Whitetail

Knock-Down Drag-Out

2009-01-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Every season we hear about a couple of bucks that got tangled up during the rut and are usually freed by a couple of hunters, and this year was no different. My cousin sent me these photos a few days ago and I thought they were worth sharing.

The story floating around about them is that after the buck was seen with his head down across a field not moving, the land owner knew something was up. Getting a closer look he realized the buck was locked up with a dead buck. They first tried to free the lone survivor by using a metal fence post but when that didn't work the hacksaw was broken out. In the end, the heavy-weight was freed no worse for the wear thanks to the fast action of fellow hunters. And by the looks of it he was a dandy buck that a hunter might have a crack at next fall. Enjoy!

-Brian

Strike Three

2009-01-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

It's over. I'm beat.

At 3 a.m. on the first day of 2009, I arrived back in Michigan after my third attempt at travelling to Iowa and filling one of the toughest whitetail tags in the country to draw -- a nonresident bow tag.

I spent three days hunting as hard as I could. I saw two decent bucks that I would have loved to put that tag on but, in the end, I didn't get it done. I made a couple of poor decisions and the weather wasn't in my favor.

I'll be honest and admit that I'm very disappointed with myself. I ended up spending 13 days in Iowa over the course of three seperate visits. I spent about 90 percent of my time on public land and on a small piece of private ground that bordered the public land. I saw some outstanding deer and truly believed I was due to launch an arrow. But it just didn't happen.

Michigan's deer season ended about two hours ago. My whitetail hunting season is also over. I'll spend the next couple of weeks observing crop fields in the areas I hunt, hoping to spot a buck or two that survived the season.

It's a tough time of year for me. My whitetail passion is at fever pitch and I try desperately to figure out a way to make November last 10 months instead of four weeks. But I haven't been able to.

Post-season scouting, shed hunting and recounting tales of mammoth bucks that I run into along the way will help pass the time. The season is over.

The hunt, however, never ends.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

A Little Time in Texas

2009-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Zeppelin's Ramble On has become the Brantley theme song according to my wife, Michelle. The Christmas holiday has been a whirlwind of travel for us. We've spent a few days doing the family thing, but have been hunting and driving most of the time.

Yesterday evening, just before the stroke of New Year's day, found us pulling into Memphis after a predator hunting trip in Menard, Texas, with my buddy and hunting guide Jeff Whitson, and Michelle's dad, Larry. Though we shot a bunch of critters hunting with Jeff this time last year, things were a little off this year and we only managed a few calling responses.

That's not to say there wasn't plenty to keep us occupied, however. During the day, we sat over feeders waiting for wild hogs. The hogs must have been on the same "don't get shot" plan as the predators, but the deer evidently knew we weren't hunting them. We saw dozens of deer between us, and plenty of bucks. I have to say, I thought when the big 8-pointer above strolled in and fed in front of me for 30 minutes while I sat in a box stand within easy bow range, I thought I'd have to turn my head. But, it was really cool just to see so many animals, particularly in new country. Actually, I was aching nearly as much for a better camera lens as I was for my bow. No doubt about it--Russell Graves' home country is full of whitetails.

Next year, maybe, just maybe, I can chat with Jeff and show up with my bow and deer tags, rather than a varmint gun. At the very least, I'll be carrying a better camera lens.

Will in Tennessee

Trophy Doe Update

2008-12-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of days after I photographed Dusty Chapman's trophy doe, he sent me a game cam picture of the same animal taken earlier in the season.

I've got to tell you, Dusty's story is one I know he'll be re-telling for years to come.

Unusual Buck - From the Inbox

2008-12-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Not sure of the story on this buck but it came across my inbox yesterday.

What an unusual trophy and I'd love to hear the when and where of this buck if anyone knows the scoop.

Russell Graves
Texas

Three and Out

2008-12-27T17:20:00.001-08:00

Well, I was supposed to be in Iowa today. But, well, I'm pretty much a baby when it comes to travelling in ice. The weather here in the Midwest has been bizarre to say the least. Iowa has been pounded with ice for about three weeks and today they're getting one final round before things look to settle down.

It was 61 degrees today here in Michigan. The 13 inches of snow on the ground melted in about 12 hours and it was coupled with an inch or so of rain. Yeah, fun soup. The wind is whipping at about 25 mph and is expected to gust to 50 tomorrow. So it's a good day to head West and give it one last shot at filling my Iowa tag.

I will have three days to hunt and then I'm finished. I am dead-dog tired and a quick check of the calendar shows that I've spent at least some time in the woods in 56 of the last 61 days. In November, I had a span of two weeks where I spent an average of two hours of daylight when I wasn't in a treestand.

I am not a big-time TV star. I'm just a guy that lives to hunt and loves to live the huntin' life. I had to make the outdoors my profession because, truth be told, there's no way I'd hold down a job any other way. I hunt hard because I love it but also because it's part of what I do for a living -- and sometimes hunting does seem a lot like work. Don't get me wrong -- it's a great life and a great gig. But I definitely understand and appreciate the toll it takes on my family. My wife, as I've often said and absolutely mean, is the finest person on the face of the Earth. She has never -- not once -- ever got upset that I was headed to the woods. In fact, it's because of her that I'm heading for Iowa one more time. She knows how badly I want to take an Iowa deer and finish the task. She has total confidence that I will. Me? I'm not so sure.

But I know one thing -- and I really want to share this with all of you hard-huntin', buck-stalkin' Rack Report diehards: Hunting hard is a badge of honor for those of us who understand what it means. The weather stinks. It's late in the year and I'm going to attempt to hunt public land in an area that see its share of hunting pressure.

But I'm going anyway. There's no other choice for me. It's what I have to do and what I want to do. Sitting it out is not an option becuase I simply refuse to give up. I'm going to pour my heart and soul into three final days. And when the sun sets on Dec. 31, I'm done for the year.

And guess what?

I'm already counting down the days till next season.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

Unreal

2008-12-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday about noon, I got a call from my buddy David Chapman. David lives in the Waco, Texas area and he'd just left the deer woods down in his area when he got a call from his younger brother Dusty.

To give a bit of background story, I grew up with both David and Dusty. David is about five years older than me and was my "big brother" when my real brother and fellow Hunt Junky Bubba joined the Army. Dusty, on the other hand is nine years younger than me but we all attended the same tiny school in Dodd City, Texas where K-12 meets under the same roof.

Anyway, I was back in my hometown for the Christmas holiday when David called me and said that I might want to see the buck. Since I was at my parents house only eight miles away, I called my buddy Garry and Bubba and we all met at Dusty's house in Dodd City.

Dusty shot a nice deer and was telling David the story via cell phone when I arrived. The deer was a nice one by most standards: a moderately tall but wide eight point that would make most anyone proud to take it. When Dusty went to field dress the northeast Texas buck, he found out his buck was really... wait for it...

A doe complete with teats and a vulva.

However, in typical small town fashion, the news traveled and a crowd quickly gathered.

Unreal...

Iowa Giant Deja Vu

2008-12-23T16:52:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know this is going to sound crazy but . . .
If you're anything like me, you've become addicted to Bill Winke's Midwest Whitetail webisodes that are posted on Realtree.com each week. They're awesome for freaks like us.

Anyway, I was checking out his blog and saw these photos and his post.

It's a freaky big deer. And here's the weird part and the part where a lot of guys will undoubtedly roll their eyes and give me the "yeah, sure you did" line. But I think I may have -- just maybe, possibly -- seen that buck while hunting Iowa this November.

I saw the deer on two occassions including once at about 60 yards (in fact, he chased a doe past me three times at that distance in a span of about two minutes). I got a pretty good look at the deer and he had a very similar look to him and those distinctive brow tines.

Look, I'm a Michigan native. I'm lucky to see three bucks in a season that would score 200 inches combined. So it's not like I've laid eyes on bucks like this often. It's entirely possible that I overestimated the buck I saw -- but, like I said, I got a good look at the deer and I'm a freak for all things whitetail. So I like to think I can judge a deer.

Maybe it wasn't this buck -- but for now, I like to think that maybe it was. When more details come out (like a general location) maybe I'll have a better idea.

Until then,I'm going to bed. And dream about the giant I plan to kill next week in Iowa.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

Update on CWD in Michigan

2008-12-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

Well the 2008 deer season is all but over here in Michigan. For those of you that follow such things, you'll recall that Chronic Wasting Disease was discovered in a captive deer here during the summer. That discovery prompted the Michigan DNR to impose an immediate ban on feeding and baiting in the Lower Peninsula -- a move that caused severe angst amongst some Michigan hunters who claimed they would stop hunting and far fewer deer would be killed -- but more on that in a moment.

The DNR has tested thousands of deer and thus far no CWD-infected deer have been discovered. Personally, I'm shocked that a positive deer wasn't found. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled. But in every other instance when CWD is discovered in a captive deer, it's soon discovered in a wild deer. Maybe we dodged one big bullet.

Now, about the baiting ban. For those unfamiliar with baiting, it's where hunters dump corn, beets or other food in the woods to attract deer. The practice is popular in Texas and Saskatchewan -- but there are major differences in my opinion. In Saskatchewan you don't have 700,000 gun hunters and 300,000 bowhunters putting out piles of bait. The impact is negligible becuase the human population is so low. In Texas, properties are generally far larger and the deer densities are different. In other words, it's just a different situation.

The deer kill was down in Michigan this year. However, in areas where the bait ban was in place, more deer were killed than last year. The Upper Peninsula, where baiting was legal, saw a 22 percent decrease in its deer harvest. So much for the theory that hunters can't kill deer without using bait.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

Mule Deer Research

2008-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it's not whitetails but if you are a lover of deer, you might think this is cool.

Yesterday I got a chance to document a desert mule deer study conducted by the Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas A&M University - Kingsville. It was quite an operation and the crew pulled it off with speed and efficiency.

In short, once the mule mule deer were netted by the helicopter crew, the processing crew would:

1. Age the deer;
2. Measure the rump fat of each deer with an ultrasound;
3. Ear tag each deer with ID numbers;
4. Place a GPS collar on the deer to log its movements over time.

The purpose of the study? To develop more accurate deer census techniques.

RG
-Texas

Vanderpool Hat-Trick

2008-12-16T20:01:00.001-08:00

My buddy Phillip Vanderpool sent me a taste of what he pulled off this past fall--a genuine whitetail hat-trick. He killed three great bucks for Iowa, Illinois and Old Mexico of all places. As always, I'm sure there's a story behind each one of them that we will be able to enjoy when Primetime Bucks XIII hits the stands next year. Congrats on another stellar season Phillip!

Cheers

-Brian

Officially Sick

2008-12-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's official: I'm sick. Sick in the head. Sick of the lack of action. Sick, sick, sick.

And so I'm doing it. I'm going back to Iowa. That's right for the third time in six weeks, I'm going to load up my truck, buckle in the Hoyt and head to the Hawkeye State.

See, I don't really have a choice. The little voice in my head keeps telling that I must go. True, the weather will likely be brutal. The shotgun season has ended and the bucks will likely be holed up in response to the increased hunting pressure.

But back I must go. Once Christmas is over and the wrapping paper has been dumped by the curb, I'm off. I'll be back by the New Year.

And, this time, I'm hauling back some bone. Big, massive, long-tined bones. Count on that.

Tony Hansen, One Sick Michigan Man

Follow Ups

2008-12-16T15:48:00.000-08:00

This time of year can be interesting. Usually, pictures and rumors of big bucks are running wild in e-mail inboxes across the country. I know mine's been busy. Earlier this season, I posted the above picture of a big Kentucky buck, supposedly killed in Butler County. Now I see Jake has a picture of a hunter with a big deer from Kentucky. They look a lot alike to me. I'd love to know more of the story.

Other big deer have popped up as well, and have led to other endings. I saw on Boone and Crockett's Trophy Watch, for example, that a big non-typical Missouri buck we posted here a couple weeks ago was likely shot in a high-fenced pen. I'm not going to get into whether that's a good thing or bad thing--it simply won't count as a world record as mentioned in the e-mails I saw if that's the case.

On another note, I've got a feature article posted on Realtree.com this week called The Hometown Buck. If you get 10 extra minutes, take a look at it and let me know what you think. This was a meaningful story for me to write, and it gave me the chance to catch up with a friend I hadn't talked to in a long while. Stories like "Hunting Bucks in the Rut," "Killing Call-Shy Turkeys" and "10 Ways to Catch Bass on Topwaters" pay the bills, are fun to write and provide good information, but I think it's important to be reminded from time to time that there's more to our sport than simple mechanics. Aspects of hunting can connect folks in ways few other endeavors can. I enjoyed writing this piece, and I thank Realtree for giving me the channel.

Winter is setting in here in Dixie, and deer seasons are winding down. My mind is beginning to drift to thoughts of hog hunting in short sleeves in Florida. Threats of snow and freezing rain flashed across TV screens yesterday afternoon, and most of the grocery stores promptly sold out of the essentials, like milk, bread, and beer (even though it's supposed to hit 60 degrees Saturday). But, a few late gun seasons and quite a bit of archery hunting time remains. Some die-hards are still out there, so expect another big one or two to fall before all is said and done.

Will in Tennessee

A Kentucky Big Boy

2008-12-16T05:59:00.001-08:00

After seeing the video and reading the story about Chris Wood's 265-inch Iowa giant, Jeff Hawkins sent this picture in of his buddy and the 261-inch monster he killed in November of this year. Two 260+ inch deer, now that's something pretty special.-Jake

Keeping Tabs on the Lawbreakers Pt. 2

2008-12-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was in a Hilton Hotel north of Fort Worth, Texas. When I picked up the Sunday paper, this story was on the front page. Interesting read:

Deer-smuggling case raises questions on hunting industry
BARRY SHLACHTER Star-Telegram Staff Writer

LAW ENFORCEMENT *Interstate trafficking threatens herds with bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease.

Two years ago, Brian Becker drove 1,008 miles from Madelia, Minn., to the small East Texas town of Bedias, unaware that federal authorities had him under surveillance after being tipped off that his gooseneck trailer carried contraband -- trophy deer.

His smuggling operation, which reaped $300,000 from a single customer in four years, exposes a dark underside to Texas' $73 million deer-hunting industry, which has provided jobs and other economic benefits to many rural areas of the state.

On Nov. 24, Becker, 38, already on probation for smuggling deer to Oklahoma in 2005, was sentenced by a federal court in Plano to 33 months in prison.

The buyer, Robert L. Eichenour, 51, a wealthy Houston businessman and owner of a posh hunting ranch in Bedias, received an 18-month term and was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. Both had pleaded guilty and did not dispute the charges.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," said Mike Merida, a Fort Worth-based special agent with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, referring to interstate deer trafficking, which he said threatens herds with bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease, a devastating condition likened to mad-cow disease but spread among deer, elk and moose.

Authorities disclosed that the tip-off came from within the game industry and pinpointed Becker's destination and shipment dates. During interrogations, the Minnesotan also claimed to have been dealing with a hunting ranch in North Texas and an investigation is ongoing, they said, declining to provide further details.

"From my perspective, there's a lot of movement of black-market deer, whether it's wild deer 'laundered' into a high-fence operation or 'put and take' hunting," said Capt. Greg Williford of Texas Parks & Wildlife, who says smuggling is an open secret in the industry. "We're out to try to prove it."

When breeding bucks with the right genetics can fetch as much as $500,000 at auction, "you always have some trying to go around corners," said John Meng, marketing director of the Texas Deer Association.

Eichenour was not a member of the industry association and, therefore, not subject to the group's code of ethics, Meng said.

Others cautioned against exaggerating the scope of wildlife trafficking, noting that the Becker case was only the third in the state in recent years.

"I would think it is extremely rare with all the restrictions and everything we must follow," said Johnny Hudman, game-ranch manager at the Stasney Cook Ranch in Albany.

The latest case

Becker, who was seen napping at truck stops, was to have been arrested crossing the Oklahoma-Texas state line, but authorities missed him, as they did on an earlier run.

He was finally nabbed hours later by Merida and Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel when his pickup and gooseneck trailer fell into a ditch outside Eichenour's 2,000-acre property, a high-fenced hunting ranch called Circle E. Eichenour was arrested when he came out to accept delivery of eight "shooter" bucks, Merida said.

Out-of-state deer, whether wild or bred in captivity, are banned by Texas, which is free of chronic wasting disease.

The restriction helps heighten demand for whitetail deer with large antlers, making it profitable for traffickers like Becker to haul loads 1,000 miles.

Circle E Ranch offers hunters "luxurious" accommodations and an array of game, including exotic species ranging from addax and aoudad to wildebeest and zebra. The ranch Web site, www.circleeranch.com, carries rave endorsements by hunters from as far away as Australia and South Africa. Circle E, appraised by Grimes County at $4.2 million and located between Huntsville and Navasota, charges $250 a day lodging -- a three-day minimum for hunters-- and a fee per animal shot -- $6,500 for a zebra -- including field dressing.

But domestic whitetailed deer was a major draw. Trophy bucks with mountable racks cost hunters $2,500 to $15,000 depending on antler size.

In Texas hunting circles, a whitetail buck with antlers scoring 140 to 149 on the Boone and Crockett scale is a popular size.

Although Texas had 1,007 deer-farming facilities in 2006, more than any other state, demand for that 140-149 trophy buck is high, says Mike Lamb, a West Texas breeder.

Recreational hunters who shot such trophy deer at Circle E were charged $3,500.

Lamb, who operates Lamb Ranch in Cross Plains, doubted whether anyone in Texas could profitably breed, vaccinate and raise a 140-score buck for the hunting market even at that price.

"It would take four years and cost me $3,500 to $4,000," he said.

But Becker was offering Eichenour such trophy bucks delivered for less than $2,000, according to Eichenour's attorney and federal and state investigators.

"This was purely a crime of greed," said Shamoil Shipchandler, an assistant U.S. attorney in Plano who prosecuted the case. "And the risks they took were significant and could have had great impact. Wisconsin already has spent $30 million combating chronic wasting disease in deer."

One-time breeding operation

Eichenour's lawyer, Trent Gaither of Houston, said that much of the $300,000 had been paid as "advances" on deer shipments to help fund Becker's breeding operation in Minnesota, called Becker's Deer Crossing. Merida disputes that assertion, quoting Eichenour as saying all of the money was spent on deer he received at his hunting ranch.

Paul Anderson of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health said Becker had a certified deer farm at one time but had not operated it as a breeding facility in years.

Both defendants pleaded guilty in February, but Eichenour failed to convince U.S. District Judge Richard Schell during the trial's sentencing phase that his action didn't pose a significant risk of spreading disease to wildlife and humans. This raised the punishment level under federal guidelines, Shipchandler said.

The only expert witness was called by the prosecution. Brian Richards, who studies elk for the U.S. Geological Survey in Wisconsin, spoke of the costly efforts to contain chronic wasting disease in that state.

Anderson told the Star-Telegram that Minnesota has not found a case of chronic wasting disease in wild deer and the last confirmed diagnosis in a bred deer was five years ago. The eight deer trucked down by Becker in October 2006 and six from an earlier delivery were euthanized. Their remains, sent to Texas A&M University, tested negative for bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease, Merida said.

'Old-school' Texan

Eichenour did not return calls seeking comment, but his attorney said he expressed remorse before sentencing and had made arrangements for the hunting ranch to continue operations after he reports to a minimum-security federal prison in Bastrop on Jan. 9.

His client was used to dramatic shifts in fate, having saved his family's business, Coasting Casting Service, in his early 20s after his "drinking, gambling and philandering" father had "bled the company dry," according to a statement to the court filed by Eichenour.

Coastal, a multimillion-dollar venture that employed nearly 100, rebuilt engines for the oil-service industry.

"Yes, he is an astute businessman but remember this [hunting ranch venture] was not his business, it was a hobby," said the attorney, who described Eichenour as "old school -- a 'your-word-is-your-bond' kind of guy."

When told of Becker's long criminal record, which included horse theft, Eichenour expressed shock, Gaither said.

"He was amazed and said, 'Holy s---.' He had always considered Becker a good, decent guy who talked a good game and claimed to have a full-fledged breeding facility in Minnesota," the attorney recalled.

Efforts to reach Becker were unsuccessful. A woman who answered his telephone and identified herself as a relative declined to comment.

Courtroom comments

During the sentencing phase, Schell asked Eichenour why he brought deer from out of state.

According to his attorney, Eichenour said he never understood why Texas kept its borders closed to deer.

Moreover, he did not believe that chronic wasting disease was a real threat since elk and other species susceptible to the ailment could be transported here.

In a March 14 letter released by his attorney, Eichenour said the deer he bought from out of state were better quality and 10 to 25 percent cheaper than comparable Texas bucks he could buy to stock for his hunting clients.

"Whatever money I saved through my improper actions cannot nearly make up for the embarrassment, lost sleep and anxiety I've felt for the last two years," he wrote. "I have lost the privilege of hunting, which I absolutely love."

Admitting he knew he was breaking Texas regulations, Eichenour said he did not realize he also had violated the Lacey Act, a federal law that he had believed dealt only with endangered species.

"The bottom line is that I allowed myself to be swayed into believing that the closing of the Texas border to whitetail deer was politically motivated by the mega-breeders and not because of any real health threat," he wrote.

Mixed reaction

Bedias Mayor Mackie Bobo said Eichenour was not active in the community. Yet much sympathy has been expressed in Grimes County, where Circle E is located, with some officials saying the punishment was unduly harsh or, at the very least, reflecting misplaced priorities.

"We see murderers and rapists given probation, but bring a whitetail deer to Texas, and you do federal time," Constable Dale Schaper said.

Grimes County Judge Gene Stapleton said the 18-month sentence "totally ruins [Eichenour's] life. If you are going to ruin someone's life, ruin a drug dealer's life."

But Eichenour will not win any popularity contests among the state's deer breeders.

"I am outraged," said Lamb, the West Texas whitetail rancher. "I've spent a lot of money proving my deer are tested and healthy. An outbreak from smuggled deer would totally wipe me out. Nothing is worth the risk, and to have people exposing the wildlife population to make a few thousand is just ridiculous.

"Am I surprised? Actually I am. I would believe someone might move deer from Arkansas, Louisiana or Alabama. But deer brought down from up there have a very poor survival rate. If they were bringing them down to hunt them instantly, how close to 'canned' hunting can you get?"

News researcher Cathy Belcher contributed to this report.

BARRY SHLACHTER, 817-390-7718

(C) The Star-Telegram 2008

Keeping Tabs on the Lawbreakers Pt. 1

2008-12-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a news release from this week's Texas Parks & Wildlife Department:

Game Wardens Arrest Men for Illegal Deer Trapping, Sale

AUSTIN, Texas — Game wardens in the Special Operations Unit of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Law Enforcement Division have arrested six men and executed two search warrants as part of Operation Texas Shuffle, a year-long investigation into the black market deer trade in Texas.

"Our focus here is stopping two main areas of criminal activity: deer being brought illegally across state lines, and wild deer being illegally laundered into deer breeding facilities," said Col. Pete Flores, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department law enforcement director.

Five of the men were arrested yesterday, including William Kornegay, 42, of Eden in Concho County; James Johnson, 60, of Florence in Williamson County; and Jeff Arbogust, 48, of Austin in Travis County, Chris Sharp, 33, of Marble Falls in Burnet County; and Ronald Rogers, 39, of San Saba in San Saba County. The sixth suspect, Lance Clawson, 40, of Regency in Mills County, turned himself in this morning.

All six are alleged to have trapped, purchased or sold wild native whitetail deer. In addition, Rogers, Clawson and Kornegay are involved with permitted deer breeding facilities and are believed to have laundered wild deer into the permitted facilities. Kornegay serves as an agent for multiple licensed deer breeders. In one case, Clawson, a permitted deer breeding facility operator, allegedly darted wild deer and put them illegally into his facility.

Deer breeding is a legal and growing business in Texas, estimated by one breeder organization to be worth about $650 million per year for the state economy. It is illegal to capture or obtain wild deer and place them into breeding facilities. Breeders must obtain captive, pen-raised deer from other permitted breeders. There are currently 1,099 permitted deer breeders in Texas, holding 86,989 deer in 1,161 facilities. The vast majority of these are whitetail deer, and the rest are mule deer, the two native species in Texas.

"Money is driving the illegal trade in wild native deer," said Capt. Greg Williford with TPWD Law Enforcement Division’s Special Operations Unit. "A captive-raised breeder buck can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. So, catching deer in the wild seems a lot less expensive, until you get caught."

TPWD regulates deer breeding, issuing permits and conducting periodic facility inspections as warranted. A particular concern is monitoring breeding facilities for diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease. CWD has not been detected in Texas, but it has cost tens of millions of dollars in other states. Texas borders essentially remain closed to the importation of whitetail and mule deer because of disease concerns.

Clawson and Rogers were previously apprehended Oct. 16 by Texas game wardens and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents for smuggling eight deer into Texas from Oklahoma. Such interstate smuggling is not only illegal but also poses a disease threat to native whitetail deer.

Numerous Class B misdemeanors (fines up to $2,000 and up to 180 days confinement) have been filed on all six men for violating state Trap, Transport, and Transplant regulations relating to whitetail deer. As the investigation continues, additional charges and arrests are anticipated, including possible felony charges of tampering with a government document, and possible illegal possession of tranquilizer drugs, also a felony.

Based on where the alleged offenses occurred, county attorneys in Mills, Bell, Lampasas and Concho Counties will be prosecuting the misdemeanor charges.

Anyone who observes illegal deer trapping, sale or purchase in Texas should call Operation Game Thief toll-free at (800) 792-GAME. OGT is Texas’ privately funded wildlife crime stoppers hotline, operating 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Rewards of up to $1,000 may be paid to callers (who may remain anonymous). Game wardens recommend making the call immediately when illegal activity is observed, and say it is helpful to have a description of the activity, location of the violation, physical descriptions of alleged violators, description of any vehicles and the direction of travel.

Another mystery

2008-12-14T14:04:00.000-08:00

I know I've seen this buck before... I just know it.

However, here's another that just came across the e-mail and this one claims it was taken by a youngster this season in Oklahoma. As I recall, it was indeed taken in Oklahoma but just not this year.

Any thoughts?

Bucks in Pop Culture

2008-12-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

Like most, I get my fair share of fake e-mails and to combat internet misrepresentation, I subscribe to snopes.com's weekly e-mail update that keeps me abreast of what's real and what's fake in the world of forwardom.

Imagine my surprise when this guy showed up as the top hoax this week at snopes.com

Check out the full story here:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/hunting/30ptbuck.asp

Ending a Drought

2008-12-14T12:36:00.001-08:00

Dan Timmons owns a farm in Hillsdale County, MI and for the last decade or so he's been passing on young deer and filling his freezer with does. About a week ago, Dan took his bow to the stand (he could have opted for a muzzleloader as the season is on) and ended a drought on bucks that started in 1997.

With great mass, tines and width, there's little doubt that Dan's efforts have paid off and it was definitely worth the wait.

Tony Hansen, Michigan Man

Southwest Whitetail - Coues

2008-12-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Couesi or the Coues deer were discovered in the 1800's by naturalist and Army Officer Elliot Coues (hence the name), and are now found in good numbers across Mexico, southern Arizona and in small pockets of New Mexico. Properly pronounced "cows," these are one of the smallest deer roaming in North America, standing no more than 33 inches tall at the shoulders and mature bucks will generally not exceed much more than 100 pounds.
Don't let these pint-sized bucks fool you! Because of the rugged and semi-open environment they call home, these little guys are always on their heels. In fact, the most recognized bowhunter in North America, Chuck Adams, indicated in his autobiography, Life at Full Draw, that his world record Coues buck was his toughest North American challenge. No wonder they've earned the
nickname "gray ghost."
The rut for these Southwestern kings begins in mid-December and last through January, and this is no doubt the best time to kill one. What's even better is that tags are available over-the-counter in most of the areas they are found in, so if you have a little vacation time to burn this year, or want to have a Southwest Christmas, then start making plans now.

Cheers
-Brian

Iowa Giant

2008-12-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

Chris Wood, from Des Moines, shot this monster Saturday, December 6, with a shotgun during the 1st shotgun season in Iowa. The deer was green scored at 264-0/8 inches. It has 33 scoreable points and it has one drop tine. If the score holds close, it will be the 2nd largest buck harvested in Iowa, next to the Albia Buck.

Check out the TV page to watch the video.-Jake

Learning from Students Pt. 3

2008-12-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here's another research project that some of my students did a few years ago.

The study hinges upon when your chances of harvesting a white-tailed buck are statistically the greatest.

Read on for some interesting info from this abbreviated study...

***

An Analysis of Harvest Trends of White-tailed Deer in the South Central Texas Rolling Plains

Throughout the Rolling Plains Region of Texas, deer hunting is becoming a big business. Every year hunters from all over the state and parts of the nation flock to the area to pursue the elusive white-tailed deer. When they arrive, millions of dollars are collectively spent on things such as gear, license, land lease fees, fuel, groceries, lodging, and other supplies. Therefore, it is easy to see that the economic impact, although there is not an exact figure, is great. As a result of the influx of hunters, many businesses in the area benefit from the additional capital being pumped into local economies. With the new money, comes a trickle down effect and, in turn, the entire community benefits from money being spent at a single business.

What if businesses could make their goods and services more valuable to their hunting customers? Is there any one time of the deer season when your chances of taking a white-tailed buck are greater than any other time of the season? We believe that there is a best time to hunt. By identifying the time of the season when hunters have, statistically, the best chance of killing a buck, we believe that businesses can benefit from the information.

For example, many businesses currently run specials that are designed to attract a clientele at a particular time of the year. Independence Day specials attract people they know will be barbecuing and partaking in other outdoor activities. Businesses can run the same kinds of specials during the time of the season when hunters are most apt to be afield. Specials may include a discount on lodging or meals if a valid hunting license is shown. Also specials may include simply being more cognizant of a hunter’s early morning and late evening hours and an adjustment of hours to accommodate the schedule of a prospective clientele.

In our agriscience project we will prove to you that more bucks are killed during the breeding season (Nov. 23-Dec. 5) of the South Central Texas Rolling Plains. We will show you this through data that we have recorded how many deer were killed during the 2004 and 2005 white-tailed deer seasons. We are trying to prove that more bucks are killed during the breeding season (also known as the rut) so businesses can increase their profit during this time. The rut is the time of season when the bucks are out looking for the does in order to breed.

Again, this information is important because it can help out the local economy. For example, if businesses know when the rut season begins, they can price their products according to when their customers are more likely to be in the area hunting afield. To further illustrate this concept, businesses could have hunter-oriented specials during the rut.

In Childress County and the surrounding lower Rolling Plains region, deer hunting is becoming big business as hunters from all over the country converge on the area to pursue the big white-tailed deer that are prevalent in the area. In fact, some landowners report that their hunting income from leases exceeds their traditional agriculture income.

Therefore, by analyzing harvest data, we hope to prove the following hypothesis:

Statistically, hunters are more likely to harvest a white-tailed buck in the North Central Texas Rolling Plains between November 23 and December 5 because these dates fall on top of the peak of the breeding season.

MATERIALS-METHODS

We obtained the harvest information from A&K Meat Processing in Wellington, Texas, out of the deer harvest logbooks that the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department requires game processors to keep. From the logbook we counted all of the whitetail deer killed in the 2004 and 2005 deer season, and then we separated the bucks from the does. In 2002 we have data on 576 deer harvested and 582 deer harvested in 2005. Breaking those numbers down, in 2004, 417 bucks and 159 does are represented in this study. In 2003, 398 bucks are represented in the study while 189 does are accounted for in the report.

The data was collected by going through all the general hunting days during the 2004 and 2005 white-tailed deer season and counting the number of deer brought into the game processor each day. We also counted how many bucks and does were brought in to the processing plant.

To obtain harvest data, our only choice was to collect the information from Wellington, Texas since Childress, our hometown, doesn’t have a game processor. Since Wellington is only 30-miles away, the processor we collected data from serves the Childress area as well as much of the South Central Rolling Plains region of Texas.

The reason that the data was collected from a game processor is that Texas doesn’t require hunters to check in deer. Therefore, since there is no organized check-in process on a state level, harvest data is hard to obtain from an area-wide standpoint. Consequently, in order to build a possible trend for the annual harvest, our only choice is to collect data from game processors.

CONCLUSION

We have concluded from our research, that more bucks are killed during the breeding season (rut) than any other time of the year as shown by the two years of harvest records collected. To recap, the rut is the time of the season when the deer are breeding.

Granted, one of the flaws in this study is that we cannot account for the number of hunters afield. Therefore, we must assume that the hunter population afield stays relatively constant throughout the season; and that hunter intent for which sex to harvest stays the same – more work will have to be done in this area. However, we do know that traditionally, most hunters go afield during opening weekend; and the number tends to diminish as the season progresses. Without hard numbers; however, we cannot accurately make that claim.

With all of that said, we can say that, for two years in a row, we did prove our hypothesis by showing that more bucks are killed during the rut. By knowing when the rut is and exploiting its potential for hunters, both landowners and businesses can benefit from this natural phenomenon by promoting hunter-friendly specials during that time of year in order to increase their traffic. By changing the prices of their hotel rooms, food, etc. to suit the hunters, the businesses can potentially increase their profits substantially.

Montana Whitetails

2008-12-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Brian from out West here, and I just wanted to give you an update as to how the hunting was on the river bottoms of eastern Montana in November, and by the looks of things it went pretty well. Here is what my buddy Keith Miller, owner of Montana Whitetails, sent me a few days ago.

The warmer weather here in Southwestern Montana during the pre-rut phase has been keeping the buck activity slower than normal. We had some fantastic trophy mule deer hunting as they tend to be in the more open sage hills and are more visible in their pre-rut activities. The added exposure within their habitat they call home added for some exciting and successful stalks while focusing on key bedding and feeding areas. Some of the best bucks were those we saw for the first time all year. The best one shot pushed nearly 170 inches.

The riverbottom bowhunts for whitetails started off a little more difficult as the warm temperatures limited peak movement, but all the little bucks seemed to be cruising early and late. It wasn't until what we consider the peak activity for this area, around November 14th, and some much-needed colder weather that brought out the more mature bucks. One of the bucks harvested was a 9 point that had a split G-2 that we only saw twice during the early season.

Hunters that were here Thanksgiving week witnessed some awesome rutting activity and everyone saw several mature bucks going bonkers in the riverbottom. Their were a few bucks that we have been keeping an eye on and they are covering so much ground that it's only a matter of time before they walk within bow range of one of our hunters! The does dragged some dandy bucks by some of the guys and they took advantage of it. Below are just a few of the bucks killed.

Thats all for now, check out the season update and get more information on our Montana Whitetail riverbottom bowhunts at www.montanawhitetails.com.

Thanks, Keith Miller

Cheers

-Brian

Slow Times

2008-12-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I wish I had more to report this week but things have slowed way down. Here in Michigan, we're into our second week of the muzzleloader season which almost immediately followed 16 days of gun season where about 700,000 hunters were in the woods. Yeah, that tends to kill the movement. And it hasn't picked up much. The weather is brutal right now with temps in the teens and a good bit of snow plus winds.

I've kept my ear to the ground across the region and the Iowa shotgun opener was hindered by high winds and the Ohio shotgun opener featured much of the same. So, it looks like we'll have to rely on a few readers to give up our whitetail fix. Bring on the photos -- right now, I could use a good dose of antler.

Tony Hansen

An Alberta Monster

2008-12-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Rodney Mumpower harvested this bruiser in Alberta. The typical 10 rough scored 170 inches and weighed 275 pounds. Just another huge deer taken in Canada.-Jake