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Entries for January 2022
All I want for Christmas
By Bob Humphrey
It very well could have been a whitetail that wrote the song about two front teeth. QUESTION:This year, I shot an old buck – so old it had no front teeth. Is there some way I can tell how old it was? ANSWER: It’s probably not as old as you think. A lot of people don’t realize that white-tailed deer have no upper incisors – f... READ MORE
Natural Night Owls
By Bob Humphrey
Whitetails learn some behavior, but it takes millennia to change the nature of a species. QUESTION:Over the generations, are deer learning it is safer to move at night? –Steve H. ANSWER: Anything’s possible but that seems highly unlikely. While humans understand the concept of natural selection, we often fail to grasp the time it takes for a certai... READ MORE
Chew on This!
By Bob Humphrey
Sharp-toothed rodents are one reason shed hunting is a late-winter, early spring activity. QUESTION:I found several shed antlers this winter and noticed one was all chewed up. Why are some chewed and others not? What does that, and why? ANSWER: The most likely explanation for why some are and some aren’t is that the chewed ones are older – have bee... READ MORE
Youth Movement
By Bob Humphrey
You might be surprised at how many young bucks participate in breeding. QUESTION:I always thought the dominant buck in an area would do most of the breeding, but one of my friends said all the bucks, including the young ones, breed does. Can you tell me if this is true? If it is, will that result in poorer genes? ANSWER: The picture becomes clearer... READ MORE
Time in a Bottle
By Bob Humphrey
Some things get better over the years. Others, not so much. QUESTION: I bought a few extra bottles of deer scent (buck and doe) about three years ago and never opened a bottle of either. So my question is, should I just throw out the bottles and get some more or are the bottles still good? ANSWER: The bottles are still good but I’d throw out the co... READ MORE