Glossary

Albinism - A trait that causes lack of pigment in skin and hair making animals appear white

Antlers - Large, bony appendages worn mostly by male deer species. Used for sparring and attracting mates, antlers are also considered a trophy by hunters. Antlers are shed each year and re-grown, making them different than horns which are permanent. Nutrition determines size.

Aquaculture - Raising and harvesting of fish and other aquatic animals and plants, such as fish farming.

Bait - Food, or sometimes scents, placed in a hunting area to attract game as prey

Beard - Hair-like growth on the chest of turkeys

Boone and Crockett Club - Conservation club dedicated to habitat and wildlife improvements. Also a system for scoring trophy animals taken with a gun. www.boone-crockett.org/

Broadhead - Arrow tip used to hunt game. Generally features at least one-inch of cutting diameter and may be fixed blades or expandable (mechanicals)

Buck - Male deer

Bullet - Projectile fired from a firearm.

Climbing Stand - Deer stand that can be used to climb the tree. Usually a climbing stand has two sections that are each used in an alternating manner to climb the tree.

Decoy - Plastic or wood object that looks like the game you are hunting. Used to attract game

Doe - Female deer

Drop Tine - Antler point dropping downward from the main beam of the antlers

Estrous - Short period in which a doe is capable of breeding

Fawn - Baby deer

Field Point - Arrow tip typically used for target practice. Includes a point only, no cutting area.

Food Plot - An area planted specifically to act as a food source for wildlife, "miniature farms"

Game Management - The practice of monitoring wildlife and then implementing a program to manage wildlife, such as enhancing sources of food, water and protection, controlled burning, hunting, etc.

Grain - Measure of weight that used to measure gun powder, bullets or arrow tips

Green Score - Approximate Boone and Crockett score of a trophy before the required drying time has occurred

Grunt - Sound a buck makes, usually heard during the rut

Hen - Female turkey

Horns - Permanent, hard bony growths on an animal’s head that grow through out its life

Jake - One-year-old male turkey

Non-typical - Antlers that have points growing off the back of the main beam, or points that grow off other points

NRA - National Rifle Association

Poach - To take game illegally

Pope and Young Club - A conservation club dedicated to preserving the sport of bow hunting. Also a system for scoring trophy animals taken with a bow and arrow. www.pope-young.org/‎

Post-Rut - Period shortly after the rut when most bucks are trying to recover their energy

Poult - Baby turkey

Predation - Act of hunting and killing another animal for food

Pre-rut - Period shortly before the rut when deer are preparing for breeding.

Quiver - A device that holds arrows, sometimes attached to the bow

Rack - Set of antlers

Rub - Marking made by a deer where it rubs the bark off a tree, usually a small sapling

Rut - Breeding period

Scrape - Marker bucks makes usually create during rut by pawing at the ground, exposing soil and then often urinating in to communicate

Spur - A large nail-like protrusion on the legs of most male turkeys. Can be used to determine the age of the bird.

Strut - Courtship behavior of male turkeys signaling desire to mate with females. The male walks near the female with feathers puffed up to appear as large as possible.

Supplemental Feeding - Providing a food supply to wildlife that would not be readily available otherwise, such as providing food plots, salt or mineral blocks or mechanical feeders

Tarsal Gland - Gland on deer located on the inside, hind leg. Deer urinate on the gland, which mixes with oil produced by the gland creating scent to their territory

Tom - Male turkey

Topographical Map - Maps that show elevation and depression of land. Useful for scouting game

Typical - Antlers that only have points growing off the front side of the main beam

Yearling - When referring to deer, a deer that is one year of age

Velvet - Soft layer of skin that covers the growing antler providing oxygen and nutrients to the bone. Velvet is lost when the antler is at proper size. Applies to most deer species.

Venison - Deer meat

Whitetail Deer - Deer common to North America characterized by a tail marked with white underneath