The spring of the year is an undeniably beautiful time to immerse yourself in nature. Trees begin blooming, the landscape starts taking on a more colorful appearance, and wildlife of all types flourishes. Spring also ushers in the yearly fawning season, where does birth their young of the year. While most does give birth to …
Through intense management and the implementation of sound conservation practices, a number of native wildlife species now flourish across the United States, where they once were scarce. Few species of wildlife have benefited quite as significantly from these efforts as the Whitetail Deer and Wild Turkey. In fact, both of these species are now extremely …
Across much of the southern United States, feral hogs have become extremely prevalent, dotting the rural landscape from one end to the next. With each passing year, the home range of the feral hog continues to expand, covering an ever-larger swath of the country. In many areas, spotting a handful of hogs on any given …
Across much of the country, Whitetail deer and agriculture-related endeavors go hand-in-hand. Deer can often be seen grazing in pastures and opportunistically feeding upon standing grain during much of the year. In certain instances, deer have even become accustomed to the sight of tractors and other heavy equipment and go largely undisturbed by such intrusions. …
Deer, like any animal, require regular water intake to survive. In the wild, this water intake generally comes from a variety of sources, including rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds. These, of course, are natural water sources to which deer in a given area are quite accustomed. For this reason, deer drink from these water sources …
Deer and farm country go hand-in-hand, as much as the whitetail has become a staple of America’s heartland. Due to their inhabitants of such rich agricultural areas, deer often encounter several interesting farm-related obstacles. This tends to pose curiosity among hunters, who often question how deer will react to such obstacles. One obstacle often encountered …
Many hunters plan for their impending hunt by studying the upcoming weather forecast. This, of course, is for good reason, as deer movement is highly affected by a number of weather-related factors. However, we do not always understand the exact correlation between certain forms of weather and the effects these particular conditions will have on …
In many ways, the whitetail is a slave to its stomach. Virtually every aspect of a deer’s daily routine is impacted by its need for sufficient nourishment. Whitetail deer have been observed traveling great distances to locate quality feed in the dead of winter when typical forage is in short supply. Both bucks and does …
As most hunters are well aware, deer seize upon any opportunity to feed heavily upon corn. This proves true for both standing corn, and corn used as bait by hunters. During virtually any time of the year, deer will readily feed upon corn wherever it is available, often bypassing other food sources to do so. …
Some people outside the hunting and agricultural industries are often surprised to learn that deer will eat just about anything. Deer will eat crops, grasses, vegetation, acorns, and nuts. This means that deer can digest a wide range of plant material. So if you have a grapefruit tree in your backyard, chances are that the …
When it comes to deer, there is a lot that remains unknown. One question that continues to baffle hunters and researchers is whether or not the blood of a deer will scare away other deer. Some people believe the scent of blood will scare away other deer, while others think a deer carcass or blood …
Many hunters place a significant amount of effort into improving the habitat in and around the area they hunt. This is done for multiple reasons, including enhancing hunting conditions in anticipation of the fall ahead. Improvements of this nature are also made to strengthen the health of the local deer herd by improving fawn recruitment …
Deer are known for their keen senses, which they employ to avert danger whenever possible. For the average hunter, success hinges upon beating these senses, preventing detection. However, this feat is seldom accomplished without a keen understanding of a deer’s abilities, whether regarding hearing, sight, or smell. When attempting to understand the depth of a …
When hunting, nothing renders success quite as consistently as thoroughly understanding the habits of the game we hunt. This is especially true when hunting extremely pattern-oriented game, such as whitetail deer. New hunters, especially, are often left with many questions regarding the habits of the deer they hunt. One such question relates to where deer …
It comes as no secret that deer follow their stomachs to wherever the highest quality food source in a given area can be found. What this food source is, often differs heavily from one portion of the year to the next. When the cold chill of winter arrives, there are few forages that attract deer …
Though deer season has just drawn to a close, many avid whitetail hunters are already looking forward to the year ahead and the vast opportunity that it presents. Daydreaming gives way to planning as hunters from around the country begin formulating a strategy for the upcoming fall. As part of this planning, several hunters ponder …
If you want your deer to reach their full potential in terms of antler size, then you need to make sure they’re getting the proper nutrients. Deer need high levels of calcium and phosphorous to produce healthy antlers. What Nutrients Do Deer Need for Proper Antler Growth? Some supplements are designed to help increase body …
For decades, hunters have sought to attract whitetail deer by various means, to increase their chances of success. Along these lines, a great number of hunters choose to employ the use of food-based attractants during any given year, where legal. While a hunter’s success is far from guaranteed, deer are typically drawn to the sweet …
Osage orange, horse apple, hedge, or hedge apple tree. Those are basically just different names for the same thing. But the question is, will deer eat hedge apples? The short answer is yes. Some deer do eat hedge apples. But there is more to it. So let’s get into some of the details. I personally …
I received this question from a reader. I wanted to share it with you because I thought it was a good question – Would deer eat pumpkins? They sure do! This article will tell you all about the nutritional value of pumpkins and if you should feed them to deer. Let’s get started… Do All …
Most avid deer hunters spend a significant amount of time planning for hunting season, in the months leading up to opening day. Much of this effort revolves around hanging treestands or scouting a promising property. However, few hunters plan for the work that is necessitated when one finally punches their tag. While every hunter dreams …
As the last days of November come to pass, rutting activity will slowly dwindle. As a result, many hunters will note a reduction in overall deer sightings, as bucks and does both begin settling into their post-rut patterns. While this can be somewhat discouraging to those still harboring an unfilled tag, there is still a …
Do you wonder when deer stop using minerals licks? It seems like it drops off quite significantly in September. You will still see some activity in September, but the most action will be from April-September. So, what are the seasonal mineral needs deer have? Basically, as long as they’re eating well during the summer months, …
As temperatures continue to fall, and the leaves begin changing in color, excitement builds for the wealth of bowhunting opportunity to follow in the weeks to come. The whitetail rut will be kicking into full gear within the next two weeks, bringing with it some of the best hunting of the season. As bucks begin …
You have efficiently scouted during the summer months, positioned your deer stands in superb locations, and put in your time on the stand in a relentless fashion. All of this diligent preparation and hard work has culminated in this singular climactic moment as you stand afield, viewing your successful harvest. However, as victorious as this …
When you’re crouched down as you hunt, it’s easy for all trees to look alike. But deers love a variety of different trees, and there are ways of telling them apart. Part of being a good bowhunter is learning to read your environment and know where deer are more likely to be found. 18 Trees …
Bowhunters typically use broadheads with a weight of 100 grains. No matter if you’re using mechanical broadheads or fixed blade broadheads, the 100-grain range will cover them all. For deer, 100-grain heads are plenty. But isn’t it obvious that heavier grains penetrate better? Why not go for 125-grain instead? What you should ask yourself is, …
A buck rub is essentially a buck’s bold proclamation! It’s a key indicator in your pursuit of a deer. But what does a buck rub tell us beyond that, and how can you interpret it? A buck rub signals that a certain territory belongs to this particular buck. He also intends to attract does by …