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Waiting a year got 40 more inches of “Wacky Rack”!
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IL hunter Chris Kelly had been keeping an eye on that buck since 2017. In 2018 Chris had 5 — count ’em! — opportunities to take the buck, but decided to let him grow another year. Big props to him for the self-control — because Bowhunting.com says the buck ended up adding about 40 INCHES of antler:
> Around 3 pm 4 does worked out into the open. …4-5 more does filtered out into the plot, followed by a really nice 140″ 3-yr-old 10-pointer. Suddenly, the buck’s posture changed. Snapping its head up, it stared hard into the cover to Kelly’s left.
> “Sure enough, there was the deer I was after, and heading straight toward the smaller buck. As they got closer, the smaller one — which was between me and my target buck — veered around him. He did not want to fight. The buck I was after kept coming toward me, then turned broadside.”
> Chris took the 38-yard shot opportunity, and the bolt blew through both shoulders. The buck took off, ran back to the left and disappeared beyond a group of cedars. It didn’t take long to find the 188 4/8″ early-season buck.
Chris says diverse food-plot plantings and a few mock scrapes helped but — get this — he also intentionally hunted UPWIND OF THE BUCK, using an ozone unit to help mask his scent. Whatever works man, nice one!
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Nice SC velvet down — already deer season there!
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Early seasons have kicked off in some states, so buckle your seatbelts we’re gonna start seeing ’em fall!
Rifle hunting in the SC lowcountry started on the 15th and that ^ nice-lookin’ velvet buck was taken by Becca Koon. Her husband Tim is pretty dang proud of her, for good reason:
> She let this buck walk many many times last year and he turned into one magnificent buck this year! Thank you God for this moment!!
Got it on video too, here’s the link. Congrats Becca! |
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GutCheck arrow wipes tell you where your arrow struck.
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Now this is interesting. I (Ted) have always thought it was pretty easy to tell where I hit a deer — as long as I could find my arrow and the light was good. But when I shoot one near dusk and I’m looking at an arrow by flashlight that has dirt and leaves on it, things can be a little to a lot tougher. So that’s why these GutCheck arrow wipes are interesting:
> Simply wipe down the full length of the arrow shaft making sure to get all surfaces around the shaft. Blood will show up on the wipe and will not react with the indicator formula and, therefore, visually indicates a “clean” vital hit was made.
> Should the arrow pass through the acid-containing digestive tract of the animal, the indicator will immediately change color. This will allow the hunter to determine how the hit animal should be pursued.
As we all know, every bit of info helps when tracking a wounded deer. About $11 and made in the USA, might be worth trying.
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Should you shoot through that “shoot-through” mesh?
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One time I (Ted) was hunting out of a KS ground blind on a brutal 20-degree day. I hadn’t seen a single deer, but gettin’ towards evening some turkeys strolled by. Not wanting to go home empty-handed, I decided to shoot one. The only shot I had was through a “shoot-through” mesh panel.
What could go wrong? Well, I missed big time — the arrow wasn’t even close. Ever since, I’ve blamed that mesh. Turns out that Deer & Deer Hunting’s Dan Schmidt has had similar experiences:
> It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting an expandable broadhead or a fixed-blade broadhead, I say don’t shoot through that mesh.
> What I’m gonna do when I set up my blind is pick one or two spots that hopefully I’ll get a shot out of, and I’ll take those screens down.
> I’ve had enough encounters where (shooting through mesh) was a problem, and you don’t want that one case to be a buck of a lifetime.
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Check out these lifelike yard ornaments!
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Couple nice ones…
Lookit the size of this hoss, wow:
Nothing to see here, just keep on driving:
…hidin’ in plain sight!
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News
1. Treestand safety group says falls down by half.
Good news — keep doin’ it safely:
> Last year, an estimated 1,937 people sought emergency department care as the result of an injury from a treestand fall. This estimate reflects a 65% decrease over the baseline estimate in 2010, and is the lowest estimated number since treestands were given their own unique tracking number in 2010.
2. ME boost deer permits again.
> The boost in permits is needed to reach the state’s doe-harvest goal of 13,000 to reduce the state’s whitetail deer population of nearly 300,000.
3. NE passes bill that helps landowners control deer.
> The proposal would help landowners control their own deer populations and encourage younger generations to take up game hunting.
4. WI still has spots for disabled hunters.
Can’t link it, at antigotimes.com:
> 76 sponsors have enrolled over 70,000 acres of land across 41 counties for this year’s hunt, which will take place Oct. 3-11. For a complete list of 2020 sponsors, please visit dnr.wi.gov.
Check out this cool hunting chair:
5. CO: $2.5 mil from Elk Foundation for habitat.
> “Habitat enhancement projects include forest-thinning, prescribed burning and repairing water developments, all to help elk, deer and many other species of wildlife.”
6. Bass Pro/Cabela’s gives $50K to B&C for lobbying.
> “B&C works hard, often behind the scenes, with policy-makers as they develop the laws, regulations and funding priorities that will ultimately impact sportsmen and women in this country.”
7. CA hunters should plan ahead to validate tags.
> CDFW has closed many of its high-use public areas to slow the spread of Covid. Many successful big-game hunters rely on these facilities and the CDFW staff there to validate (countersign) their big game tags.
Also you still can’t pick up roadkill in CA….
8. UT: Check out this STUD muley!
Taken by Derek Leininger, not much info on the hunt but pic at Heartland Bowhunter on FB.
9. WI: New hunting regs consolidated into 1 book.
It’s 1,452 pages….kidding. Just 45.
10. MI: Gov Whitmer nominating 3 to Natural Resources Commission.
The governor, rumored to be potential Joe Biden VP pick at one point, doesn’t seem to be pro-hunting or -fishing….
11. Outdoor Life has a state-by-state deer guide.
Gives you huntable species, estimated population, last year’s harvest, overall outlook, and potential hotspots.
12. NV: SCI planning its convention for Feb 3-6 in Vegas.
13. Mountain Dew kicks in another $100K for hunt/fish licenses.
> Every day at 9 am central, Mountain Dew accepts 100 submissions. To be considered, you must provide a photo of your hunting or fishing permit from within the last year. After that, they’ll send you $20 via Venmo or check.
Link: dewoutdoors.com/stimulus
14. DC: Did President Trump withdraw his BLM nomination?
Maybe yes, maybe no, either way nothing can be official til the Senate is back in session, sounds like.
15. Buck’s offering the 317 Ridgeway knife for more than half off!
Now just $15, regularly $32. Pretty little blade.
16. Bass Pro/Cabela’s is giving away stuff.
Need to post with a couple hashtags to be eligible.
CA magazine ban struck down by federal court.
NM has a ban against private sales of firearms?? And wants even more “gun control”??
18. Deer hunter’s need helped US war effort.
Who knew — guy named Vic Hickey:
> …Hickey wanted a more capable vehicle for his deer-hunting trips out in the UT wilderness. Hickey designed and built a high-compression head gasket for his Willys Jeep to get more power, and eventually created a dual-wheel adapter kit. With 8 wheels and a more potent engine, he was able to go places that no stock Jeep could.
> He quickly began distributing the kits, becoming one of the first and most prominent Jeep accessory sellers. Meanwhile, the U.S. was heading back to war, this time in the muddy, mountainous Korean peninsula.
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Deer Disease News
1. MO puts new CWD regs in place.
Among other things:
> Deer harvested in CWD Management Zone counties must be telechecked before any parts of the carcass may be transported out of the county of harvest.
> Whole carcasses and heads of deer harvested in CWD Management Zone counties may only be transported out of the county of harvest if the carcass is delivered to a licensed meat processor and/or taxidermist within 48 hours of exiting the county of harvest.
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New Stuff
1. Rocky Mountain rolls out 2 new x-bows.
> The performance-based system loads down a 200-lb limb set to a narrow 14.5″ in the cocked position — sending crossbolts down range at 405 fps with 139 ft-lbs of bone-crushing kinetic energy.
2. You can preorder the QuietKat Jeep-branded bike.
> The Fire-Link suspension system is a true 4-bar linkage, providing the ultimate traction and capability while 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes allow for maximum control on steep descents and hard to navigate terrain.
3. Trick out your rifle with Realtree GunSkins.
> GunSkins are 100% waterproof, non-reflective and made in the USA. Enjoy a non-permanent camo finish to your stock, forend, receiver and barrel.
4. Brella has a new microfleece rain poncho.
> Waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric, lightweight — 23 oz.
5. Warne has a new scope mount selector.
Software tool on their website ^.
6. Dzone 2Go wants to keep your truck from stinkin’.
> The Dzone2Go Vehicle Ozone Generator ($39.99) destroys odors using the car plug, powering on every 10 minutes and putting out 30mg/h of ozone to annihilate every scent, including pet, cigarette, food and gas odors.
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Gear of the Week
Kimber 8400 Mntn Ascent = lightest production rifle?
If you’re planning to hun in the western mountains — or just want a rugged and light gun — the Kimber 8400 Mountain Ascent might be one for you, if you’ve got the coin. American Hunter reviewed it:
> …factory-built, super-lightweight…in long-action chambering weighs just 5 lbs, 2 oz [without] scope and ammo or sling. Short-action calibers weigh even less…4 lbs 13 oz.
> …custom features like a fluted barrel, a fluted bolt and bolt knob, a hollow bolt handle, a lightened extractor, and a carbon-fiber stock. These numbers make the Kimber Mountain Ascent the lightest production rifle in the world.
> It’s super accurate…built with a match-grade barrel, match-grade chamber, and an excellent trigger. In fact, Kimber guarantees sub MOA accuracy out of the box.
> The trigger is made of lightweight aluminum to reduce weight. It’s single-stage, match-grade, and factory-set at 3.5-4 lbs — and it’s adjustable.
> …factory-fitted muzzle brake to tame recoil…elegantly-contoured 2-piece scope bases, Talley quick-detach steel bases, or Talley lightweight 1″ aluminum bases.
A lot of gun, even for 2 grand….
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Tip of the Week
How to get great trailcam pics.
Trailcams keep getting better and better, and just about anyone can get some decent pics by strapping one to a tree. But QDMA points out there’s more to it if you want great shots:
> Most “false triggers” can be prevented by orienting the camera somewhere between northeast and northwest, if not due north. When the camera faces the sun, you are more likely to get false triggers that eat up batteries and card storage (and bandwidth for wireless cameras).
> If estimating the ages of bucks is important for you, then setting the camera at the right height and distance from the target zone is also important. A ground-level view is critical, and so is getting all of the buck in the frame. For me, the ideal height is my own kneecap, about 21″.
> Whether it’s a trail, scrape, feeder or other small target zone, I rarely place my cameras more than 15′ away from the most likely zone of deer movement, and that goes for every brand of camera I’ve ever used. That’s 5 yards or about 5 paces.
> I have a tote bag in which I keep my trail-camera gear, and it includes: 1) bungee straps, zip ties and cord for strap extensions; 2) a tree-mounting adapter for crooked trees; and 3) clippers and a hand saw for trimming brush or small trees that block the ideal camera spot.
> Trigger some test shots before you leave. Use these test images to check that the camera is working, sending photos, and that the setup is like you want it.
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Quote of the Week
Do not tell other people’s hunting stories and make them your own.
– Anyone you know do this? If so that’s kinda…weird. Anyhow, from a post on the 7 deadly sins of hunting. That was Envy. Here’s a couple more:
> Pride: Excessive belief in one’s own abilities, vanity. You know, it’s always wise to work what you know you can do, not what you wish you can do. Don’t climb that deer stand if you aren’t in proper shape. Do not take shots you’ve never practiced or made before.
> Gluttony: An inordinate desire to have more, consume more than one requires. Do you really have to have that new rifle no matter how many you already have?
Pretty sure that last one’s not a sin…sure hope so anyhow…lol!
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Shot of the Week
Sweet @whitetail_diaries trailcam shot — couple does, ears pinned back, gettin’ ready to scrap! Temp reads 111 degrees at 7:38pm, no wonder they’re cranky! #southTXlife
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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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