Here you go, the BEST of the deer webz every week – thx for reading! If you’re getting the DeerBlaster for the first time it’s probably because a deer-crazed bud signed you up!
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How to quick eyeball-measure a buck’s antlers this time of year.
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> …just remember velvet can add the appearance of extra length and mass that will be gone come fall.
> The average whitetail buck, when its ears are alert, has an ear tip-to-tip spread of about 16″. If its beams are just outside its perked ears, the inside spread of its antlers is around 18″.
> A buck’s ears typically measure about 6″ from base to tip. If you see the side of a buck’s rack or are looking at the buck from an angle, visualize this 6″ increment and use it to judge the length of the brow tines and other points.
> The circumference of a buck’s eye averages about 4″ – use this to judge mass. A heavy-racked buck carries mass that appears to be wider than its eye.
> Judge the circumference of the main beam between the antler base and the brow tine, and between each point up to the 3rd and 4th (mass beyond the 4th tine doesn’t count toward score).
> The distance from the center of a mature buck’s eye to the end of its nose is around 8″. When viewing a rack’s profile from the side, this measurement can help you judge beam length. A rack that extends beyond a buck’s nose has very long main beams.
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What you actually need to start saddle hunting.
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> Saddle hunting may seem complicated on the outside looking in, but it’s really not much different than any other style of hunting from a tree. No, it’s not for everyone, but it can be another tool in your deer-hunting toolbox, particularly if you are a public land hunter who likes to get off the beaten path. While it won’t provide you with as much comfort as a top-of-the-line climber, it is much lighter and much less bulky to pack in. And you aren’t near as limited on which trees you can get in.
> The saddle: The best description I’ve heard for a hunting saddle is that it’s a cross between a rock-climbing harness and a hammock. It you’ve never seen a rock-climbing harness, it has a belt that goes around your waist, as well as one for each of your legs, similar to the bottom half of a tree-stand safety harness. On a saddle, though, there is a fabric, mini-hammock of sorts sewn onto the seat to support your bottom while you hang in the tree.
> On the front of the saddle there is a rope called the bridge that gets clipped into your tether rope to secure you to the tree.
> 2 ropes: The first is your lineman’s rope, which is a large rope with a prusik knot and a carabiner attached to one end of the rope and and another to the prusik knot. This rope goes around the tree and attaches to each side of your saddle to keep you attached to the tree when you are climbing up or down the tree or while setting up your climbing sticks or platform.
> The second rope is called your tether…also has a prusik knot with a carabiner, but instead of a second carabiner on the end of the rope it has a large loop for running the rope back through itself after wrapping it around a tree, similar to safety ropes used with treestands. This rope is used once you reach hunting height to secure yourself to the tree.
> A platform: Once you reach hunting height…you need some place to rest your feet. For most people, that is on a commercially available platform, similar to a really small hang-on stand without a seat. Some people choose to simply rest their feet on the top step of their climbing sticks, or…options like a ring of steps that allow you to pivot all the way around the tree….
> A way up the tree: …most hunters use climbing sticks…. You could also use screw-in steps where legal, strap-on steps….
For a visual on all of this, here’s the video that goes with the post:
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WTHeck is wrong with this deer??
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> …state deer biologist Charlie Killmaster believes the deer is suffering from osteochondroma, a tumor that grows unchecked and is made up of a combination of bone and cartilage.
> The rare tumor is not transmissible and usually kills the deer if the tumor invades the inside of the cranium. It occurs in both males and females.
> “…he was weak and about to die. The growth on his head had maggots on it. He was bleeding a lot.”
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Who knew: There’s an app to claim roadkill. 👀
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And this is the actual app icon:
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> …the app allows taking a picture of roadkill, up to a 30-second video with voice commentation, and rating the roadkill’s condition by choosing one of 8 descriptions:
1. I am not sure if it’s good or not.
2. I claim it I will be back in 30 minutes to pick it up.
3. Just got hit good for pick-up.
4. It’s NOT roadkill, been hunting just sharing.
5. It’s small in good shape good for art.
6. I pulled the hair on his belly, it did not come out, good to take.
7. It’s NOT roadkill he is alive he’s near the road.
8. Not fresh only good for the vultures.
Is there that much demand for roadkill meat that you need #2 and #3?? 😆
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> Several hunters told the board Bayfield County has been issuing excessive tags on public land over fears that deer are causing too much damage to the forest. “All it has succeeded in doing by issuing too many antlerless tags year after year on public land is to create…a deer desert on a lot of the public lands and a large class of disgruntled and discouraged hunters.”
> The PA Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources decided to offer the special permits for 104 units covering more than 1.3 mil acres. 26 state parks also are participating in the program this year.
Did you hear about the record 18′, 215-lb python (all are non-native) captured in the Everglades?
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Its last meal was a deer:
> …if they’re getting to this size, what do you think it took to get to be this size? These are big-game hunters.” The team has recorded dozens of observations of white-tailed deer found inside Burmese pythons during necropsies conducted in the lab.
Had been 80% of the tags went to residents, now will be 90%:
> …90% of the licenses for the Big 5, including bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat, grizzly bears (not currently open to hunting) and bison, will be allocated for Wyoming residents.
> The new facility is expected to create 20-30 new positions and be fully operational by spring of 2023.
A study put it at 65% of residents.
9. 2A stuff. 🇺🇸
> Not only did the Court effectively throw the stringent requirement in NY law, they also dismantled the existing system for determining the constitutionality of gun control laws. In my view, this is the more significant victory.
> …some Senate Republicans rushed to aid the enemy in the passage of the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” in the dead of night. Mere hours later, the House hurriedly placed its stamp of approval on legislation expressly intended to undermine constitutionally protected rights.
> The Senate Republicans who conspired to pass this immoral legislation are: Blunt (MO), Burr (NC), Capito (WV), Cassidy (LA), Collins (ME), Cornyn (TX), Ernst (IA), Graham (SC), McConnell (KY), Murkowski (AK), Portman (OH), Romney (UT), Tillis (NC), Toomey (PA) and Young (IN).
> …the proposed legislation fails to provide clear and needed guidance to our industry – particularly those who would be newly licensed – as to what conduct constitutes a willful violation warranting a revocation of their license.
> “…shocking, absolutely shocking that they have taken away our right to have reasonable restrictions.”
Uh no you don’t have a right to take away rights! 🙄
But you still need proof of a course/instruction.
10. Keep an eye on…
That’s the headline, but here’s what they actually did – it was all computer modeling!
> In collaboration with David Westaway and his team, McKenzie created a beaver analog in a lab model to study how an actual beaver might respond to infection with strains of prion protein from sources such as deer, elk, hamsters and mice.
They said they will look at (computer-modeled) pronghorns next. Questions we have:
- Why? Meaning what’s the real reason?
- Sure hoping computer models are not used for policy/regs vs real-world needs and research?
Headline of the Week
> The device…once used to catch poachers and trespassers in the late 1700s and 1800s….
Dang that sounds sketchy…😳
Line of the Week
For example, if you’re hunting in the desert, you’ll want to be near a river or oasis.
– From a post about hunting in Wales…which is next to England…which has no deserts…. Can’t link it, post was at: newsfromwales co uk
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Deer Disease News
> …the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks passed a regulation to remove any county from a CWD management zone that has not had a positive case in 3 years. Counties removed would no longer be under CWD management regulations such as a ban of supplemental feeding of wildlife.
> Out: Counties coming out of CWD management zones include Sharkey, Leflore, Tallahatchie and Pontotoc.
> In: Claiborne, Lafayette, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties will now be included in CWD management zones.
> To help prevent the spread of CWD, the province is expanding the harvested cervid mandatory sample submission zone and establishing a strictly regulated and managed mule deer hunting season in defined areas along the western and southern borders of MB.
> All hunters in the expanded mandatory sample submission area will be required to provide samples of their harvested whitetail deer, mule deer, elk and moose for CWD testing.
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> This newest M18 features a Savanna tan stock with grip inserts and a threaded barrel for the addition of a suppressor or muzzle break.
> …features a cold hammer-forged German-steel barrel, 3-position safety, and adjustable trigger that allows you to set your own preferred pull weight from 2.25 to 4.25 lbs. The 60-degree oversized bolt with 3 locking lugs and 2 extractor pins allows for quick and smooth cycling of cartridges from the standard 5-round magazine. 10-round magazines are also available.
> The Mauser M18 Savanna is backed by a sub-MOA performance guarantee and 10-year factory warranty.
> …accepts Remington 700 LA-style mounts and is available with a 1/2 x 28 threaded barrel in .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win, 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC and 7mm Rem Mag…and a 9/16 x 24 threaded barrel in .30-06, .300 Win Mag and .308 Win.
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> …compatible with factory Tikka T3/T3x Lite, Superlite, Hunter, Compact, Tac, Varmint, Forest and Battue series of rifles.
> …precisely machined from 6061 Aluminum to add rigidity to the system…. The trigger guard is the same size as the OEM trigger guard with edges rounded…. Users can easily install it without the need for special tools and it is compatible with all models of Tikka T3 or T3x except the latest generation of CTR.
> “The Tikka stock and factory trigger guard and DBM tend to flex and can sometimes prevent a mag from dropping out. Our aluminum replacement ads rigidity and additional safety to an otherwise great rifle platform.”
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> After perfecting mid- to late-season gear, we’ve turned the focus on elevating the lightweight game with the…BE:1 Phantom Pullover and Pant, giving hunters a universal lightweight option. A breathable, quick-drying fabric paired with Carbon Alloy technology to absorb odors….
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Same pattern that’s been available on their rifles:
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> A muzzle crown that’s cut equally and perpendicular to the barrel’s bore allows the gases driving the bullet to escape evenly. Gas from a crooked, off-center crown – or one that’s dinged or nicked – will push the bullet off track as it exits the barrel. This is true for both long barrels and handguns. Ensuring the crown on your gun is correct is a fairly simple process.
> The “crown” is the end of the barrel. The “muzzle” is the area surrounding the bore. Both are important. The crown must be square or perpendicular to the bore. …the angle between the bore and barrel must be consistent, concentric and aligned to the muzzle. These angles allow the gases to exit the barrel in a uniform fashion, improving accuracy.
> The muzzle can be cut square, ninety degrees to the bore or cut at an angle – 11 degrees [pictured] is very common. My research and question-asking has convinced me the exact angle doesn’t matter, as long as it’s true.
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> …most factory barrels can be improved on. High-velocity rounds in your rifle will eventually erode the end of the bore – it’s time to clip a little off the barrel and cut a new muzzle and crown. Or you want to cut a “recessed” crown – a second crown inset into the original that helps prevent the muzzle from damage.
> …can be done by hand. Brownells sells everything you need as a kit to get you started….
> Cutters for squaring the muzzle and creating the perfect crown come in a variety of sizes and angles. A caliber-specific brass pilot goes in the barrel to keep everything aligned with the bore. It’s attached to the cutter, and a “T” handle screws onto the other end of the cutter.
> Use plenty of cutting oil, and apply light pressure while turning in a clockwise-only direction. Remove the setup constantly to clean metal shavings from the cutter and barrel and re-oil. This ensures a smooth cut, and extends the life of the cutter.
> Start by squaring up the muzzle, then switch cutters to cut the crown. Final cleanup is done with a round-tip brass tool mounted in a hand-drill and lapping compound.
> With the proper tools, time and patience this is a task anyone can perform.
We’d definitely want someone to show us how in person!
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“My parents got married in March so it wouldn’t interfere with the fall hunting seasons.”
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What’s the DB and who does it?
The DeerBlaster is a weekly roundup of the best, funniest, newest and most important stuff about deer hunting – culled from around the interwebz FOR DIEHARD DEER HUNTERS and blasted into your inbox.
The DB is put together by a couple deer nerds 😁 from around the country. We excerpt content (and credit EVERYONE!), comment on content, do some original content…because we can’t get enough deer hunting – bet you’re wired the same!
The DeerBlaster’s a work in progress, just like we are 😂. Any issues, suggestions, whatever, just hit Reply to this email and we’ll get it. Thank you for reading!
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