DeerBlaster blasts

Couple 200-class bucks! New backcountry pistol, Hunting goats?

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Let ’em go, let ’em grow! This buck, nicknamed “GQ,” is proof. Outdoor Life says Lee Abraham first saw this deer last year – and decided to let him go another year:

> We knew GQ was a beautiful deer with lots of potential, but I didn’t expect him to get as big as he did in 1 year. He just kept getting bigger and bigger, and then he got his splits. I was just amazed….

> I saw him on Oct 31 for the first time this year. He was 120 yards away and the mass on him just blew me away. I could tell a huge change in his demeanor. …he was not just a bigger buck, but a much more cautious buck….

> We use Cuddeback’s Cuddelink system of cameras to provide us with lots of intel on deer movement on the farm, and we knew from the images we had collected…that he always hit this 1 rubbing post as he entered a plot planted with a blend from Frigid Forage. He would cruise by looking for feeding does. Using that information, we set up on a stand near that plot hoping to catch him before dark.

> Everything was quiet when suddenly 2 yearlings came barreling down the hill to the left of us. We first thought it was a coyote spooking them. But then I saw him! Another yearling dashed by and right behind her was GQ.

> He was about to run right past my stand, so I drew and grunted loudly twice with my mouth to stop him. On the second grunt it stopped him just briefly as he looked up and saw me. His eyes went white, and I let the arrow fly.

Lee says the deer gained 46 INCHES of antler over 1 year!! 🤯 Incredible!

That deer is 1 of TWO 200+ deer downed on the same day by 2 guys in western WI. 🤯 This buck, taken by Joe Pettis, got nicknamed “The Unicorn” because of that 3rd pokie on his melon. More from NA Whitetail:

> It was Monday morning, the 3rd day of WI’s gun season – but instead of entering the woods, Joe was heading to work. As the workday progressed, Joe started thinking more about taking off from work and hunting The Unicorn. …his boss said, “Sure! Go get the big one!” [Boss must hunt ’em up too! lol]

> As Joe glassed the woods edge, he saw very big antlers. But almost as soon as the rack came into view, it was gone from sight.

> An hour later the big buck appeared again, this time roughly 50 yards from where Joe had seen him. The massive deer walked to the edge of the corn field and stood there, looking at both does. About 200 yards separated him from Joe.

> The hunter quickly grabbed his shooting stick and adjusted his rest. He then settled the crosshairs on the buck’s chest and fired his Browning .300 Win Mag.

That was all she wrote! Buck’s gross B&C was 225 1/8, and has a 23 6/8″ inside spread.

That other deer was shot by Joe’s neighbor just 400 yards away and grossed 201. Incredible!

1. PA: Sportsmen group doesn’t like concurrent buck/doe season.

> “Do you not recall back in 2001, when the agency went to concurrent seasons, the deer herd was decimated in many units?”

2. ND: Hunters had good deer success rate.

Whitetail buck success was 67%, muley buck hunters were 81% successful.

3. MT had record #s for public deer & elk draw.

> More than 82,384 residents and 16,650 non-residents applied for elk and deer permits. That’s a 12.48% and 29.52% increase over last year respectively.

4. OH approves 2021-22 hunting regs.

Seasons plus the deer population is up so:

> …antlerless deer may be taken from all public hunting areas from Sept 25 to Feb 6, 2022, provided that a hunter takes only 1 antlerless deer from these lands per license year.

> Deer management permits have been expanded to all 88 OH counties and may be used from Sept 25 to Nov 28.

5. WI says no to killing white deer.

> The results show 4,895 people opposed hunting white deer compared to 4,704 voters in favor….

6. MO hunters donate 238K lbs of venison to hungry folks.

Outstanding. 👊

7. TX bill to allow exotic meat in food banks goes to the senate.

8. Navajo Nation study investigates mule deer decline.

> “The aim of the project is to determine migration routes for mule deer populations on the Navajo Nation, as well as determine the start and end dates for migrations.”

> …researchers can determine where on-the-ground improvements and conservation projects need to be established.

9. AK: 60 mil acres of fed land could be closed to hunting.

Except subsistence hunters, who seem to be behind the proposal. Impacts 2 caribou and moose hunting districts.

10. Randy Newberg’s FB account was/is hacked.

Sorry to hear it. Security is a huge problem on FB, and lots of accounts are being faked, cloned, etc.

11. GSM Outdoors adds a punch of Plano Synergy brands.

Pure Fishing bought Plano, kept the fishing brands and sold the rest to GSM. That includes: Wildgame Innovations, Ameristep, Tenzing, Zink, Halo Optics, Flextone, Avian X, Evolved, Barnett and Zero Trace.

12. Katie Ryan is new field sales mgr for Primary Arms Optics.

Formerly with VLTOR Weapon Systems and Safari Club International.

13. Matt Hougan is new Hawke Optics regional sales mgr.

For IN, MI, OH. Was at Pradco Outdoor Brands.

14. WY: Study looks at protections for big game migration.

> “As policymakers are wrestling with the challenge of protecting long-distance wildlife migrations across the West, this research takes a careful look at the various strategies being employed to find efficiencies and also identify approaches that stand to really achieve the goal of keeping migrations intact.”

15. ID legislators want to see a bunch of wolves killed.

16. New Nosler video for first-time shooters/hunters.

Good! New folks need learnin’….

17. 2A stuff.

Poll: Most Americans support the 2A.

With new state cannabis laws, reminder that federal law says mj users can’t own firearms.

18. Giveaways!

Win a Bergara B-14 BMP bolt-action rifle

TenPoint Test Drive Sweepstakes

Win the Robocop pistol or Dirty Harry revolver

5. Check out CWD-Free urine attractant.

“CWD-Free” is the actual name of it:

> Says it’s the ONLY effective real urine attractant that is legal in States that allow scent attractants but have banned cervid urine.

6. Keep your digits warm with the Insulated Crossbow Mitt.

Runs $49.95. Betterthehunt.com also makes similar warmers for rifles and bows:

> …patent-pending design allows it to be attached to any style or brand of x-bow with ease.

> As an added safety feature, the Insulated Crossbow Mitt also eliminates the finger creep that can occur when using a crossbow, ensuring no fingers will enter the path of the bow string. For the coldest of days, the mitt has a handwarmer pocket in addition to its insulation.

Pretty cool twist on a lightweight super-portable pistol from Christensen Arms, which makes the similar Modern Precision Rifle. The pistol might be perfect for a backcountry hunt – if you’re allowed to hunt with a pistol in that area:

> At only 4.4 lbs naked, this little powerhouse has plenty to offer. While the images show the Christensen Arms Modern Precision Pistol with a red dot…can just as easily be equipped with some magnified glass.

> It comes in 4 popular hunting calibers, making it an ideal gun for long trips into the backcountry. Instead of a traditional stock, the MPP comes equipped with an SB Tactical FS1913A stabilizing brace. The ability to fold the brace makes this a very compact package.

> The action sits in a Christensen Arms 7075 Billet Aluminum Pistol Chassis. The grip is compatible with AR-15 grips. The handguard is M-Lok compatible, allowing you to customize it for each specific hunt.

Chambering – Barrel length – Twist rate – Overall length

.300 BLK – 7.5″ – 1/5 – 28.25″

.223 Rem – 10.5″ – 1/7 – 31.25″

6.5 CM – 12.5″ – 1/8 – 33.25″

.308 Win – 12.5″ – 1/7 – 33.25″

Carbon-fiber barrel. Starts at: $2,295 – check it out at the CA site.

Not sure how much those shorter barrels will affect longer-range accuracy, but still a pretty neat concept.

Food plots are great but you probably know they’re usually expensive and time-consuming. Bill Winke writes in Petersen’s Bowhunting that you can cut some corners on cost and still get great results:

> The biggest cause of failure with poor man’s plots is dry conditions, so plant as early in the spring as possible to catch at least a few weeks of decent rains before the summer sun bakes the plot. Late April is a great time….

> Clean entry and exit routes are the most important single factor to consider when choosing a location for your efforts. That means you need to find a plot site that has an access route that avoids both nearby feeding and bedding areas.

> The perfect size is roughly 1/4- to a 1/2-acre – 50-75 yards long by 30-40 yards wide.

> I like to place my small plots just inside the cover from larger fields…often works well because farmers are no longer able to turn big equipment at the back end of ridges, where they narrow. These areas often grow up to brush that you can hollow out to form your plot.

> Cut off any small trees and large brush as close to the ground as possible so you can “farm” right over them.

> …if the ground cover is thick or covered with leaves, you need to burn it off. It is doubtful, this small fire will require a permit, but at the very least notify any nearby residents to avoid an undue visit from the fire dept.

> Assume that your poor man’s plot is going to need a lot of lime to raise the pH. If you are a real farmer, you know all about spreading bulk lime on your fields to maintain proper pH (normally in the 6.5 to 7.0 range).

> …clover blend. Blends are easy to find from good food plot companies and usually come in small portions.

> Now, all that remains is a few good rain showers to get the seeds started and feed the young seedlings for the first critical month or two of their growth.

Good post.

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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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