Tabla de contenidos para December 2023 en Deer & Deer Hunting

It takes guts to give up everything you know to start over. But it takes something else — vision, imagination, creativity, inventiveness, among other things — to kickstart an industry. That’s exactly what the founders of this magazine had … in spades. The first issue of Deer & Deer Hunting appeared 47 years ago, but history will show that its roots trace back to a 1960s hunting camp who called themselves “The Stump Sitters” — a group that became the name of two members’ business exactly 50 years ago and kickstarted what is now known as the “whitetail industry.” Al Hofacker and Jack Brauer were those members. Although they were the group’s only bowhunters, they considered themselves deer hunters first and foremost — not bowhunters, gun-hunters or muzzleloading hunters. They…

Most people who purchase and use trail cameras expect a fast return on investment. That instant gratification of seeing pictures is like a drug, and nothing will stop them from seeking that feeling of a big buck on camera. But sometimes, it’s better to leave these cameras in bedding cover, and then come back months later to see the rewards. Of course, trail cameras aren’t easy to place and keep deep in bedding cover. Still, the longer trail cameras run untouched, the better intel they provide. And you can’t frequently check cams in bedding areas without pressuring deer. But soaking them for long periods can do much good. So, from innate to learned behaviors and from simple mannerisms to ingenious survival instincts, the lessons I’ve learned about whitetails from soaking…

Plain and simple: Tacos go better with homemade salsa. This recipe here also incorporates some fresh mango for a hint of sweet in your salsa. The process is simple and fairly quick but makes a world of difference versus store-bought. While this recipe calls for backstrap, you can indeed use ground or another cut to cook and top your tortillas. The cooking method here is exclusive to backstrap, however. Caveman-style steak is nothing new and likely does, indeed, date back to our caveman days. What it is: Cooking meat directly on the coals of a fire. Preferably, you want lump charcoal versus briquettes as lump is less likely to leave dust and/or ash on your meat upon pulling. I also feel lump charcoal (which is basically charred hardwood) creates a…

Have you ever looked through a riflescope and found the reticle not appear to be level? I have – and, where accuracy is concerned, this is a bad thing. When this happens, the scope is said to be “canted,” or tilted, to one side. This, in turn, will affect accuracy. Without getting into the weeds, this is because when the horizontal reticle is canted to the side and the shooter instinctively levels it out when taking aim, the bullet does not leave the barrel perpendicular to the ground, rising up and off to one side instead of exactly straight. And that means the bullet will not strike the target where the crosshair says it should. The rule of thumb is that for every one-degree of cant, the bullet will impact…

It might be hard to imagine, but it wasn’t long ago when North America’s whitetail hunters knew very little about deer dispersal behavior. Now, radio telemetry observations and photography have revealed many of the mysteries of deer dispersal. Whitetail dispersal is dependent on four things; whether the doe survives hunting season, the way the doe treats her offspring, the offspring’s personality, and the area’s deer density. Any or all of these factors dictate when and how far a deer disperses. WHEN AND HOW FAR Deer dispersal began to be studied closely in the 1970s when some researchers concluded that more than 75 percent of buck fawns stayed close to their birthing area if their mother was killed during the fawn’s first autumn. However, if the doe is not harvested, she…

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One major aspect of whitetails that hunters often overlook is the food selection process. Deer have food-based preferences, which factors into the feeding and movement decisions they make. As such, deer have varying behavioral responses to oak masting. Acorns are important food sources for deer, especially at certain times of the year. Acorns are important food sources for deer, especially at certain times of the year. Acorns aren’t overly nutritious, though, and are similar to corn. These are 6-8% in protein, 40-45% in carbohydrates, and 50-55% in fats. That said, despite being quite comparable to corn (which often gets a bad rap as deer feed), these are key nutrients necessary to make it through the fall and winter months. In short, acorns matter — big time. said, despite being corn…

Each fall, more than 10 million whitetail hunters take to the woods in North America, where one of the most talked about aspects of deer hunting is deer rifles. To be more specific, the cartridges for which those rifles are chambered. And then there’s the oft-overlooked worker bee in the equation --the bullet. The bullet is the tool that gets the job done. If it doesn’t fly straight and true, you can’t hit the animal where you want to. If it fails upon impact, it’s disaster. And with so many different bullets on the market today to confuse the selection process, how do you choose the right one? Truthfully, there are few truly “bad” bullets out there today. And while there’s nothing wrong with spending top dollar on premium-class bullets,…

With seasons winding down for the year, filling those remaining tags last minute shouldn’t be the only priority. Now is the best time there is to determine habitat improvements and goals for the 2024 season. Here’s how. TAKING STOCK OF SEASON Though not done yet, by this time of year one typically has a great feel for what they appreciated and would have rather avoided from the 2023 seasons. It is completely true that there is a ridiculously long list of factors that can sour our sweetest recipes for success. Between weather conditions, a hot doe running the wrong way, a neighbor needing to track a deer on your ground at the worst possible time, predators moving in, deer diseases running wild, on and on it goes. While some see…

Few hunters ever see an 8-year-old buck on camera or in person, let alone get a shot opportunity at one. These deer are excellent at their craft and have developed skills to evade detection and hunting pressure. Despite the odds, Colter Webb managed the difficult feat of arrowing an old, monster Kansas whitetail, and he did so with traditional equipment. Webb captured several trail camera photos of the deer on October 30 and 31, November 16 and 17, and November 25. On November 26, he decided to push in and hunt the buck. It was about 20 degrees with 15-20-mph winds out of the west. “I left my house in northwestern Arkansas after eating Thanksgiving dinner with my family,” Webb said. “I drove straight through and got my camp set…

Even when you do everything right when it comes to recovering a deer that was poorly hit with an arrow by waiting before trying to follow up on the animal, circumstances beyond your control can make finding the whitetail extremely difficult. A predator, such as a coyote, could jump the deer prematurely. Heavy rain or snow could also eliminate any blood trail. Paul Blettner from Land O' Lakes, Wis., was faced with not one, but two of those complicating scenarios after arrowing a trophy buck on November 10 one year in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the time, Blettner lived in Watersmeet, Mich., which isn’t far from where he currently lives. Paul experienced a lot of excitement that led up to the shooting of that particular buck. A real…

Spotting deer is easy right? “Hey, there’s a deer!” When a whitetail trots through on a deer trail, or strolls out of the woods and presents itself, it’s easy. But what about when a whitetail isn’t in plain sight? Does that mean they aren’t there? How many more deer could we spot earlier in the hunting process to make us better prepared for shot opportunities? Sitting on stand, working our way out to our stand, conducting a spot-and-stalk hunt, still-hunting … no matter how you are hunting, seeing deer before they see you is pivotal to hunting success. The thing is, you don’t know what you are missing until you see more of it. Spotting deer is a skill that applies to any and every style of deer hunting. Seeing…

A couple of years ago, my wife and I moved to northern Idaho, which is a real sleeper region for trophy whitetails. That first summer, between unpacking and making our new home, I would sneak away to explore my new back yard. My heart soared from experiences as simple as approaching a doe, discovering fresh sign or finding the rodent-gnawed shed of a 100-inch buck. After all, these were “my” deer. I immediately earmarked various stand sites, including the intersection of defunct logging roads, a saddle dip in a ridge point and a conspicuously deep trail skirting the hard corner of two fence lines. I met more neighbors as summer progressed and gained access to an ever-widening circle of property. I was sure I had everything covered before the September…

This method of boning a fresh deer carcass is simple when you know what to do, and easy because the deer carcass hangs right in front of you at the best cutting level. My buddy Jim has boned-out several dozen deer using this method over the past 40 years. I worked with him on many of them when we owned deer hunting land together and hunted together. (I’m the best leg holder in the business, keeping the carcass from spinning. My wife, Judy, is good, too.) Yes, I know how to make all the cuts and have done so several times, but I’m nowhere nearly as efficient or as fast as Jim. He is a pro. Here’s why he is a pro: • Jim grew up on a farm. In…