Deer & Deer Hunting

let’s make hunting fun again

With another season in the books, we all have time to enjoy the memories, and hopefully some venison. There’s also time to take inventory and plan for next season, whether that’s scouting public land, mapping new stand sites, or managing private ground. It’s equally important to take self inventory. Reflect on what hunting means to you. Are you still having maximum fun? If not, is it time to recalibrate your compass? Only you can answer this question, but if internal or peer pressures are sapping the joy out of what used to be your favorite time of year, maybe it’s time to do something about it. When you stop hunting for yourself and start hunting for approval, you will find that hunting is no longer as exciting. You’ll lose a part of…

deer & deer hunting

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel E. Schmidt SENIOR EDITOR Chris Berens CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rebecca Vogel ONLINE CONTENT SPECIALIST Sara Sommercorn DEER RESEARCH FIELD EDITOR John J. Ozoga FIELD CONTRIBUTORS Steve Bartylla, Bob Zaiglin, Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff, Dr. Phillip Bishop ADVERTISING SALES PUBLISHER Brad Rucks brad.rucks@media360llc.com SALES ASSOCIATES Casey Lenz casey.lenz@media360llc.com Kevin Rowe ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Lisa Richter, lisa.richter@media360llc.com TELEVISION & ONLINE VIDEO EXECUTIVE PRODUCER David Gilane PRODUCER Quinten Brown BRAD RUCKS, President and Publisher DANIEL SCHMIDT, Vice President of Content…

readers recoil

My initial reaction to “The Elitists” (Patrick Meitin, October 2019 issue) was, “It’s about time!” Trophy hunters and quality deer management (QDM) proponents have ratcheted up their bullying on both social and print media in recent years, and it has had a damaging, divisive effect on the deer hunting community. My next thought was, “What effect is the insistence on unrealistic expectations having on the recruitment of new hunters? Are mentors shooting themselves in the foot by not keeping their personal trophy standards in their back pockets?” Reflecting on my own first two deer, taken in my early 20s, one was a bow-killed doe and the other a spike buck. I recall those hunts with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, not just because they were both clean kills, but also because…

d&dh community

THE #1 DEER SOURCE ON NEWSSTANDS EVERYWHERE! 2020 Deer Hunters’ Almanac The comprehensive deer hunting guide is back this fall and loaded with tons of tactics, tips and deer behavior insights to help deer hunters have their best season ever. The publishers of Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine have given this edition of the “Deer Hunters’ Almanac” something for every whitetailed deer hunter in the U.S. and Canada. Completely updated state-by-state and Canadian province deer harvest statistics and news stories provide invaluable information for deer hunters around North America. It also includes proven hunting tactics, and firearm and archery advice from some of the best hunters and shooters in the world, as well as quality habitat improvements, bloodtrailing tips and more. The “Deer Hunters’ Almanac” has been a staple among deer hunters and wildlife managers…

8 reasons why we hit deer

DEER HABITS, DEER NEEDS AND OUR HABITS — THEY ALL CONVERGE TO CREATE AUTUMN CARNAGE ON OUR ROADS. No one wants to see an airborne doe with bulging eyes heading right for the windshield, even if she does end up sailing right over the car. And no one feels good about driving a four-wheel drive truck over a fawn in the middle of the night, breaking her back, even though there’s virtually no damage to the truck. I was the driver in both examples. Hitting deer is dangerous, costly and sickening. Deer pose one of the greatest risks to drivers all across America. In states with high deer populations, Interstate highways are littered with them. They lie along rural roads too, sometimes a few steps from the family mailbox. People make jokes…

farewell to a d&dh friend

IT IS WITH HEAVY HEARTS that we say goodbye to our friend and longtime contributor Craig Dougherty, who passed away on October 29, 2019, after a brief illness. He was 70 years old. Craig was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and lived in Fulton, New York, for many years until his retirement and move to the Belmont area. Craig received his master’s and doctoral degrees at Syracuse University. After spending several years as a teacher and counselor, he went to work in the outdoor industry. During his career, Craig held executive positions at Crossman Corporation, Golden Eagle/Satellite Archery, and Bear Archery. His interests in land management practices for wild game led to the founding of NorthCountry Whitetails LLC. Craig and his son Neil co-authored several books on this subject. Craig was passionate about the outdoors…