 |
|
|
|
“Old One-Eyed Jack finally slipped up.”
|
|
SC’s Andy Till had been hunting a special deer for a couple years. The old buck had a great-looking rack with lots of mass, but weirdly only one of his eyes reflected any light on trailcam pics. Andy named him “One-Eyed Jack” — and missed him twice (!!) last season.
This year he worried the logging on his hunting ground might have run the ol’ boy off but (from here):
> “After dreaming about One-Eyed Jack all off-season and then…getting him on camera 2 weeks before the season, I knew I had a chance of at least getting a look at him again…. I just didn’t know it would come on the 3rd day of the season.
> “That night I was hunting in the same stand for the 3rd consecutive day, which was also the stand I missed him in last year. Some hunters don’t believe in repetitive sitting like that, but I do. You gotta play your chances.
> “I had 1 buck come out in a pack of 5 that I really wanted to take, but he wouldn’t turn broadside… I lifted my eyes off the scope to see what else could be following, and old One-Eyed Jack was right behind him.
> “Being the dominant buck, he quickly made headroom on the corn pile…. I watched him for about a minute until I could control all of my vitals enough to squeeze off a good shot. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, there he was…”
When Andy put his hands on the old buck, he saw One-Eyed Jack had 1 bad eye:
> “I’m not sure he could see out of that eye. It had this scar tissue kind of covering the eyeball.”
Great job dude! Tough to beat a trophy velvet buck with a unique story….
|
|
|
|
Bowhunter scores a heart shot!
|
|
Hahaha how great is that! That’s deer brother Hunter Jones proposin’ — anyone else popped the question with an arrow and 3D target?? Congrats to ’em both!
But…does she realize this means he’ll be gone every weekend for months every year (heehee!).
|
|
|
Stay put to beat the odds.
|
|
|
[How great is that Salvador Dali-inspired graphic! ^]
Tradition says the best times to hunt are in mornings and evenings. But how’s this for logic: You’re gonna have a MUCH better chance of shooting a deer midday if you’re in your stand! North American Whitetail:
> When the wind shifts to the north, a cool rain falls and the temperatures drop, bucks that have been avoiding midday hours like the plague for several weeks may suddenly be up and on their feet thanks to the first seasonal break in the weather.
> Another time when an all-day sit might be in order is during severe heat and drought conditions…. if you can slip into a waterhole undetected, that same buck might get up for a drink….
> A similar situation can occur in the later stages of the season — especially during the post-rut of late Nov, Dec and early Jan — when bucks in more northern states will get on their feet in the middle of the day to feed and ward off the chill.
> Midday movement can also happen in areas of intense hunting pressure, which can condition local whitetails to stay off their feet…early and late.
> …the bulk of midday deer sightings…will take place during the whitetail rut…typically occurs in early to mid-Nov….
There you go, more than enough reasons to stay put and HUNT.
|
|
|
|
Props to OL for keepin’ it real.
|
|
Big shout-out to this month’s Outdoor Life mag. Everyone loves pics of the biggest, baddest deer but:
> This issue is all about where we (and a bunch of other experts) hope the future of deer hunting is headed. We wade into some contentious debates and address often-taboo topics….
> For example, have you ever seen a published photo of a 280″ whitetail standing in a cut hayfield in broad daylight and wondered: How’d they get that picture? Well, there’s a good chance that buck was fenced in.
> Plenty of hunting magazines, including this one, have run such photos, often with a headline like: “How to Kill a Booner This Year.” But publishing images of outlandish high-fence bucks detracts from our real purpose, which is supporting and celebrating the fair-chase hunting of wild deer.
> So in this issue we’ve taken extra effort to publish photos of free-range whitetails that everyday hunters could realistically hope to see from their treestands this fall. Some of these bucks are mature old brutes, others are young studs, all of them are wild.
|
|
|
|
Dancin’ doe busts a move in Yellowstone.
|
|
Not sure the bucks like it tho:
|
|
News
1. Walmart scaling way back on firearms and ammo.
> Walmart is discontinuing sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 and 5.56, discontinuing sales of handgun ammunition and discontinuing handgun sales entirely in AK.
> “We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand,” [CEO Doug] McMillon said. “As a company, we experienced 2 horrific events in 1 week, and we will never be the same.”
> Walmart said it intends for its remaining assortment to be even more focused on the needs of hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts. McMillon said he is a gun owner who grew up in a family that raised bird dogs. And he noted the company’s founder, Sam Walton, was an avid outdoorsman….
> Walmart’s remaining assortment in stores “will include long barrel deer rifles and shotguns, much of the ammunition they require, as well as hunting and sporting accessories and apparel….”
2. The Drurys are giving away a farm!?
> At our 30-year anniversary, we want to thank our viewers for their support and encouragement in the biggest way we know how: We bought a 60-acre farm in northern MO, planted food plots, identified stand locations, and plan to hand over the title to one lucky individual.
Wow! Props to ’em.
3. B&C Club takes stance on fair chase and baiting.
In response to the antis:
> The assertion that baiting should be banned because it’s not Fair Chase is not only incorrect, it undermines their broader anti-hunting agenda.
> “These anti-hunting groups are contradicting themselves. Before, it was all hunting is bad and should be stopped. Now they are essentially saying hunting is acceptable as long as it’s Fair Chase. At least that much we can agree upon.”
4. ND: CRP has helped whitetail numbers.
CRP = federal Conservation Reserve Program, where farmers do not plant all their land. known to help pheasant populations but also:
> “Whitetail deer tend to occur more, and in higher numbers, in areas with higher percentage of CRP.”
5. LA: Another good mast crop this year?
Acorns and pecans….
6. TX hunters can snap a pic of their license and stay legal.
7. CO: Gov signs exec order for wildlife.
> …directs… agencies “to collaborate on migration patterns, regulatory and legislative opportunities for habitat conservation” and “safe wildlife passages that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions….”
8. MN’s 3-pronged anti-CWD approach.
> First, the DNR is expanding hunting opportunities and bag limits in areas where CWD has been found….
> The 2nd prong is a deer feeding and attractant ban that affects 18 counties in southeastern and north central MN, and a continued feeding ban in six central MN counties.
> Limiting movement of deer carcasses is the 3rd aspect of the DNR’s approach….
9. NC: EHD killing deer in western NC.
“Dozens” of deer….
10. Whitetail parasites: Do you really want to know?
If you do, click the link ^ — but here’s a taste:
> While technically they could be eaten after cooking, I suggest hunters who discover muscle worms to discard the infected portion of venison and closely examine the remaining meat before consuming. No one wants to eat a parasitic worm.
Because this could happen:
11. Tick bites can cause a red meat allergy??
12. More than 200 mil people in North America eat wild food.
> …one of the greatest ways to convince people to care about wild creatures is to put a food value on them.
Yep!
13. Alps Outdoorz new pack “for women, by women.”
14. Waterproof socks??
Could be all that? From fishing brand Gill:
> Long enough to wear with boots and both waterproof and breathable, these boot socks are ideal for occasions when you expect to tackle low to medium levels of water.
|
Gear of the Week
Browning X-Bolt Long Range.
Long-range hunting is a current craze in parts of the country, and Browning has come out with a new version of its super popular X-Bolt to capitalize on the 1,000+-yard hunter — American Hunter takes a look:
> Browning included nearly every feature necessary to accurately punch holes through paper and ring steel at extended ranges. The Max Long Range package will allow you to punch holes in vitals with just as much precision.
> The rifle’s customizable Max composite stock is of Browning’s own design and is where the rifle draws its name. The comb is adjustable for height, a must for proper sight alignment, and is engraved with a ruled system to help set it consistently.
> The Max stock incorporates a target-style palm swell and a flat-bottomed fore-end. This design offers a more stable shooting platform for target shooters and hunters alike as it sits as steady on the rail of a treestand or over a hunting pack….
> The rifle includes an extended bolt handle with a fat knob. This is great when you need to work the bolt for a fast follow-up shot.
> Astute shooters take note: X-Bolt Max Long Range rifles have tighter twist rates for the guns’ various chamberings when compared to nearly every other long-range rifle on the market.
> My test rifle, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, uses a 1:7″ twist rate rather than the typical 1:8″ found on most rifles. Not only are the Max Long Range’s various twist rates optimized for shooting, heavier, high-BC bullets, but the rifle’s barrel length and profile are too.
> I was able to get sub-inch groups with two different loads: Hornady Precision Hunter and Browning XBR.
> In its heaviest long-action configuration, the rifle still weighs less than 8.5 lbs, and short-action variants weigh less than 8.25 lbs. …price ranges from $1,269.99 to $1,329.99….
|
Tip of the Week
Be bold and rattle.
There’s nothing like rattling up a buck. Making that kind of racket, after being taught all those years to keep quiet, is super counter-intuitive. But what a thrill! All of a sudden the hunter becomes the hunted, and you usually have to make split-second shot decisions.
But a lot of guys still won’t try rattling. Try it, it works — Buckmasters has some advice on how to start:
> Last season, I watched a massive-bodied buck appear across the property line…. Since I didn’t have permission to hunt that land, and plenty of time to wait, I set up my old 20-X spotting scope and watched those deer.
> After a while I’d had enough…decided to be proactive and try rattling…realized the deer had more important things on his mind, but I had nothing to lose.
> I ranged the buck at 560 yards…and tried several rattling sequences for more than an hour. …decided to be proactive again and make a bold move to close the distance to less than 200 yards.
> …set up behind some scrub brush…then rattled again when I saw the buck was still in the field. After a couple of sequences, the buck decided it was time to check things out…looked my way, sped up and hopped across the fence to enter the same woodlot I was hiding in.
> All of a sudden, a different mature buck came directly toward me on a dead run, attracted by the sound of my antlers clashing. I actually had to allow the deer to veer around me in order to find a clear shot.
> To my surprise, the monster buck I’d watched all morning burst past, chasing the first buck. I’d really stirred things up!
> I shifted focus back to this buck…squeezed off a shot. The deer went right down! …2 takeaways: In whitetail hunting, there are times you need to be bold. This was certainly one of them. Also, don’t be afraid to rattle. It really works!
|
|
|
Quote of the Week
“Usually when you get hurt it is because you did something stupid.”
– From a Bowhunting.com post on treestand safety:
> …the cold reality is that treestand accidents are the leading cause of serious injury in the deer woods.
> Most accidents are a result of human error, either in assembly or application in the field.
We agree, but sometimes accidents happen too — just take every safety precaution you can.
|
|
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 and 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.
|
Sign up another deer nut!
If you’re forwarding the DeerBlaster to other deer crackheads, tx much! Or you can email us the addys and we’ll take care of it! We’ll never send spam, sell the list or anything else crazy….
|
|
|
|
|
|
