Just because it’s hunting season doesn’t mean anyone is too busy to recognize U.S. veterans, past and present. Deer & Deer Hunting thanks the men and women who fight to preserve all freedoms, including being able to hunt each season.
Veterans, you are appreciated. Today and every day.
Hunters in the southern United States are gearing up for the rut, and Deer & Deer Hunting has two products they should definitely check out.
1) Smokey’s Pre Orbital Gland Lure
Ever since D&DH featured this lure in a recent issue, it’s been flying off the shelves. After selling out the first time, D&DH restocked with 100 more bottles. They’re not going to last long.
The name says it all. If you’re planning on hunting Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi or South Carolina, this guide has the rut information you need.
Good luck, hunters, and be sure to send D&DH photos from your hunts!
by Ben Sobieck, online editor
Pennsylvania’s deer hunting reputation is being threatened by hunters who "drift" in and out of the sport.
Lancaster Online reports that roughly 150,000 hunters do not hunt consecutive seasons. That’s 16 percent of its hunting population. For a state with upwards of 1 million hunters (counting deer and other game), that churning effect is a difficult issue to solve for state wildlife officials.
The Lancaster Online article indicates a primary reason for the exodus: a lack of game which may or may not be deer.
States with similar problems, such as Michigan, passed legislation to make hunting mentorships easier.
Although the focus is often on getting children into the outdoors, D&DH‘s own observations indicate hunters go in and out of the sport depending on demographics. Even those who grew up in outdoors families, for example, tend to lose interest during the teen years into their 20s. If they return to hunting more aggressively, it’s often after settling down – and only if they have access, the perennial thorn in the side of hunting.
These generalizations don’t mean the solutions can be painted with just as broad a brush. No state wildlife program has found the magic bullet.
In the Lancaster Online article, Pennsylvania Game Commissioner President Ron Weaner said he had more questions than answers.
"I am still interested in retaining and recruiting hunters, and think it is very important. The simple fact is that some people will not hunt year after year no matter what we do."
It’s unlikely deer hunting will go away for good in Pennsylvania. If ranked as a standing army, Pennsylvania’s 750,000 deer hunters would outnumber South Korea’s active military personnel. That’s not an army that likely to hang up the white flag any time soon.
by Ben Sobieck, online editor
Pennsylvania’s deer hunting reputation is being threatened by hunters who "drift" in and out of the sport.
Lancaster Online reports that roughly 150,000 hunters do not hunt consecutive seasons. That’s 16 percent of its hunting population. For a state with upwards of 1 million hunters (counting deer and other game), that churning effect is a difficult issue to solve for state wildlife officials.
The Lancaster Online article indicates a primary reason for the exodus: a lack of game which may or may not be deer.
States with similar problems, such as Michigan, passed legislation to make hunting mentorships easier.
Although the focus is often on getting children into the outdoors, D&DH‘s own observations indicate hunters go in and out of the sport depending on demographics. Even those who grew up in outdoors families, for example, tend to lose interest during the teen years into their 20s. If they return to hunting more aggressively, it’s often after settling down – and only if they have access, the perennial thorn in the side of hunting.
These generalizations don’t mean the solutions can be painted with just as broad a brush. No state wildlife program has found the magic bullet.
In the Lancaster Online article, Pennsylvania Game Commissioner President Ron Weaner said he had more questions than answers.
"I am still interested in retaining and recruiting hunters, and think it is very important. The simple fact is that some people will not hunt year after year no matter what we do."
It’s unlikely deer hunting will go away for good in Pennsylvania. If ranked as a standing army, Pennsylvania’s 750,000 deer hunters would outnumber South Korea’s active military personnel. That’s not an army that likely to hang up the white flag any time soon.
A bear attack is usually a rare event, but two Wisconsin hunters fell into the minority in early October near Superior.
According to the Pioneer Press, a man and woman hunted over bait intended for deer, which is legal in Wisconsin. The bait brought in a bear instead. The man tried chasing the bear away, but the animal "turned on him."
Despite injurying the bear with shot from an arrow and a knife, the bear survived long enough to inflict wounds on the man’s thigh and wrist. First responders transported him to a hospital in Duluth for treatment. Law enforcement later tracked and killed the bear.
Do you worry about bear attacks? Leave a comment and tell D&DH.
Brice Arnold, of Harpster, Ohio, killed this buck in October. Congratulations, Brice.
This buck’s unusual head gear is most likely the result of a damaged pedicle base on both sides. Scott Maddox killed the buck in Michigan this October.
Deer & Deer Hunting contributor Matt Harper shot this incredible 11-pointer in Iowa last weekend.
Matt writes:
"Normally, mid October does not produce great results on big bucks for me. This year, however, I got lucky. The few times I had been out, the food plots were mostly filled with does and young bucks, typical for this time of year. So, I decided to change tactics and hunt an oak bottom Saturday evening and it paid off. I have got trail camera pictures of this deer all summer and he was on the ‘hit list.’ I rough scored him and he ended up right at 170."
Way to go, Matt!
D&DH‘s Les Davenport sent in these three photos, taken during the Illinois youth season. Congratulations to these young hunters!
D&DH‘s Les Davenport sent in these three photos, taken during the Illinois youth season. Congratulations to these young hunters!