Deer Hunting Archives - Page 114 of 124

Day 6 PlotWatcher Time-Lapse Video Camera

August 11, 2010 Mississippi Sportsman

Imagine having a set of eyes at every hunting spot on your property. Just think of what you could learn about the game activity if your friends and family were willing to sit in all of your stand sites from dusk until dawn during the days leading up to your hunt. If you know that many people with no obligations and plenty of time to spare, then you’re set. If not, then the Day 6 PlotWatcher Time-Lapse Video Camera is your answer. […]

This 169-inch bruiser killed last year on Mahannah WMA by MS-Sportsman.com moderator Eddie Peterson will be on display during the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza at the MS-Sportsman.com booth.

Track Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza scoring on MS-Sportsman.com

August 5, 2010 Mississippi Sportsman

The Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza attracts trophy deer from all over the state to be officially scored for inclusion in the official Magnolia Records, and MS-Sportsman.com will be there recording all the action. […]

A well-set clover patch provides wildlife benefits for years to come.

Benefits of ball clover

August 4, 2010 Cliff Covington

There are numerous benefits of incorporating legumes (clover) into winter food plots. Adding clovers to these forage systems has helped many cattle producers in Southwest Mississippi offset the rising costs of nitrogen and improve forage quality. […]

Greg Hackney (right) and son Drew have killed several fine deer, like these 140-class bucks, because they are willing to let younger bucks walk and kill does for table fare.

Trophy management not for the faint of heart

July 29, 2010 Andy Crawford

A lot of hunters talk about managing their deer to produce trophies, but few are willing to take the steps necessary to actually follow through. […]

Depending on the oak and its growth formation, whitetails will stand erect on their hind legs and perform a balancing act to pluck acorns weighing down low tree limbs. These trees can also be targeted by bucks for signpost scent marking scrapes. Here a tree not only provides food, but can become a central location for rut activity. Oak trees like these are a great place to bag a buck.

Deer Dynamics: Hard Mast

July 27, 2010 Tommy Kirkland

A white-tailed buck leaves his bedding site in a stand of small pines. Instead of heading to the clover plot, he scales up a small ridge to seek out what is beneath the trees. […]

The real key to trophy management is allowing deer to reach 5½ to 6½ years of age. Patiently learning how to age deer on the hoof makes it a lot easier to know which bucks should and shouldn’t be killed. The payoff comes with deer like this 160-class buck killed by Paul Meeks near Port Gibson.

Soil Saga

July 27, 2010 Andy Crawford

The buck eased through the woods, nipping at greenery and moseying along the edge of the slough before turning and slowly crossing the depression. The animal moved along a trail a couple of does had used hours before, without so much as a sniff of the ground. […]

W.H. Covington takes soil samples with a soil probe and a soil-testing box in a food plot he is preparing to plant ball clover, oats, and ryegrass.

Lucky Charm Plots

July 27, 2010 Cliff Covington

When it comes to planting wildlife food plots, everyone seems to be searching for that magic seed that will provide everything a whitetail needs — large amounts of highly nutritious forage over an extended period of time. This elusive plant would grow in sun or shade, thrive in a desert or a swamp, reseed itself, stand up to heavy grazing and have the palatability of white-oak acorns. […]

Colby Byrd of Brookhaven shot this respectable 4 1/2-year-old buck in Claiborne County on property following Quality Deer Management guidelines. This buck was harvested four years after a failed culling program had been discontinued by the landowner. By protecting younger age-class bucks and harvesting large numbers of does, the landowner was able to reverse the negative affects of culling in a relatively short period of time.

To Cull or Not to Cull?

June 24, 2010 Cliff Covington

The practice of deer management has grown by leaps and bounds in the Magnolia State over the past few decades. Most whitetail enthusiasts understand that there are three primary factors that have an impact both on body size and antler quality — age, nutrition and genetics. […]

Despite being past his prime, this buck still has an impressive set of antlers, and one can see how his genes worked to create a rack nearly identical to the previous years when he was in his prime.

Deer Dynamics: Antler Growth

June 24, 2010 Tommy Kirkland

As the days become longer, the process of “photoperiod” takes hold — stimulating more hormonal growth for bucks. More available sunlight allows changes to unfold with a buck’s pituitary gland, producing hormones that significantly contribute to bone and tissue growth. Other natural works play into antler development as well. […]

John Mark Cockrell of Brandon collects big bucks in the most unlikely of places. This buck was taken a short walk from his house when it was crossing a power line.

The Deer Whisperers

June 24, 2010 John J. Woods

Bagging a trophy-class whitetail is truly the experience of a lifetime. For most deer hunters, one is all they get. Many seasoned sportsman are completely satisfied to have achieved the accomplishment. They got their 15 minutes of fame, got the bragging mount and can relive the whole episode at the drop of a camo hat. […]

This solid white doe is mounted with a normal-colored buck and fawn at Allen Morgan Taxidermy in Brookhaven.

Whitetail Freaks

May 27, 2010 Cliff Covington

If you spend much time in the world of the whitetail, you are sure to see that Mother Nature can throw a few curve balls. Each year, a variety of downright weird whitetail specimens are brought to skinning sheds. These whitetail freaks fall into three general abnormality categories: antler, skeletal and color. And while these abnormalities have little or no impact on deer populations, they do create a great deal of curiosity because of their uniqueness. […]

Deer Dynamics: Early Summer Foliage

May 27, 2010 Tommy Kirkland

Once the green-up begins in the spring and early summer months, both bucks and does seek out flowering plants known as forbs. […]