Deer & Deer Hunting

5 ways to fight cwd

(PHOTO: ABIGAIL HEHNER)Chronic wasting disease is certainly a serious problem for deer and deer hunting, but after following this closely for the past two decades, I believe we are collectively stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario with no way out — unless we all start steering in the same direction.Therein lies the rub. I wish there was a common-sense plan for "fighting" CWD. There isn't … unless killing off an entire species can be considered an option. Worse, I believe too many folks are caving to irrational fears by calling for "just in case" regulations that at best smack of barstool logic, and at worst could doom our hunting heritage long before CWD wipes out any regional deer herd. But that’s a topic for another day.Should we do absolutely nothing…

readers recoil

Hi Dan. I want to thank you for your editorial on “Anti-social Media.” I try to encourage a few ideas regarding deer hunting.1. All deer are trophies, and all first bucks are trophies, i.e., first gun buck, first blackpowder buck and first archery buck.2. If you post a photo of your buck, NEVER APOLOGIZE for its size. Be proud of it, and never talk down another hunter’s deer, especially his or her first deer.3. Now this one I must admit I get a little emotional about: Never tell other hunters that they should give up part of their enjoyment of hunting to give you a better chance at a big buck next year.—Roy Denney, via emailSocial media in this Brave New World is both a beauty and a beast. Political…

d&dh community

SHOPDEERHUNTING.COMDawn of American Deer HuntingTake a journey through the history of whitetail hunting. This book is a photographic anthology of the American deer hunter from the 1800s to mid-1900s, including the firearms used, methods of travel, and how they survived the climates they encountered while on the hunt. Each classic photograph in the book has its own story to tell — from the warm days and hound hunts of the Southern states, to the deep tracking snow and frigid cold of Maine. Admire the deer they took home — massive-bodied Northern bucks, trophy Texas antlers, buck poles filled with does and much-appreciated venison.Info: www.shopdeerhunting.com and search SKU S3320FUTURE DEER HUNTER OF THE MONTHAccording to her mother, all that 4-year-old Harper Hardin from Knoxville, Tennessee, has talked about for the past…

pursuit community

March 21: Keys to Doe Management. Insights on managing antlerless deer populations for better habitat and hunting.March 28: Alsheimer Tribute. We salute our most celebrated contributor of all time.April 4: Peeling the Crimson Velvet. An in-depth look at the biology behind antler velvet in white-tailed deer.April 11: Managing Expectations. Unrealistic expectations run wild in hunting and deer management. Remember, wild whitetails are individuals.April 18: Stop Being So Judgemental. Some hunters hold out all year for a big buck. Others are content taking the opportunities afforded in the moment.April 25: Whitetails and Wind. It’s a myth that big bucks always head for thick cover when the wind speeds up.Watch on Pursuit Channel Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. EST, Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. EST, Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. EST and Thursdays at 10…

activity patterns and deer vision

Seasonally, whitetails are most active during late winter and early spring, and during the autumn breeding season, with a substantial decline in activity during summer. (Car-deer accidents follow the same pattern.) The high level of activity during spring is due to high metabolic demands, in the face of low forage quality and depletion of body fat — deer simply must spend more time foraging to meet their needs.The decrease in deer activity during summer can be related to greatly improved nutritional conditions, and an abundance of quality food close at hand. Despite the high energy demands associated with lactation among nursing does and antler growth among bucks, forage quality and quantity tend to exceed metabolic demands (except in areas of deer over population) — during summer, deer can “fill-up” with…

how hunting brought me back

First, a little background. I grew up in the suburbs of New Orleans. Louisiana is coined “Sportsman’s Paradise,” so geographically I wasn’t too far removed from the hunting world. I knew it existed and I knew of men who did it, including my Paw Paw Hollis. Every Thanksgiving, we’d spend a week in the country with him in the town of Sandy Hook, Mississippi. Paw Paw and all of the boys would go squirrel hunting, while the girls went shopping. As a little girl, I loved watching my mom get dressed for work in her beautiful dresses and golden earrings. Getting dirty just wasn’t my thing; that was for boys.One childhood memory that stuck with me was the time I went to my aunt’s house and there was a large…