Clint from Arkansas writes “I have a helpful hint for your readers.  A few years ago after a friend fell out of a stand and laid in the woods for six hours, I decided to be proactive about safety. I addition to carrying my cell phone, I wear a whistle on a duck call lanyard. This allows me to signal for help in case my cell phone loses reception or the battery dies. Someone looking for me could hear the whistle from a long distance away.

I hope this tip helps someone one day so they don’t lay unassisted like my friend.”

Thanks for the tip Clint!  Tree stand safety is an extremely important topic and isn’t something that should be taken lightly.  Hunters need to take action and protect themselves when they plan on hunting out of a tree.  Obviously properly wearing a safety harness and always being hooked into the tree will help to ensure your safety.  This also applies to hanging and taking down sets. Proper planning and preparation will help you to come home safe to your family.

As always, hunt hard and hunt safe!!

Deer Doc

One of the most frequently asked questions by hunters is “Should I shoot spikes as part of my management plan?”  The answer to that question is it depends.  There is a misconception that a once a spike always a spike or that spikes are somehow genetically inferior.  However this isn’t always true.  A spike is kind of like a skinny 12 year-old kid.  You don’t really know what they are going to develop into.  They may stay skinny or could blow up into a physical specimen.  Shooting spikes really depends on your management goals.

First of all, you may live in a state that only allows you to harvest two or three bucks a season.  If this is the case then you aren’t going to be able to harvest enough spikes to make a difference.  You also need to be hunting/managing a property of approximately 1200 acres or more to allow for yearling dispersion.  If you happen to find yourself in this situation then you can begin to consider intensive spike harvest.

One situation where you shouldn’t shoot spikes is if 40% or more than your yearling buck class is comprised of spikes.  If you were to shoot spikes in this situation you would end up shooting a majority of your yearling age class.  If your goal is to harvest a mature deer and you don’t care as much about antler score then you should probably let spikes walk.  However if you are intensively managing your property and are looking to harvest “trophy” animals (i.e. 150+ inch deer) then you might consider intensively harvesting spikes.  Now I’m not saying that a spike will never reach that size but other yearlings that are larger may have a better chance to reach your management goals.  In the meantime that spike is consuming six pounds of browse a day that other yearlings with better potential could be eating.

Now these are just some general guidelines to consider.  There are a lot of other factors that you may need to take into consideration before you even think about intensively harvesting spikes.  For example, if you have an over population of deer you are more than likely going to have on average later birthdates for your fawns.  This means that your buck fawns don’t have as much time to grow before the first hunting season and are therefore smaller.  It takes these fawns longer to compensate for their later birth date and will express smaller body and antler characteristics for longer.  Also, if you have an overpopulation you probably don’t have adequate nutrition in the woods for them to eat.  Remember, food plots are supposed to be supplemental only.  You can provide a lot more food in the woods by doing some habitat management but that’s another topic for another day.  If you have an over population of deer you simply need to manage by bullet and start to reduce your herd.  Only once you have balanced the number of deer on your property with the food available can you start to consider intensively harvesting spikes to reach your management goals.

These are some general guidelines and considerations about harvesting spikes.  There are a lot of misnomers out there and I hope this helps to clear things up a bit.  If anybody has any questions feel free to email me!!

Deer Doc

You don’t have to watch the Outdoor Channel for very long before you come across a show where the host is talking about hunting a particular animal that they have had on camera for years.  But do you ever wonder if the deer they harvest is really the same deer they’ve been getting pictures of the past few years?  There are definitely some bucks that you can identify from year to year by their unique antler characteristics or body markings, but how can you tell a that a young eight pointer has grown into a mature nine or ten pointer?

I don’t think that you can make that determination.  In fact, I don’t think that you can start to identify individual deer from year to year until a deer reaches at least 3.5 years of age.  In general, a 3.5 year old buck has grown into its main frame that it will keep.  Now obviously there are some exceptions to the rule, but most generally a 3.5 year old eight pointer will stay a main frame eight.

Now even if you are trying to identify a mature deer from year to year, there are a few things that you need to be aware of.  First of all, unique characteristics such as drop tines and kickers aren’t always grown every year.  Antler growth greatly depends on the nutrition and stress placed on an animal.  On rare occasion, those drop tines and kickers can even switch sides from year to year.  I never thought this to be true until I saw it in subsequent years from our research animals here at Mississippi State.  Even things like beam length are subject to change.

I think that it is almost impossible to identify individual bucks before they reach 3.5 years old because their bodies aren’t fully developed let alone their antlers.  They still have a lot of growing to do.  I also don’t think that it’s possible identify, for example, an eight pointer that turns into a ten pointer the next year.  As I have already stated, it’s hard enough to identify a buck when he has unique characteristics let alone when his main frame changes.

I’m not saying that it is impossible to identify individual bucks throughout the years.  I’m just saying that it’s not as easy as you may think!

As always good luck in the deer woods!

Deer Doc

Mark from Sportsman’s Condo asks, “Doc, I had a customer send a picture of an exceptional piebald buck he shot in Ohio. It made me wonder….what percentage of deer are piebald and what percentage are albino? Thanks.”

Mark,

Albino and piebald deer are extremely rare.  I only know of one population of albino deer and that’s in Wisconsin.  These deer are actually protected because people enjoy seeing them so much.  I would have to say that albino and piebald deer make up less than one percent of the entire population, but that’s entirely an educated guess.  Out of all of the deer I have seen, I have yet to see an albino and have only seen one piebald.  Either way, if you end up seeing an albino or piebald deer you should consider yourself very lucky!

Thanks!

Deer Doc

Tom from Florida asks, “Dear Eric, I hunt and live in Florida, which put the Black Bear on the endangered species list in 1994.  Since that time our Deer population as well as the Turkey population have continued to decline. On our Hunt Club we now see more Bear than Deer.  What is your opinion on Bears eating Fawns and Turkey Eggs.? Thank you.”

Tom,

Although a bear’s diet is comprised mainly of berries, tubers, and insects they will definitely eat a fawn if given the opportunity.  Bears are very opportunistic and will eat anything that’s available.  However all black bears are not created equal.  Northern and western bears will target fawns and elk calves more than southeastern bears.  This is because bears in the north and west are just emerging from their dens in the spring and are in need of protein.  Since bears in the southeast don’t necessarily have the same hibernation pattern and fawns are generally born later in the southeast, I don’t know how much bears actually target fawns in the south.  However, I have no doubt that bears are eating fawns when they have the chance.  I haven’t read a lot about bears eating turkey eggs, but again they are opportunistic and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were to take a few eggs as well.

Bobcats and coyotes are also notorious for preying on fawns.  There is much research that needs to be done on these predators and their effects on white-tailed deer.  Coyotes especially are a relatively new predator to the east and not a lot is known about them and their effects.  It’s important to remember that fawns may not be the first choice of these predators, but if there isn’t any other food out there they may target fawns more often.

Thanks for the question!

Deer Doc

Gerald from Illinois asks “I recently purchased property in southern Illinois. I have visited with some neighbors and we have decided to try some deer management. I know doe harvest is part of the management equation. My question is which doe do we harvest? Would it be the lead doe coming into the food plot or through the woods (alpha doe) or one of the smaller ones? I am afraid of shooting a smaller one as it could be a button buck?”

Gerald,

Harvesting does is a vital part in managing your deer herd.  Many hunters are concerned with mistaking a buck fawn for a doe fawn but there are some characteristics that you can use to help reduce buck fawn harvest.  First of all, when you are trying to implement a management program and reduce the number of does you have on your property any mature doe is fair game.  Characteristics such as a long nose and larger head will help you determine a mature doe from doe fawn.  One of the best things you can do to help minimize buck fawn harvest is to wait until a group of deer is present.  If you see a lone doe, wait until another deer is present before making a decision about harvesting.  Comparing  two deer will help you to judge body size.  If one doe is obviously larger than the rest that is the doe you want to harvest.  Realize that accidents are going to happen, especially if you are aggressively harvesting does.  Using these before mentioned guidelines will help reduce this risk and will help you to properly manage your property.

Thanks!

Deer Doc

Brian from Missouri asks “My buddy and I have an ongoing argument. He regularly makes his own mock scrapes by urinating in them. He is also urinates into scrapes made by bucks. I say this scares the deer because of the human scent. He says pee is pee and it makes no difference and makes the local bucks mad. What are your thoughts?”

Brian,

Everybody has their own tricks that they use and swear by.  Urinating in a mock scrape is definitely one that I’ve heard before and although it’s not something that I would necessarily do, I don’t think that it will hurt anything.  When you look at the chemical composition of urine it’s made up of urea, chloride, sodium, potassium, and creatinine.  Concentrations of those compounds vary from animal to animal but the chemical composition remains the same.  To my knowledge, I haven’t been busted by a deer sniffing where I had previously urinated in the woods.  Now with that being said, I don’t know if I would make a mock scrape and pee in it either.  I would be more concerned with scent that I leave behind from my boots and clothes.  There are a lot of things that people swear by and if it works for them, that’s great but it may not work for everybody.  The key is to be comfortable and confident in what you are doing and I think you will have an enjoyable experience.

Good luck!

Deer Doc

Tim from Georgia asks, “Can more than one buck breed a doe? If so, could she give birth to twins from two different bucks?”

Tim,

It is possible for more than one buck to breed a doe.  There are a couple of different scenarios where this may happen.  A doe is usually receptive for 24-36 hours and a mature buck will generally tend her until she becomes unreceptive.  However, if a tending buck is challenged by another buck, a window of opportunity is open for a different buck to come in and breed with the doe.  Another scenario where a doe may be bread by multiple bucks is when a tending buck leaves a receptive doe that is at the end of her estrous cycle and another buck comes in and breeds her.  It is possible for twins to have different fathers however; this is rare and was first documented at our research pens at Mississippi State.

Thanks for the question!

Deer Doc

Jake from South Carolina asks, “If you turn on the outdoor channel and watch any hunting show you will likely hear the host mention an exact age of any buck that passes by. Furthermore, the hunters often pass on “four” year old bucks to let them grow one more year. Is it possible to age a deer with that much precision and what criteria is best to use when aging bucks on the hoof? Also, how much of an increase can one expect from four to five years of age? Is it worth passing up a large 4 year old mature buck?”

Jake,

That’s a great question!  There is a lot of debate on the accuracy of aging a buck on the hoof.  There are a few characteristics to look for when aging a buck on the hoof but this method is not foolproof!  It’s relatively easy to tell the difference between a mature and immature buck using body characteristics.  A mature buck is going to have a swayed back, more of a belly, and fuller more rounded hind quarters than an immature buck.  Mature bucks will also have a full neck that blends into his front shoulders.  Another characteristic to look for is the length of the legs.  An immature buck’s legs will look a lot longer in comparison to a mature buck.  This is because a mature buck’s shoulders and stomach is relatively larger than an immature buck’s making their legs look shorter.  However placing bucks into a specific age class is much more difficult because of variation among individual deer.  Generally, a four-year-old buck is going to have a “race horse” look.  They will have very defined musculature and a strait back and stomach whereas a five-year-old or older buck will display more of the characteristics that I have already mentioned: swayed back, a bigger belly, a large neck that runs right into their shoulders, and fuller and more rounded hind quarters.  Now I stress that these are GENERAL characteristics to look for.  For example last year at our research pens here at Mississippi State we had two breeder bucks, one was a four-year-old and the other was a five-year-old.  The four-year-old buck displayed all of the body characteristics that a five-year-old should display and the five-year-old displayed all of the characteristics that a four-year-old should display!  You have to remember that every deer is different and will display different types of body characteristics.

To answer your second question, a four-year-old buck has displayed about 92% of their genetic potential for antler growth. So what does that mean? Well if you have a four-year-old buck that scores 130 inches that deer will probably score around 140 inches as a five-year-old.  Nutrition is still a major factor in antler growth and if that animal doesn’t have adequate nutrition, they aren’t going to display their full potential.  Obviously, there is a pretty big difference between a 140 inch buck and a 130 inch buck but passing on four-year-old deer really depends on what your management goals are.  If you’re not worried about antler score as much and you just want to harvest a mature animal I would say go ahead and harvest those four-year-olds. But if you want those deer to display their full genetic potential then you need to lay off until they are five or six.  Just remember that 130 inch four-year-old buck probably isn’t going to blow up into a Boone and Crockett deer in one year!!!

For more information on managing for antler production check out this link for an article from the Mississippi State University Extension! http://www.fwrc.msstate.edu/pubs/antler.pdf

Thanks for the question!

Deer Doc

Ron from Virginia writes, “Deer Doc, I don’t have a question but had a tip I wanted to share.Last year I was in a large home improvement store. They had a large bin of small adjustable wrenches and vice grip style pliers (about 4-inches long) for $2.00. On an impulse, I purchase the vice grip style pliers. I put in it my hunting pack and it has been handy. I have used it a dozen times for numerous things from tightening tree stand bolts, to breaking free a gun sling swivels, an emergency clamp, etc. I also carry a multi tool, which I love….but this little unit “locks” which can work better depending upon your situation.  Bottom line? For about $2, it is the handiest thing I have in my pack. I just bought several more to keep in my truck and boat. I don’t own stock in any of those stores! I wanted pass it along to your readers. Maybe other people could send in some of their tips?”

Ron,

Thanks for sharing the tip!  You never know what you are going to encounter when you go into the woods!  Hunting on public land and having to use a climber a majority of the time, I never know when I am going to have to trim a shooting lane or clear a few branches in my tree.  The one tool that I never leave home without is my multi-tool.  I have cleared more shooting lanes and trimmed more branches with that tool than anything else.  As a hunter, it’s always a good idea to have some sort of multi-tool with you!

Thanks for the tip and good luck hunting!

Deer Doc