View Entire Blog
Latest 3 Blog Entries
Longest Deer Hooves Ever!
Posted On: May 17, 2012 | By: mike hanback
Internet-sensation bucks never die. I got this picture in my inbox yesterday with the message: Hanback, what the hell is this?
It's a buck I posted on the Outdoor Life blog back in 2007, I believe it was. The deer was hit and killed by a truck near Alma, WI. Biologists up there speculated that a diet high in proteins and minerals caused the deer to grow those long, curved hooves.
At the time, I ran the photo by a couple of our resident scientists, who said it was more likely a starch thing. They noted that when deer are fed excessive starch, primarily corn, “founder lesions” like elongated hooves can occur. EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) and other diseases can cause hooves to crack, break, etc., but not elongate/curve like that.
Body and rack wise, the buck was in good shape. Our biologists believe he was able to survive and prosper on those freakish hooves because he was “on welfare” and didn't have to move much. They point out that many deer become dependant on backyard feeders and thus consume excessive corn/starch. While the animals are not captive behind a fence or in a compound per se, they are conditioned to feed where starchy feed is easily accessible.
The buck was reportedly placed in walk-in cooler at a bait shop for safe keeping at the time. The owner of the shop said he planned a full-body mount, though I have not seen it.
I think we can safely say that, for whatever reason, those are the longest and freakiest deer hooves in history.
Handguns for Deer Hunting
Posted On: May 16, 2012 | By: mike hanback
Hey Mike: Here in Illinois we have a late season that was originally a pistol-only season for antlerless deer. Now the late season is open to shotgun, muzzleloaders and handguns, but our regular shotgun season in November has also allowed pistols.
Once upon a time long-barreled large caliber revolvers were a highly prized commodity around here, and I have in the last year or two seen a resurgence of interest in handgun hunting. I am kind of stuck in my ways and being a lefty, I love the Ruger single actions and how they load in my hands.
Just wondering, do other bloggers ever handgun hunt and if so, what do they use? Single or double action? What caliber? Is .357 enough? Do they like .45 long Colt over.44 mag.?
I get a lot of these questions and I know it's not discussed much, but I would be interested to see what the mind trusts at Big Deer have to say?--Thanks, Matt "Flatlander" in Illinois
Balls on Ice: How Far Can Deer Breeding Go?
Posted On: May 15, 2012 | By: mike hanback
This is the gist of the story from JR Absher:
After Mike Toney shot and killed a massive Illinois preserve buck in November, he put its testicles on ice and drove to the LSU AgCenter's research station in Clinton, La., where its semen was extracted using a new technique and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Since then, 16 does were inseminated with the semen and six became pregnant. According to an AP article, LSU attorneys are investigating if the process may be patented and licensed.
This is so far removed from the real world of deer hunting that you and I love so, I really don't know what to say. So what do you say?
|
|
|
|
 |
