Field and Stream - Deer Hunting RSS

Write a Caption, Win a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card!

Sarah Smith — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:40:17 -0500

by Scott Bestul

If you’ve been following this blog, you may remember that one of our most popular caption-contest photos ever featured a kid hauling a deer on his shoulders as he rode a bike down the street. You gave us a ton of good captions for that one, but of course only one person could win. When I stumbled on this picture a couple of days ago, I though of all you poor folks who came oh-so-close last time but still wound up with nothing.

So here’s your second chance with a deer-on-a-bike photo. Go ahead and have at it; if the judging team (Hurteau and I--plus whomeever we wind up calling to settle our differences) chooses your caption, you’ll win a $100 gift card to buy some swag from our friends at Bass Pro Shops.

The 180-Class Pending B&C World Record 8-Point Buck!

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:46:12 -0500

This 8-point buck is a shoe-in for the B&C world record.

Valentine's Day Soup Recipe + Contest Winner Announced

Online Editors — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:12:35 -0500

by David Draper

Ohio's Deer Harvest Numbers Down by 20,000 Since 2011

Online Editors — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:07:36 -0500

--Chad Love

Boone & Crockett: Whitetail Record Entries Have Increased 400% In Past 3 Decades

Online Editors — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:12:38 -0500

by Scott Bestul

I grew up hunting deer in Wisconsin. I distinctly remember how much I yearned to take a trophy buck. And while I occasionally pine for the hunts of my youth, the truth is that my odds of tagging a wall-hanger are far better now than they ever were when I got my start in the 1970s.

According to a recent press release by the Boone and Crockett Club, whitetail entries in the B&C book have skyrocketed in recent years, rising some 400 percent across whitetail range in the past three decades. And some states, Wisconsin in particular, have made incredible jumps. Badger State hunters registered 40 bucks in the B&C book from 1980-85. That number soared to 383 animals from 2005-2010, an increase of 857 percent! Illinois’ jump for that same time period is even higher at 896 percent. And Ontario went from a single deer during the 1980-85 period to 41 from 2005-10—an incredible 4,000 percent gain!

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of January.

The Cure For Buck Fever? Take A Practice Shot With The Safety On

Sarah Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:36:43 -0500

by Scott Bestul

I’m the first to admit that I’m no rifleman. I've always lived in shotgun-only country. While I've taken my share of deer with a gun, all have been at close range. What's more, for many years now my primary weapon has been a bow--either recurve or compound. All of this adds up to one simple fact: Deer beyond 70 or 80 yards seem a long way out there to me.

So when I was invited on a rifle hunt in Alabama last week, I did what I always do on a rifle hunt--pray the deer stay close. Oh I know what a centerfire rifle is capable of, but I'm just not enough of a rifleman to let the weapon realize its potential. On the last morning of the hunt I proved it, whiffing on a buck that was an easy target.

Virginia Hunters Keep Ban on Sunday Hunting

Sarah Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:36:34 -0500

--Chad Love

Sorry, Virginia hunters. It looks like the "peace and quiet" crowd has come out on top in your state's Sunday hunting debate.

From this story on gazettevirginian.com:

Rural Virginia will enjoy peace and quiet with respite from hunters for at least another year, after a House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources subcommittee voted to table three bills that would have repealed or rolled back the state’s current ban on Sunday hunting. A member of that subcommittee, 60th District House representative James Edmunds, said Thursday there was a “tremendous amount of opposition” to Sunday hunting.

Texas May Legalize Silencers for Hunting, Proposes Open Season on Dallas Deer

Online Editors — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:22:21 -0500

--Chad Love

Dallas-area hunters may soon be able to bowhunt in their home county if a Texas Parks and Wildlife proposal gets the nod. And another proposal would make it legal for Texas hunters to use suppressors for most firearms when hunting.

From this story on pegasusnews.com:

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is considering opening deer hunting in three North Texas counties and another on the upper coast this fall as part of recommended changes to the 2012-13 Statewide Hunting Proclamation. TPWD staff recommended an open season for deer in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall, and Galveston counties during a presentation Wednesday to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee....

Giant Illinois Buck Is Potential World-Record 8-Pointer

Sarah Smith — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:11:41 -0500

by Scott Bestul

The term “world-record whitetail” gets tossed around so much these days that it’s easy to ignore. But the buck pictured at left may well be the real deal.

Shoot Me Down: The Whisker Biscuit is Still the Best Rest for Bowhunting

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:06 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

First, we have a new high-speed video to show you, which is cool on its own merits. It illustrates, like you’ve probably never seen before, the most common complaint about a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest: “Too much fletching contact.” Check it out.

It’s plain to see that there is indeed a mountain of such contact. No one could argue otherwise. So much so that, as I say, it’s just crazy that a Whisker Biscuit can be so accurate.

Yet it is.

Deer Crashes Through DC Library Window

Sarah Smith — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:14:39 -0500

--Chad Love

By now the "deer crashes through (insert building here) stories are fairly routine, but it's not often that you see it happen in...Washington, DC?

From this story on nbcwashington.com:

Mostly, wildlife in a library is found in two-dimensional form, safely contained in the pages of the collection. But a deer's visitation was more than words at the Washington Highlands Interim Library on Tuesday afternoon. One librarian was in the bathroom, and another checking emails when they heard the crash of glass. Both staff members walked toward the sound of the commotion and discovered a small deer had leapt through one of the windows at the interim library, located on 4037 S. Capitol St. SW.

Bizarre Buck: Maryland Hunter Tags 23-Pointer With Brain Abscess, Hollow Antler

Online Editors — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:54:46 -0500

This bizarre buck had a hollow antler due to a brain infection.

Massachusetts Firefighters Save Deer from Well

Sarah Smith — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:08:14 -0500

--Chad Love

Here's one from the "Next Time, Let's Just Stick To Kittens In Trees" files. Firefighters in Truro, Mass. spent most of Sunday figuring out how to rescue a deer that had fallen down an abandoned well.

From this story on whdh.com:

Crews rescued a deer stuck in a well on Sunday. Authorities say the deer may have been caught in the Truro well for days. The deer was 12 feet down the dry well, and kicking wildly. “I've gone to many animal complaints; I’ve never seen a wild animal this upset. She tried several times to jump out of the hole and she was just not able to clear the 12 to 14 foot hole,” said Officer Jeremiah Valli of the Truro Police Department. They couldn't shoot the deer with a tranquilizer because he’s a game animal.

The Debutante Hunters Documentary Shows The Best Side of Hunting

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:11:07 -0500

by Hal Herring

(Editor’s Note: The Debutante Hunters won the Shorts Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival after this post was written.)

Sometimes it seems to me that conservation in the American West is like a Rocky Mountain river, wild with snowmelt, tumultuous and dramatic, with some new, obvious, challenge every second. But Southern hunting and fishing, and the conservationist ethic they spawn, seem more like a southern river, broad and slow and deep, shadowed with history and tradition.

Gangs Target Sportsmen in Texas

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:36:33 -0500

--Chad Love

The hunting trip of a lifetime ended up as every hunter's worst nightmare for four Mississippi hunters after all their gear was stolen on the way to the airport.

From this story on the clarionledger.com website:

Jacob Baldwin of Canton and three friends went to Texas earlier this month on the trophy deer hunt of a lifetime. Baldwin killed a 150-class buck and a wild hog, and one of his partners got a good buck.

"It was a great get-away trip - good friends, good hunting, great service at the lodge and everything - right up until we were getting ready to fly home," Baldwin said. "Then it went south in a hurry." Five miles from the San Antonio airport, the group stopped at a restaurant for a final taste of the area's local flavor before heading to the rental car return and a return flight to Jackson. By the time the last taco was eaten and the last swallow of cerveza taken, thieves had emptied their rental vehicle of everything.

Deer Rifle Vs. TV: What Show Would You Shoot?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:25:01 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Last week the Muskegon Chronicle added to the anecdotal evidence that the venerable .30-30 Winchester--despite it’s long track record--is in fact a little underpowered for use on modern television sets.

According to the article, a 66-year-old man from Oceana County allegedly fired a .30-30 deer rifle at his television Monday night. The television, however, was still functioning when police arrived. It's unknown what show the man was watching. And, you’ll be shocked to learn, he was intoxicated. Now, I know that none of you would ever get drunk and shoot your television set with a deer rifle, but if you did…

Recipe: Super Bowl Duck Spring Rolls

Sarah Smith — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:53:02 -0500

by David Draper

I know there are a lot of football fans who really care which team wins this Sunday’s Super Bowl. But me, I’m just in it for the food. While the rest of America roots for Peyton Manning’s less-funny brother or the guy who’s married to Gisele, I’ll be grazing the spread of cheese dips, bacon-wrapped goose bites, and sliders at the back of the room. I’ll also be judging friends’ reactions to my contribution to the party’s potluck: duck spring rolls.

I first had a version of these at our annual wild game feed and have been looking for a good excuse to make them myself. The recipe I’m passing along calls for fresh duck breasts, but I’ve found spring rolls are also a great way to use up the crispy-skinned leftovers of a roast duck. The recipe also works with goose, venison, pheasant, or any game meat with just a little modification.

Post-Season Bachelor Party

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:04:24 -0500

by Scott Bestul

The deer season has been closed here in Minnesota for about a month, but I can’t keep from snooping around the timber, even if it’s just for a 10-minute walk. It was on such a jaunt last week that I discovered the unmistakable sign of a buck working some scrapes. So I ran back to the house, grabbed a trail camera and mounted it so it overlooked the pawing in the snow.

The Best Shotguns of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:43 -0500

These are the best new shotguns of 2012.

The Tale of a 21-Point, 200-Class, Double-Drop Iowa Monster Buck

Online Editors — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:11:41 -0500

The story of a monster 21-point buck from Iowa.

Boy, 10, Tags Louisiana 18-Pointer On Solo Hunt

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:33:12 -0500

--Chad Love

Here's a story about a ten-year-old Louisiana boy who tagged a massive, 18-point buck earlier this month. On the face of it, it seems to be one of the typical "boy kills monster buck" stories we see every season.

You know, the kind of story that causes you to wail and gnash your teeth as the black bile of envy rises up in your throat. But this one has an unusual twist in that this ten-year-old boy did it all by himself.

From this story on thetowntalk.com:

Ten-year-old Jack Dekeyzer is an accomplished deer hunter, not to mention being mature for his age. Therefore, his father Peter Dekeyzer was OK with letting his son make his first solo hunt on family property in early January. "Jack has been hunting with me for several years now and has already killed four does and little bitty 'hill' deer that had 9 points with a 10-inch spread. So, when he asked if he could hunt by himself, I really didn't give it a second thought," the elder Dekeyzer said.

Indiana Bill Would Officially Legalize High-Fence Hunting

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:22:07 -0500

--Chad Love

A bill making its way through the Indiana legislature would make Hoosier State high-fence hunting officially legal. As it stands now, high-fence hunting isn't technically legal, but it's not really illegal, either. The bill seeks to clear that up.

From this story in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:

Hunting preserves in which people pay thousands to shoot deer behind high fences would be legal under a bill that passed 8-4 Tuesday out of the House Natural Resources Committee. House Bill 1265 would legitimize four existing captive hunting sites in the state – including one in Kosciusko County – as well as open up the practice for new operators following specific guidelines.

Why Wild Game Should Matter in the Mainstream

Sarah Smith — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:51:50 -0500

by David Draper

Last Friday, at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, while waiting for the weekend shift of working girls to deplane, I picked up a bottle of water and some reading material for my flight home. On the rack, there were the usual periodicals that often make their way into my carry-on: The Atlantic (which my swollen head couldn’t fathom at that moment); Surfer (not really the inspiration I needed for a trip home to Nebraska), and Esquire (didn’t want to be seen reading a magazine with a picture of Bill Clinton on the cover).

What I did find was a copy of Saveur, a food magazine whose Jan/Feb issue annually lists their Top 100 people, places, and ingredients for the food-obsessed. The Saveur 100 issue serves as great inspiration in the kitchen and fuels many a daydream for food-related road (and plane) trips should I ever win the lottery. It’s the kind of best-of list where you’ll find meatloaf next to something called mugua ji, or a treatise on the Czech Republic’s microbrews matched with Frito Pie.

The Best New Rifles of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:41:18 -0500

The Best New Rifles of 2012.