Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2022 i Deer & Deer Hunting

That’s not a rhetorical question. I want everyone who reads this to respond and provide their thoughts. One sentence. That’s all that’s needed. Deer hunting used to be about deer camp, good food and great friends. It used to be about, “I’d like to shoot a buck, but I’ll settle for some meat if needed.” It used to be about friends and neighbors caring and sharing so much that compassion ruled above everything else connected to the hunt. My point is not to romanticize things that didn’t exist. And it’s not about advocating a time-machine trip to days gone by. It is, however, a ubiquitous request for more Christianity and less personal agenda in the field. It could be just me, but I see too much of the latter and…

A Florida man nabbed for multiple wildlife violations in Nebraska agreed to sell his house and land there to avoid jail time. Daryll W. Futch, 60, of Palatka, Fla., reached a plea agreement after being charged with multiple offenses. These came on the heels of charges and conviction in 2021, thus leading to the prosecutor’s unique offer to Futch to sell his home and land, among other penalties. Futch did so, agreeing to sell the property along with not renting or buying any other property in Morrill County for five years. He also is prohibited from hunting, fishing or guiding activity in Nebraska for five years, being around others who were doing those things, buying hunting-related equipment, “or any other activity that could be associated with hunting.” Futch’s attorney told…

So, culling doesn’t work in wild deer, and land managers can’t impact genetics. How then, do game farms have such significant impacts on antler genetics? “They match a specific buck with a specific doe they know from experience produces bucks with large antlers,” Adams said. “It’s the specific mating that allows for the antler genetics impacts. That’s why it doesn’t work in the wild.”…

I was amped. Looking at the scene, there was a water hole, just about 150 yards down from a doe bedding area. Sure, this ridge was pretty much dominated by does, with Mr. Big bedding primarily on the one opposite the crop filled valley. Still, looking at the rubs and scrapes scattered about, how it set relative the food and bedding, it wasn’t hard to see that I’d found a killer rut setup that I was brimming with confidence would be where I ultimately met Mr. Big. Jumping nine months forward, my Mathews was still dangling from the bow rope, when I first heard him coming in at a too fast and steady pace. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for him stopping to work my mock scrape, I seriously doubt…

Being able to grill a great venison burger is essential for any hunter-cook worth his or her salt. And I’d argue a delicious venison burger is the gateway food for anyone wishing to learn to love eating game. There are some key aspects to keep in mind: You want to serve that burger medium-rare, as venison’s flavor potential decreases exponentially for every degree past 135 (internal temp). Ideally, you also want to serve it as fresh as possible, which likely means, if possible, grinding your burger the same day. If you have trim or whole roasts sitting in the freezer, you can cut them into chunks and run through the fine plate of a grinder and go from there. But there is indeed no harm in using pre-ground venison for…

James White says he is not a trophy hunter. He usually takes the first mature buck he sees, often a 3½ or 4½ year old. The antlers on his personal best would score roughly 130”. He loves hunting, and wants to see other hunters succeed. One especially gratifying hunt was last season when he helped his girlfriend’s son harvest a buck. But the last weekend of the 2021-2022 season taught him some new lessons. James lives in what he calls “a little country corn village” called Baltimore, in Fairfield County, Ohio. The area has some big deer, plus plenty of food and cover, but it also has lots of hunting pressure. For a big buck to make it to February, and still be carrying his antlers, he has to be…

White-tailed deer, as well as mule deer, moose, elk, caribou, bison, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and even small animals like rabbits and porcupines, routinely visit certain sites to consume mineral enriched soil or water. Although sodium seems to be the most abundant mineral at these sites — often referred to as licks — sulfur, calcium, magnesium and other minerals may also be present in good quantities. even small animals like rabbits and porcupines, routinely visit certain sites to consume mineral enriched soil or water. Although sodium seems to be the most abundant mineral at these sites — often referred to as licks — sulfur, calcium, magnesium and other minerals may also be present in good quantities. Pioneers, market hunters and poachers learned long ago that deer show a definite craving…

It has widely been decided that, in most cases, hunters cannot impact genetics by culling deer with inferior antlers. How then, can the opposite of this take place? It can’t. Those who believe that high-grading (the consistent harvest of higher-scoring bucks) impacts herds, subscribe to a myth. “Managing only the genetic aspect of antler growth is unlikely to result in any population-level increase or decrease in antler sizes,” Anderson said.…

Deer hunters are asking a lot more knowledgeable questions than they were a few years ago. That is to be expected, for, generally, the food plot awareness levels — and the myriad of questions increased knowledge can create — are on the upswing. You don’t hear as many unusual questions now as a few years ago (“I threw out some of this ‘no till’ seed, but nothing grew. Why?”) but there are still doubters who question basics (“My soil is black; why should I test it?”). But there’s still ground to cover, and a lot of legitimate questions to ask. Q. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ANNUAL PLANT AND A PERENNIAL PLANT? A. AN ANNUAL LIVES ITS ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE IN one year, one growing season. A perennial lives three…

While there are other factors to consider when setting up an accurate compound bow for hunting, all bowhunters want to shoot as fast an arrow as is practical. A fast arrow has a flattest trajectory possible, and that’s a good thing, for several reasons, the two biggest being the leeway in aiming at a distant target at an unknown range, and the fact that the faster the shaft, the more kinetic energy is has when it reaches the target. There are several factors that go into the arrow speed equation. When shooting a compound bow, all things being equal, they are: 1) Draw weight: The more draw weight you pull, the faster the arrow will fly. The rule of thumb is that for every one lb. of draw weight your bow…

“Forget the wind and just hunt.” If there’s ever been a more deceptive hunting commercial, I’m not sure what it is. Nope, that’s not because I don’t believe carbon technology works. Quite honestly, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that odor molecules bind to carbon and that carbon technology can and very often does help some of the odors hunters bring into the deer woods go undetected. I believe that every bit as firmly as my belief that my legal name is Steven Bartylla. Unfortunately, I also believe every bit as strongly that if one does nothing more than wear a suit, forget the wind and hunt, they’re going to be treated to a choir of snorting deer, way more than they’re led to believe they ever would…

My very first memory related to whitetail hunting was when I was 5 years old. It wasn’t your typical first memory of seeing a whitetail hanging from a meatpole in the backyard or even getting to sit in the stand with Dad and feeling the excitement of witnessing my first deer kill. No, instead it was me standing at my mom’s leg in the living room, arms crossed, foot stomping and pouting like the baby I was because my dad decided I was too young to go with him, and instead I got to watch my older brother and sister head to the stand for their first hunt. After that we moved to the city, and the opportunity to hunt with my dad never came back around until now. If…

Just imagine it. Spending 20 years to cull an untold number of “inferior” free-range bucks. Burning tags on wild deer you’d likely otherwise pass. And feeling great about how much good you’ve done for the local deer herd. Newsflash — it’s a big, fat lie. Even the most intensive culling efforts on wild whitetails is so diluted that measurable results are virtually non-existent, even after decades of efforts. Simply, the minuscule rate of return isn’t worth the investment, if present at all. So, to those who’ve spent years believing in the fallacy, I’m sorry. You fell for the lie through no fault of your own. This fallacy has been propagated, and in grand fashion, for far too long. To those who are considering implementation, or still believe in the culling…

To say crossbows have improved by leaps and bounds is a science-based understatement. A couple of decades ago, a crossbow shooting 250 feet per second was thought to be an unfair advantage. Today, crossbows produce more speed and energy, with less noise and more consistency. The modern crossbow has kept up with society. As people get busier, with more demands on their time, crossbows have become easier and more intuitive to shoot, use, and maintain. There has never been a better time to look at entering the horizontal bow market or upgrading to take advantage of new technologies and accessories. TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT DO NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT Research and development is an ongoing process for any crossbow manufacturer. Today’s engineering will produce new bows five or more years from now.…

Hunters who want the most out of technology will need to select the right app based on the specific needs they have. Many different apps can individually do numerous things. Understanding an app’s strengths and weaknesses is important when choosing the right tool for the job. DEERLAB: Those who run a lot of trail cameras can certainly benefit from the data analysis capabilities that DeerLab offers to hunters. This takes all the raw data from trail camera photos and produces reports that help you pattern deer. GOHUNT: Western hunters who are in the process of picking specific states and units, and who are trying to build points, will benefit from this app. While the app does more than draw odds, point assessments, and unit analysis, it really shines in these…

If you’re reading this magazine, chances are you’re a venison lover. That’s great! But did you know these nine somewhat unusual but most certainly interesting facts about America’s favorite game meat? Give yourself one point for each one that you know, and then see how you did with our key on Page 64. 1. TRUE OR FALSE: BLAST FREEZING ELIMINATES ICE CRYSTALS Using a common method from commercial food processors can make the difference between above-average venison and the best you’ve ever had. The technique is called “flash freezing,” and it can be easily accomplished with most of today’s chest-style and upright freezers. Flash freezing is accomplished by placing freshly cut and packaged venison into a freezer set at minus 15 degrees. The key is to set the freezer to…

Here are some key features to look for. I have shot whitetails and mule deer with some 15 different cartridges over the years, and from those experiences I’ve drawn the following simple yet practical conclusion: Choose a caliber that shoots a premium 130- to 165-grain bullet accurately out to 300 yards, and you’ll be in great shape to hunt any deer anywhere in North America. The old standbys — .270, .308, .30-06, 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem. Mag. — fit that criteria and are my top choices for deer. Now, some thoughts on rifle features to look for. GO BOLT A bolt-action rifle is the best choice for the vast majority of deer hunters. Purchase a new bolt from Remington, CZ, Ruger, Savage or any of today’s gun manufacturers and it…