By Dave Hurteau

I’ve heard a rumor that there is a big basketball tournament going on, but I can’t say for sure. What I do know is that March means the Sweet 16 of Deer Something, and this year that something is long-range cartridges for our favorite medium-size cervids. [ Read Full Post ]

By Chad Love

Field & Stream readers are well-acquainted with the scourge of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), either through reading about it or by firsthand,in-the-field knowledge. With final deer season tallies now coming in, the disease's impact on this season is becoming appallingly obvious in hard-hit states like Nebraska.

From this story on norfolkdailynews.com:
Drought and an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in 2012 caused significant reductions in whitetail deer populations, permit sales and harvest...Deer permit sales in 2012 declined 13 percent to 122,214. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Helping the homeless and hungry through the donation of venison and other game meat is one of hunting’s greatest—and least reported—contributions to society. Hundreds of shelters and soup kitchens around the country rely on hunter-donated meat to feed those in need. So I was particularly appalled by this story coming out of Louisiana where state officials not only barred a local shelter from serving hunter-donated meat, but also destroyed 1,600 pounds of venison they found in the shelter’s pantry. If you or I would have poured bleach over perfectly good, hunter-harvested meat, we’d have ended up with a very expensive citation for wanton waste. In Louisiana, state officials are proud of their work in “saving” the homeless from what they deem as unhealthy meat, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of pounds of venison are eaten without incident at shelters across the U.S. every year. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

What Wild Chef reader out there hasn’t driven past a road-killed deer and thought, if only briefly, about stopping to pull out the backstraps? I’ll admit I’ve thought about it, though I have not yet brought myself to actually skinning one on the side of the road. Several states have laws on the books regarding salvaging road-killed animals, and now Montana has joined them:

Montana may now be the ultimate drive-through destination for adventurous foodies thanks to a new law that allows residents to consume any animals they kill. The bill, which passed 19-2, allows deer, elk, moose and antelope that have been killed by a car to be harvested for food.
[ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

Last week, we covered breaking news of a potential world record hunter-killed nontypical whitetail from the Hoosier State. After a review of the scoring procedure, the buck—killed by Tim Beck last November—will net 305-7/8”. That score will place it 4th overall in the nontypical category, and just below the Iowa giant killed by Tony Lovstuen in 2003. According to Boone & Crockett, a review in the scoring procedure reduced circumference measurements by a few inches, dropping the Beck buck from the original score of 308-5/8”. This makes it the second largest hunter-killed nontypical buck on the books.
[ Read Full Post ]

By Scott Bestul

It's deer show season again. I’ve been going to these things since the 1980’s when the concept was fresh as an October scrape. In the beginning, I went just to commune with fellow deer nuts. In later years I’ve been a seminar speaker and manned the occasional booth. And I keep coming back to deer shows, despite the too-expensive beer, the hawkers selling trinkets that have nothing to do with deer hunting, and the “Chippy, the Water-Skiing Squirrel” sideshows.

Why, do I love them so, you ask? I’ll tell you why:
1. The seminars: Most seminar speakers are respected deer hunters willing to share their knowledge. I enjoy the chance to listen to deer hunters, and I figure if I come away with at least one new idea to add to my own hunting, I’ve spent my time wisely. I’ve never been disappointed.

[ Read Full Post ]