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
There were times when I saw worry and pain in my father's eyes. That comes with any life well lived. However, I've never seen a hint of consternation in his face when the subject turned to deer or deer hunting. That's because deer season is always the time for us to get back to nature and recharge our batteries. Dad shot this big 10-pointer in 1969, and he still can recite every detail of the hunt. His love for hunting grew exponentially from that day forward for all the right reasons, and he's maintained a wide-eyed view of the hunt. For him, each hunt is about individual circumstances and day-to-day goings on. In the end, it's all about the memories and venison. He instilled that mind-set into my psyche many…
I agree with Dan Schmidt’s advice in his article on long-range shooting (March 2015 issue). There is nothing wrong with having equipment that can make an accurate and efficient shot that above all makes for a humane kill, but you really need to know what you’re doing. However, there should be a separate category for this type of equipment when it comes to records. To take a record-book animal with conventional shooting equipment means you have to get closer to that animal and that is just plain skill. Shooting a record-book animal from 1,000 yards with the new modern shooting machines on the prairie after walking 10 yards off the road from your truck doesn’t require much hunting skill. — D.T., via email Great article on science-based deer management in…
D&DH-TV comes to a close in December on NBC Sports Outdoors but the team is already in the field preparing for the 2016 season. D&DH-TV hosts Dan Schmidt, Gordy Krahn, Mark Kayser and Steve Bartylla will provide great tips and tactics on their hunts from Saskatchewan to Mexico — Illinois to Florida. Until then, watch webcasts of “Deer Talk Now,” “Grow ’em Big” and “Hunt ’em Big” at Video.deeranddeerhunting.com, and also check out past episodes of Deer & Deer Hunting-TV and great hunting DVDs available at www.ShopDeerHunting. SHOPDEERHUNTING.COM Enjoy the all-new “Deer Hunters’ Almanac 2016” from the publishers and editors of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine. This year’s almanac features articles on how to age deer, hunt with muzzleloaders and how to reduce bow noise for silent hunting. You’ll…
Each year, hunters across North America will shoot a nice buck and then be dismayed when they walk up to check out its head gear — discovering a loose antler with a squishy base or an antler that broke off at the pedicle when the deer hit the ground. The reason in most cases is a brain abscess that begins during summer when a buck’s antlers are still in velvet. If you’ve ever had an ingrown toenail or hair that grew into a nasty, pus-filled sore, imagine a similar condition in the cranium of a deer, but much more severe and caused by a bacteria. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has studied brain abscesses and Cranial Abscessation Syndrome (CAS) in adult antlered deer for years. Brain abscesses begin when…
As I negotiated my truck in four-wheel-low over a slick South Texas ranch road on a foggy, drizzly December morning, an exceptional buck appeared in the distance like an apparition standing motionless on the side of the road. As my truck slid to a halt, I slowly exited to set up my spotting scope, but not before the deer disappeared into a sea of brush. Creeping up to where the buck disappeared into the thorn scrub, I exited the truck again, this time with a rifle, just in case I caught up to it and it was a keeper. Tracking over the damp clay soil was easy, and I found the buck browsing on regrowth on a recently shredded tank dam. At approximately 300 yards, the buck’s rack appeared large…
Watching the brute drop that had terrorized the property I was managing had me so excited I completely forgot my Hunters Safety System vest was still attached to the tree. After several tugs, I finally figured out I wasn’t just caught on a branch. For as silly as that might sound, it does help reveal how amped I was to finally take this bully out. My client was paying me to transform his property into a top end buck factory, and the 6½-year-old, 130s 8-pointer hadn’t added 5 inches of antler since he was 3½. He needed to be removed. Believing they must remove bucks with lower end headgear for their age is just one of many common mistakes managers make these days. Between yearling buck dispersal and the doe…
