DeerBlaster blasts

HUGE last-season bucks! State record cactus! Wind pushes bullets myth?

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An absolute MAMMOTH from a state known for giant deer – Shawn Clark’s buck taped out at 239 7/8, absolutely 🤯 🤯!

Shawn’s from PA, but has hunted on private OH farms since 2009 and has taken some nice deer but not like that! Last season he was hunting a small woodlot and had seen a 150-class deer, but nothing could prepare him for what he saw Nov 8 – from NA Whitetail:

> Around 5:00 pm I heard something move to my left. At first I dismissed the noise as a squirrel, but then the noise got closer and louder. Moments later I heard another deer walking in my direction. That’s when I raised my binoculars and spotted a giant buck!

> …I quickly and quietly grabbed my bow off the hanger. As soon as I got my release attached to my string, I looked out to find the buck had already closed the distance to 35 yards. And he was walking straight at me. Incredibly, the buck was a massive non-typical I’d never seen before.

> I had pre-ranged the scrape at 27 yards, so when I drew my bow and settled my pin, I knew I was on target. But as the arrow made impact, I immediately was worried that the shot was high.

> He flipped over backwards and fell away into a deep ravine below. All I could hear was his beams striking the foliage as he tumbled. I cautiously lowered my bow and quietly but quickly moved to the edge of the ravine. As I suspected, it was a high hit. I quickly followed up with a second shot, and my arrow connected perfectly.

Congrats to Zac Peters who smacked that bad boy Nov 21! Deets from Outdoor Life:

> The deer is a main-frame 12-point with an additional small unusual point. The buck gross-scored 182 3/8″ with a net score of 174 6/8. The rack has very tall tines, with 3 of them each over 10″ long, plus brow tines measuring [number left out] and 7 5/8″. …estimated the deer at 4.5 yrs old.

> The buck was in full rut when Peters spotted him chasing does in a clearcut while hunting from a shooting house on private land. He couldn’t get a clear shot at the deer from 250 yards away, so he left the stand and slipped toward the deer using ground cover for concealment. At 100 yards he spotted the buck, and spine-shot him with his 6.5 Creedmoor rifle.

> GA is continuing to rise as a mature-buck state. According to the National Deer Association’s annual report, 43% of bucks taken by Georgia hunters were 3.5 yrs old or older in 2019 (they’re still compiling data for 2020). That’s a solid increase over the past 3 years.

If you want ’em truly big, gotta let ’em go to grow! Yep it’s hard sometimes….

According to @buckmastersnation IG, this toad shot by Adam Crumrin could be the BTR IL state record. Here’s how Adam said the deal went down:

> I started running cameras as always and had a couple nice deer starting to pop up. Then mid-Sept I got a picture of a deer I didn’t recognize or have any history with that looked to be a big non-typical still in velvet.

> As the end of Sept approached, I was still getting pictures of this non-typical and he was still in full velvet. At this point, I wondered if he was injured in some way and wasn’t going to shed or if it was possibly an antlered doe.

> The deer seemed to have a pretty small core area that he stayed in. On Oct 3, with the cold front coming in and the possibility of rain, I decided to slip in and hang a Lone Wolf around 11:00 in a location I thought I could kill the buck. [Long sit.]

> In a matter of about 5 seconds, around 5:55 the velvet nontypical was at 15 yards. I drew back and got an arrow in him at 21 yards and watched him lay down shortly after.

> The buck has 19 scoreable points. The bases measured roughly 8.5″ and 11″. Other than these measurements, I have no idea how this deer will score. For the record, the buck did have a scrotum but no testicles, and probably would have never shed his velvet or dropped his antlers this winter.

What do you think he’ll score??

The new Hatsan Harpoon is one bad mamma jamma that’s somewhere between bow-ish and rifle-ish. It flings a standard 400-grain x-bow arrow downrange at 580 fps, with a punishing 310 ft-lbs of energy. That’s pretty heavy, especially when you combine it with a broadhead that cuts an inch or 2 wide – info from here:

> Each 250 BAR (3625 psi) fill of the onboard 500-cc air tank can provide up to 10 powerful shots before needing to be topped off.

> The synthetic pistol grip stock features textured grip surfaces for all-weather use. Its elevation-adjustable cheek rest and elevation- and angle-adjustable buttpad allow for a custom fit to each shooter.

> A long combination optics rail provides plenty of space for mounting the included flip-up TruGlo fiber optic sights or…x-bow scope. The rail will accommodate both 11mm dovetail and Picatinny/Weaver mounts.

MSRP = $829. Sounds cool, but before you take it to the deer woods, check to make sure it’s legal in your state.

1. PA had a decent deer harvest vs 2019-20.

435,180 deer taken last season vs 389,431 in 2019-20.

2. PA: Vote this Sat on 14-day antlered + antlerless firearms season.

Plus other regs.

3. WV launches 3-yr whitetail study.

> “We’re primarily looking at survival and cause-specific mortality…trying to get a grasp on what those look like across the state. We’re also looking at home range, habitat selection, and a lot of really cool information like that….”

4. UT says prolonged drought to blame for deer decline.

> “More often than not we are in drought, or some level of drought, and the severity just varies between year to year.”

> But the droughts at the start of the decade are nothing like droughts seen in 2018 and the current conditions…. The state experienced its driest year on record in terms of precipitation totals in 2020, and soil levels are the driest they’ve ever been recorded.

5. ME considering a bunch of new wildlife law proposals.

Here’s one:

> Called the 100-yard archery bill, this one, not unlike the firearms law, would prohibit hunting with a bow within 100 yards of a dwelling. Word is that the bill as framed would exempt bow practice.

The state is also looking at banning lead ammo for hunting??

6. NY deer-hunting age poised to drop from 14 to 12.

7. Study: Hunting license sales up 5% nationwide.

> “The covid-19 cohort of hunters is a plus for conservation in this country and we will work hard to connect with them and retain them as active participants in the hunting lifestyle.”

8. WY passes roadkill salvage bill.

> …authorizes people to harvest road-killed animals as long as they obtain a “letter of prior authorization” from the WY Game and Fish Dept….

9. NY man accused of booby-trapping hunting camp.

Whoa. From the article:

> Fortunately, the potential targets noticed something was wrong and likely prevented the explosion from occurring.

> Members of the hunting club identified Talavera as a former member of the group, The Daily Gazette reports. However, Talavera had previously been kicked out of the club.

10. HuntStand and HuntScore team up.

> …”HuntScore…ability to provide accurate hunt data and trends perfectly supports HuntStand’s mission to help hunters attain the highest level of success through the latest information.”

11. Mule Deer Foundation gets big grant for habitat improvement.

12. CO: Judge rules USFWS illegally funded killing lions and bears?

Program done by CO DNR to examine effect on muleys. But the suit was filed by anti-hunting groups: the Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians and the Humane Society of the United States.

13. AK raffling permits to offset covid revenue losses.

Not sure if for deer or not:

> …raffle permits for some of its most desirable hunts to help with a nearly $2 mil revenue loss….

14. Remington reaches agreement with union.

Which means Big Green could begin churning out guns this month. EMOJ

15. Rifle-maker Sako turns 100.

100 yrs old and still accurate as heck!

16. Buck Knives adds to sales/marketing team.

> Connor Slepikas and Anthony (Tony) Tekansik have joined the company to further strengthen aggressive growth plans. Under VP of sales Mike Silverberg, Slepikas and Tekansik will remotely oversee sales activities for the western and eastern US and Canada.

> Buck Knives has also grown their sales and marketing support team by welcoming Katie Swanson as graphic design coordinator, Debbie Bobshosky as sales coordinator, and Whitney Wienholz as marketing/ecomm administrator.

17. Lyman chairman Mace Thompson passes on.

18. Benelli USA is looking for a marketing director.

19. VA: Crazy YT video of deer flying through school bus windshield.

Pops the windshield out, lands on a youngster, gets up, driver lets it out the door! Glad everyone seemed okay.

20. Watch out for online ammo scammers.

21. KS: Competitive shooter hits 2.35-mile shot!

Not deer hunting but wow! Ryan Cheney, Mar 27, Spearpoint Ranch. Hornady .338-cal 300-gr A-TIP bullets in a custom-built GA Precision rifle chambered in 33 XC.

22. 2A stuff.

NH closer to fixing handgun purchases.

ATF is still acting sketchy.

Could/should firearms owners file multiple lawsuits to push back?

23. Other stuff to keep an eye on.

USA Today says/implies tactical gear should not be sold to civilians. Guess it’s too “scary”? Will they want to outlaw cowboys boots and non-skinny jeans next?? (Can’t link it – at patriotrising com.)

NSSF explains that eagles are doing fine so ammo bans are suspect.

Headline of the Day

Animals Deserve Gender Pronouns Too

🙄

3. New Berger Long Range Hybrid Target bullets.

> …feature an improved center of gravity and ballistic coefficient by utilizing our newest advancement in bullet production processes….

> Our MRT system applies controlled pressure along the projectile nose, producing a homogeneous and repeatable bullet profile and the industry’s most consistent Ballistic Coefficient.

4. Bloodsport has new multicolor strobing lighted nocks.

> Far more effective than static lights in helping you see your shot and find your arrow in low light conditions.

5. 5 new Accubow models coming out.

Coupla youth models plus camo versions so you can…stay hidden while practicing in your living room? 😁

Bet Davey Crockett wish he had one of these! Best of the West is claiming it and unless we hear otherwise we’re interested!

> Available in .45 and .50 caliber, the new Best of the West muzzleloaders are tested and proven to shoot…0.5-1″ MOA at an amazing 550 yards to ensure a true long-range advantage at well beyond this range.

> The Best of the West long-range muzzleloader features a side-discharge brake that directs the bulk of smoke away from the line of sight while significantly reducing recoil.

> The dual side-port brake and specifically designed crown, along with the included funnel, make pouring loose powder cleaner and more efficient.

> …can be outfitted with the purchaser’s choice of Huskemaw long-range optics. Peep sights and a Huskemaw quick-detach system allowing hunters to remove the scope in states that only allow peep sights are also available.

Bad news is it’s gonna cost ya: $6,099!!! 😱 But if you’re a sniper Davey Crockett then maybe?

Do you really need a heavier bullet in the wind?

Not necessarily says Ron Somer in a really interesting video. Few excerpts:

> Bullets are being not just blown by the wind, but deflected onto a new course – and because of their spin, it increases.

> …the line of sight and line of departure remain the same, but now the bullet is moving off on a new angle and that’s why it’s own energy is sending it farther and father from the target.

> …it’s not the wind blowing your bullet but deflecting it….

> You get much higher than 20 mph winds and I just recommend you don’t shoot at anything more than maybe 200 yards away at most.

What’s the DB and who does it?

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.

The DB is put together by some deer nerds 😁 – Ted, Jay, others – 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!