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Hope y’all are staying safe during this time. Huge THANK YOU to the folks out there serving all of us — on the front lines, in the back rooms, wherever you are. Bless you folks.
_____
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INSANE 27-pt north TX PUBLIC LAND goliath!
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INCREDIBLE buck and NOT a high-fence deer! Ain’t a south TX freakshow in a pasture, it’s a free-range north TX God-grown animal. And a reeeallll impressive one!
Chad Jones tells NA Whitetail that he first saw this deer on a trailcam in early Nov. He hung stands nearby, then got his first in-person look at the buck on Nov 17 but…didn’t have an open shot:
> I felt my window of opportunity was only going to last a couple more weeks, while the rut was still going on. Feeling the pressure to make it happen, I then hunted from daylight until dark for the next 3 days but saw no sign of the giant.
> On Thanksgiving morning, I decided to go do a quick sit for a couple hours before getting back home for lunch with the family.
Not much was happening til a doe came crashing in, clearly being chased. Aaaaand the monster daddy buck came in right behind her. Chad knew he only had a split second:
> I led him just enough — the… broadhead entered right behind the rib cage and came out just behind the opposite shoulder. Realizing immediately that I’d made a lethal shot on the buck of a lifetime, I suddenly felt the adrenaline kick in.
> The net non-typical score of 233 7/8 puts my unexpected trophy in the #5 spot for free-ranging TX archery non-typicals. And he’s certainly one of the widest bow bucks on record from anywhere in the state.
WOW! Huge congrats to him.
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“Stickers” wins OH Trophy Bucks.
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Lotsa huge deer come out of OH, but this one #wins — at least for voters on the Trophy Bucks of OH Facebook page. Not sure about the story behind this deer but wouldya look at those stickers?!?
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Drake Lamb tells Realtree.com that after moving to IA last summer, he busted his tail to gain permission onto a few farms nearby (love the priorities dude!). He put some trailcams up and bam! That huge buck hanging out in thick cover next to a CRP field.
He only got the chance to hunt the property a couple of times during the early season with no result, but his cams showed that the deer made it through the shotgun season, so…muzzleloader season.
As Drake sat in his stand for the first time in weeks, his neighbors decided to do some target practice right near him. He almost left the stand, but It was the first time since early season he’d been able to hunt — and then the buck showed:
> “The buck managed to get to the base of the terrace before I could make an ethical shot on him. Although he was coming straight at me, I knew if I could hit him in the chest, he would expire quicker than a lung shot.”
Kept his cool, made the shot and the deer green-scored 185. He said the key thing was staying out of the area until he was ready to hunt. Paid off for sure!
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Top 3 states to hunt this fall?
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Times are a little uncertain right now, but hopefully all of us will be after the forest antelopes this fall! Whether or not you can afford to travel to hunt, sometimes it’s fun just to think about doin’ it — so here’s the top 3 picks from the MeatEater dudes for PUBLIC, UNGUIDED hunts:
ND
> …has one of the earliest deer openers in the country, which fluctuates between late Aug and early Sept each year. ND has quietly become one of the best whitetail destinations in the nation, especially for those looking to arrow a velvet buck.
> Although rifle tags are tough to draw, archery whitetail tags are available over the counter. …lot of space to roam, and fairly little competition…fewer deer hunters than all of its neighboring states….
OH
> With one of the cheaper non-resident licenses in the Midwest, OH has been captivating DIY hunters on a budget for years. The state has some of the best trophy potential as well, with B&C entries near the top of the book.
> [But] OH does not have an ample amount of public ground. You’re more likely to run into competition here than in other areas on this list.
NE
> Nestled between IA and KS, NE holds the genetics and nutrition to pump out mega whitetails like its neighbors. …has an early opener that appeals to archers, but also has a month-long muzzleloader season in Dec….
> Public land…isn’t as abundant as other Great Plains states, but walk-in hunting programs help make up for that.
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Bigfoot might be — OR for sure is? — roaming the hills of WV. Deer hunter Billy Humphrey says his encounter happened last fall during hunting season, but really struggled with what he saw and kept it quiet — til now. WV Explorer had the story:
> …series of consecutive nights, food that he’d put out to attract game had been disappearing more quickly than…usual. “Everything was gone within hours — all of it.”
> He texted his wife, Sheena: “Something is eerie up here. There ain’t nothing moving.”
> Then whatever had been taking the food stalked up through the wooded darkness from the left until it stood just outside the blind. Then it moved behind the blind. Humphrey waited, breathless.
Billy got his wife to go there with him the next evening — can’t say we’d wanna be alone out there either — and they said ol’ ‘squatch came out again.
Bigfoot investigator Les O’Dell says there has been a spike in alleged bigfoot encounters in Appalachia, mainly because it’s rough terrain and sparsely populated.
Bigfoot’s not real…til it is. What do you think?
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News
Lots of stuff being canceled, postponed or temporarily closed. Here’s a state-by-state list of outdoor coronavirus closures. Other stuff:
IL Gov says gun shops a pandemic “essential business.” Closed state parks but did this?? Guess worth noting that Gov J.B. Pritzker is a liberal Democrat.
Meanwhile NJ is being sued by the Second Amendment Foundation for closing gun stores and refusing to do background checks for firearm sales, sounds like.
Rocky Boots distribution center is an “essential biz” in OH.
Can ozone kill the virus? Scent Crusher says so.
Couple things to maybe do if you’ve got time on your hands:
> NRA online refresher course for experienced hunters. “If you’ve taken a break from the shooting sports or haven’t hunted in a season or two, our Experienced Hunter Education Course is the perfect refresher for firearms safety and safe hunting practices.”
> QDMA’s Deer Hunting 101 Course — Or maybe you know someone who would benefit from it?
2. PA deer harvest was the best in 15 years.
> The state’s hunters took 389,431 deer during the 2019-20 hunting seasons, which closed in Jan. The last time the total deer harvest exceeded this season’s total was in 2004-05, when 409,320 whitetails were taken.
3. NE: $3 mil grant to expand private land access.
For hunting and fishing:
> “Over 97% of NE is privately-owned and obtaining access to private lands is considered one of the primary challenges faced by today’s hunters and anglers.”
Over 97% of NE is privately-owned?? Whoa.
4. MN gets federal $$ for private-land access.
> Of 27 states to request money from the USDA for similar programs, MN received the 5th-largest sum behind NE, VA, OR and WA.
MN also wants the deer population reduced by 50% in a few areas.
5. VT: Where deer winter survey complete.
Winters are hard on whitetails in Northeast states, and they often migrate to/congregate in certain areas:
> Biologists once considered the Nulhegan Basin in the ‘Northeast Kingdom’ (comprising Orleans, Essex and Caledonia counties) to be the largest deer-wintering area in the state, at one time providing winter cover for as many as 1,000 deer. However, biologists, landowners and hunters suspect that changes in habitat and other factors have caused deer to now migrate further east toward the Connecticut River and NH.
6. RI: National Wildlife Refuge may be opened to hunting.
Can’t link it but it’s at: whatsupnewp.com
7. MO: “Hunt Masters” host Greg Ritz charged with poaching.
Connected to a Jan. 2 hunt, where Ritz allegedly shot a buck over bait and allegedly made no effort to take the meat or antlers — article says:
> 5 days after the deer was killed, the wildlife officer reported that he went and found the carcass of the deer. It had been field dressed but it was still there, intact. On Jan 8, 6 days after Ritz killed the deer, the officer seized the deer’s antlers and entered them into evidence.
8. Buck’s having a fixed-blade sale!
9. Easton has a new head man.
> …Easton’s VP of finance, Aaron Lucky, has been named as the new president….
10. Dave Parker new VP marketing of Pure Archery Group.
> …Pure Archery group brands…include Bowtech Archery, Excalibur Crossbows, Diamond Archery, Tight Spot Quivers, Ripcord Arrow Rests, Black Gold Sights and Octane accessories.
> …Parker was most recently the GM of the archery division of Escalade Sports Brands to include Bear Archery, Bear-X crossbows, Trophy Ridge, SIK broadheads, Cajun bowfishing, Fletcher Archery and Rocket broadheads.
11. Sportsman’s Warehouse bought 2 F&S stores.
2 Field & Stream locations from Dick’s. SW paid $5 mil “for inventory and assets and will sublease the 2 locations at Crescent Springs, KY and Kalamazoo, MI:”
> In Oct last year it acquired 8 Field & Stream stores in PA (3), NY (2), NC (2) and MI.
12. CA: Lyme ticks like lizards more than mice.
Too bad the Northeast doesn’t have much for lizards….
13. Venison mole coffee chili recipe.
Not “mole” like the varmint lol, it’s “moe-LAY.” Droolin’ already….
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New Stuff
1. Leupold RX-Fulldraw 4 rangefinder.
Has built-in, patented Archer’s Advantage RX-Fulldraw software that allows you to program in your bow’s draw weight, arrow velocity and peep height to calculate crazy-accurate “ballistic solutions:”
2. HHA offers the new Tetra 4-pin bow sight.
HHA makes some good stuff. Tetra offers either .010 or .019 pins, alternating in red/green. Scope diameter is 1.8″. Bombproof and USA made, for under $340 MSRP:
3. Millenium intros 2 new treestands.
> The M50 Hang-On is built for those who hunt where straight trees are as common as 4-leaf clovers.
> The Millennium M25 Hang-On is comfortable, quiet and easy to set-up, and built for hunters who need a stand that is easy to pack in, yet comfortable enough for an all-day hunt.
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Gear of the Week
Magnum Research BFR.
Get a load of that hand-cannon! The “Biggest Finest Revolver.” More from American Hunter:
> A behemoth of a wheelgun, this hand-cannon comes chambered in a number of calibers more familiar to rifle aficionados than pistol shooters. Our test model, chambered in .45-70 Gov’t, boasts a 5-shot cylinder, soft black grips, and an impressive amount of recoil.
Make sure you click on the pic to see the vid!
.45-70 is good for African dangerous game, but Magnum Research the revolver’s also available in several calibers good for deer medicine: .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .30/30 Win, .444 Marlin, .450 Marlin, .45LC/.410, .460 S&W and .500 S&W.
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Tip of the Week
Practice with your hunting rifle’s smaller twin.
Kinda brilliant deal from gun guru Ron Spomer. He makes the point that if you have 2 rifles that sling bullets with the same muzzle velocity (MV) and ballistic coefficient (BE), then the point of impact is pretty much the same. Let that sink in:
> Most of us assume a larger caliber, especially a magnum, will shoot farther, harder and flatter than any smaller caliber and deflect less in the wind. Actually, if MV and BC are identical, it will only shoot harder. Downrange velocity, drop and drift will not change.
> Let’s reiterate: it doesn’t matter if caliber is .22, .27, .30, .50 or anything else. If MV and BC are identical, trajectory will be identical. A little .224 bullet could shoot to exactly the same points as a big 165-grain .308 bullet.
> There’s nothing wrong with owning, say, a 270, 280, 7mm-08, 30-06 and 6.5 Creedmoor, but none does much more nor less than the others. If, instead, you owned a fast-twist 220 Swift and a 30 Nosler, you’d be set for everything from ground squirrels and coyotes to mule deer and brown bears.
> And if you match MV and BC in them, you’ll be that “man with one gun” we’re supposed to beware of because “he likely knows how to use it.” You’ll just enjoy the added advantage of getting to train with the smaller caliber.
> 1. Buy identical models. Two bolt-action Kimbers or Mossberg Patriots. Two Browning BLR lever actions. Two Winchester M70s, Ruger No. 1s, or Bergara B14s. Whatever you like. Just get two. But in wildly different chamberings.
> 2. Choose those chamberings (cartridges) to meet your hunting needs — …1 for deer, elk, and moose, the other for rodents, jackrabbits and coyotes — plus your target and training needs: mild recoil, lower-cost ammo, matched trajectory.
> 3. Study the average MVs of cartridges plus BC ratings of good hunting bullets in those calibers to find this twin practice rifle ballistic match.
Ron gives some things to think about — like buying 2 guns upfront being kinda spendy…. Plus if you can’t totally match the MV and BC of bullets, it may well lead you down the rabbit hole of handloading…lol!
BUT you’ll have 2 guns that mechanically and ergonomically are identical(ish), and hurl lead into the same spot. The difference is you’ll enjoy shooting the lighter twin, for less, which hopefully means you’ll shoot it more.
Pretty cool and darn interesting for sure….
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Shot of the Week
[Big eyes emoji] Dang son! Looks like @andyberki had a nice walk in IA! Good work deer bro!
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What’s the DB and who does it??
The DeerBlaster is a weekly roundup of the best, worst and funniest stuff about whitetail deer hunting culled from around the interwebz. We were kinda doing it already, just not the blastin’ it into your inbox part….
It’s put together by some deer nerds — Ted, Jay, Wade, couple more — from around the country. We excerpt content (and credit EVERYONE!), comment on content, do some original content — it’s an internet thing…. We do it because we can’t get enough deer hunting, hopefully you’re wired the same.
The DeerBlaster’s a work in progress, just like we are. Let us know what we can do better and thanks for readin’! Any issues, suggestions, whatever, just hit Reply to this email and we’ll get it. Thank you!
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