Where Has That Darn Buck Gone?

| By Jim Stickles
As part of a research project funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, Jim Stickles, a graduate student at the University of Georgia Deer Lab, and undergraduates Swanny Evans and Chad Jenkins, captured nine adult bucks, five yearling bucks, nine adult does and two yearling does from properties in Morgan …

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Causes of Early Antler Casting

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Every year starting in December, QDMA begins to receive sporadic reports of bucks dropping their antlers earlier than normal. These reports seem to be more common in some years, or more concentrated in specific regions, and sometimes hunting season is still open when these reports occur. It’s unpleasant to think you might mistake an early …

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Can Deer See Blaze Orange?

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It’s a question as old as blaze-orange vests and caps. Hunters worry that their required safety-orange apparel will give them away to the sharp eyes of deer. After much research into deer vision capabilities and the physical structure of deer eyes, University of Georgia researchers Dr. Karl V. Miller and Dr. Gino D’Angelo wrote an …

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When Do Bucks Visit Scrapes?

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Have you ever set up on a fresh scrape, only to sit for hours and not see a thing? Well, wildlife researchers have shown that most scraping activity (nearly 85 percent) occurs at night. So, hunting directly over a scrape may not be the best strategy during early November to catch a glimpse of that …

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Spike On One Side: Genetics or Injury?

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Among hunters, few topics stir discussion like hunting over bait or hunting deer with dogs – but the dispute over “cull bucks” comes close. While ethics play a major role in other debates, the dispute over cull bucks boils down to science – something that should not be debatable. Hopefully I can present some information …

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