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
Improvements to scouting cameras have taken deer hunting to new levels over the past 20 years and provided hunters with in-depth insights into deer behavior. In fact, many high-profile hunters use high-tech camera systems to unravel the secrets behind trail-use trends. Mature bucks are complex creatures, and no two are the same. However, big bucks show some similarities when using well-worn game trails. First, older bucks tend to stay on main trails less than doe groups and young bucks. They often skirt major runways, cut corners and use parallel routes. It’s certainly possible they’re merely more cautious and less prone to “trust” the instincts of other deer. On the other hand, older bucks might just be more adaptable because they probably have encountered more pressure in hunted environments. A good…
I FELT COMPELLED to write this note after reading Larry Polenske’s article “Bless This Hunt” in the June issue of Deer & Deer Hunting. This story has so many similarities to my hunting history. In the 1970s, our group of hunters would go to Michale’s Special School to meet with the principal, Sister Lillian, and have a potluck supper. We usually would make a donation toward a scholarship, and Sister Lillian would bless all the hunters for a safe and successful season. This tradition went on for years. Time has taken its toll on our group, as I am the only hunter remaining. I started deer hunting when I was 12. I’m now 73. Mr. Polenske’s article was well written. Because of quality content like this, I have retrieved the…
Find us on Facebook FACEBOOK/DEERHUNTINGMAG REACTIONS: 1,069 COMMENTS: 478 SHARES: 163 BO ELLIS: I’ve taken more than one ride on one of those!! CHRIS BRADLEY: 30 ft. up in a poplar tree and the feet straps come off and there goes the stand. ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM. There I was hanging again 30 ft. up. CHRIS MORRISON: It’s amazing more people didn’t die back in the day haha. Shady at best climbing stand and no safety harnesses. ROUNDER KNABLE: I fell 15 ft. broke leg and ankle layed up two and a half months. Lucky! TODD WINFIELD: Back in the day, we built them out of conduit with bolt welded to it for tree grippers. MICHAEL J FURNIA: Killed my first big buck using one of these when…
As the helicopter banked to begin another transect on the Maverick County ranch I was surveying for deer, I intensively scanned the various openings in the brush for those older, reticent bucks that often remain ensconced in the dense thornscrub, refusing to run from the craft. Thirty feet above the virtually flat, wide open South Texas terrain relinquishes a false sense of visibility, but the brush is always thicker than it appears, which is why I have two additional observers accompany me. Six eyes are better than two, and as we flew over a dense stand of persimmon trees, we spotted a doe lying on its side, thrashing its feet in a futile attempt to run. Once a safe place to land was located, I exited the helicopter to determine…
While we all know that coyotes kill a good percentage of fawns, seeing it done is quite rare. My good friend and business acquaintance Larry Hayes who is part owner of Bob’s Gun & Tackle in Hastings, Michigan, forgot to pull one of his Browning trail cameras after deer season and was quite surprised when he pulled it the following June to see that the batteries were still working. Larry’s property is in an area with a good mix of agriculture and timber and where there are quite a few deer and a lot of coyotes and he’s very aware that coyotes take their fair share of deer. But he was still quite surprised when he viewed the camera’s pictures, especially a three-photo series. The first was of a fawn…
It’s amazing how time flies these days. Nearly a year has passed since giving any thought to our crossbow, to say nothing of putting our hands on it, and once again deer season is just around the corner. Today’s high-end crossbows are the finest ever built, but by their inherent design, all crossbows incorporate moving parts and components that over time wear down due to stress and usage. Strings and cables stretch, trigger housing gets dirty, scopes accidently and unknowingly get bumped, and nuts and bolts loosen — all of which can affect reliability and accuracy, but even more importantly, make a crossbow less safe to shoot. With this in mind, here are a few important things to get ready for deer season. MAKE SURE IT’S CLEAN Before doing anything,…
