Whitetail Deer Hunting

Whitetail Deer Biology

HISTORY

Class: Mammalia, Order: Artiodactyla. Family: Cervidae, Sub Family: Capreolinae, Genus: Odocoileus, Species: virginianus. The whitetail deer gets its name from its large whitet tail it flags when it senses danger and escapes.

Whitetailed deer are of considerable economic importance as a big game mammal. Sportsmen prize this unique species for a number of qualities, including large body size, tasty venison, and the ability of mature bucks to develop an attractive and often massive set of antlers. Overall this mammal is one of the most hunted and most prized animals in North America today.

For the Indians and early settlers, deer provided food; hides for clothing, shelter and bedding; sinews for bowstrings and implements of war, fish lines and the stitching of bark utensils; brains for bleaching and tanning; and bones and antlers for awls, needles, scrapers, implement-making tools and ornaments.

Deer now provide us considerable food, sport and pleasure. Since approximately 57 percent of the live weight of a deer is edible, the venison acquired from legal hunting provides many pounds of meat. The tanned hide, or buckskin, has a limited use for sport jackets and gloves. Deer hunting has become a big commercial enterprise and a source of income to many: to manufacturers of arms, ammunition and hunting apparel as well as to persons providing food, lodging, transportation and a place to hunt. From another dollars-and-cents angle, deer can be considered an asset to vacation sites as their attractive presence influences the stay of visitors in an area.

Where deer populations are heavy, their feeding may damage domestic crops and the understory of forested lands.

SPECIES OF WHITETAIL DEER

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

A popular game species, the whitetail is so well known that it needs only a brief description. Antlers normally occur only in males and are formed and shed each year. Growth of the antler starts in April or May when the base of the antler, located on the skull, begins to enlarge. During the growth period, the soft skin and short hair which cover each antler have a plushlike quality, giving this stage the name of "velvet." Full antler size is reached in August or September, shortly before the breeding, or rutting, season. The velvet then begins to dry and peel. The buck rubs his antlers against trees and shrubs, which helps remove the skin. When all the skin has been shed, the bony core hardens and with continued rubbing is polished. The antlers are carried in this condition throughout the rut. Sometime toward the end of the breeding season, usually from the last of December to mid-February, resorption of bone around the base causes the antlers to become loose and they are shed. After falling to the ground, they are gnawed and eventually consumed by rodents and rabbits for their minerals and protein.

Both the size of the antler and number of points depend upon many factors such as the deer's age, the quality and quantity of food, injury, hormone regulation and heredity. It is not possible to tell the age of a buck by the size of the antlers or the number of points. In their first fall, fawn bucks have "buttons" that can be felt under the skin or observed as slight swellings, or they may actually have small unbranched, or spiked, antlers that have broken through the skin. In yearling bucks, antlers are always visible externally. While some may have only the unbranched main beam at this age, most have more than one point. During the succeeding years of the buck's life, the antlers become more massive. In general, the number of points increases to a total of six to 10, but frequently a few more occur. Following the period of life when sexual activity is greatest, the size of the antlers generally dwindles with each year's renewal until an old deer may have only spikes. Abnormally shaped antlers occur occasionally and sometimes represent injury during growth. An upset in the hormone system is one factor which is probably responsible for unusual cases of antlerless bucks or for females having antlers. In some cases, antlerless bucks are the result of hereditary factors. Hunters count all of the points, including the snag on both beams, in arriving at the total number of points on a trophy set of antlers.

In summer, both sexes are reddish brown to tan above (often called the "red" coat); the color pattern of the winter coat is similar to the summer one but is grayish to grayish brown (often called the "blue" coat). Fawns are reddish, brown or reddish yellow spotted with white. They gradually lose their spots and acquire uniform coloration between 3 and 5 months of age.

The sex of a deer cannot be determined by its track, because there is no constant difference between the size and shape of buck and doe hoofs. During the breeding season, the necks of males swell to approximately twice their nonbreeding size, reaching a maximum in mid-November. The factors causing this enlargement are not fully understood.

Deer are in the prime of life between 2 1/2 and 7 1/2 years of age. Some may live for about 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.

The tarsal glands, marked by a tuft of long, coarse hair on the inside of each hind leg at the ankle, or hock, produce an oily secretion with a pronounced ammoniacal smell. Another set of glands, the metatarsals, occurs on the outside of each hind leg between the ankle and hoof. They give off an oily substance with a pungent, musky odor which scents and possibly serves to identify the resting spots of the deer. Pedal glands, lying between the two main toes on each foot, secrete a strong and offensive odor throughout the year. This secretion is conducted to the hoofs by long hairs and doubtless scents the tracks of the animal. Small preorbital glands lie just in front of each eye. They probably scent twigs and branches where the deer feeds.

REPRODUCTION

Bucks are capable of mating successfully from September through February and possibly later, but the peak of the mating or rutting season is in November. Pregnancy lasts 6 1/2-7 months; the young are born most often in late May or early June. A doe usually has twins, but sometimes has a single offspring or triplets.

At birth, each fawn weighs between four and seven pounds (1.8 and 3.1 kg). Its eyes are open and it can stand feebly. The fawns begin to follow the doe when about 3 to 4 weeks old and start to eat their first solid foods. Weaning may begin about this time although some fawns nurse until they are 6 months old. The young continue to accompany the female until they are old enough to breed. About one-half of the young females in Missouri become sexually mature at 6 to 8 months of age and consequently breed in the year of their birth. Other females and young males breed first at 1 1/2 years of age.

DIET

Deer are browsing animals, feeding chiefly on the leaves, twigs and fruits of trees and shrubs, and the foliage of herbaceous plants. They also take seeds, fungi, mosses, lichens, succulent grasses, farm crops and sometimes small amounts of animal food like snails and fish.

Whitetails show a definite selection of plants and seemingly take first those that are most nutritious and palatable. This selectivity can have serious effects. In ranges having concentrations of deer, overbrowsing occurs. The results are a lower level of nutrition of the herd and elimination of these desirable foods from the range.

Deer require water in some form daily. They frequent any mineral licks in the vicinity, especially in spring.

DEFENSES/ENEMIES

Whitetail deer have excellent eyesight, have good hearing due to their large years and also rely upon the sense of smell in detecting danger. Stationary objects are easily overlooked by them, but they readily detect any that are in motion. Their hearing is also very good due to the large ears that they can rotate in any direction. The whitetail deer can run up to 35 mph (56 kph) for short distances.

Whitetail deer have several distinct strategies for avoiding predators. They specializes in detecting danger by means of large ears, acute snese of smell and excellent vision. Males can quickly detect and visually track another animal as far as 600 meters. Once danger is detected, they may choose to hide, or move into cover and cautiously outmaneuver the predator. Another strategy whitetails use is they may bound off and then trot away, stopping frequently to gain information on the disturbance. This initial bounding, combined with release of metatarsal scent that inhibits feeding, is highly advantageous in that, by alarming others, it causes other whitetail deer to bound off as well, reducing the conspicuousness of the deer who bounded off first. This strategy would also trigger group formation. Finally, when a predator closes in, whitetail deer initiate evasive maneuvers based on sudden unpredictable changes in direction and on placing obstacles between itself and the predator. This strategy, however, does not work against group-hunting predators.

Whitetail deer are excellent swimmers but hardly ever use this means of escape. Whitetail deer bucks will use their antlers as protection from predators. Whitetail deer will also protect themselves by rearing up and slashing out with their front hooves. The fawn's survival strategy is based on its protective coloration, its ability to remain motionless as danger approaches, and its small amount of scent which makes finding it difficult for predators.

Major predators on whitetail deer are mountain lions, which are deer eating machines, coyotes, golden eagles, feral dogs, bears and bobcats.

RANGE

In primitive times, there was an estimated population of 40 million white-tailed deer in the 2 million square miles (3,200,000 square km) of original range north of Mexico. The most populated regions were the Mississippi Valley and what is now the eastern United States. With settlement and conquest of the continent by Europeans, the deer population was greatly reduced. Between 1875 and 1915, deer were at their lowest level. Restocking and redistribution were begun around the turn of the century and, with added protection, the deer began to increase.

Coincident with the original population decline, the range also was altered. Because of destruction of large sections of the native forests and clearing for agriculture, considerable territory was lost in the east and center of the primitive range; but new areas to the north and northwest were made habitable by the favorable variety of plant growth which often followed clearing.

HABITAT

Habitat and home. Deer live primarily in timbered areas, selecting the borders or edges more than dense, uniform stands. One of the main reasons for this habitat preference is that the variety of foods deer like grows best along the margins of timbered areas or in clearings in the timber. Another reason, especially true in the more agricultural sections of the country, is that the deer can utilize the forage offered by agricultural crops adjacent to timbered lands and still have the sanctuary and other attractions of the timber itself.

They have no permanent structure for a home.

DAILY LIFE

White-tailed deer tend to have an average annual home range from 1/2-1 1/2 square miles (.8-2.4 square km). Some individuals, particularly bucks during the rut, may cover a larger area. Local movements of deer are related primarily to the seasonal changes in food sources or cover. When acorns are not abundant in their summer area, some deer may shift to localities where they are available in fall and winter.

Deer usually spend the day in concealing cover and rarely move about, but toward evening come out to feed and drink. On bright moon-light nights they may feed all night, but on dark nights they are more active in the evening and again early in the morning. During winter when food is scarce, they may feed longer hours and even during the day. In stormy, windy weather they are restless; they browse more than usual and often change their bed spot several times a day.

The location of the bed spot depends largely upon the weather. On sunny, warm days, some shady place is selected; on cloudy, windy or cool days, a sunny spot or one protected from the wind is picked out.

Bucks commonly fight each other during the rut. Only rarely, however, do their antlers become entangled permanently. When this happens, the bucks are unable to feed properly and die of weakness and starvation.

DISEASES

Ticks, lice, and nasal bots are parasites commonly found on and in whitetaildeer. Most deer commonly harbor light infestations of ticks and nasal blots, but not at levels high enough to present a health problem to the deer. Likewise, internal parasites, especially stomach worms, are common but are not at sufficient levels to cause clinical symptoms. However, the concentration of individuals at feeding sites increases the potential for disease transmission. Because disease-causing organisms can be transmitted through the soil, supplemental feed should not be placed on the ground. Some type of trough should be used and, ideally, the feeding site should be relocated every year or two. Evidence of exposure to bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been documented in whitetiai deer. The most common disease agent among deer appears to be warts.

Today the major news headlines is about Chronic Wasting Disease, often referred to as CWD. CWD is a disease unique to North America. On our continent, it has been found in wild deer and or elk in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Saskatchewan. In captive deer and or elk, it has been found in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Saskatchewan and Alberta.. CWD appears to be a prion disease that attacks the central nervous system and causes fatal damage to the brain of white-tailed deer, mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk. CWD is similar to, but significantly different from, scrapie (documented in domestic sheep for over 400 years), Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE and often referred to as mad cow disease) and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease found in humans. All of these diseases attack the central nervous system and cause small holes to form in the brains of infected animals.

There is currently no scientific evidence that CWD has or can spread to humans, either through contact with infected animals or by eating the meat of infected animals. The Center for Disease Control has conducted an exhaustive study of CWD and human risk and has stated: “The risk of infection with the CWD agent among hunters is extremely small, if it exists at all”. However, as we are still learning about this disease, state wildlife agencies recommend that hunters take precautions to limit risks. First and foremost, do not harvest any animal that appears sick or is acting strange. Note the animal’s location and contact the state personnel. Avoid cutting or puncturing the spinal cords or brains of animals taken in the areas where CWD occurs. Do not use house-hold utensils to field dress or process your deer. Wear rubber or latex gloves when handling any harvested animal. You should also make sure about your states current regulations regarding the importation of deer or elk meat from outside your state. Some states are also considering testing all or some of the animals taken during the hunt season for CWD.

In the later stages of infection, deer and elk infected with CWD will show signs of progressive weight loss, listlessness, excessive salivation and urination, increased water intake, depression and, eventually, death. Animals can be infected with CWD for months or years before outward signs of infection are evident.

Missouri Conservation Commission 1981

Whitetail Deer Scouting

DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST

You can start your scouting right at home by obtaining maps, aerial photos and info from biologists and other hunters who have been in the area you are planning to hunt. USFS maps may be obtained by visiting or calling one of the USFS offices. The maps are generally about $4.00 or $7.00 for waterproof maps. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps can usually be obtained from drafting/engineering stores or backpacking stores or ordered online here USGS Topo maps.  If you would like info on aerial photos, computer topo map programs and how to download free topo maps off the Internet I have this on my webpage here: aerial photos or topo maps. Also you can check Topozone and Terraserver for online topo maps and aerial photos. Start networking with people who work in your target area. Hikers are another source of good info. A piece of info can come from anyone and it's another piece of the puzzle to finding the muley you want to hunt.

SCOUTING TRIP

Plan to make at least one visit to your hunting area to prescout and become familiar with the terrain and logistics like hiking time, where to camp, where to glass from etc. This is also the time to hike in, set up and glass for deer. The more time you spend in the deer's backyard the better the odds of you having a successful hunt. Find the saddles and escape routes. If hunting on public ground, knowing where the other hunters will approach from can tell you where to set up to intercept the escaping deer. Determine where and what the deer are feeding on. Knowing where the deer water, especially in drought conditions can pay off. Burn some boot leather and explore as much of the country as you can. Drag that no good brother-in-law along to help in scouring the hillsides.

GLASSING

A lot of whitetail country is open farm land, glassing is the best way to cover lots of ground and not spook the deer. To glass all day you need to stay as comfortable as possible. If you are going to use a spotting scope, get the best waterproof glass you can afford. Swarovski, Leupold, Nikon and Kowa all make good spotters. The better glass will provide less eye strain, which can ruin a hunt. Some guides and hunters use 10 x 42 or bigger binos to search hillsides and then the spotter for a closer peek. Get yourself a nice chair and put your binos or spotter on a good tripod, you'll have a better time looking for deer. Bogan Manfrotto makes great tripods and monopods. 'Grippit' makes a strap and mount to mount your binos on a tripod for more stability for $29.99. Don't skimp when buying your binos either. Swarovski, Leica, Leupold, Nikon and Zeiss all make quality waterproof binos. Crooked Horn Outfitters makes a good bino chest harness to keep your binos close to you chest when you peek over ridges or crawl on a stalk. Keep your optics dust and smudge free with a LensPen. You can also drop by the local camera shop to get some camera lens cleaning spray and cloth for your binos and spotter, your eyes will love you for this.

Whitetail are creatures of the edges. You can glass the edges of burns, crop fields, clear cuts and meadows to find feeding deer. Keeping track of wildfire burns is a good way to find where the deer are eating the new browse. Even if the burn is recent and the hillside looks like a burnt moon landscape, a good rain shower will have the new green spouts popping out all over. The best time to glass is the first hour and last hour of daylight. Be in place on a high vantage point before daylight to have the best chance to spot a nice buck.

Scouting with Topo Maps

You can scout with topo maps by identifying areas or locations that need to be checked for sign. These areas include natural funnels or choke points, bedding and feeding areas, saddles, benches and water holes.

Funnels - The topo map on the right shows 2 good funnels. The deer are reluctant to drop down the steep muddy sides of the river and don't want to cross the open crop field.

If the wind is from the south or southeast, I set up at point #1 to keep my wind off the funnel trails. If the wind is from the north or northwest, I move to point # 2 and let my scent blow into the crop field. These funnels are about 50 yards wide and there are 3 distinct trails the deer use. 1 trail follows the river, 1 follows the edge of the field and the 3rd trail goes right smack down the middle.

Saddles - are a natural travel funnels and escape routes for deer and elk between two high points of ground. The topo map on the right also shows where a mulie buck was bedded. Muley bucks like to bed on the very tops, or at least upper portions, of ridges when not bothered by hunters. A saddle can just be a dip in the elevation between two ridges or mountain peaks, they don't have to be a drastic change in elevation.

Older mature bucks will often have a young 3 point buck hanging around with them as a sentry. If you see a 3 point, look hard for the bigger buck nearby. When alerted to danger, the younger buck will usually be the first to stand up to check out the disturbance, leaving the older buck to wait for the signal to scram.

Whitetails like to have a view when they bed and will bed on steep slopes. Elk, on the other hand prefer benches to bed on. Muleys like to bed behind small bushes, short trees, rocks or anything that will give them a little better hide.

Benches - Whitetails like to hang out around benches. Look for cliffs, rock slides, and dark timber for good escape cover.

Stay tuned, more topo map scouting to come ....

Another good place to learn about topo maps is at this link to an article by Dr. Mark Timney on the Bowsite. Topo Map Info.

Hunting Whitetails

STALKING IN CORN OR BEAN FIELDS

Still hunting and stalking deer in standing corn or beans is some of the funnest and nerve racking hunting you'll ever do. Sometimes you won't see nothing and the next time you poke your head into a row there'll be a deer chewing it's cud 15 feet from you looking the other way.

How do you hunt the corn? First, try and get up in a tree to see where the deer are hanging out. They usually will trample a little circle area and you'll also see the trails going in and out. On my Dad's farm one year the does wiped out about a 40 yard circle right near our trailer. You couldn't even see them when they were standing since the corn was so tall. Tracks can help you pinpoint the doors to the cornfields or beanfields. The bucks won't be near the does usually before the corn is harvested. Watch for the yearlings, I've been busted on a few stalks by yearlings I never saw who suddenly popped out to look at the funny hunter on his hands and knees.

Best day to do it is when wind in in your favor from the direction you want to slip in from. I tie a piece of frayed dental floss on my rifle sling and bow to watch the wind and still have it ready for a quick shot. A change in wind direction and the whole game is over. You may hear the deer unassing the field on the othe side if you're lucky.

One key is to get down first and look under the corn or over the bean field to see if you can spot any bedded or feeding deer. If the beans are short or the rack is tall you'll see the tips of the antlers moving around when they shake the flies off. Use your binos to be sure. One guy near our farm, Randy Simonitch, stalked up to a huge buck in the beans. The older bucks will hold the longest thinking you'll walk right on by. They've got nerves of steel.

You have to move very slowly up and into the corn. Be as noise free in your gear as you can because once your busted those snorting does will alert the whole dang field. Be ready to shoot as you lean out into a row, practice really helps here. You won't be able to jump into the row and get set up perfect. Kind of like shooting from a treestand, bend at the waist. I shot a recurve so once I find a deer I back off, get drawn and then lean out and find my sight picture. The rows are wide enough usually to shoot 20 to 30 yards tops.

Another good time is when the farmers start harvesting which is usually when the rut is getting started too. The deer will hold until the equipment is almost on them. Knowing where they'll run to can pay off when they stop to look back in the timberline.

Sometimes the deer will be in a position that you can't get a shot at. I carry a hickory nut in my pocket for just this time. A dirt clod works also. Just chuck it in the direction you want the deer to look. If there're bedded they'll stand before moving. You gotta be quick though on the decision to shoot.

Try it, it's some of the best still hunting you'll ever find.

Whitetail Deer Tracking and Recovery

When you take your shot with your bow or rifle, mark the spot where you shot from and where the animal was. This will help in finding any blood or hair sign to start your tracking. Studying deer hides can help you identify any hair that may have been cut by the bullet or broadhead to pinpoint the area on the deer where your bullet hit.

Bright pink frothy blood - means a lung hit and the deer shouldn't go far.

Bright red blood - indicates a muscle hit which can be a minor wound. Also look for bone fragments which can tell you if you hit a leg bone or muscle.

Stinky green or brown paunch material - means a gut shot and you should let this animal bed down and stiffen up. 4 to 6 hous in cold, 8 hours in warm weather.

Some tips on tracking wounded game

1 and only 1 guy on the blood trail, preferably your best tracker. Keep the shooter nearby and ready in case the animal bolts from a bed, it may be your only chance to finish the job.

Use a camping lantern like a Coleman with a light reflector, they make blod really stand out at night.

Mark your trail so you can look behind yourself and get an idea of the travel route of your animal. You can use orange marker tape but PLEASE go back and remove all of that fluorescent tape when you are done. Hronk uses TP which just disappears in the first rain but if working in say snow, use the orange tape.

Sit down and take a break and have a snack or just relax. You need to calm down some and not push the animal by taking off after him immediatly. If someone is with you, have him do the tracking as he is probably calmer and less likely to be in a hurry as you are..

Animals dump their bowels when they get weak so look for scat. They also will start circling like a dog when they lay down to die.

Animals that aren't hit real bad will double back a lot to shake you off their trail. While tracking watch for the animal's double back trail so you don't miss it or wipe it out. Bears love to do this along with deer.

Learn how to grid search. When all seems lost, look in creek bottoms and ravines. I've found many animals that dropped into them and just couldn't get out and they died there.

Keep an eye out for buzzards and crows, many times they will give up a kill.

Use a dog if legal, they are way mroe efficient at tracking. Deer Search has tracking dogs available if you don't have access in many states.

Have some hydrogen peroxide in squirt bottles handy when you get down to small blood drops or specks, it makes the blood bubble on contact. Put some bright green food coloring in you hydrogen peroxide to make the bubbles show up better.

Starlight Bloodhound, used in squirt bottles like hydrogen peroxide, is spendy but shows up faint blood trail really well, even in water.

Learn how to track by reading tracking books and practicing, it's great fun for the kids too.

Learn how to tell where you hit the animal by the hair the broadhead or bullet cut when it was first hit. You can do this by keeping the hair and matching it up too a hide. The impact site can tell you a whole bunch, like if you should wait (gut shot), or if you have a fatally hit animal. If you're an archer, try to find your arrow, it will tell you exactly where you hit your game at.

Forget the IR heat seeking units like the Game Finder, they don't work worth a hoot. The only ones I've seen that worked are the military ones and they are several thousand dollars each.

Whitetail Deer Meat Care

Durwood Hollis has a book called "Complete Game Care Guide". Try B&B Sportsman Supply - 11321 N. 215 E. - Demotte, IN. 46310. Call 1-800-401-9090 or 219-345-4840.

You can also get these game care pamphlets from the University of Wyoming, Bulletin Room, Box 3313, Laramie, WY. 82071.

Field, R.A., 1973. Aging Big Game, Ag Extension Bulletin B-513R.

Field, R.A., 1973. The Mule Deer Carcass, Ag Extension Bulletin B-589.

Field, R.A., 1973. Skinning and Boning Big Game, Ag Extension Bulletin B-884R.

Pocket Guide to Field Dressing Game. Steve Gilbert - $12.95, plastic, spiral-bound, 3 5/8 x 4 1/2 x 1/4, 26 pages, fully illustrated, ISBN 1-886127-19-0, Item #P144.

FORMULAS FOR ESTIMATING WEIGHT

Live weight X 78% = field dress weight X 75% = Hanging Weight X 75% = edible meat weight

Example: 100 Lbs. live weight X 78% = 78 Lbs. field dressed weight X 75% = 58 Lbs. hanging weight X 75% = 43 Lbs. edible meat.

Field dressed is body cavity cleaned out (no heart, lungs, intestines, etc.)

Hanging weight is the field dressed deer minus the head, feet and hide.

Edible meat weight will vary depending upon: How the deer is processed and How many times the deer was shot and what part(s) of the deer was shot. For Example, if the whole deer is boned out completely, you will receive approximately 50% to 60% of the hanging weight in edible meat.

Here's a table to estimate your deer's live weight. Measure the girth just behind the front legs, aound the heart.

MEAT CARE TIPS

Cheap meat bags. You can get cheap cloth mattress covers at military surplus stores that have a draw string on one end and they'll cover a whole deer.

CWD

There is currently no scientific evidence that CWD has or can spread to humans, either through contact with infected animals or by eating the meat of infected animals. The Center for Disease Control has conducted an exhaustive study of CWD and human risk and has stated: “The risk of infection with the CWD agent among hunters is extremely small, if it exists at all”. However, as we are still learning about this disease, state wildlife agencies recommend that hunters take precautions to limit risks. First and foremost, do not harvest any animal that appears sick or is acting strange. Note the animal’s location and contact the state personnel. Avoid cutting or puncturing the spinal cords or brains of animals taken in the areas where CWD occurs. Do not use house-hold utensils to field dress or process your deer. Wear rubber or latex gloves when handling any harvested animal. You should also make sure about your states current regulations regarding the importation of deer or elk meat from outside your state. Some states are also considering testing all or some of the animals taken during the hunt season for CWD.

Top of Document

Sources

Anderson, A. E. 1984. Odocoileus hemionus. Mammalian Species, No. 219, Pp. 1-9. American Society of Mammalogists, New York.
Davis, William B. and David J. Schmidly. The Mammals of Texas. Austin, Texas. Pp. 278-281. 1994.
Wilson, Don E. and Sue Ruff. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington, D.C. Pp 329-331. 1999.

Whitetail Deer Hunting Links

Ammo/Reloading

Accurate Reloading .... Saeed's great talk forum on reloading.
Alliant Powder (formerly Hercules) .... check out the online reloading data.
Barnes .... They make great bullets.
Berger Bullets .... Some of the best bullets made.
Cheaper Than Dirt .... Shooting supplies and hunting gear.
Dillon Precision Products .... One of the best reloading companies.
Federal Ammo ....
Graf and Sons Inc. .... The reloading authority.
Hodgdon Powder Company .... Reloading powder.
Hornady .... Bullets and reloading equipment.
Lapua .... Makers of match grade ammo and Vihtavuori powders.
Lee Precision Inc. .... The Lee family has been providing affordable reloading products since 1958.
MEC .... Reloading equipment.
Midsouth Shooters Supply Co. .... Your complete source for shooting accessories and supplies.
Midway USA .... The world's largest mail order shooting and reloading superstore.
Nosler .... Maker of the famous 'Partition bullets'.
Powder Valley .... Offering the finest in reloading components at the best possible price.
Precision Reloading Inc. .... Unique and hard to find reloading products.
RCBS .... If you're into reloading, bookmark this page now. All the info you need to be a top-notch re-loader is right here:
Redding Reloading Equipment ....
Remington .... Guns and ammo.
Sierra Bullets .... Bullets.
Speer .... Bullets.
Western Powders .... Western Powders is the largest Master Distributor of reloading powders in North America. We carry a full line of smokeless and black powders, and have also released our own line of high-performance, smokeless powders called RAMSHOT.
Widener's .... Here you will find great deals on all your hunting needs. From Ammunition to Powder. Featuring all the top name products such as Hornady, Nosler, Remington, RCBS, REDDING, SPEER, Winchester and much more.
Winchester Ammo .... Makers of great ammo.

Blinds

The All-Terrain Umbrella Blind .... The All Terrain Umbrella Blind is a uniquely designed and patented camouflage blind that can be set up quickly and quietly, camouflaging the person or persons behind it.
Ameristep Pop-Up Blinds .... Portable camo blinds.
Avery .... Cerex and burlap camo blind material.
Bowsniper Blind Co. ....Compact blinds that mount to a shotgun or bow.
Buckwing ..... They make blinds, archery gear and camo umbrellas.
Double Bull Archery L.L.C. .... Makers of the popular ICE Blind, a portable camo blind.
GameTracker Portable Pop Up Hunting Blind ....
High Racks .... They have brackets for hunters to effectively add branches and camo to any stand, blind or hunting location with ease.
Hunters Equipment .... They offer a full line of deer stands, game blinds, and game feeders.
Hunters Specialties (H.S.) .... They have burlap, nylon and Cerex camo blind material and portable hunting blinds.
Invisiblind .... Portable camo blind.
Isometric Hunting Blinds .... Portable hunting blinds.
Klinger Pop Top Blind ....
Little Big Horn .... Camo tree blinds and Pac-Lounge.
Quick Pro Blinds .... Portable hunting blinds.
Oak Hollow Products .... Portable hunting blinds. 309 Old Highway 9, Waukon, IA 52172 (319) 568-4075. You can order the blinds here.
P & M Concealment Products Inc. .... Portable blinds.
Ultimate Hunting Blind .... Portable and expandable hunting blinds.
Underbrush .... Portable blinds and 3-D Leafy Camo Wear.
Wolf Den Hunting Products .... Portable hunting blinds.

Bow Equipment

Archery Headquarters .... Online retailer for archery supplies.
B&B Achery and Bowhunting Books .... Books and videos on archery and bowhunting.
Bear Archery .... Makers of excellent bows and bow equipment. Fred Bear is a legend of the bowhunting world.
Ben Pearson Bow info .... Great place to look up info on old Ben Pearson bows, broadheads, arrow boxes and logos.
Black Widow Bows .... Fine bows and arrows.
Bowhunters Discount Warehouse .... As of 7/2001 their website is closed.
Bowhunter Magazine  .... The site of the number one bowhunting magazine.
Bowhunting.net .... The Bowhunting Netcenter.
Bowsite .... If you're a bowhunter, this is one place you have to check out.
Don Brown Traditional Archery ....
California Archery Web .... Webring of California archery shops.
Custom Feathers .... David Mitchell. 6117 Highway 190, Chillicothe, MO 64601. Phone #s: 660-646-6630 (Work), 660-646-0469 (Home-eves.), 660-646-9703 (FAX), & 1-888-353-8246 (Orders only). He makes custom arrows using fresh turkey wing primaries and some secondaries. Most fletching is natural, but he'll custom dye colors on large orders. He also buys wings, fans, and beards, so you might be able to work a trade.
Dink's Feather Shop .... They make custom arrows and sells supplies. Murraysville, WV. Ph # 304-273-3485.
Easton .... Fine arrows and other gear.
edersbow .... Online bowhunting magazine.
The Essentials Of Archery .... Original printing 1942 (This document has been liberally transcribed from the 1953 edition). "How to Use and Make Bows and Arrows" by L. E. Stemmler , Manorville, L.I., N.Y.
EXTERIOR BALLISTICS OF BOWS AND ARROWS .... By W. J. Rheingans.
Game Tracker .... String tracking system. 3476 Eastman Drive Flushing, MI 48433 Phone (800)241-4833 Fax (810)733-2077.
Herb's Leatherworks .... If you like quality hand made leather quivers then take a peek at these fine quivers from Herb at Herb's Leatherworks.
Hidden Wolf Woolens .... Sorry folks, this company closed the middle of 2000.
High Mountain Archery Equipment Sales .... they carry Gold Tip, Bow Tech, Champion, PSE, Jennings, Hoyt, Golden Key, Sims, Archers Choice, and many other quality products.
How to strip turkey feathers .... If you want to make your own barred feather fletchings.
Hoyt USA Bows .... Makers of fine bows and bowhunting equipment.
International Bowhunting Organization .... The IBO is a non profit organization founded in 1984. Their intent is to provide a means by which all persons, interested in the sport, can unite to ensure ours and our children's rights to the pursuit of bowhunting.
Jackson's Archery and Hunting Page .... Check out this San Diego California bowhunters website. Lots of good info and links here.
Magnus Broadheads .... I use these broadheads and they shoot well and are very tough.
Martin Archery .... Good bows.
The National Archery Association .... National governing body for U.S. Olympic archery.
Primitve Archer ..... Good forum and quarterly magazine.
Professional Bowhunters Society ....
PSE Archery .... Bows and other archery gear.
RibTek Broadheads .... Good tough broadheads.
Sky Archery .... This is the legendary Earl Hoyt's archery company that makes excellent longbows and recurve bows.
Stickbow .... Your traditional archery connection.
Tammy Jo's Archery Supplies .... Custom flemish-twist bowstrings for recurves and longbows.
Trackmaster Arrow Tracking System .... Radio signal arrow recovery system.
Traditional Bowhunter Magazine .... 6 issues per year of good traditional bow info.

Camo and Clothing

10X Wear .... Camo
Advantage Camo ....
Aervoe-Pacific Co. .... Camouflage paint in all the military colors. Best supplier I've found for painting your equipment. P.O. Box 483, Gardnerville, NV., 89410, ph# 800-227-0196.
ASAT Camo .... Tel# 423-531-7110 or you can email them at ASATCAMO@BELLSOUTH.NET.
Beartooth Products .... 3 piece camo kit for shotguns.
Brigade Quartermasters .... Outdoor gear, military issue gear, GPS, everything you need.
Bug Out Outdoorwear .... Bug nets and suits.
Bushlan Camo .... Camo clothing.
Bush Rag Camouflage Systems .... Camo ghillies.
Camo Skin .... Removable camo overlays for shotguns.
Camovision Eyewear .... You can see out, game can't see in. UV protected, patented, durable frames. I tried a pair of these and I found they kept the sun out real good but it was like looking through a thick screen door. Too distracting for me.
Columbia Sportswear Co. ....
DK Flatwoods Camo .... 3D camo
DownWind 3D Camo ....
Hidden Wolf Woolens .... Quality, Service, Dedication- Unexcelled -For your camouflage clothing needs.
Image Country Camouflage .... Camo.
Lacrosse .... Excellent boots and waders.
LongBeard Industries L.L.C. .... Makers of the "The Backpack Recliner" .
C. C. Filson .... For 102 years, Filson has been supplying rugged clothing for extreme conditions out of doors.
Mossy Oak .... America's most effective concealment system.
Natural Gear Camo ....
Polar Wrap .... Great clothing to keep your face and head warm.
Predator Camo ....
Permanone .... Spray this on your clothes to kill ticks, chiggers and other bugs. Not a repellent like "Off" or "Repel", it actually kills the darn creepy crawlies. PERMETHRIN is the generic name of the active ingredient. It is a natural pesticide from pyretherum (African flower in the daisy family) and the active ingredient is permanone. It is used on cloths only because if applied to the skin, it mixes with oils and sweat and becomes useless. It is harmless but some people may be sensitive to it. It goes by several brand names, Permanone being the most common. Once applied properly, it binds to the fabrics and lasts a minimum of two weeks, even through several washings. Another brand is called Duranon and you can get it for $3.66 for a 6 oz. can at Wing Supply.
Ranger Joe's .... Military, Law enforcement and outdoor gear.
Rancho Safari .... Camo ghillies.
Raven Wear Canada Ltd. .... Extreme cold camo clothing.
Realtree .... Excellent camo.
Rightnour Manufacturing Co. Inc. (RMC) .... Archery and Muzzleloading supplies, turkey vests, unique Non-Typical shotgun sling.
Scent-Lok .... Camo clothing and scent control suits.
Schnee's Boot's .... These guys make the best cold weather elk boots I've ever owned. I like the 'air bob' soles.
Sleeping Indian Design .... Wool and cotton camo clothing
Stick N' Limbs Camo ....
Trebark Camo ....
Underbrush .... Portable blinds and 3-D Leafy Camo Wear.
Woolrich .... Fine wool clothing.

Gear

Bass Pro Shop .... One of the biggest hunting and fishing gear suppliers. Stop by one of their 'Outdoor World' stores, you'll be amazed. They have calls, decoys, shells, sights, blinds camo and tons more.
Brigade Quartermasters .... Outdoor gear, military issue gear, GPS, everything you need.
Cabela's .... One of the biggest retailers of outdoor and hunting gear. They have calls, decoys, shells, sights, blinds camo and tons more.
Gamesaver .... Better than pepper, fights bacteria growth in warm weather. Concentrated for taking into the field.
Herb's Leatherworks .... If you like quality hand made leather quivers then take a peek at these fine quivers from Herb at Herb's Leatherworks.
Ranger Joe's .... Military, Law enforcement and outdoor gear.
REI ....The biggest outdoor store on the net.
Shomer-tec .... Law enforcement and military equipment. Box 28070, Bellingham, WA. 98228 ph# 360-733-6214. Call for free catalog.
Snapshot Sniper Digital Game Camera Scouting System .... Save yourself hours of scouting in the field. With the Snapshot Sniper Digital Scouting System, you will have the advantage you have been looking for when scouting your favorite hunting area. With the use of a technologically advanced motion detection system to trigger the game camera, you can monitor activity night and day. By positioning the deer cam near a trail, feeder, stand, or water you will have the advantage of knowing what different types of animals are visiting these areas. The scouting camera also will capture the date and time of the event so you will know exactly when the activity is taking place in your area.
U.S. Cavalry .... World's finest military and adventure equipment.

Guides/Outfitters

Arizona Big Game Hunting .... Duwane Adams has a full service Arizona based guiding and outfitting business. They hunt Arizona statewide and Mexico for several different species. They have been in the guiding business for the past 20 years and have developed a high quality trophy hunting experience. They offer trophy quality elk, mule deer, and coues deer hunts that are second to none and at competitive prices!
Arizona Wildlife Outfitting .... Don Martin has hunts for bighorn sheep, buffalo, antelope, elk, mule deer, Coues deer, javelina, mountain lion, turkey and predators.
Calhoun Island Outfittters .... Located between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, Calhoun Island provides quite possibly the best hunting in the country. Over 4,000 prime acres of intensely managed habitat means your opportunity for that hunt of a lifetime is now. With our luscious orchards, hearty crops, and excellent breeding grounds, there is no better place to raise trophy whitetails. Whether it is deer, ducks, geese or turkey that raises the hair on the back of your neck, Calhoun Island Outfitters is the choice for you!
Dry Creek Outfitters ... is a professional hunting guide and outfitting service. We specialize in Trophy Desert Bighorn Sheep hunts in Arizona, California, Utah and Texas. We also offer hunts for Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Coues Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Pronghorn Antelope, Javelina, and Bear. We are fully licensed, bonded, insured, and permitted. We have a full time team of professional, knowledgeable guides. We have also filmed, edited and produced a video called "Hunting Desert Bighorn Sheep." It includes two different sheep hunts and information on how to find and field judge rams as well as instructions on how to video tape game through your spotting scope. It is currently for sale on our website and through the new FNAWS Mercantile catalog
Mesquite Country Outfitters .... Offers fully guided hunts for whitetail deer, mule deer, turkey, bobwhite and blue quail, dove, wild hogs, and varmints on the 165,000 acre Pitchfork Ranch in Dickens and King counties of Texas.
Pusch Ridge Outfitters .... We are an Arizona based outfitting business that outfits and guides in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. We are proud of the fact that we consistently produce trophies of the highest quality for our clients. Several have qualified for the Boone and Crockett all-time record book, as well as the Pope and Young, Safari Club International, and Longhunter Society books.

Know of any other good whitetail deer guides or outfitters? If you do, drop us an email at

Guns/Gun Supplies

Americase .... Gun cases since 1985.
Beretta .... Firearms.
Boyt Harness Co. .... Gun cases.
Ed Brown Products .... High performance bolt-action rifles and 1911 handguns for those who expect the best.
Brownells .... Great supplier of gun parts.
Browning .... Firearms.
B-Square .... has been manufacturing and marketing a full line of premium quality scopes mounts, accessories and gunsmithing tools for over 40 years..
CanjarTriggers. M. H. Canjar Co. 500 E. 45th Ave.,Denver, CO 80216, Voice: (303) 295-2638.
Doskocil .... Gun cases.
E.A.R. Hearing Protection and Hearing Aids .... Protect your precious hearing with these fine quality ear plugs.
Galati International.com .... Your number one source for shooting and gun accessories including Rifle Cases, Range Bags, Holsters, Shotgun Accessories, Knives, Soft Air Guns, Scopes, Night Vision, T-Shirts and Much More.
Gamaliel Shooting Supply .... Whatever you need - rifle scopes, reloading supplies or gun accessories we've got them all at Gamaliel Shooting Supply! We have all the types of rifle scopes, reloading supplies, and gun accessories you need for hunting and target shooting.
Gunbroker.com .... Worlds largest sport shooting and hunting auction.
Gun Guard .... Good rifle, bow and pistol cases. Some case have wheels which are real handy in the airport.
Gun Tests.com .... They have a no holds barred gun review website and magazine that is very objective. If it sucks, they say so and why. No 3 to 3 1/2 out of 4 stars for every gun they review like you see in NAHC or Guns and Ammo. They have no ads in their review so they are not worried about stepping on toes.
Impact Case Company .... Gun cases.
Knight Muzzleloaders .... Firearms.
Kolpin .... Gun cases.
Lazzeroni .... Great rifles.
Levergun Leather Works .... Great handmade leather pouches, cases, rifle butt holders, slings, knife cases and sheaths, rifle sacabbards and more from "Lever" at Levergun Leather Works. JHO Sponsor.
Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels .... Great barrels and lots of info on long range shooting.
Marlin Firearms Co. .... Great firearms.
McMillan .... Makers of tough dependable rifle stocks.
Michael's .... Makers of Butler Creek and Uncle Mike's gun supplies.
Midsouth Shooters Supply Co. .... Your complete source for shooting accessories and supplies.
Midway USA .... The world's largest mail order shooting and reloading superstore.
MTM Case-Gard .... Ammo and accessory boxes, gun cleaning vises and target stands.
The Almost Complete List of Muzzle Loading and Buckskinning Links ....
Muzzleloader Magazine .... The publication for black powder shooters.
Muzzleloading Videos By Randy Wakeman .... Great videos for the newbie or old hand in muzzleloader hunting.
Northwest Security Products .... Cases, holsters, pouches and more from Alaska.
Plano ..... Gun cases.
Quake Industries .... For years I've searched for a rifle sling that wouldn't slide off my shoulder. I finally found the Holy Grail here at Quaker Industries, called the "Claw". They also make super rifle swivels that don't squeak, scope covers and recoil pads.
Remington .... Firearms.
Ruger .... Firearms.
Sako .... Firearms.
Shilen .... Makers of excellent rifle barrels.
Sinclair International .... We are a 16 year old, Indiana based company which specializes in high quality products designed for precision rifle shooters.
SKB .... Gun cases.
Sniper Country .... A great site for long range shooting. They have reviews on scopes, rangefinders, moly bullet coating and tons of other info. Lots of military and law enforcement shooters hang out here.
Tactical Intervention Specialists ....  Precision rifle accessories. Mike has come up with a great new sling too. Stop by his website and see some of the goodies there.
Thompsom/Center Arms .... Whether a Traditional or a Modern In-Line... T/C has it all.
Timney Trigger .... Timney Manufacturing, Inc. is one of the oldest and largest trigger manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1946, Timney prides itself on the quality of precision machining and workmanship that goes into each and every Timney product.
Traditions Performance Muzzleloading Weatherby ....
Tuffpak .... Tuffpak is the only multi-gun case of its kind. Whether you're going for a weekend or a month, taking 1 rifle or 5 shotguns .
Weatherby .... Fine rifles and shotguns.
Winchester .... Firearms.

Optics, Scopes, Binos, and Night Vision

Aimpoint .... As the choice of the U.S. Army and elite forces around the world, Aimpoint sights offer high performance, military-proven technology and rugged durability. Aimpoint's both-eyes-open, heads-up, rapid target acquisition and superior accuracy deliver unmatched precision for a variety of applications.
Backpack Hunter .... Sorry to say it, but Don "Backpack Hunter" has shut down his website after many years.
Bear Basin .... Good prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders.
B & H .... The Professional's source for tripods, photo gear, and video.
Brunton .... Makers of the 'Eterna' and 'Lite-Tech' line of binos. They also make compasses, wind meters, and survey gear.
Burris .... Fine American made scopes and binos.
Bushnell .... Scopes, binos, and Yardage Pro rangefinder.
Bogen .... Distributors for 'Gitzo' and 'Manfrotto' tripods.
Canon .... Makers of binos.
Celestron .... Makers of binos and scopes.
Crooked Horn Outfitters .... They make a bino harness that works real good for $19.99.
Custom Ophthalmics .... Manufactures custom lenses to correct astigmatism. These small lenses are made to your prescription and fitted into the eyecup of your binoculars to let you remove your glasses while viewing. For more information: 11603 Hampstead Drive, Fredericksburg, VA. 22407 . PH# 1-540-786-9276 voice/fax, e-mail:102171,2300@Compuserve.com
Deutsche Optik .... Retailers of 'Wild' and 'Barr & Stroud' rangefinders, Leitz Intel Analyst Magnifiers, Visulette Aspheric Magnifiers, Hensoldt binos, Optolyth scopes and binos, and WWII military optics.
Doctor-Optic Technologies Inc. .... Makers of great scopes and binos. Contact them at: 4685 Boulder Highway, Suite A, Las Vegas, NV 89121 USA, PH# 1-800-290-3634, 1-702-898-7161, (fax) 1-702-898-3737.
D & R Sports .... Good prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders.
Eagle Optics .... Online Retailer of name brand optics, also good info on scopes and binos specifications.
Fujinon .... Makers of fine scopes and binos. They also make the 'Staboscope', a bino that you can use at night and while moving.
Global Mart .... Online retailer for Tasco scopes and rangefinders, Bushnell, and ITT Night vision.
'Grippit' .... With this strap and mount, you can mount your binos on a tripod for more stability. $29.99.
HawkEyes International .... Online retailer of binos, scopes, laser sights, and night vision.
HI VIZ Fiber Optic Sights ....
Kahles .... Kahles Riflescope Manufacturing Company of Vienna, Austria is one of the premier rifle scope manufacturers in the world. With over 100 years of optical engineering behind every scope they make, Kahles has always been known by professional guides and hunters as "One of the very best and most rugged rifle scopes".
Kowa .... One of the better scope and bino makers.
Leica .... Fine German binos and scopes.
LensPen .... LensPen is a lens cleaning device that uses a carbon-based cleaning compound. Also has a little brush on the other end to aid in removing debris.
Leupold .... Fine American made optics.
Meade .... Makers of fine binos, scopes, CCD cameras, and microscopes.
Minolta .... Makers of binos.
Nikon .... Great binos and scopes.
OP/TECH USA .... Long been known for their comfortable binocular and camera straps. They have branched out into several other products of interest that are available via retailers: Fashion Strap: binocular and camera strap, E-Z Comfort Strap: binocular and camera strap, Soft Pouch: binocular and scope covers, Bino Caps: binocular, scope, and camera lens caps, Tripod Strap: tripod strap, Tripod Leg Wraps: Cordura covered foam leg wraps. For more information: PH# 1-800-251-7815 or 1-406-388-1377
Optolyth  .... Fine German optics. Contact: SCM Corporation, (distributor), PO Box 7518 San Diego, CA 92167 USA, PH# 1-800-225-9407, (fax) 1-619-692-8199.
Orion .... Online retailer of binos and scopes.
Pentax .... Makers of binos.
Redfield .... Scopes and mount.
Schmidt & Bender .... Fine German optics.
ScopLevel .... ScopLevel is a device that dramatically increases your shooting accuracy by dramatically reducing CANTING. Check out the effects of canting and what ScopLevel does to reduce it's effect at this website.
Segway-Industries home of the Reticule Leveler .... Segway Industries manufactures and sells the easiest-to-use scope alignment tool ever developed for gun owners and gunsmiths.
Shepherd Scopes Ltd. .... This scope gives you a one shot zero and accurate range-finding. Dual reticule system allows for better accuracy and reliability.
Simmons .... Good scopes and binos. Blount is the maker of this line of optics.
Springfield Armory .... For more than a decade, Springfield Armory™ has been providing high quality, proprietary counter-sniper sighting systems to the world's most demanding customers. Now with eight Government Models™ to choose from, Springfield provides outdoor, severe duty telescopic sights designed to meet the most extreme performance demands of serious law enforcement personnel and hunters world wide.
Steiner .... Pioneer Research is the maker and importer of Steiner optics. They also make dive cameras.
S.W.F.A. Inc. .... Great prices on scopes, binos and rangefinders.
Swarovski.... Fine Austrian optics
Swift Instruments Inc. .... Makers of excellent binos, scopes, magnifiers, opera glasses, and weather instruments.
Tasco .... Makers of binos, scopes, and rangefinders.
Tru_Glo .... Make fiber optic sights.
US Optics .... They design and build special purpose riflescopes for, Military and Law Enforcement, sniper and tactical use. Also, riflescopes for competition and Varmint shooting.
V-Vax Products residual oil remover .... The best lens cleaning solution since alcohol. A lot of optics shops use it and it's available at retailers all over. Leica and Zeiss use it to clean all of the internal components prior to assembly of their binoculars. For more information: V-Vax Products, 1507 Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622. PH# 1-312-276-1747, (fax) 1-312-276-0909.
Weaver .... Fine scopes. Blount is the maker of this product.
Wholesale Hunter .... Good prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders.
Williams Optics .... Telescopes, mounts and camera adapters.
Zeiss .... Fine binos and scopes.

Organizations

Boone and Crockett Club .... Promoting wildlife conservation and 'fair chase hunting'.
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) .... Offers weekend skills clinics to women throughout North America. Explore our pages and discover  what's waiting in the great outdoors!
Deersearch Inc. .... Dedicated to tracking wounded big game with leashed dogs. Check this site out, to see if you can help.
Hunters for the Hungry .... A great nationwide effort for sportsmen to donate extra game meat to help those in need.
Hunt Of A Lifetime .... is a nonprofit organization that grants hunting and fishing adventures to children who have been diagnosed with terminal or life threatening illnesses. We are making a difference. We need your help.
International Hunter Education Association .... Hunter Education classes explore a variety of topics, including wildlife identification, landowner relations, outdoor survival skills, wildlife management, field care of game, and more. Volunteers teach all types of hunter safety, including the use of various modern firearms, black powder, and bow and arrow.
North American Shed Hunters Club .... The largest web site in the world for serious hard core trophy hunters.
Pope and Young Club .... Dedicated To The Protection Of Our Bowhunting Heritage And North America's Wildlife.
National Rifle Association .... If you're a gun owner, you really need to join, to maintain your 2nd amendment right to bear arms.
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance .... The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance is a huge grassroots effort to give hunters and anglers a stronger collective voice. It's an alliance of individual sportsmen and women, plus national conservation groups, as well as local and regional clubs and organizations who care about the future of wildlife and outdoor activities on the 192 million acres of National Forests and grasslands.
Safari Club International .... Advocate for 45 million hunters and wildlife conservation worldwide.
Whitetails Unlimited .... Founded in 1982, Whitetails Unlimited is a national conservation organization that has remained true to its mission and has made great strides in the field of conservation. We have gained the reputation of being the nation’s premier organization dedicating our resources to the betterment of the white-tailed deer and its environment.
Wildlife Legislative Fund of America .... The Wildlife Legislative Fund of America (WLFA) provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, fishermen, trappers and scientific wildlife management professionals. This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations.

Know of any other good whitetail deer organizations? If you do, drop us an email at

Publications/Books/Magazines/Videos

All these books are available at Amazon.com unless noted otherwise. You can get used books there that are well below the new book price.

"Bowhunting for Whitetail and Mule Deer" .... by M.R. James.
"Deer Talk: Your Guide to Finding, Calling, and Hunting Mule Deer and Whitetails, With Rifle, Bow or Camera" ....by Don Laubach, et al.
"Hunting Open Country Mule Deer" .... by Dwight Schuh. Great book on how to glass for mule deer instead of running all over spooking them into the county.
"Hunting Superbucks: How to Find and Hunt Today's Trophy Mule and Whitetail Deer" .... by Kathy Etling.
"The Sallie Dahmes Whitetail/Mule Deer Taxidermy System" ..... by Sallie Dahmes, et al.
"The Science of Overabundance: Deer Ecology and Population Management" ..... by William J. McShea (Editor), et al.

Know of any other good whitetail deer books? If you do, drop us an email at

Bill's Taxidermy .... Bill Taylor, 11285 Slater Ave., Fountain Valley, Ca. 92708, PH# 1-714-434-9693.
Herman's Taxidermy .... 14201 California Av., Beaumont Ca., PH# 1-909-845-6035.
Simon's Taxidermy .... Birds, mammals, fish, skin and reproduction. Los Angeles Ca. PH# 1-213-266-4020.
Wilderness Taxidermy .... Tony, 12138 Humboldt Place, Chino, Ca. 91710, PH# 1-909-902-9355.
Woody's Taxidermy .... located about 20 minutes North of Gainesville in the town of Baldwin, Georgia. We have been at this location for the past 30 years. Our specialty is Whitetail Deer and Largemouth Bass, although the bulk of our work is received from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, each season we receive Whitetails from approximately 10-12 other states and Canada.

Know of any other good whitetail deer taxidermists? If you do, drop us an email at

Websites/Forums

Alberta Mike .... Mike's excellent website on hunting Alberta Canada's backcountry. Lots of good hunting pics here.
Big Game Adventures Magazine .... Published quarterly.
Canuck2 ... The Lucke family - J.R., Ellen, Jennifer, Aaron, and Mike, from British Columbia Canada. Stop by here for some excellent pics and hunting info.
Deerslayer 1's Webpage .... Dan has lots of deer, elk, caribou and bear pics from public land hunts.
Eastman's .... The Eastmans' Journal is the original bi-monthly magazine devoted to western trophy hunting.  Hunting journal, videos and books.
Field and Stream .... The popular magazine online. They have a great hunting and shooting forum too.
Fishing and Hunting News .... This is the fishing and hunting news magazine online version.
Hunt America.com .... Marshall Talbott's great hunting website. He has forums for everything from Big Game hunting to Backpack gear. Check it out.
Jesse's Hunting & Outdoors (JHO) Whitetail Deer Hunting Forum .... Great place to view and ask questions.
North American Whitetail Magazine .... The magazine devoted to the serious deer hunter.
Ted Nugent's United Sportsmen of America ....
Trophy Hunter Magazine .... Offering real hunting stories about the biggest and best trophies taken in the west every year.
Outdoor Life .... The well known magazine online.
Rocky Mountain Game and Fish Magazine .... A sportsman's guide to the best hunting and fishing in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.
Washington-Oregon Game and Fish Magazine .... The one-stop information source for Northwest hunters and anglers.
Western Hunter .... Information about hunting in the west from the former editor of "California Hunter" magazine, Jerry Springer.
Jim Zumbo's webpage .... Lot's of hunting tips and cooking recipes.

Know of any other good whitetail deer websites? If you do, drop us an email at