Late season hunts are often for Does or cow elk. In some cases, crop depredation tags are issued by the state to reduce herd sizes in certain areas. Late season deer need 40 pounds of grass a day to survive. Winter wheat, hay bales, and future grass crops can get hammered when deer herd up for the Winter. One a hunt a few seasons ago, I was on stand waiting to fill a doe tag.
Doe, or Antlerless hunts are becoming a common occurrence. There are several reasons for the need to increase local deer populations. Car Strikes mean that folks can get hurt and insurance policies go up. Lobbies for Insurance Companies promote massive deer harvests. Usually, these happen in Antlerless season. Farmers and agriculture areas need fewer deer to browse and eat their crops. They often get awarded dozens of Crop Depredation tags to reduce the threat. Landowners
Big, Old, Smart, and Massive Bucks do not get that way by being stupid! These Trophy Bucks have a knack for avoiding hunters, traffic, and death. Because of this, they survive to become every hunter’s dream bucks. Famous Old Bucks often earn names like Old Mossy horns, or the Swamp King. Maybe they are named for a specific area, stream, or feature where they live. A Big Bucks habits may earn him the name as
Deer Hunters, that fill their tags routinely, understand Good Scents. Commercial grade scents are expensive. A shot glass full of Code Blue or Tink’s 69 can cost $20. Using scents is important to attract deer, attract Bucks, cover human scent, or de-scent gear and clothes. Back in the Day, hunters used what they had to deal with scent. A cover scent may have been to tred into several cow patties on the way to the
The Rut is when Big Bucks lose their minds! Hunters lose their minds when these critters come crashing through their hunting areas chasing does. Every bit of smarts goes down the tubes when Bucks have Does on their mind. One Buck can mate with many does. 30 or more is not uncommon. Preferably, wildlife managers hope that only the wise old smart Bucks do the deed. The truth is that all bucks take their turns,
