White-tailed Deer - Wildlife Management Pro

Big Nebraska Whitetails

The good news and the bad news about Nebraska’s deer season is that it’s 9-days of rifle hunting smack during the middle of the rut. Good news, because hunting rutting whitetails is a hoot. Bad news, because young bucks experience lots of mortality, many never getting a chance to reach their potential. Couple this with the fact that hunters can each take two bucks (again, a good news / bad news kind of thing), and the bucks get hit really hard each year.

The 2007 Nebraska season appears to have been about average. The weather was warm, the warmest deer hunt I’ve ever been on, but the bucks were in full rut.

I hunted near Ogallala for the last 3 days or so of the season that opened November 10th and ended on the 18th.

The 4×4 I took was very hot on the tail of a doe, chasing her aggressively through the brush. Through a combination of tough luck and being selective (OK, mostly tough luck), I had not tagged a buck for several years, and when I saw he was a 4-point I knew I wanted to take him. Continue reading Big Nebraska Whitetails

Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested

Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested
The rifle whitetail season in north-central Kansas has been slow, but some huge bucks have been taken in the state. The hunters and outfitters of Washington County, Kansas have largely been frustrated in finding the big bucks that this country is known for. Most of the hunters say they are getting skunked.

But, those who have scored, have scored big. I have seen a deer that was green scored at 190″, and I’ve seen two excellent bucks with 11+ total points. Another hunter at the hotel took a medium-sized 4×4, but most hunters are holding out for trophies.

Personally, I’ve only seen 4 bucks, including a 2×2, a medium-sized 4×4, a small 4×4, and a 4×4 that I regret not trying harder to take. Continue reading Deer Hunting Slow in Kansas, But Bigs Bucks Harvested

Number of Hunters in the US is Falling

Hunters remain a powerful force in American society, as evidenced by the presidential candidates who routinely pay them homage, but their ranks are shrinking dramatically and wildlife agencies worry increasingly about the loss of sorely needed license-fee revenue. New figures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that the number of hunters 16 and older declined by 10 percent between 1996 and 2006 — from 14 million to about 12.5 million. The drop was most acute in New England, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific states, which lost 400,000 hunters in that span. Continue reading Number of Hunters in the US is Falling

Keeping The Country in The Texas Hill Country

Nearly two decades ago, Gene and Linda Lowenthal, who were living in Austin, decided that they would eventually want to move to the wide-open countryside. They bought 58 acres in this small town in the Texas Hill Country, about 45 minutes west of Austin, built a small house and moved here in the mid-90’s finally free of noise and sprawl.

That freedom lasted about nine years. Then, bulldozers started appearing on hillsides once covered with live oak and mesquite trees. Houses and traffic lights popped up on once-forlorn roads leading to their home. Plans for a water line were drawn. Continue reading Keeping The Country in The Texas Hill Country

Range and Habitat of Whitetail Deer

The white-tailed deer is found in every state in the United States except perhaps Alaska and Utah. It occurs throughout the southern provinces of Canada, across the United States, and on into Central and South America. The white-tailed deer is the most popular big game species in North America. Mule deer are common throughout western Canada, western United States, and into Mexico. There are several subspecies of both deer and each is found is specific regional areas. Continue reading Range and Habitat of Whitetail Deer

Deer Impacts in Urban Environments

Deer are probably the most widely distributed and best-recognized large mammals in North America. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is found throughout much of North America. The mule deer (O. hemionus)is primarily a western species restricted to buttes, draws, and stream bottoms with sufficient forage. The black-tailed deer (O.h. columbianus) is a subspecies of the mule deer. Both white-tailed and mule deer are very important game animals. Continue reading Deer Impacts in Urban Environments

Indentification of Deer

Deer are even-toed ungulates of the family Cervidae. Adult animals may weigh 50 to 400 pounds (23 to 180 kg) depending on species and location. Their general form is well-known. At birth, fawns are rust-colored with white spots. Their spotted coats are shed in 3 to 4 months and are replaced by a grayish-brown fall and winter coat. The summer coat of adult animals is reddish-brown. Continue reading Indentification of Deer