Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Deer & Deer Hunting

Whitetails are resilient animals, but they are susceptible to disease just as any other biological animal. While most of the diseases on this list aren’t widespread, or always lethal, they certainly impact deer. Here are just some of the deer diseases to know about. BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS (BTB): A bacterial infection of the respiratory system, BTB is a serious, but not widespread, threat to wild deer. Thus far, it’s limited to a few states, including Indiana and a few others. BRAIN ABSCESSES: Another bacterial invader, brain abscesses result from head injuries that become infected. This is most common in bucks. Fighting sometimes leads to injured skull caps, which can then abscess. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD): A major concern throughout much of the whitetail’s range, CWD is arguably the largest disease threat…

Robert G. “Bo” Pitman, a longtime hunting guide at White Oak Plantation in Alabama, died in early November while working on his ranch in Colorado. He was 66. His parents Robert and Hilda Pitman established White Oak Plantation in 1984 south of Tuskeegee, Alabama, about halfway between Montgomery and Auburn. Bo Pitman joined them as the head guide. He also managed myriad tasks during the autumn whitetail and spring turkey seasons. If something needed to be done, either he knew who to delegate to, find out how to get it done or did it himself. White Oak attracted hunters from throughout the United States and even overseas. The Pitmans advertised in almost every major outdoors magazine in the 1980s. Whitetail deer hunting, turkey hunting and fishing along with serious Southern…

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Hunting the early deer season, with its hot weather and long days, has been a passion of mine since high school. Growing up in California, there weren’t whitetails to chase, but we had the California mule deer, and the early rifle season along the state’s central coast region opened August 10 and ran six weeks. Daytime highs routinely topped a hundo, the bugs could be ferocious, and daytime deer movement on the public land in the oak-studded mountains I hunted was usually less than an hour right after sunrise and just before sunset. The bag limit was two bucks, forked horn or better. I hunted this area every weekend for decades, usually with a rifle but, beginning in the 1980s, often with archery gear. Every season I tagged at least…

I’d like you to embrace the idea that deer hunting is often a game of minutes — or even seconds. “If that buck had only come out two minutes earlier, he wouldn’t have caught me climbing down the tree and I’d have had legal shooting light to take him!” Well, that applies to your neighbors every bit as much as it does to you. Those neighbors, by the way, have every right in the world to shoot whatever legal deer they have tags for on their side of the fence, and deserve nothing but heartfelt congrats for successfully doing so. The exact same thing applies to you on your side of the fence. So, if you are managing for deer to reach a certain age class, or simply want to…

& NO TOPIC IS OFF-LIMITS! Join us every week for a comprehensive audio and video podcast where the white-tailed deer is the star of the show. Expert guests join the virtual deer camp each week to discuss everything from deer behavior, biology and scientific research to herd and land management, hunting ethics, newsworthy events, and hunting tips, tactics and strategies. Hosted by Daniel Schmidt, DEER TALK NOW is your virtual deer camp where no topic is off-limits. Listen on most of your favorite podcast apps, or watch online!…

1 FRANCHI MOMENTUM ALL-TERRAIN ELITE BOLT-ACTION RIFLE Everyone loves a “truck gun”—a high-mobility, quick-to-action firearm that goes where you go and is ready for deployment anywhere, any time. In the spirit of the fast and easy-to-carry scout-style rifle, Franchi introduces a platform for the modern consumer with the Momentum All-Terrain Elite bolt-action as the newest member of the brand’s vaunted Momentum Elite series. The Momentum All-Terrain Elite builds on the standard Momentum Elite rifle design with its detachable box magazine, one-piece Picatinny rail top, threaded barrel with muzzle brake, adjustable trigger, and one-piece, spiral fluted bolt with three locking lugs. The proven accuracy performance (1 MOA guarantee with premium ammo) and intelligent, ergonomic stock design of the Momentum Elite series rifles lead the class of superior hunting rifles for those…

Wyoming has a lengthy fall turkey season, with the archery-only portion running September 1-30, and the general (any weapon) season running October 1-December 31. The northeast corner of the state, where Trophy Ridge Outfitters is based, is one of the hubs of the state’s large population of Merriam’s turkeys. The ranches the Dampman’s have leased are literally loaded with large flocks of turkeys. “We offer fall turkey hunting both as an add-on to our big game hunts, and also as a stand-alone hunt for those who enjoy getting out and stalking and calling them,” Ralph Dampman said. “Nonresident tags are relatively inexpensive and available over-the-counter, and our success rates are extremely high, as either sex is legal. You’re going to see a lot of birds, and it doesn’t impact our…

A frying pan filled with properly thick and properly floured venison liver fried nearly to completion in the proper level of bacon grease at the right temperature, just a moment from being served, is a scrumptious sight. Makes a hunter’s taste buds kick into high gear even before getting a bite of this fine meal. The fact that it is a good food high in iron is almost, but not quite, immaterial. A knowledgeable cook can make this happen seemingly with little effort. But it does take attention to detail, good preparation and a bit of kitchen work. A meal like this doesn’t happen the instant someone squeezes a trigger. It does start, however, soon after someone squeezes that trigger, as field dressing is commencing. A basic rule of field…

PURSUIT MEDIA APPLAUDS THE SUCCESS OF HUNTER NATION FOUNDATION Pursuit Channel, a world leader in outdoor programming, applauds Hunter Nation Foundation for mobilizing celebrity hunters in a recent Louisiana Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign. Ted Nugent, Rock Bordelon, Troy Landry and Jase Robertson all contributed in the effort to get Louisiana hunters to vote. This effort resulted in a strong turnout of Louisiana hunters. The October 14, 2023, open gubernatorial primary resulted in Jeff Landry (no relation to Troy Landry) scoring an outright win making him the Louisiana Governor Elect. Hunt the Vote, Hunter Nation Foundation’s GOTV program, launched a six-figure engagement campaign targeting non-voting hunters in Louisiana. Hunt The Vote’s proprietary research shows that 50% of licensed hunters regularly do not vote in critical elections, even though the…

Several years ago, the advent of the “zombie deer” term created a widespread whirlwind of discussion around whitetail illnesses. Of course, these weren’t zombies, but they were carriers of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Each year, this incurable, always-deadly illness likely gets more press than any other threat to whitetails. But one threat on the outskirts of America is getting very little attention. Protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus is an infectious disease known to impact livestock, especially cattle. However, it was recently discovered in Louisiana whitetails. Researchers are only beginning to understand the threat it poses. Hope Hebert, a graduate student with the University of Louisiana-Monroe, and Dr. Kim Marie Tolson, with the University of Louisiana Monroe, were slated to speak at the 2022 Southeast Deer Study Group Meeting. The presentation centered on…

A photo of conjoined fawns posted on some social media sites last fall is real, and spectacular, offering a glimpse into a deformity that wildlife researchers say is rare. s A Minnesota man hunting mushrooms in May 2016 found the deceased fawn with two heads. It looked almost normal: four legs, one tail, spots for camouflage amid its tawny coat. But two spinal columns, starting at about mid-thoracic region, and two perfectly formed heads, gave the man a jolt. He contacted the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which took the conjoined fawns and froze them so a necropsy could be performed. Gino D’Angelo is the Assistant Professor of Deer Ecology and Management at the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources in the University of Georgia. He worked for the…

SAVAGE AXIS II: The Axis II by Savage is a great selection. It’s a precise, high-performing budget gun. It comes with a synthetic stock, improved ergonomics, the renowned AccuTrigger, and more. Get it in .22-250 Rem., .223 Rem., .243 Win., .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., .280 Ackley IMP, .30-06 Sprg., .308 Win., .350 Legend, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Arc., and 7mm-08 Rem. MSRP is $479. READ MORE AT SAVAGEARMS.COM. WINCHESTER XPR: The Winchester XPR is built with a budget in mind. It incorporates an Inflex Technology pad, non-glare matte finish, adjustable M.O.A. trigger, detachable box magazine, and more. It’s offered in .308 Win., .30-06 Sprg., .300 Win. Mag., 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.8 Western, .350 Legend, and more (specific model depending). MSRP IS $569.99 AND UP. LEARN MORE AT WINCHESTERGUNS.COM. MOSSBERG PATRIOT: The Mossberg…

Several years ago, a hunting buddy of mine telephoned one morning and asked if I wanted to look for deer. It was mid-March. The late winter sun had created bare spots in the woods, but a few inches of snow had fallen during the night providing a fresh blanket of white. It would disappear by noontime along southfacing ridges and other exposed areas. “You know as well as I do hunting season ended weeks ago and you limited out.” “Sorry,” came the reply. “Hunting for sheds. The conditions are prime, not much snow and I know you’ve been bored waiting for turkey season. Come on, get out of the house! It’s fun!” On a whim, and because I was bored, I went and my buddy was right. It was fun.…

There are three distinct benefits to this recipe: It is very healthy, tasty, and makes use of leftover, cold venison. Because the truth is: Aside from a few exceptions, lean meat like venison should never be reheated. While domestic beef contains exponentially more fat marbling—which creates juices throughout the meat, even when reheated the next day—lean venison is very much prone to drying out upon a second cook. No, every cut of venison you cook and for which you have leftovers doesn’t need reheating. Other uses include lunch meat, but for the reason fancy restaurants serve your salad with a chilled fork, salads benefit from cold ingredients, generally speaking. However, you are of course welcome to make this salad with freshly cooked venison. Certainly nothing wrong with that. The cut…

Some guys can be beaten on the target range, but put hair and swift-moving hooves on a target and the same guy will shoot its lights out. Same for other fleet-footed targets that get lined up in that shooter’s crosshairs. My brother Jon was one of those “shoot your lights out” guys. Younger brother Lee would often shoot a better group than Jon on a paper target. During deer season, however, generally the tide turned. Jon didn’t miss. He had excellent hand-eye coordination. He appeared to have ice-water in his veins. He wouldn’t get flustered or excited. He simply shot when and where he should shoot, sometimes at a running target. He never rushed a shot. He simply had cool confidence when shooting at game. Our father, who was not…