How to Deal with a Gut Shot Deer

A gut shot deer is any hunters nightmare. It is never good news when you hit a deer in the gut, but it’s our job as hunters to make the best of a bad situation. To be as brief as possible, there are several key things to understand in this situation. First, how do you know you gut shot the deer? Typically when you hit a deer in the gut, it will hunch up and walk or trot away in a strained looking position. If you are still not sure after the shot...

How to Hang and Skin a Deer

As long as you’ve got a place to hang it and the muscle-power necessary to lift it, the hanging method is a clean and simple way to skin your big game animals. Unless you’re saving the cape or hide for taxidermy purposes, use the following procedure. Hang the animal by the neck or the base of the antlers, with the noose tucked up tightly behind the ears. You can also hang an animal upside down, by the gambrels. Everything is pretty much the same...

How Often do Whitetail and Mule Deer Hybridize?

As a scientist, it’s my job to be curious. I spend a lot of my time trying to figure out what makes animals tick and brainstorming ways that wildlife managers might be able to use that information to promote the critters we care about. Every now and then, I stumble across an idea that is pretty far outside what I am used to working on (or should be working on) but that captivates me nonetheless. Recently I’ve been shirking my normal work...