Forty-two is the number that comes to my mind when I’m asked this question, but not because it’s accurate or has anything to do with deer. Instead, “42” is the line from Hitchhiker’s Guide to…
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The Science of the Second Rut
Dec 8, 2021Cheyne Matzenbacher
I hit the grunt call three times, and within minutes a nice mature buck jumped the fence and came in with his ears laid back in search of whatever buck just made that sound in…
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Anatomy of a Whitetail Tarsal Gland
Nov 17, 2021Matt Ross
Of the seven glands that deer use to communicate with one another, hunters are probably most familiar with the tarsal gland and its role when deer make a scrape. But have you ever wondered exactly…
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Now You See Him: 9 Things We Know About Deer Excursions
Nov 6, 2019Matt Ross
Nothing about whitetails ever seems routine, does it? Just when you think you’ve got ‘em figured out, they seemingly throw another curve ball in the grand scheme of World Series play we call “hunting.” But that…
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3 Ways Bucks Win the Rut
Nov 6, 2017Kip Adams
Do you believe the list of attributes a buck must possess to be a successful breeder is long or short? Does it change depending on where you are in the whitetail’s range? Much research has…
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Defend, Display or Duel: What Are Antlers Good For?
Jul 28, 2016Kip Adams
Antlers are like the beards on guys at hunting camp – they are secondary sexual characteristics that separate females and males but don’t directly contribute to reproduction. So, why exactly do bucks grow them? There…
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Chasing An Explanation for the South’s Odd Rut
Jan 19, 2016Lindsay Thomas Jr.
No matter what month of the year you read this article, it’s likely that somewhere there’s a whitetail in rut. In January, that somewhere is Alabama, Mississippi and parts of Louisiana. They’ll be rutting in…
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When Doe Fawns Breed, It’s a Good Sign
Dec 8, 2015Kip Adams
Some doe fawns breed and conceive in their first fall, at around six to eight months of age. The percentage that do this is determined by nutrition – they attain sexual maturity if they reach…
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NDA’s Guide to the Whitetail Rut
Nov 4, 2014Lindsay Thomas Jr.
The whitetail rut is the most exciting time of the season for deer hunters, and it’s also a time when the NDA receives a lot of questions about this important season in the whitetail’s year….
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No Link Between Moon Phase and Rut Peak
Oct 13, 2014Lindsay Thomas Jr.
This graphic, produced by QDMA for an article in Quality Whitetails magazine, illustrates a fact that has stood up to repeated scientific testing over the years: The moon does not have a detectable influence on the…
