New WIDE state record! First computerized shotgun?? Find big public deer

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> Devin Cota’s huge Caledonia County buck shot last season. Scored 159 7/8″ non-typical. Inside spread 24 6/8″. New state record non-typical muzzleloader buck. Congrats Devon!

🤯 Bettin’ that deer had issues walking through the aspens….

> H.R. 127 would ban common types of ammunition, including every shotgun shell larger than .410.

> Violations of this ban would result in the imposition of a fine of at least $50,000 and imprisonment of at least 10 years, mandatory penalties not seen in many violent or infamous federal crimes, including torturing someone to death outside the US or committing treason during wartime.

> Innumerable numbers of shotgun shells currently possessed by law-abiding people for lawful purposes would suddenly become contraband. 

Also:

> The firearm registry database would have to be made available to “all members of the public,” as well as “all branches of the United States Armed Forces,” among others.

> H.R. 127 would retroactively criminalize firearm ownership by young adults.

> Ironically, criminals who possess firearms illegally would self-exempt themselves from the registration requirement, and under U.S. Supreme Court case law, could not be required to disclose their illegal firearm possession through registration.

> The MP-155 Ultima by the Kalashnikov Concern is a “smart” shotgun, rigged with electronics to help shooters track and record their performance. Based on a semi-automatic shotgun, the Ultima has a polymer and alloy over-chassis that hosts the extra gear with all the smart functions.

> The [on-board] computer records full HD video of shooting sessions, keeps a round count for the shotgun, has a load-level indicator, and features a stopwatch and timer that tracks run time and splits. The computer works in real-time wirelessly with other devices like smartphones over wifi and Bluetooth, and has wired USB-C for transferring data and video. It also has a built-in compass and GPS…. All of it is controlled on a tang-mounted screen with a hat switch.

> Kalashnikov is targeting gadget-oriented shooters, particularly new and young shooters…. “It’s the first gadget weapon,” said Kalashnikov director Dmitry Tarasov. “The task is to attract that part of the audience who was born with gadgets and cannot imagine themselves without them.

> “Classic hunting today is becoming more rare, even outlandish. Therefore, I would like to involve…hipsters, Generation Z. I really want people to own weapons responsibly and at the same time get a kick out of it.”

Not sure he understands hunting, but anyway the estimated MSRP for this gun is 100,000 Russian rubles = a little under $1,400. We’re gonna let someone else debug that deal….

Looks like we all can be Russian millionaires?? 😂

Seen at @truebuckhunters, found by @battenkillhfc:

2. MB: Beautiful shed – that deer’s on the radar now!

> “Our goals with these regulations are twofold: to make hunting regulations easier to understand and follow…and also to manage MI’s abundant deer herd.”

Some examples:

> Deer Management Unit-specific antlerless deer licenses have been replaced with a universal antlerless license that can be used across multiple DMUs. Antlerless licenses may now be purchased without an application [in some areas]….

> Archery hunters in portions of the Upper Peninsula may pursue antlerless deer on their deer or deer combo licenses.

> The expanded urban archery season through Jan 31 is now permanent in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

2. KY had its 5th-highest deer harvest this season.

> …hunters checked in 141,630 deer, the 5th-highest harvest total on record, surpassing the 10-year average of 137,008.

> Overall, the deer harvest by weapon type was: archery 17,990; modern firearms 97,609; muzzleloader 12,861, and crossbow 13,171. The deer harvest with crossbows was a record for the weapon type, besting the previous record by 3,384 deer.

3. MD harvest up just 3%.

> …deer hunters harvested 81,729 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons, from Sep 11, 2020 through Feb 3, 2021.

> …29,242 antlered and 49,033 antlerless whitetail deer, plus 1,500 antlered and 1,954 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 3% higher than the 2019-2020 total of 79,457 deer.

4. ID wants to reduce tags in the Palisades Zone.

> The area includes the Bighole Mountains, the Snake River Range south of Teton Valley and the west slope of the southern Teton Range….

> …herd populations that have been impacted by waning winter ranges, livestock impacts and development growth….

5. MT non-rez hunting bill changed by other house.

> MT hunting outfitters…had come out in strong support of the original bill, saying they need the certainty of knowing their clients can have a license….

> Right now, all non-resident hunters must take part in a lottery for big-game licenses – and outfitters said their clients sometimes come up empty, either leaving the outfitter with cancellations or forcing them to overbook and turn some clients away.

> The amendment – proposed by Sen. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls – instead allows non-resident hunters to pay $300 more to enter an early lottery for elk and deer licenses, so they can hire an outfitter with a license-in-hand.

6. MT: Tribes don’t want their land opened to hunting.

> …House Bill 241…would allow big-game hunting on fee lands owned by non-tribal citizens within the boundaries of an Indian reservation. Taxable fee lands can be owned by tribal governments, tribal citizens, the state, or non-Indians.

7. OR thinks its deer population is declining…

…but the Columbian whitetail species is coming back:

> …the Columbian whitetail prefers boggy swamps and river sloughs…. Like the rest of the continental deer population, populations of Columbians declined as land was cleared and frontier hunters provided venison for urban markets. 

8. B&C released 6th edition of its whitetail record book.

$60 at the B&C site:

> The 674-page book compiles state and provincial data of trophy whitetail deer featuring more than 17,000 trophy listings for whitetail deer dating back to the late 1800s and up through Dec 31, 2019. The book also showcases stories and color photos of the 37 record whitetails taken in the 21st Century….

10. New Mule Deer Foundation CEO coming from NWTF.

Joel Pedersen is taking over for Miles Moretti who is retiring after 14 years:

> Pedersen spent the last 22 years with the National Wild Turkey Federation…. He will start with MDF on Mar 8 and there will be a month-long transition period where he will work directly with Moretti….

11. LA will now allow digital licenses.

12. Done deal: CZ bought Colt and Colt Canada.

Good but still wish legendary American firearm companies could stay with American ownership:

> …CZG shall acquire a 100% stake in Colt for upfront cash consideration of $220 mil and the issuance of 1,098,620 shares of newly issued CZG common stock. The agreement also provides for potential earnout consideration of up to 1,098,620 shares of newly issued CZG common stock if defined EBITDA thresholds are achieved in years 2021-2023.

13. MeatEater buys Phelps Game Calls.

Can’t link it but it’s at Newswire.com. With all that $$$ behind the MeatEater brand, they’re bound to buy more stuff. Remember MeatEater bought FirstLite in 2019…

Googled and…didn’t know looks like the principal investor behind MeatEater is anti-gun??

14. Seth Swerczek new Hornady marketing comms mgr.

15. MO says no to donating feral hogs for food.

16. Special 347 Vantage is the Buck of the Month.

Pretty sweet-looking:

17. Big Buck “Rackulator” Contest.

Estimate B&C gross scores of 5 different KS trophy whitetail bucks – pictures of each buck given from several angles – and the closest estimates will win a 5.5-day bowhunt or a 6-day trophy whitetail muzzleloader hunt, winner’s choice. Click the pic to see the bucks.

Contest is part of the virtual American Sportsman Expo now open but streaming at the end of the month.

MS is strengthening its 2A protection.

TX: NRA filed for bankruptcy but is in good financial shape? 🤔

NH might streamline handgun buying, making it like long guns.

DC: New Second Amendment Preservation Act. Looks like it mostly reins in the ATF?

19. Folks wanted.

Weatherby needs a marketing director.

Browning is looking for a digital marketer and ecomm digital person.

Leupold needs a strategic partnerships manager.

Headline of the Week

Wild animals don’t survive long: They don’t have the luxury of visiting a doctor when they’re sick or hurt

1. CO: CWD found in Four Corners.

> …mandatory checks for all buck deer harvested by hunters. In the area roughly from Dove Creek to Wolf Creek Pass, 18 deer of 1,489 checked tested positive.

CO is also testing soil and water for CWD prions…which reminds us of the scientists who found Covid in Lake Superior water. 🙄

2. ND expecting huge growth in CWD?

But doesn’t sound like a lot of cases?

> …initial discovery of the disease in ND in 2009 to 44 [cases] – with 30 of them in just the past 2 years.

3. AR might be looking at a feeding ban to curb CWD?

4. Management of Deer Protection Program transitioning.

From the Archery Trade Association to the Responsible Hunting Scent Association:

> The ATA launched the DPP in March 2016 as the threat of chronic wasting disease increased nationwide. Program participants include urine-based scent manufacturers and their suppliers who agree to follow strict guidelines and safeguards on their products to reduce the risk of spreading CWD.

> The RHSA is focused on maintaining and strengthening the DPP to ensure that hunters and wildlife managers have access to urine-based scents that have strong safeguards in place to protect against CWD.

> A host of features includes a field-removable lower receiver, ambidextrous magazine release, easy-to-load rotary magazine, semi-automatic, integral Picatinny top rail on receiver, rear barrel access for easy cleaning.

2. New Stealth Cam DS4K Ultimate.

> …stunning Ultra HD 4K video at 30 frames/sec, day and night. The crystal-clear audio enhances the footage and creates a broadcast quality video experience for the users.

3. Covert Cameras has new supplements/attractants.

Called “Picture Perfect” – like it!

4. Crosskix E.V.A. shoes in Mossy Oak.

> …lightweight, soft and extremely comfortable…durable enough to wear during a rigorous workout…strategically placed air/water vents…antimicrobial properties….

Seen on an Insta ad, can’t find a link to it:

Even if you mostly hunt private land, sometimes you might get the itch to scout and/or hunt new territory. Ron Spomer has some good tips on americanhunter.org, here’s a few excerpts:

> Study state [DNR] websites. They usually provide statistics, often county by county or game unit by unit, of such things as license/tag sales, hunters per season, success rates, sometimes even number of days each hunter was afield. Study these statistics to find low-pressure areas that still have reasonable chances for finding your deer.

> A 100-acre public-hunting lake isn’t going to hold many deer. But the 20-yard fringe of cattails or willows around it might. So might a big, sterile-looking pasture with an inconspicuous draw that bends out of sight before broadening into a brushy pocket perfect for hiding bucks.

> Over the years, my public-land hunting buddies and I have used binoculars and spotting scopes to find both mule deer and whitetails with sizable antlers from as many as 4 miles out. Once you see these deer, pay attention to where they’ve come from, what they’re doing and where they’re going. 

> …[bucks] explode from coverts so small you’d doubt they’d hold a pheasant. Don’t overlook tiny thickets. Bucks – mule deer as well as whitetails – know how to assume a low profile and stick tight. This is particularly true in heavily hunted places where undisturbed coverts are scarce.

> I recommend you hunt small public areas. We tend to imagine that deer will not hole up in small public habitats, but of course they will, encouraged by the fact that so few of us seek them there.

– OR biologist talkin’ about epizootic hemorrhagic disease. Maybe that’s the reason for all those “buck or doe” weird antler shots? Full quote:

> This disease makes deer bleed internally, which either kills them right away or causes lasting effects…. “On bucks, we know that it shrivels their testicles, and they’re unable to produce hormones that regulate antler growth. That’s why you’ll see velvet bucks this time of year when everyone one else has antlers that hardened or dropped off.”

> Platt said they are not sure how the epizootic hemorrhagic disease harms does, but they have suspicions that it could impact their fawn productivity or survival.

The DeerBlaster is a weekly roundup of the best, funniest, newest and most important stuff about whitetail deer hunting – culled from around the interwebz for DIEHARD whitetail hunters and blasted into your inbox.

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