those from the Primos Take Out lineup, definitely can help. Its Row Crop blend includes oats, soybeans, alfalfa and barley. Once these plots are established, you’ll have great supplemental forage and a big insect hangout for your hens, poults, gobblers and other wildlife to use for months. Info: www.Primos.com Ameristep Supernatural Turkey hunting often is a run ‘n’ gun deal, but sometimes you might want a ground blind for bowhunting, or to keep squiggly, wiggly kids from spooking birds. Whatever the…
“ Between the paper maps, the GPS unit and my phone app, I’m never lost in strange country. What’s more, I know at a glance what lies between me and that gobbling turkey over there, and just where I need to be to set up on him. To modify the famous quote from Larry the Cable Guy: ‘I don’t care who you are, that’s some valuable information right there!” I recently met a guy who told me he’d killed somewhere north of 50 spring gobblers — no record, to be sure, but still respectable for a guy in his early 40s. Enough to establish his bona fides, for sure. But when it came out during the conversation that Jeff had killed every one of those birds on the same 320-acre…
