Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Deer & Deer Hunting

It’s almost as if I’m sitting on the sidewalk two hours after the homecoming parade. There are still signs the party took place, and there’s excitement in the air, but everyone’s gone home (and took most of the deer with them). It’s times like these when I coach myself into arriving on stand an hour early and staying at least until the bitter end. You see, with late-season whitetails, you just never know when a deer will show up. And you just never know which tactics might bring them within range. Two late-season topics profiled in this issue are ones you might have thought were reserved only for the prime pre- and peak-rut months of October and November. Of course, I’m talking about rattling and the art of understanding buck…

Upcoming episodes of Destination Whitetail on Pursuit Channel November 4: “Mission Control” North Dakota whitetails and Cold War relics. November 11: “Princess in Texas” Brittney Glaze hunts the Lone Star State for the first time. November 18: “Oregon Chef” Team D&DH experiences the outstanding hunting and food of Oregon. November 25: “Texas Triumph” Texas wild hog hunting adventure for Brittney Glaze. December 2: “Wounded Warrior” A few of our nation’s heroes enjoy a fun, well-deserved hunt. December 9: “Grandpa’s Freezer” Two generations of a hunting family work to keep the traditions alive. December 16: “First Trip to Kansas” Brittney Glaze bowhunts the legendary big bucks of Kansas. December 23: “Texas, Texas, Texas!” Dan Schmidt is after mature bucks and the Texas whitetails…

As hunters and deer managers, we’ve had it literally pounded into our heads that the key to growing world-class bucks is offering them ample nutrition and passing on them until they hit a certain age. Due to misinformation and leaping to faulty conclusions, we have this idea that each year a buck survives he will reward us with 10, 15, maybe even 20+ inches of additional antler growth. That is, up until he gets so old that he starts going downhill. Sure, it’s often conceded that genetics play a role, but age and nutrition get so much attention that the role of genetics is typically trivialized and often completely ignored. Negative impacts from injury, general health and social stress are rarely mentioned either, despite each having potential crippling effects on…

Deer have high levels of Vitamin K1 and K2 in their blood which greatly aid the blood-clotting process (coagulation) in the event of an injury to their body. That’s one of the reasons why hunters often experience a diminishing blood trail as they attempt to track down an injured deer. If the shot is not lethal, the bleeding will eventually stop entirely, and the deer will survive. The function of Vitamin K in a deer’s cells is to add a carboxylic acid functional group to a glutamate amino acid residue in a protein, to form a gamma-carboxyglutamate residue — a somewhat uncommon posttranslational modification of the protein. The presence of two carboxylic acid groups on the same carbon in the gamma-carboxyglutamate residue allows it to chelate calcium ions. The binding…

Tim Wagner lives in Texas, where he hunts and also enjoys cooking venison for his family. This is his recipe for Venison with Bourbon Cream Sauce, which is sort of like stroganoff, or venison with rice. Or potatoes. It’s one of those things that can go with several options. Wagner sometimes chooses roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary, but also serves it with spaetzle — the delicious German dumpling — and a nice wine or cold beer. Enjoy. INGREDIENTS Venison backstrap (as much as you desire) Bourbon Salt Small onion (optional) Coarse-ground black pepper Sliced mushrooms Garlic powder Heavycream orcream of Butter mushroom soup (thinnedwith milk) DIRECTIONS Season the backstrap(s) with salt, coarse-ground black pepper and garlic powder — light on the garlic powder, but heavy on the black pepper.…

Editor’s note: A national survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates an increasing downward trend in the number of hunters in the United States. We asked our Face-book fans to provide their thoughts on why this decrease is happening. Here’s what they had to say: Keith Lucas I think it’s hard for most people to gain access to quality hunting land, and the cost of land and hunting in general is not feasible for most people. Public land is a great opportunity, but you have to be a good hunter and unless you have a mentor or someone to help you it can be difficult to tag a deer. George Smolinski Traditional deer camps are a thing of the past. Guys are becoming extremely lazy. They want…

Because of the incredible support I’ve gotten from so many of you, I’ve been granted opportunities I couldn’t have otherwise dreamt of. To say I appreciate that and feel a tremendous loyalty in return would be an incredible understatement. One of the ways that’s materialized is getting to manage some of the very best whitetail grounds that North America has to offer. Whether we’re talking land in northern Alberta, where the crop fields are flanked by many miles of unbroken timber, the bluffs of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, or the fertile farm grounds found in the southeast corner of Iowa, you all have empowered me to manage top end grounds in top end trophy buck areas. Looking exclusively at my experiences in those cream-of-the-crop areas, I’d wager a bet that you’d…

Buck estimate = the number of unique buck folders Population factor = # unique bucks / # buck photos (will be a fraction) Doe estimate = population factor X # doe photos (from the counts) Fawn estimate = population factor X # fawn photos (from the counts) Doe-to-buck ratio estimate = # doe photos / # buck photos (both from counts) Fawn recruitment estimate = # fawn photos / # doe photos (both from counts) Deer density estimate = Example:…

The soil is very poor and there is little agriculture where I do most of my deer hunting in Alabama. Despite abundant browse, even during years with very good acorn production, our deer tend to carry very little fat. Because our winters are mild and spring comes early, our deer tolerate the poor diet. It is hard to get a lot of calories from foods high in water and fiber. So foods high in fats, and lower in water and fiber — corn and soybeans for deer; those plus meat, nuts and high fat foods for hunters — provide considerably more calories. So, to get deer fatter, give them more fat — same for hunters! Less fat, and more water and fiber, make deer leaner — same for hunters!…

SHOPDEERHUNTING.COM The “Deer Hunter’s Almanac 2018” offers vital data and useful insight for the region you hunt, ensuring you can make the most of your time afield next season. Compiled by the publishers of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, this comprehensive 208-page guide breaks down key deer hunting statistics state-by-state and provides essential regional resources that make planning a hunt a snap. It’s filled with thousands of helpful facts about deer behavior and biology, proven hunting strategies, practical whitetail management tactics, archery and firearms info, and much more. A staple of serious deer hunters and professional wildlife managers for 26 years, the “Deer Hunter’s Almanac 2018” is a must-have tool. For more information, visit www.ShopDeerHunting.com and search HA2018 to get yours. DEEROF THE MONTH Brian Stout…

Twas three weeks before Christmas, when young Manchester heard a pounding on his door; A bang, rattle and discombobulation, like an angry sledgehammer piercing through oak board; For fear of an intruder, the lad’s heart began to quiver; But it wasn’t a burglar, or even Santa with presents to deliver; When what, to his wondering eyes should appear; not a tiny reindeer, but a big, brash whitetail sporting shiny headgear. When 17-year-old Ryan Manchester (Frederick, Maryland) first laid eyes on the figure standing in his home, his first thought was one of relief. “I was afraid a burglar broke into the house,” said Manchester. While it was an intruder, it wasn’t one of the human variety. “I knew no one would believe me, so I took out my phone and…

It’s mid-January, the rut is history and those ubiquitous bucks observed earlier during the season appear to have moved off your favorite piece of deer turf. It’s a time when hunters must depend on their knowledge of the area they hunt and how the deer utilize it in order to take advantage of an often overlooked late-season tactic: antler rattling. For a novice, post rut can be a disappointing time, as surges in buck activity commonly observed early in the fall fail to materialize. But knowledgeable deer hunters know it’s the time when some of the largest bucks are on the move in search of recycling does — and rattling can often get their attention. THE BUDDY SYSTEM During this time of year, I focus on stands that provide exceptional…

Deer & Deer Hunting readers have enjoyed great success over the past few years, and we are continuously amazed at the outstanding bucks they pursue and kill every season. And we love to see the photos and hear the details of every thrilling hunting story. Greg Widiker of Webster, Wisconsin, killed this giant non-typical buck on the second day of Wisconsin’s 2017 archery season. Go to page 88 for the whole story. Turn the page to see more great bucks from Deer & DeerHuntingreaders across the country. SEND US YOUR BIG BUCK PHOTOS! Email to bigbucks@fwmedia.com…

For the past few years, Greg Widiker had been watching a giant non-typical buck near his hunting land in Burnett County of northwestern Wisconsin. After finding two of the buck’s sheds, summer observations and trail camera photos, Greg knew the buck’s home range very well. The buck became his only goal — it was him or nothing, and he and his hunting partner focused on low-impact strategies, with the main draw on his land being abundant white oak trees. The forecast for Sept. 17, 2017, called for cool temperatures, and Greg was excited to take advantage of it. It turned out to be a perfect evening sit in his climbing treestand, cool and almost no wind. At one point, a doe feeding nearby caught sight of Greg and became nervous.…

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