Season’s up and rolling, hope you’re after ’em or just about ready!
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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Tractor ride and scent control ➡️ OH non-typ freak!
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Sounds like Amos Herschberger did everything right when it comes to minimizing his scent, and he’s got a deer of a lifetime because of it – OL with the deets:
> OH’s bow deer season opened Saturday, Sept 25, but the wind was wrong for Amos to hunt the hay bale blind. So he waited for a wind shift to try for the big non-typical that he hadf thousands of photos of….
> “One of my trail cameras showed the buck passed within bow range of my blind on opening weekend, and I knew the deer was coming out there in early evening. I watched the wind and weather, and knew Monday was the day to try the blind for the buck.”
> Amos is adamant about scent control. He showered that afternoon before the hunt, washed his hunting clothes, then drove to the farm where a farmer friend gave Amos a lift out to the blind on a tractor. “I figured the deer wouldn’t think much of a tractor going to the bale because they see it all the time.”
> “…I got in, changed into my hunting clothes that were in a bag, and I handed my street clothes back to Ivan in the tractor. Then he drove away.”
> Dozens of deer passed close to the hay blind without detecting Amos until early that evening. Right on time, according to previous trail camera photos, the giant buck stepped out into the open at 32 yards.
Amos made the shot with his x-bow and recovered the deer the next morning. He thinks it’ll score just shy of 200 – it has a 17″ spread and 20 points!!
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WV hunter outsmarts very cool “ghost buck.”
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WV’s Jesse Truman arrowed this drop-tined beauty after playing a cat/mouse game with him for several YEARS, says WV MetroNews:
> Jesse knew the buck to be at least 5 yrs old and might even be 6. It had spent spring and summer on their farm in Ivydale for several years and was commonly spotted.
> “He had a pattern that I just figured out this year. He would stay on the farm for the spring and summer, and around the 2nd week of Oct he would vanish and I would never get a picture of him again.”
> During the 2020 archery season, Truman got a shot at the buck – which sported a fully typical rack at that time. But his arrow hit a limb and he missed. He got a nighttime picture of the buck on the eve of opening day of the rifle season in Nov…but never saw him again.
> Jesse doesn’t like to hunt during the heat of the early season, but knew if he wanted to take this buck with the now-unusual rack, he would need to endure. He decided against hunting on Monday because of the heat – despite the suggestion of his mother he should go. He should have listened. The buck showed up on camera that evening.
> On Tuesday, Truman decided he would listen to his mom and was in his ground blind when deer started moving in on him around 6:45. “The next thing I know I saw a long tine coming from behind a holly tree and he stepped out.”
Jesse made the shot, and recovered the deer the next morning with the help of a tracking dog:
> …rack has a fairly normal right side, but the main beam is split on the left with a massive drop tine. The split was a deduction…. A green score of the rack only yielded around the 150-point range. “I’ve always wanted a P&Y with my bow, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it.”
Great deer and story anyhow, Jesse, congrats dude! And always remember when you’re going after ghosts:
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GA hunter arrows a stud – just 3 weeks after a liver transplant! 🤯
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> Zak Avery…discovered he had a failing liver and desperately needed a transplant. He even moved his family to the Atlanta area to be closer to Emory University Hospital where he could get medical tests and treatments.
> The hospital obtained a liver to transplant into Zak’s body. He entered the hospital in early August. On Aug 17 [it was done]…the hospital released him in late Aug, less than 3 weeks before bow season opened on Sept 11, with strict doctor’s orders not to do anything too strenuous.
> “Once I knew I was going to at least be alive, I started thinking about going hunting. I didn’t know how long I’d be in the hospital, much less able to hunt. I didn’t break any of the doctor’s orders and didn’t exert myself. Hunting is really one of the things that helped me fight through everything.”
> Zak didn’t make it into the woods between the time of his hospital discharge and opening day. He usually hunts with a compound bow, but with his medical condition this year, that was out of the question. He couldn’t draw it. The [Ravin R29 crossbow package] would be much easier for him to hold and shoot.
> “We got a pattern on [that deer] this year. He was definitely the age where he peaked and was going downhill a little, so we were going to try to take him out.
> “At about 6:30 pm, the big buck came back to the food plot and circled the edge of it at about 60 yards. I didn’t have a shot. There was a bunch of deer between us, and he was moving. That group moved off and the big buck did too. He circled all the way around the food plot and came back out a little after 7 pm. I still didn’t have a shot then either.”
> With shooting hours winding down, the big buck moved around to the left of the blind and stayed there for another 30 minutes. At that angle, it still didn’t offer a good crossbow shot.
> “Finally, at about 7:45 pm, the big buck crossed in front of us about 30 yards away. I dropped him right there just at sunset. He did not move.”
The 10-point typ weighed over 200 lbs and had an arrow scar on its shoulder! It should score about 150:
> “Just the fact that I was even able to be there is amazing. Being able to go out hunting again was what kept me going while I was in the intensive care unit.”
Love it Zak, congrats brother and stay healthy! 🙏
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Got the October lull? Here’s how to beat it.
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> …what happens is really more of a shift in deer movement. Late-summer movement patterns have ended, largely related to a change in deer foods and their availability. During early Oct, whitetails…a profound shift…and it’s difficult for hunters to figure them out….
> What happened? One likely answer is the acorns are dropping and the deer have shifted their feeding focus. Here’s another food play for Oct – crops. In corn country, the crop harvest really shifts whitetail habits and movement patterns.
> This is good news in 2 ways. By chopping down all that corn, farmers eliminate endless acres of extra whitetail hiding places. The deer become more visible and you have a shot at figuring them out. And whitetails find a new and accessible food source in the stubble.
> Scraping really increases in mid-Oct – be prepared. Figure out those rub or scrape lines. Set up in high-traffic areas or travel funnels. Grunt some. Rattle a little.
> Oct is the perfect time to get some use out of that deer decoy. Your local whitetails probably haven’t seen one yet this year, and the first time can really get a buck’s attention…. The curiosity factor and breeding urge call for an antlerless decoy.
> Some bowhunters lament the start of pheasant, squirrel or fall turkey seasons because all the hunting activity…. Instead of sitting it out, consider these small armies as your own personal pushers. Get out early and set up in escape cover….
> Keep your schedule flexible. Plan to deer hunt on days when a cold front blows through and the weather cools off. This can cause a big spike in whitetail activity. The deer will often stay out later in the morning and come out earlier in the evening when the air is cooler….
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Get that orange off ASAP when you’re in the stand?
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> During the day deer discriminate colors in the range blue to yellow-green, and can also distinguish orange and red wavelengths.
> But at night deer see color in the blue to the blue-green range. So deer actually can see those orange vests worn by hunters.
> Although they can detect the color orange, it is the brightness of the fluorescent clothing worn by hunters and not the color per se that most likely draws a deer’s attention.
Supposedly like this:
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Knew about the whole UV brighteners thing, but plain ol’ orange…?
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> The big .44 Stealth Hunter filled the freezer and helped make some great memories.
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As part of simplifying regs, out for public comment, will vote in Feb.
Voluntary, helps the state manage its herd.
Cool idea, Oct 23-24.
We’re sure it’s not just one!
> I recently tried to join a family deer hunt. First, I discovered as a hunter since 1966, I can no longer buy ammunition. I have to now register the rifle my father gave me in 1966. Then discover I can no longer use the ammunition that I have because I might kill a condor that is being poisoned by lead-laden dead sea animals, instead of the deer I shot and plan to eat. Unfortunately, non-lead ammunition is unavailable. By the way, states that do not have this requirement have thriving condor populations.
That state gov’t is a mess….
Love it. 👊
They might have EHD.
> In response to average and harsh winters started in 2016 that nearly halted fawn survivability and reduced the overall mule deer population.
…to create quail habitat, in the Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area. Quail do need habitat across the South, but folks aren’t happy about this idea….
Dr Kevin Monteith of the U of WY.
> …owned and operated by the Archery Trade Association, relaunches with new membership levels…a user-friendly website, and a year-long membership sweepstakes.
> Poach & Pay research will assess the barriers to prosecuting poachers, evaluate the detection rate and conservation impacts of wildlife crime, describe the motivational factors and potential deterrents that influence poachers, and provide solutions to improve prosecution and conviction.
Has been the deputy director.
Been in Springfield, MA since 1852. The Northeast has been largely unfriendly to 2A folks and manufacturing for a while:
> The key factors in the decision included the following: Support for the 2nd Amendment, business-friendly environment, quality of life for employees, cost of living and affordability, access to higher-education institutions, availability of qualified labor for its operations and headquarter functions, favorable location for efficiency of distribution.
Pretty bad look for the state’s RINO (Republican In Name Only) governor….
Looks like they’re bringing the anodizing process in-house.
Bottom line from the video: Not often.
> …farthest south in CA that any gray wolf has been documented since one was captured in San Bernardino County in 1922.
Watch out for your dogs…and deer?
23. Help wanted.
24. 2A stuff.
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Deer Disease News
The CWD Action Coalition has a hunting-focused membership – we get it, just not sure asking government to buy-out business is a good thing?
> The CWD Action Coalition is calling on the MN Legislature to: buy out the deer-farming industry; enact a moratorium on any new cervid farms in the state; ban the transport of live cervids in the state, including to hunting ranches; and enact a ban on the movement of bodily fluids such as urine and semen originating from cervids.
AHD = adenovirus hemorrhagic disease, and biologists don’t know much about it, other than it’s “very contagious.” Weird….
Northern part of the state, sounds like it might be in MS too.
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> More than 10 new bow models across their compound, traditional and crossbow lines.
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> Provides archers with micro adjustments and autocalibration for an extremely fast setup, as well as a dovetail attachment and detachable trigger for easy transport.
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> Whether you’re building and customizing, repairing and cleaning or mounting scopes and accessories, this vise improves every part of the GUN DIY experience.
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> The 2Easy Sharpener is designed for Ozcut Broadheads, but it will also work with double-bevel 2, 3 and 4-blade broadheads.
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> The NoSho Gusset XT was developed to withstand extreme cold and wet hunting conditions and to do so in comfort.
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> A rifle for the next decade…a feature-rich production firearm that has the feel and performance of a custom build…weighing roughly 7 lbs depending on the cartridge….
> The heart of the rifle is Nosler’s new Model 21 action, designed in collaboration with Mack Brothers, the reputable SD duo with a growing reputation for building some of the finest rifle actions in the industry.
> Blueprinted from birth on advanced wire EDM equipment, the Model 21 action was thoughtfully designed to deliver exceptional performance in a user-friendly platform with several built-in custom features throughout.
> Among these features is a spiral fluted, 1-piece, Nitride-coated bolt made of 4340 chrome moly steel. In addition to a sleek aesthetic, and nearly effortless functioning, the fluted design provides a reduction in weight and helps to channel debris.
> Top-of-the-line components round out the Model 21 rifle including a crisp, single-stage TriggerTech Field model trigger, featuring a user-adjustable pull weight of 2.5-5 lbs and top safety.
> A Shilen match-grade barrel with a threaded muzzle is hand-lapped for the ultimate in bore smoothness, while the lightweight synthetic carbon fiber stock shaves weight off the complete build and provides extreme durability.
Chambered in all the Nosler cartridges plus 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC, 280 Ackley Improved, .308 Win, 300 Win Mag and 375 H&H. Retails around $2,500.
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> Let’s start with the obvious: There are times of the season that are better than others. I won’t tell you when that is because that’s a decision you have to make for yourself based on your experiences, preferences, and hunting style.
> Whatever your favorite time is, that’s what you should focus on. That’s when you cash in that vacation week or exercise some flex-time scheduling if available.
> I’m going to hunt as often as I can…that includes early season mornings. There was a time when I refused to hunt mornings early in the season. It’s a high-risk proposition for sure. But the fact is, I don’t have the time to hunt that I once did, and sitting out 6 to 8 days of hunting by avoiding morning outings until the rut starts to pick up just doesn’t make sense.
> One of the biggest keys to a successful season for me is to avoid wasted sits in areas that aren’t productive. Trail cameras are critical in this. I run as many cameras as I can, and I place those cameras on active scrapes. I can’t afford to hunt an area that bucks aren’t using and I can’t waste time hunting an area that doesn’t hold a buck I’d want to shoot.
> I’m ready to head for the woods the moment I get out of work, and I know absolutely everything I need is right there with me. It saves time. I don’t have to run home first. I don’t have to spend time getting gear loaded into the truck. I simply head for the area I intend to hunt, change clothes and grab my bow.
Sounds like what some of us try to do anyhow!
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“…settling into the tree stand. This time of entering into silence is an excellent opportunity to read the Bible and enter into a deep awareness.”
> The real beauty is that the archery hunter can have both the journey of the archery season and the journey of the love story with God.
> Hunt from the treestand. Pray in the treestand. Let the two be together.
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🤣 Ever seen a deer this HUGE?? Lol – @muygrandevillage shot. Do we see a giant fly under the deer’s eye too? 😂
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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 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!
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