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Spot On
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I have been reading “The Yearling” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The writer says several times that the pattern of a fawn’s spots is an indicator of a whitetail’s sex, spots being aligned for males and more random for females. Is that truth or myth? — Nicky ANSWER: Like the book itself, the concept that you ca... READ MORE
Too Many Deauxs
By Bob Humphrey
Don’t believe exaggerated tales about massively skewed doe-to-buck ratios. QUESTION: I live in northern Louisiana. Can you tell me the buck-to-doe ratio where I live? Also, is it okay to take one doe out of the area in the first week in December? — Jimmy S. ANSWER: Without contacting the state wildlife biologist responsible for the area... READ MORE
Can O’ Corn
By Bob Humphrey
Corn isn’t necessarily a bad thing to put in deer feeders. QUESTION: I want to put out a few feeders to attract and hold deer in my area. I know corn will work, but I’ve read a few articles that said corn isn’t very beneficial to whitetails. What would you recommend? — Scott M. ANSWER: Much depends on where you live, but if ... READ MORE
Where Are the Deer?
By Bob Humphrey
If they aren’t visiting your food plots as much, look in the oak stands. QUESTION: I’ve noticed that deer are not coming into the fields this fall like last year. Is it because there is a lot of feed this year in the woods? ANSWER: There could be several reasons, but that is the most likely. When there is a lot of natural food available... READ MORE
No Fleas on Me
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I live in Alabama and have noticed ticks on just about every deer harvested, but I never see fleas. Weird? — Kenny L. ANSWER: I must admit I didn’t know the answer to this one, and it wasn’t easy to find. Several studies list common ectoparasites of deer as ticks, chigger mites, keds and both sucking and chewing lice - b... READ MORE
Missing Bucks
By Bob Humphrey
With so many factors out of your control, QDM doesn’t always work. QUESTION: For several years now on the property I hunt, we have been practicing QDM by passing up yearling bucks. My goal is to shoot a mature buck, but I have yet to even see one. We run several trail cameras and I have not even gotten any pictures of a mature buck. My neighb... READ MORE
Food Plots or Pelletized Protein?
By Bob Humphrey
Question: I have a ranch in west Texas where my family hunts deer, turkeys and doves. My question centers around feeding protein to my deer. I lease my ranch to a local cattle rancher who pays me for a grass lease. I’m looking for a good way to feed the dear year-round with good protein, not corn. Is a gravity protein feeder my best option, o... READ MORE
Hunt a Scrape?
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I’ve heard many different ideas about hunting over scrapes. Should you only hunt fresh scrapes? Should you hunt scrapes 2 feet wide or wider only, or should you hunt them only during pre-rut, peak rut or post-rut? Should you hunt where you can physically see the scrape or should you hunt downwind of it back in the woods? Personally,... READ MORE
Variety Is the Spice of Deer Life
By Bob Humphrey
If you have the room and the means, don’t settle on one food plot seed. QUESTION: I live in St. Lawrence County, New York. I tried planting brassicas, which did well for a few years. Then, I had several years of heavy weeds. I till every year, wait two weeks and spray with a weed killer, wait 10 days and plant. I think I might be tilling in w... READ MORE
A Little Help from my Friends
By Bob Humphrey
Your buddies might be right about food plots, but they might not be. QUESTION: I have a small 20-acre tract on the Edwards Plateau around Harper, Texas. I would like to create a food plot but don’t know what to use, where to buy it, and if everything I’ve heard about food plots is accurate. I know where feed stores are, but I would appr... READ MORE
To Wait or Not to Wait
By Bob Humphrey
It’s a tough call to decide how long to wait to track a bow-shot deer. QUESTION: I’d like to get a few deer in the freezer early in the archery season, but it’s really hot here in Alabama at that time. It can be in the 90s! How long is it safe to let a deer go after a shot? I want to give the deer time to expire, but I don’t... READ MORE
Blind Ambition
By Bob Humphrey
There are several reasons deer might be spotting you when you’re in a ground blind. QUESTION: I just started to hunt out of a ground blind, but every time I’m in there the deer seem to know I’m there. Do I have too many windows open? The inside of my tent is black, so I wear black. What could they be seeing? — Tony L. ANSWER... READ MORE
Meep! Meep!
By Bob Humphrey
Just like in the cartoons, coyotes keep coming back for more. QUESTION: We try to remove coyotes whenever possible on our hunt club, but someone suggested we might be doing more harm than good. How can this possibly be? ANSWER:It seems intuitive that removing predators like coyotes would be beneficial to deer, but things are seldom as simple as we ... READ MORE
Supplemental Winter Feeding
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: We had a really bad winter up our way, and a number of folks I know put out food to help the deer survive. A bunch of deer were found dead in my town, and the state says it was due to feeding. How is this possible? — Brian A., South Hampton, N.H.
ANSWER: This is a topic we’ve covered before on the web and in Buckmasters Magaz... READ MORE
Find the Food
By Bob Humphrey
This hunter might be new, but he’s asking the right kind of questions. QUESTION: I am new to hunting (my second year) although I'm 52 years old and a disabled veteran. I’m limited to hunting public land in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. While scouting, I have found wild grape vines on some of the public lands and was wondering i... READ MORE
Disappearing Act
By Bob Humphrey
Can tracking a wounded deer run all the other deer off a property? QUESTION: A friend was bowhunting on my property in southern Maryland this year, and he arrowed an 8-pointer with his recurve. We tracked it through a few coveted bedding areas and pretty much covered a good portion of my 150 acres of hunting land. Two weeks later, I’m still n... READ MORE
How to Tell the Age of a Deer
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: Last fall I shot my first buck. It had an average rack, but when I looked in its mouth I noticed it didn’t have any front teeth. I suspect it must have been very old. Is there some way to tell how old it was? — Pete C. ANSWER: There is a relatively easy way to tell the approximate age of a deer, but before I tell you, I'll add... READ MORE
Busted!
By Bob Humphrey
So you spooked the buck you were after. What happens now? QUESTION: I have been hunting a big buck this season, and last night he finally came in. But before I could get a shot he caught me moving and ran off. My question is, should I give up on the spot or will he be back? How long should I wait before hunting there again? — Bill G. ANSWER: ... READ MORE
Drop that Fur!
By Bob Humphrey
Piles of deer hair leave turkey hunter wondering about predators. QUESTION: While turkey hunting this spring, I’ve been finding a lot of clumps of deer hair in the woods. I’ve heard that coyotes have become a bigger problem in my area and I’m wondering if this could be the reason. — Carroll D., Edgefield, S.C. ANSWER: Coyote... READ MORE
Hello Ladies!
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: We have an abundant supply of whitetails on our Kansas acreage and enjoy their company immensely. As expected, there appear to be far more does than bucks. Allowing for the fact that hunting regulations favor the harvesting of bucks, I can find no data on the likelihood of a doe giving birth to a male vs. female fawns. Is what I am witnes... READ MORE