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
The question we posted on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages was rather simple: “Name a tradition you do at deer camp.” We had a feeling this would generate some replies, and we were right! Thousands liked the posts and more than 500 people commented. Also expected, responses came from every corner of North America. From Florida to Virginia and Maine to Montana, hunters chimed in with some hard-and-fast traditions and some “expected occurrences.” Either way, the responses had us all here smiling, knowing full-well that the American Deer Camp is alive and well. Here’s a snapshot of the traditions you uphold at your deer camps: JEFFREY DALE Nickel, dime and quarter poker every night! DAVID SIGLER I used to go to our shack with my dad to help him…
CONNECT WITH D&DH ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT: FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DEERHUNTINGMAG YOUTUBE: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/DDHONLINE INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/DEERANDDEERHUNTING TWITTER: @DEERHUNTINGMAG PINTEREST: WWW.PINTEREST.COM/DEERHUNTINGMAG/ Find us on Facebook ACEBOOK/DEERHUNTINGMAG When Deer & Deer Hunting was 15 years old in 1992, the founders came out with a little book that compiled stories, stats and information they thought hunters would find interesting. That little book became so popular, that it was published every year. Well… we just got our hands on this year’s shipment: our special 30th anniversary collector’s edition! Order online at Shop. DeerandDeerHunting.com to get a copy. Social Snapshot *MONTHLY AVERAGES FOR JAN./FEB. 2021 DEER & DEER HUNTING FACEBOOK • PINTEREST • INSTAGRAM • TWITTER • YOUTUBE FOLLOWERS: 1.01 MILLION REACH: 7.6 MILLION VIDEO VIEWS: 1.93 MILLION DDH SUPER FANS CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE D&DH READERS…
White-tailed deer are equipped with natural camouflage. Their reddishbrown summer coats and grayishbrown winter coats enable them to blend into their surroundings. Yet, sprinkled throughout the whitetail population are deer with unique color variations. Here are the reasons why some whitetails have different-colored coats. On a typical white-tailed deer, the throat, rump, belly, underside of the tail and insides of the ears are white. Due to genetics, color variations can range from pure white (albinism) to pure black (melanism). True albino whitetails have white coats, pink eyes and pink noses. Albino deer lack an enzyme called tyrosine, which is needed to produce pigment in the skin and coat. The production of pigment is controlled by the pituitary gland in ordinary deer. The condition of albinism results from a recessive gene…
The deer world lost a pioneering researcher with the recent death of Dr. Valerius Geist on July 6, 2021. He was 83. Geist was born in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, USSR, and raised in Austria and Germany. He completed his postdoctoral studies in 1968 at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Physiology while studying under the guidance of Konrad Lorenz, the Nobel-prize winning zoologist from Austria. Geist spent his career conducting scientific research on the behavior and population biology of many wild ungulate species and canids. His science-based discoveries on deer and wolves are used to manage these species throughout the world. Since 1977, he was professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Calgary, Alberta. Geist authored countless scientific papers and more than 14 books, including "Deer of the World:…
It is with great sadness that we also hear of the sudden passing of R.G. Bernier of Standish, Maine. Dick was a master tracker, hunter, writer, photographer and devout Christian. He was 62. I met Dick about 20 years ago when I took over the helm here at Deer & Deer Hunting. He was a good friend of Charles Alsheimer, and we instantly hit it off as proverbial bloodbrothers. His contributions to the magazine in those days led to him becoming Northeast Field Editor, a new title I made specifically for him, because his insights into New England whitetails was something we had not had within the pages of our magazine for quite some time. His ability to connect hardworking deer hunters with practical tips and advice was special. Later,…
Hunters have invented tons of tricks and tactics to improve their chances of killing big whitetails, but decoys are one of my favorites. And after hunting with a decoy, I’ve found a few simple tips to increase success. TIMING IS EVERYTHING I’m a firm believer in using a decoy from late October through the end of November in most Midwestern states. When I start seeing rutting activity, I get the decoy out. I’ve had success with it through mid-December while hunting Nebraska. My buck decoy is bristled up, and its ears are pinned back. He’s obviously looking for a fight. I’ve had incredible luck with this decoy during the rut. BUCK VERSUS DOE When choosing a decoy, you’ll have to decide if you want to use a buck or doe.…
