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Time To Make Another Set
By Bob Humphrey
It seems a shame that big bucks drop their antlers, but it’s part of the natural cycle. QUESTION: I found a shed antler in late December, but I also have pictures of bucks that still had antlers in late January. What makes some bucks shed earlier or later than others? – Shawn L. ANSWER: Antlers are a remarkable and mysterious natural ph... READ MORE
Feelin’ Lucky?
By Bob Humphrey
Triple fawn bucks is probably pretty rare, but the odds for each were likely 50:50. QUESTION: I’ve been watching a doe near my property. She had three fawns, and all are bucks. What are the odds? ANSWER: In general, odds of a fawn being a buck or a doe are 50:50, just like flipping a coin. However, you could flip a coin three times and have it come... READ MORE
Not Snake Oil
By Bob Humphrey
There’s sound science behind scent-eliminating sprays.
QUESTION: It seems like the latest craze with hunters is spray cover scent (Code Blue, Dead Down Wind, Scent Killer, etc). They basically soak themselves with whichever scent-killing spray they chose and hit the woods. Does this stuff actually work? Have there been any tests/studies? &nd... READ MORE
Abscesses and Meat
By Bob Humphrey
The venison is probably safe, but why take a chance? QUESTION: My son shot a doe that had an abscess in front of her shoulder. The deer seemed otherwise healthy. The abscess was not lanced until cut away from the carcass, and was not in contact with any edible portion. When I did lance it, a thick, syrupy, yellow liquid poured out. Understanding th... READ MORE
The Mane Question Is...
By Bob Humphrey
Like whitetails with fangs, species sometimes show ancient traits. QUESTION: I shot a buck this fall that had a mane. What causes this, and how common is it? ANSWER: While one can never be certain about such things, the most likely scenario is what biologists sometimes refer to as a vestige. Modern deer species sometimes reveal physical traits that... READ MORE
Spring Fever
By Bob Humphrey
Is it possible to see whitetail rutting behavior in turkey season? QUESTION: While turkey hunting in Florida last spring, I witnessed an antlered buck chasing a doe just like they do in the rut. When I mentioned it to my outfitter, he didn’t think it was all that unusual and said the deer rut at different times down there. How is this possible? ANS... READ MORE
Ooh That Smell
By Bob Humphrey
Hanging hunting clothes outside isn’t a guarantee of freshness. QUESTION: I use scent free soap on my body and all my hunting equipment and clothes. If I take the same clothes and hang them in the woods out of the rain, they have a smell that I can smell. Does that scare the deer? ANSWER:I guess that depends partly on what the odor is that you smel... READ MORE
Look, a You-Nee-Corn!
By Bob Humphrey
It’s no wonder deer hunters are so fascinated with antlers. QUESTION: What could cause this buck to have three antlers? ANSWER:There are several possibilities. As a body develops in the womb from a single fertilized egg, individual cells differentiate for specific functions. Some become hair, bone and organs. Bone cells of the pedicle further diffe... READ MORE
What About This Guy?
By Bob Humphrey
A photo alone doesn’t always tell the story about a deer’s age. QUESTION: I would be interested to know your opinion or estimate on the age of the whitetail in the photo. – David G. ANSWER:Aging a deer on the hoof can be difficult without a clear photo from the proper angle and sufficient information on the date and location. However, this one seem... READ MORE
Not By the Book
By Bob Humphrey
There is no fixed set of rules on how whitetail breeding takes place.
QUESTION: During the Illinois shotgun season just before Thanksgiving, a hot doe brought three small bucks under my stand. The biggest was a wonky-racked 2-year-old (I guess) that bred her right there. Afterward, all four took off running again. I thought a buck would lock down ... READ MORE
No Fear
By Bob Humphrey
Whitetails don’t always react when fired upon. QUESTION: During the muzzleloader season, I fired at a deer and missed, but the deer didn’t bolt like they normally do. I’ve heard of other people that had this happen. Can you explain why? ANSWER:I wish I could. I have also experienced this phenomenon on more than one occasion. Sometimes they react bu... READ MORE
They Start Young
By Bob Humphrey
Nutrition plays a key role in when does breed for the first time. QUESTION: How soon can a whitetail fawn breed? ANSWER: Most does breed as yearlings in their second fall. However, it has been observed in areas of high nutrition that some does are bred in their first fall, as fawns. When this occurs, it more often happens later in the fall, possibl... READ MORE
Canned Response
By Bob Humphrey
We bet you haven’t heard this about using can calls for whitetails. QUESTION: I’ve been trying to learn how to call deer, and some of my friends suggested I try a can call. Can you tell me what situations I should use it for? What type of call does it imitate? How often should I call? ANSWER: Biologists have discovered that deer use a variety of vo... READ MORE
Jail Bait
By Bob Humphrey
Doe fawns sometimes breed in their first fall in areas with great nutrition. QUESTION: How soon can a fawn be bred? ANSWER: Most does breed as yearlings in their second fall. However, it has been observed in areas of high nutrition that some does are bred in their first fall as fawns. When this occurs, it more often happens later in the fall, possi... READ MORE
Bump in the Night
By Bob Humphrey
Whitetails can get all sorts of bumps, lumps and bruises. QUESTION: Do you have any idea what this lump is or what might have caused it? — Robert ANSWER: It could be any number of things, the most likely being a subcutaneous fibroma (basically, a benign tumor) or possibly the result of an injury, perhaps from an antler tine or a well-placed ... READ MORE
Plug the Hole
By Bob Humphrey
Focus on the deer requirements in least abundance to set your property apart. QUESTION: I have hunting land surrounded by dozens of farms and thousands of acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and clover. It has been a total waste planting a few acres of these items, as the deer have miles of that stuff to eat. I want to plant something totally differen... READ MORE
Therein Lies the Rub
By Bob Humphrey
Bucks rub their antlers to remove velvet and mark territory, but understanding rub messages depends on when and where the buck made them. QUESTION: On my property in the Catskills region of New York, we see a few rubs in late September and early October, but the majority of rubs do not appear until early November. I want to know if buck rubs are pr... READ MORE
Restricting Antlers
By Bob Humphrey
Our biologist weighs in on the question of antler restrictions. QUESTION: Texas has decided that antler restrictions improve buck antler growth, but we have surveyed this for the past four years. When you take the trophies out, older deer with deformed antlers and those that don’t meet the restrictions do all the breeding. Then you never see ... READ MORE
You New in Town?
By Bob Humphrey
It probably doesn’t matter where a deer is from when it comes to scent. QUESTION: There are so many brands and types of doe-in-heat scent, so I’d like to know if one works better than others. Do deer smell different from region to region? For example, will an off-the-shelf doe in estrous scent work the same in Wyoming as it would in Ill... READ MORE
Just Scraping the Surface
By Bob Humphrey
Like most rut activities, scrape-making is fairly predictable. QUESTION: Do bucks start making scrapes as soon as their antlers are hard? ANSWER: Most scraping activity occurs in the fall and signals a sort of unofficial beginning to the rut as bucks paw the ground and deposit urine and other scents to signal they are ready, willing and able to bre... READ MORE