Ask The Biologist

The Light in Their Eyes

The Light in Their Eyes

By Bob Humphrey

Eye shine has a rational explanation. QUESTION: Why do deer’s eyes shine at night, and can you tell an animal species by the color of the reflection? ANSWER: White-tailed deer have several adaptations that give them much better night vision than humans, all of which are important for a prey species. One is called a tapetum lucidum. It is a reflecti... READ MORE

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

By Bob Humphrey

Clumps of deer hair in the spring might not mean what you think. QUESTION: This spring during turkey season I found quite a few patches of deer hair on the ground. I looked around but didn’t find any bones or carcass. What do you think could have killed a deer then dragged it off whole? ANSWER: You neglected to mention where you live, which could l... READ MORE

Timing Is Everything

Timing Is Everything

By Bob Humphrey

There’s a good reason for hunters to pay attention to when deer do what they do. QUESTION: What are the feeding times of white-tailed deer, and how does knowing these times lead to hunting success? ANSWER: Whitetails can feed 24/7, which is one of several reasons why they can easily out-compete turkeys for food. However, as most hunters will attest... READ MORE

Here and There

Here and There

By Bob Humphrey

Deer, both here and in Europe, can find their family units with no worries. QUESTION: Hello from Slovakia, Europe. While walking in the forest with my dog, we met roe does right in front of us. My dog started chasing one doe maybe 50 meters up the hill and then came back to me. Meanwhile, I heard another doe (maybe more), which was left behind and ... READ MORE

Food Shy

Food Shy

By Bob Humphrey

It’s common for big bucks to avoid feeders and bait sites. QUESTION: I live in Texas, and we run several corn feeders on our lease. We’ve gotten pictures of several nice bucks on the property, but we never see them around the feeders. Are they avoiding them on purpose? Why? ANSWER: It’s impossible to say for certain, but it is possible, and possibl... READ MORE

Light the Way

Light the Way

By Bob Humphrey

If daylight triggers deer behavior, it’s no wonder they sometimes get confused. QUESTION: While turkey hunting this spring, I found several patches of bare ground that looked like scrapes. I know turkeys scratch the ground to feed, but these were single bare patches in places where I’ve found scrapes in the fall, but looked like they were recent. D... READ MORE

My Pronouns Are ...

My Pronouns Are ...

By Bob Humphrey

You might need to tell a buck from a doe, especially in late seasons. QUESTION: Last fall I had around five does 20 yards from my ground blind but was not sure if one of them was a buck that had lost his antlers. Can you help me determine this in the future? ANSWER: There are no certainties, but you can reduce the odds of misidentification with som... READ MORE

Luke, I am Your Father

Luke, I am Your Father

By Bob Humphrey

It’s entirely possible that localized genetics influence antler characteristics. QUESTION: The photo on the left is a buck I shot in WMU 4C in Pennsylvania on Dec. 1, 2014. The second photo is a buck I shot in the same WMU on Nov. 27, 2022, roughly 40 yards from the other one. When comparing the photos, I noticed how very similar the P2s seem to be... READ MORE

Slugs vs. Buckshot

Slugs vs. Buckshot

By Bob Humphrey

Which shotgun load is best for deer is somewhat a question of application. QUESTION: I’m hoping you can help a group of us that shares a hunting camp settle a debate about which is better for deer hunting, slugs or buckshot. ANSWER: It’s impossible to say outright that one is superior to the other since much depends on circumstances and. to some ex... READ MORE

Who Needs Weight Watchers?

Who Needs Weight Watchers?

By Bob Humphrey

White-tailed bucks have the most successful weight-loss program in existence. QUESTION: Our firearms season doesn’t start until December. It seems like the bowhunters kill more big deer, and I think it’s because the bucks get run down during the rut and lose a lot of weight before gun season. Is there a way to tell how much a buck would have weighe... READ MORE

Ladies First

Ladies First

By Bob Humphrey

It’s good to be a gentleman in the woods, too. QUESTION: We are currently culling deer in a national park. From you’re experience, do you remove bucks or does first? Is it true if you remove the bucks, the does will leave the area and go find the bucks, or is it the bucks that move into an area where the does are? ANSWER: Circumstance often determi... READ MORE

Forget the Script

Forget the Script

By Bob Humphrey

Whitetails don’t always follow our neat little timetables. QUESTION: I was on a turkey hunt in central Florida last spring, and I swear I saw a hard-antlered buck chasing does. I thought the rut was in the fall. Is this possible, or was something else going on? And why didn’t this buck shed its antlers? ANSWER: Timing of the rut tends to be more sy... READ MORE

Putting a Hoof Down

Putting a Hoof Down

By Bob Humphrey

Why do does stomp at danger? QUESTION: I’ve seen this several times where a doe gets nervous and stomps its front foot. I’ve always wondered what purpose this serves. ANSWER: Deer most often stamp when they sense a potential threat but have not identified it. Otherwise, they would simply flee. This behavior likely serves several purposes. First, it... READ MORE

Weak Side

Weak Side

By Bob Humphrey

Antlers can be affected by both genetics and nutrition. It’s just tough to figure out which. QUESTION: This is my first year hunting a new property and I am seeing bucks with their left side weaker than the right, or the left side is broke up. Is this genetic or lack of protein or minerals? ANSWER: It could be either or both. Yearling bucks especia... READ MORE

Non-Binary Buck

Non-Binary Buck

By Bob Humphrey

It’s not likely antlered does are a result of genetics. QUESTION: I harvested this antlered doe in southern Alabama. I didn’t realize what I had until my processor called a few minutes later. I’m curious to know if this deer could have possibly let other deer breed her or if she had such high testosterone levels that she socialized more like a buck... READ MORE

Blind Not-So-Much Luck

Blind Not-So-Much Luck

By Bob Humphrey

Hunting from a ground blind is no guarantee of concealment. QUESTION: I just started to hunt out of a ground blind, but every time I’m in there the deer seem to know I’m there. Do I have too many windows open? The inside of my tent is black, so I wear black. What could they be seeing? ANSWER: There are several possibilities. A deer’s pupil is elong... READ MORE

Pass the Salt

Pass the Salt

By Bob Humphrey

Mineral supplements can help when nature is lacking. QUESTION: What are the best deer minerals and when should you put them out? ANSWER: In most cases, deer get the minerals they need for body growth and maintenance from their environment, with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium being among the most important and abundant. Plants take up the... READ MORE

Holy Rack

Holy Rack

By Bob Humphrey

Damage to velvet racks manifests after the antler hardens, too. QUESTION: I shot this amazing buck two years ago. I always assumed the two indentations where made by some type of insect. Is that true? If so, what is it? ANSWER: There are several possibilities as to what might cause holes or indentations in antlers. During the growth stage, antlers ... READ MORE

Get a Saddle!

Get a Saddle!

By Bob Humphrey

Whitetails with manes are an oddity you don’t see every day. QUESTION: What exactly is a mane on a deer? The photos I’ve seen on Google were no help. On a Lion or even an Elk, I get it, but on a whitetail I’m at a loss. ANSWER: While rare, white-tailed deer with a mane on the back of their neck do occasionally show up. I harvested one in 2020. This... READ MORE

Fox Trot

Fox Trot

By Bob Humphrey

Foxes are not a threat to adult whitetails, but they’re still predators. QUESTION:I was a hunting piece of property and had a doe run to me full speed. I could hear something coming behind her, so I got ready thinking it was a buck, but it was a red fox chasing her. I’m not quite sure he would’ve been able to take her down, but he was giving it a g... READ MORE

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd