In last night’s “Question of the Night” on the Wired To Hunt Facebook Page I asked … “Do you feel that you can accurately age a buck “on the hoof ” ?

The answers we got back ranged from a tentative yes or  clear no, to more tepid answers – such as “fairly close for my local area” or ” I can identify the difference between a shooter or not”. Or my favorite, “its super easy here in michigan, 90% chance they’re 1-1/2″. (haha, shake my head)

That all being said and given other feedback I’ve received - it still seems like a large percentage of folks out there are still completely unaware that they can age bucks on the hoof or feel somewhat skeptical about the accuracy of this aging method.

If you’re looking to try and practice some form of deer management or are just looking for a new challenge, targeting mature bucks should be a goal. And in order to do that, you must be able to determine whether or not a buck is in fact mature before killing it! Spoiler Alert – this is accomplished by aging a buck “on the hoof”.

So with that in mind – I wanted to offer up three quick ways that you can improve your ability to accurately age a buck just from viewing physical characteristics of the deer.

Read on for my 3 steps to more accurately aging bucks on the hoof!

1. Watch “Bear Archery Webisode 11: Aging Bucks on the Hoof”: This video, embedded below, features Kip Adams of the Quality Deer Management Association doing a great job of explaining some of the keys to aging bucks on the hoof. This is the most visual, and easy to understand representation I’ve seen yet of this practice. If you read no further, at least give this a watch and you’re guaranteed to learn something.

2. Buy The “Selective Buck Harvest Poster”: This poster – pictured at the top of this post – details visually and in words the physical characteristics of each different buck age class. It’s an incredibly useful poster that would make for a great addition to any hunting camp, and actually adorns the wall of my office as well! Pick up a copy of this poster, study it before heading out in the field hunting – and you’ll be applying your new found knowledge before you know it. Link to the Selective Buck Harvest Poster

3. Read The Following Expert Articles: Rather than me rattling on about how to age bucks, I’d recommend you head straight to the real experts. The following articles from Dr. David Samuel, Bob Zaiglin and Kip Adams feature some of the most in depth and helpful explanations for properly aging bucks on the hoof. Take 10 minutes and give these pieces a good read.

Aging Bucks On The Hoof Part I – Deer & Deer Hunting 

Aging Bucks On The Hoof – QDMA.com

Do you have any other good resources or tips for aging bucks on the hoof? Please let us know in the comments!

1. Minerals benefit deer health and antler growth (we think): There is no verified research with free ranging whitetails that proves that supplemental minerals improve whitetail health or antler production. BUT – there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and theory that makes most biologists and experts believe that there is some positive effect on whitetails when minerals are provided. There certainly doesn’t seem to be a downside, so in most cases it’s recommended if you have the luxury and resources available to supply additional minerals.

In addition – basic biology of whitetail antlers suggests that there should be some kind of correlation between mineral availability and antler production. According to a QDMA article by Brad Howard and QDMA CEO Brian Murphy, “A University of Georgia study (Miller et al. 1985) detected 11 different minerals in the whitetail’s antlers. In addition to calcium (19.01 percent) and phosphorous (10.13 percent), the next two most common elements reported in the Georgia study were magnesium (1.09 percent) and sodium (0.50 percent). Lesser amounts of other minerals were found including potassium, barium, iron, aluminum, zinc, strontium, and manganese….Clearly minerals are important in antler development. Because of the large quantities of minerals required for antler growth, whitetails actually deposit calcium and phosphorous in their skeletons prior to the onset of antler growth and then transfer these minerals during active growth (Stephenson and Brown 1984). However, these body sources of calcium and phosphorous provide only a portion of that needed for optimum antler growth. The remainder must come directly from their diet while their antlers are actively growing. Therefore, supplementation of these minerals prior to and during antler growth may be beneficial.”

Long story short – while it hasn’t be proven yet, given the fact that we know minerals are important to antler development – it makes sense that increasing their availability for a whitetail herd is a good thing.

2. Calcium, phosphorus and sodium are key:  Calcium and Phosphorus are the two most prevalent minerals in antlers, so it makes sense that these two minerals should be included in any supplement you provide. The next most important item is salt – mostly because salt is the major attractor for deer. When considering a supplement to use, these key minerals should be focused on. According to that same QDMA article, there are a few key points to remember when considering mineral supplement composition… “The first is the calcium to phosphorus ratio. The mix should contain as much of these minerals as possible while containing enough salt to encourage use by deer. In general, there should be at least 1.5–2.0 times as much calcium as phosphorus. This is the approximate ratio of these minerals in mature antlers.”

That being said, trace minerals (all those other minerals in small amounts above) are important too – and in some cases could be the minerals that whitetails are lacking the most in their habitat. So be sure to find a supplement that contains these as well. According to a Grant Woods article – Trophy Rock contains some 60+ trace minerals and is a great option, along with other supplements such as Whitetail Institute’s 30-06.

3. Mineral sites attract deer: This probably goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning again. Mineral sites are tremendous attractants for whitetails, especially during the spring and summer months. Put a couple out, throw a trail camera or two up and you will be sure to get some great pictures. Regardless of the nutritional impact, mineral sites are a great way to draw deer into a location for trail cameras. Theres no debate about that.

4. Minerals are only one part of the equation: Minerals or any other supplement for that matter are only one small part of the equation for those looking to improve the health and quality of your deer herd. I believe it was put best in a chapter of the book “Quality Whitetails: The Why and How of Quality Deer Management”

“Even if it ultimately proves beneficial, mineral supplementation is only one of several important factors (including age structure, genetic quality, population density, and food quality) that must be managed to produce a quality herd. Assuming all these variables are optimized, mineral supplementation may be the final factor that boosts antler quality from good to superior”

For more information on mineral supplementation for deer – check out the following articles…

Mineral Supplementation: Necessary or Nevermind?

Which Minerals To Provide for Whitetails

The power of one. It’s the idea that any one person can make a difference. There’s certainly truth to that – but I think it’s safe to say that we’d also all agree that the power of a group can take that single person’s action to a whole new level. One person can start a movement – but it’s the group that comes of that which really makes big change. This idea can certainly be seen in the whitetail hunting world today, in the form of Quality Deer Management Co-Ops.

A Co-Op is a group of people in a given area, agreeing to adhere to a given set of deer management practices. If you start practicing QDM on your property it will definitely help the deer hunting situation in your area, but if you can get your neighbors involved – the change will be even more noticeable. That’s really what a cooperative is all about. This co-op idea has really turned into a massive movement across the country, as more and more groups of like minded people are starting to manage their deer herds together. The results have been tangible, impressive and exciting to say the least.

That being said – I’ve joined a co-op here in South Central Michigan and I thought I’d share with the W2H Nation a few examples of what a co-op can produce. As most of you know – Michigan does not typically produce the kind of deer you’ve come to expect from states like Iowa, Illinois or Kansas. In fact, I believe the number I saw was that in 2010, over 60% of all bucks harvested in Michigan were year and half olds! That’s poor. Piss poor. But my feelings on that are for another article, another day. The point I’m trying to make here today is that the average deer killed in Michigan is a year and half old – probably a little 4 or 6 pointer. Now as you look at the bucks being taken by members of the Beebe Creek Co-Op, you’ll see that these deer are quite a bit above that average.

And thats the power of a quality deer management co-op. In a relatively “poor” state for big bucks – a group of people can work together to produce better deer, better habitat and better hunting opportunities. I’d say that’s a win-win any way you look at it!

You can learn more about the Beebe Creek Co-op here in Southern Michigan by clicking the link to their website below. And if you’re interested in starting a co-op of your own – check out the following article from the QDMA website! 7 Steps to a Successful Cooperative

Beebe Creek Co-Op

As you many of you probably know, I read a lot – actually no – I read a crap ton about whitetails and deer hunting. Most of this reading comes at an expense – whether that be in buying a magazine or a book. But when great whitetail reading comes free – I’m particularly a fan. Tonight I’ve got a recommended piece of reading that is both free and very much worth your time. The Quality Deer Management’s Whitetail Report 2012.

Some of you may be already aware of this, but the QDMA releases an annual “Whitetail Report” covering trends, issues and research pertaining to whitetails in America. It’s a tremendous resource and a true gift from the QDMA to every deer hunter, manager and conservationist.

Included in this year’s report are the annual reports of deer harvest trends across the country, including antlered  and anterless harvest rates broken out by state, as well as harvest #’s broken down by age class. Very interesting stuff and I’ll give you a little spoiler alert here – when I took a look at the trend of 1.5 year old bucks being taken in Michigan, I got pretty ticked off. But that’s a whole other article.

As for other trends and issues included in the report are articles on cross bow use, women getting involved in hunting, the impact of coyotes on whitetails, the effect the upcoming changes in the Farm Bill could have on hunting, and much more. As for helpful research insights, topics such as regionally important deer forages, developing a whitetail harvest strategy, and a scientific look at how sex ratios adjust are featured.

Simply put, the QDMA’s 2012 Whitetail Report is well worth a read. Whether you are a practitioner of quality deer management or just like to shoot any deer in general – there are informative and interesting features in this report for you all!

So go ahead and download your free copy of the 2012 Whitetail Report by clicking the link below. Also at that link you’ll find the past three year’s whitetail reports for download as well – and each include a whole boatload of additional unique content. So check those out as well!

The QDMA’s Whitetail Report 2012

Last spring I attended the 2011 Quality Deer Management Association Deer Steward course and became officially certified by the QDMA as a “Deer Steward”. Some of you may remember reading my thoughts about the course, but for those who hadn’t already heard – I loved it.

The amount of knowledge, insight and expertise shared during the Deer Steward course was truly incredible and it was an experience that I’ll never forget. After hearing from whitetail and land management experts such as Kip Adams, Joe Hamilton, Craig Harper and Grant Woods I felt a renewed vigor for pursuing my quality deer management efforts and I was armed with the tools to make it happen. That being said, if you’re interested in a full review of topics covered and my thoughts, check out my QDMA Deer Steward Course Review.

Now as great as the course was, the Deer Steward Courses are only held several times a year and in my case it was very far from home. The 13 hour drive down to Southern Missouri was well worth it for me, but for some people that kind of time/gas/travel investment just isn’t realistic. And thats why I’m excited about the new opportunity available this year for people to participate in the 2012 Deer Steward Course online!

According to the QDMA website, “Once registered, attendees gain access to a digital recording of one of our previous Deer Steward Level I courses (filmed in front of a live audience) and will have up to 180 days to complete the series of six sessions (broken down into approximately 17 one-hour topics) at their own pace…Just like the in-person classes, registrants must pass an exam (upon completion of the course)”

Speakers for the course include the following:

• Kip Adams, Wildlife Biologist, QDMA’s Director of Education and Outreach
• Dr. David Guynn, Professor Emeritus, Clemson University
• Joe Hamilton, Wildlife Biologist, QDMA’s Director of Development
• Dr. Craig Harper, Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Tennessee
• Dr. Karl V. Miller, Professor, University of Georgia
• Brian Murphy, Wildlife Biologist, QDMA CEO
• Matt Ross, Wildlife Biologist and Forester, QDMA Certification Programs Manager
• Dr. Grant Woods, Wildlife Biologist/Consultant and President, GrowingDeer.TV

If you’re at all interested in exploring this opportunity, I would highly encourage you give it a shot. The Deer Steward Course is an incredible educational opportunity and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in taking their management efforts to the next level. If you can make the course in person, you’ll have a blast. But if that’s not an option, the online course is a great way to still take advanatage of the incredible knowledge the QDMA team has to share.

For more details or to register for an Online Deer Steward course, visit the QDMA website.

As many of you know, I am truly obsessed with reading about whitetails. I read at least 3-4 different hunting magazines every month, cover to cover. I peruse various whitetail related hunting articles every night, while also writing pieces of my own. And I’ve got an ever growing book shelf of hunting books in my office as well that get read time after time. I say this to make a point, that being that I read an awful lot of hunting related material and have seen everything from the ghastly to the great. So when I say that “Bowhunting Whitetails The Eberhart Way” is right up with the best of them, I really mean it.

Now if you’ve followed Wired To Hunt over the past few years you’ve probably seen an article or two about the Eberhart family of Michigan. John and Chris Eberhart are two of the most successful whitetail hunters in my home state and they’ve take their experiences and shared them with the rest of the whitetail world through several books, DVDs and magazine articles. In fact I’ve reviewed a number of these in the past including “Precision Bowhunting“, “Whitetail Access” and the “Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails” DVD series. Their latest offering definitely lives up to the standard they’ve set with these past projects and I would encourage you to check out my past reviews, as I provide some additional detail into why I’m such a fan of their work. But in today’s review I wanted to focus on two important points. Number one, why does this book stand above the pack? And second, how is this book different than the others published by the Eberhart’s in the past? So, without further adieu, let take a look at these two topics…

1. Why Does This Book Stand Above the Pack: Bowhunting Whitetails The Eberhart Way is a must read because it dives in to very specific strategies for hunting mature whitetails, in highly pressured areas. John and Chris don’t talk in generalities, in this book very specific tactics are outlined and they are tactics applicable to hunting in the most difficult areas of the country. Admittedly, many topics covered in popular hunting literature just don’t apply to the guy hunting public ground in Pennsylvania, it’s just a totally different ball game. This book is for that person. But at the same time it is also for the land owner in Iowa, because if you apply these tactics in Iowa or Illinois, where maybe the pressure isn’t as high, your success will be that much more consistent and convincing. This book and in fact all the other Eberhart publications as well, are truly some of the most educational and actionable pieces of hunting literature I’ve come across.

In addition to the strategies specifically formulated for tough hunting, we’re also given a step by step process of how the Eberhart’s go about preparing and then hunting throughout the year. For those of us who have made whitetail hunting a year round process, the ideas shared in this book are invaluable.

2. How Is This Book Different From Previous Eberhart Installments: This most recent book from the Eberhart’s stands out from their previous books for several reasons. First off, this book seems to dive more deeply into specific topics, while past books like Precision Bowhunting were more about a year round outline of things to do. Strategies and tactics are discussed in previous books, but “The Eberhart Way” takes this analysis to a deeper level. Devoting entire chapters to topics such as hunting around corn, speed scouting just before season, spring scouting,  hunting from the ground, specific tools used, public land hunting and hunting in in-climate weather.

Secondly, this book makes great use of full color pictures and lots of them. These illustrations make the book both more useful and interesting to read. Additionally, it seems that more personal hunting stories are told of John and Chris’ own experiences, and being more recent as well, they proved particularly interesting.

That all being said, if I did have one complaint it would be in regards to one of the last chapters in this book where the authors take some stabs at quality deer management and other philosophies along those lines. While I have no problem with someone choosing not to adhere to QDM principles or with someone disagreeing with the ideas all together, I don’t believe the author accurately portrayed hunters that practice QDM, or QDM principles as a whole in this book. While a few of the bones picked in this section are accurate in rare instances, I don’t think they apply to the greater population. Unfortunately, quite a negative spin was added and it was the one disappointment I had with this book.

Despite this blemish, in my opinion, “Bowhunting Whitetails The Eberhart Way” is an outstanding read and one of the single most educational pieces of whitetail literature you can pick up.

I have referred to the Eberhart’s “Precision Bowhunting”  in the past as the deer hunting bible for anyone trying to kill mature bucks in states like my home of Michigan, and if I were to continue the analogy, I think it’s fair to say that this “new testament” is just as important a read.

For more information about the Eberharts and their offerings, visit http://www.deerjohn.net/ .

With big bucks starting to hit the ground and hunting seasons kicking off across the country, it seemed that now might be a good time to give you one more motivating piece of material to help kick your whitetail hunting juices into full gear. So with that in mind, our friend and master outdoor photographer John Hafner shared a few photos with us that ought to inspire you to new levels of greatness this fall. Can you imagine seeing that tall tined giant peeking out over the brush at you?!

Now when you do finally smoke your own whitetail this year, John has a few words of advice to make sure you preserve those memories for life.

“Big buck down! Time to start shooting photos, right? Wrong. One of the best ways to shoot lousy trophy photos is to reach for your camera immediately after the kill. The excitement of the moment can distract you from your surroundings. You might think you’re shooting award winning photos, but odds are you aren’t. Get the high fiving and celebrating over with, let your adrenaline settle, and when your heart is back in rhythm, pull out your camera” – John Hafner

To see more of John’s work, visit the John Hafner Photography website.

The folks over at Deer & Deer Hunting continue to impress me with the incredible deer hunting resources they are bringing to market. And most recently it’s the new “Blood Trailing Whitetails”  guide. This digital resource on CD is a compilation of in-depth articles, video clips, charts and posters covering everything you need to know about blood trailing whitetails. In the video below, D&DH editor Dan Schmidt details the core elements of this guide, while also discussing some great blood trailing tips along the way. This looks to be the best resource I’ve seen yet for blood trailing and recovering wounded game. So check out the video below to get the full scoop, and then head to the D&DH Shop if you’re interested in picking up a copy for yourself! Looks to be a very handy item to have available during this upcoming season.

I recently caught wind of a new deer management project being worked on by Erich Long, a professional wildlife manager and the 2009 QDMA Deer Manager of the Year. This project is a new online show, featuring deer hunting and management tips for the average, every day guy. I’m a big fan of any management related information, so I decided to check out “Reality Deer Management”. My thoughts? It looks good! While just a few episodes in, it looks like this could another great resource for us hardcore hunters/managers as we strive to grow and hunt mature whitetails. Below I’ve shared a quick interview I did with Erich, in which we discuss the new show and some great land management tips for us all to consider.

1. What makes “Reality Deer Management” different than the other hunting and management related shows online and TV today?

Well, our show is dedicated to the guy or gal that doesn’t have huge amounts of land.  I know in Ohio for example, I’m dealing with clientele that have 30 to 200 acres.  With the tracts of land being small in size, the clientele still have high expectations based on what they read or see on TV.  This is where the concept of the show comes in.  We are going to show people that it can be done, but with realistic expectations based on your budget, land, and available time.

2. When you take on a new property to manage, what are typically the three highest priority items you like to stock of first?

Location in the state, county, and even township in which the property is located for starters.  Certain areas obviously produce bigger deer than others do.  Secondly, we concentrate on what are the landowner’s limitations are,  such as finances and equipment.  It allows us to decide what we can do and how much time it’s going to take to achieve the landowner’s goals.  Lastly, we see how much percentage of tillable to woodland we have to deal with.  Our style of management may differ than others because the smaller the land the more we try to provide a stress free environment.   In these situations, we concentrate on native vegetation more than supplemental forages.

3. What is the most valuable piece of advice you could give to a new property owner looking to manage for deer?

You have to give them a reason to be there!  With that being said, we really enforce people to provide a stress free environment with the aid of managing your native vegetation.  Those older class whitetails that we’re all after need to feel stress free.  Concentrate on the quality of cover.  Cover equals food, cover equals bedding, and cover also provides age which means bigger deer!

4. With a couple months or less left until most folks start their hunting seasons, what are three easy projects a hunter can do now to improve their land or hunting opportunities?

It’s amazing how quickly it comes but it does.  Prepping your fall food plots for starters.  Take the time to make sure they’re weed free and have the right amounts of lime/ and fertilizer so they turn out the way you have envisioned.  I would also suggest people getting a feel for what’s out there.  Do your homework.  Just because you don’t own the mass amounts of acreage doesn’t mean you can’t get involved with your neighbors in what they are seeing in the local bean or alfalfa fields.  Get those cameras out as well, but use them wisely.  Don’t go tramping around in those bedding areas trying to get that big buck pic, but utilize them around water sources and foraging areas.  The last thing we concentrate on is getting our stand locations picked out and set up.  We like setting up early so were not bothering them come hunting season.  We usually spend one day and were in and out.  Once again, stress free environment when dealing with any property in size but especially small acres.

Interested in learning more? Check out the first episode of Reality Deer Management below and visit there YouTube page to watch the rest!

Reality Deer Management

If you’re interested in digging deeper into how you can use observation data in your mangaement plan, I’ve got two great resources for you to check out. First, we’ve got a great article from the Quality Deer Management Association, in which the details regarding how and when data should be collected, as well as insight into how to perform your analysis. is shared. This is a must see if you’re planning on using this technique come hunting season.

Deer Data Collection Part II: Observation Data – QDMA

Second is a quick blurb from Dr. Grant Woods of Growing Deer TV, in which he share a few pointers for efficiently collecting and using observation data.

Collecting Observation Data

If you missed our intro to survey techniques a few weeks back, check out that article here. Also be sure to check back in soon for more details on another important technique, trail camera surveys.