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No Fleas on Me
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I live in Alabama and have noticed ticks on just about every deer harvested, but I never see fleas. Weird? — Kenny L. ANSWER: I must admit I didn’t know the answer to this one, and it wasn’t easy to find. Several studies list common ectoparasites of deer as ticks, chigger mites, keds and both sucking and chewing lice - b... READ MORE
Clover Alternatives
By Bob Humphrey
What can I plant in Sharkey clay that will help stop erosion and is easy to maintain? QUESTION: I have recently placed a pond on my property to help out wildlife during drought conditions in northeast to east-central Louisiana. The soils are Sharkey clay and I am looking for advice on a grass cover planting. I have had success with clover in these ... READ MORE
How to Tell the Age of a Deer
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: Last fall I shot my first buck. It had an average rack, but when I looked in its mouth I noticed it didn’t have any front teeth. I suspect it must have been very old. Is there some way to tell how old it was? — Pete C. ANSWER: There is a relatively easy way to tell the approximate age of a deer, but before I tell you, I'll add... READ MORE
Trophy Bucks
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I’ve been saving my pennies and finally decided this is the year I’m going on a guided hunt for trophy whitetails. I haven’t decided on the exact location yet but I’m thinking about somewhere in the midwest. Can you offer any tips on where my best chances might be? — C.J. W., Maryland
ANSWER: Based on nati... READ MORE
Deer Browse
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: My friend and I are hoping you can settle a bet. Two years ago one of the areas we hunt was cut for firewood, and the stumps grew a bunch of suckers. This spring we noticed something has been chewing them. I say it’s deer, my friend says rabbits. Is there any way we can tell. — Herman D.
ANSWER: The suckers you’... READ MORE
Spring Scrapes
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: While turkey hunting this spring, we came across several places that looked like fresh deer scrapes. My hunting partner says they’re just turkey scratchings, but I deer hunt the same area and there are scrapes in these same locations in the fall. My question is, do deer scrape in the spring too? Why would they do this? — Thoma... READ MORE
How Long Should You Wait?
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: Last fall I arrowed a deer in the paunch. We waited about four hours before looking for it, then we jumped it and it ran off. We returned the following day with a dog, and after about six hours eventually found my deer about a half mile away in a creek bed. My question is, how long should you wait before following up on a gut shot? &mdash... READ MORE
Mowing A Clover Plot
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: Last year I planted a plot of Imperial Whitetail Clover. It came in really good, but someone told me I should mow it. I’m wondering when the best time to mow is? — K. Nelson, Brewton, Ala.
ANSWER: There are two principle reasons for mowing a clover plot. One is for weed control. The other is to promote growth.
If weeds are... READ MORE
Melanistic Deer
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I shot a melanistic 9-point buck on Nov.15, 2000. He dressed out at 174 pounds. Does anybody track or keep records of such rare animals? — Daniel S.
ANSWER: We get a lot of questions and comments about odd deer, particularly color variations. Even in “normal” deer, pelage (fur color) can be highly variable, ranging fr... READ MORE
Supplemental Winter Feeding
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: We had a really bad winter up our way, and a number of folks I know put out food to help the deer survive. A bunch of deer were found dead in my town, and the state says it was due to feeding. How is this possible? — Brian A., South Hampton, N.H.
ANSWER: This is a topic we’ve covered before on the web and in Buckmasters Magaz... READ MORE
Hunting Pressure
By Bob Humphrey
If every place gets hunted, where do they go?
QUESTION: The area I hunt gets a fair amount of hunting pressure, and it seems like the deer disappear once gun season starts. But if every place gets hunted, where do they go? — Brent W.
ANSWER: Believe it or not, they’re probably still there.
Recent research on mature bucks fitted with ... READ MORE
Cull or Management Buck?
By Bob Humphrey
QUESTION: I hear people use the terms “cull buck” and “management buck” but I don’t understand the difference. Can you shed some light on this? — B. Warren ANSWER: I’ll do the best I can, but there are no hard and fast definitions for either term. Much depends on specific management objectives of the landow... READ MORE
New Food Plots
By Bob Humphrey
Buckmasters' biologist offers thoughts on getting started.
QUESTION: Bob, I found an approximately half-acre clearing where I want to create a food plot. I live in Tennessee, so the summers are very dry and hot. When and what should I plant to get those big bucks coming to my plot? Also, what is the best food for deer to consume year round? &ndash... READ MORE
Chewing Tobacco
By Bob Humphrey
Could deer actually be interested in a chaw?
QUESTION: I'm a tobacco chewer, and three times this season I witnessed a buck stop and stick his nose right into a spot where I'd dumped a spit cup. I also watched two young bucks lick and paw the ground, then start fighting over it! I couldn't believe it when a mature buck also licked and pawed the sp... READ MORE
Public Land Big Boys
By Bob Humphrey
How do we better our odds? We know they're there!
QUESTION: My wife and I hunt on public land here in Kentucky and enjoy great success in the limited time we can hunt. During the off-season, we set up trail cameras and capture thousands of deer photos of all shapes and sizes: from does and spikes to huge 13- and 14-pointers.
But we rarely see the... READ MORE
Post-Rut Buck Fight?
By Bob Humphrey
Trail cam captures intriguing photo after deer season.
QUESTION: Hi Bob, in order to monitor which deer survived our hunting season, I placed corn in front of my trail cam and was surprised to capture this photo of two bucks fighting. This raises an interesting question. Will bucks fight at times other than the rut or when they are competing for d... READ MORE
All Busted Up
By Bob Humphrey
Why do so many bucks on our property have broken tines?
QUESTION: Bob, we have a lease in Alabama, and over the years we've noticed virtually all our racked bucks seem to have broken tines. I realize that during the rut bucks are pursuing does and might have occasional fight, but it would seem that every now and then we'd take one without a broken... READ MORE
Now You See Him...
By Bob Humphrey
Question: I have a question on the eyesight of deer and other wild animals concerning the lack of camouflage. You see outfitters wearing blue jeans while the hunter is completely covered in camo. Other times you see hunters with bright, shiny chrome rifle barrels and scopes. Deer must surely know by now that a shiny barrel or scope means danger. It... READ MORE
How to Age a Deer by its Teeth
By Bob Humphrey
Question: I was on a guided hunt last fall in Texas and killed a buck that I thought was around 3 years old. My guide stuck his fingers in the deer’s mouth to feel it’s teeth and declared it was 5 years old. Can you offer some tips on how to easily tell a deer’s age after it’s been harvested? — Jamie W. Answer: A... READ MORE
Food Plots or Pelletized Protein?
By Bob Humphrey
Question: I have a ranch in west Texas where my family hunts deer, turkeys and doves. My question centers around feeding protein to my deer. I lease my ranch to a local cattle rancher who pays me for a grass lease. I’m looking for a good way to feed the dear year-round with good protein, not corn. Is a gravity protein feeder my best option, o... READ MORE