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Entries for November 2009
Venison Care
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Clean, cool and quick are the watchwords of good venison care. A clean shot, clean field-dressing and quick cooling of the carcass are the key steps to good-tasting venison. Immediate field dressing is best, as this starts the all-important cooling p...
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Cutting To The Core
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Sometimes even the best plans don’t work out. Usually this is when the season is winding down time is running out. Under those circumstances, you might have to break the rules and hunt a buck’s core area. It’s a risky maneuver, and just one tiny mist...
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Risky Business Rut
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Don’t think a mature buck is dumb, even during the heat of the rut. He might move more than usual; he may move more in daylight than usual; and he will certainly venture into unfamiliar territory while chasing does. This goes against his native cauti...
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Rubs for Results
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While there’s much debate on the subject, rubs can be a reliable form of buck sign. Bucks use (some) rubs to define their territory. Glands in the buck’s forehead produce an oily substance that contains a scent peculiar to that buck — a signature sce...
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Bucks and the Acorn Connection
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Oak trees of some species are found throughout the range of white-tailed deer. That’s good, because deer love acorns. However, they love some acorns more than others.
White oak acorns are preferred because they have less tannic acid than red oak aco...
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It’s Good to Have Choices
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Smart deer hunters set up several stand sites for an individual buck or hunt different areas.
A buck will soon figure out that someone is out to get him. If you hunt from the same stand all the time, he will simply avoid that one area. Have several ...
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Late Season Buck Strategy
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If you have an unfilled tag as the season winds down, you’re going to have to hunt harder and smarter to find a trophy buck. The food and doe concentrations of early autumn are gone; the rut is over; and the bucks are educated to the ways of men in o...
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The Rutting Moon
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There are a lot of arguments about how moon phases affect deer movement. Many deer hunters believe a full moon leads to more nocturnal activity and suppresses deer movement the following day. They also believe the new moon’s lack of light forces deer...
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