Thx for reading! If you’re getting the DeerBlaster for the first time it’s probably because a deer-crazed bud signed you up!
If your email program cuts off the bottom of this email, click “View this email in your browser” up top to see the whole thing. Sorry about that – email programs keep changing stuff.
|
|
We lost the inventor of food plots, Ray Scott.
|
|
Ray Scott passed on at age 88, a giant of the outdoors business. You might know him as the man who created B.A.S.S. and started the entire bass fishing world rolling, but did you know he also created the concept of food plots for whitetails? Check this out, from an OutdoorLife.com post from 2020:
> In his hand was a small pile of tiny blue pellets, and he was talking about something called “food plots.” In the late 1980s, the term was wholly unfamiliar.
> “Clover,” said Scott. “Whitetail deer love clover. Plow, lime and fertilize a piece of ground. Plant these seeds and you will grow bigger bucks.” I scoffed inwardly.
> …Scott and [Outdoor Life] editor-in-chief Clare Conley hatched a grandiose plan right there in New York City [at a meeting]…that would forever change the path of whitetail deer hunting. Readers would be offered the chance to get a sample packet of clover seed in an upcoming issue by calling a toll-free phone number. Food-plotting was born.
> “Oh, I remember it,” says Whitetail Institute senior advisor Steve Scott, Ray’s son. “When the story hit offering some free seed, Ray was on the farm. The phone lines blew up and he started pulling people off of tractors and out of the fields to work the lines. That, essentially, was the beginning of serious food plotting. In many respects, it changed the course of everything.”
Think about how many businesses in the hunting (and fishing) industry came from Ray’s tireless mind and work ethic. Thank you Ray and love from all of us! 🙏✝️
|
|
Is an ozone generator by far the best scent control? 🤔
|
|
> This all came to a head one day when I decided to just stop everything I had been doing. I woke up, took a normal shower, slapped on my normal deodorant, put on my normal hunting clothes, grabbed my bow and went hunting. And you know what? The exact same thing happened as when I did all those special scent-control tactics. When I got a deer downwind, they smelled me….
> I realized that whether I gave an inch or a mile, I was still giving. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
> Not until I stopped did it become clearer…. I had convinced myself that these scent-control tactics were like building blocks that I could stack up to get over the hurdle of success.
> My hunting experience had taught me that the “line” left zero margin for error – until I started hunting with ozone.
> My introduction into ozone was filled with skepticism and disbelief. At the time, I was a hunting guide in CO and had the chance to guide Scott Elrod, the CEO of Ozonics, on an archery elk hunt.
> Before we even started hunting, Scott was adamant: He wanted to throw caution to the wind and go right at elk with the aid of his Ozonics. I explained that his Ozonics might work on whitetails…but elk have bigger eyes, ears, and noses than whitetails.
> Scott insisted, and I begrudgingly agreed. I did what he asked, and over the next 5 days my world was flipped upside down. We moved in on elk in ways I had never done before. I’m usually not one to be short on words, but I was left speechless.
> The fact is, when hunting with Ozonics I see more animals, I have more opportunities, and I am more successful. Now, almost 10 years later, Ozonics has changed the game for me.
|
|
How ’bout a huge 199-inch suburban AL buck! 🤯
|
|
> BJ [Davis] was introduced to the Seek One hunting group, which focuses on urban and suburban deer hunting. The hunters in the group inspired B.J. to start knocking on doors to get hunting permission.
> …he’s received permission to hunt numerous properties. On one…near the suburbs of Birmingham, he discovered a giant whitetail. “The photo looked like it was photoshopped, especially for AL. It looked fake! I mean, a 150-inch deer here is a giant. This deer was probably 170 inches in 2018.”
> The next summer, BJ ran cameras on the property…soon the buck reappeared, and he was bigger than ever.
> …on Nov 29…it was slightly warm and overcast…knew the buck was likely in the area, but the deer hadn’t been on his cameras in 30 days. He had 2 stands in mind, 1 of which the buck was more regular on. “I used a flip-a-coin app to decide what stand to go to, and it kept telling me to go to the one I didn’t want to go to. So finally I just decided to go there and see what would happen.”
> …around 7:30 am, BJ spotted some feet in the underbrush about 80 yards away. “I figured it was a doe. But I threw up the binoculars and saw his rack! I’d seen it so many times on game camera pictures and in my mind that I knew it was him.”
> After several minutes, the giant buck walked in and stopped behind a tree at 15 yards. BJ drew his bow, but the buck stayed behind the tree for about 45 seconds, forcing the hunter to let down his draw. A few seconds later, the buck took 3 more steps…BJ drew back once again and then he took the broadside 12-yard shot.
The 7.5-year-old buck scored 199 4/8 non-typical and 186 6/8 typical:
> “It was fun and it was crazy. I give the glory to God.”
👊
|
|
Why we all should maybe consider an air rifle.
|
|
> Quiet: …hunters in droves are paying hush money for compound bows, air bows, silencers and now, new air rifles that deliver never-before-achieved lethality while greatly reducing noise? The trend of ditching ear plugs for weapons that don’t rock the forest (or your ear drums) is a theme that’s booming
> Less recoil: In addition to significant noise reduction (hearing protection isn’t necessary when shooting Umarex air rifles) they do not kick like traditional centerfire rifles as their light recoil is more of a firm push rather than the sharp jolt common to other rifles.
> No FFL needed: …air rifles are not subject to the same [ATF] regulations as centerfire and rimfire firearms and can be purchased direct from Umarex rather than through a FFL dealer.
> Get a record: Safari Club International…recently created a new record-book designation exclusively for air rifle hunters.
|
|
More about Umarex air rifles:
> At the heart of this quantum leap is a patent-pending valve. The valve, along with a unique regulator, instantly pulses a jet of compressed air at 3,000 lbs per sq in behind either a 550- or 250-grain slug. The result is that the slugs travel at 760 fps or 1,000 fps respectively.
> …Umarex Hammer .50 cal air rifles are now being used across the globe to hunt everything from deer in the Midwest to bears in Canada to 2,000-lb Cape buffalo in Africa.
Interesting….
|
|
New land lease site for hunters and landowners might be a great idea.
|
|
Website is land.lease – GREAT concept…US land but the contact address is in Ireland, possibly because they do European land too? We know nothing about the site except that it exists. Few details from Agriculture.com:
> …allows landowners to sell permission to hunt on their property. The company says its site offers additional income to landowners with an abundance of deer…also offers leases for elk, moose, waterfowl, game birds, wild boars, bears and other game.
> The listings are free for landowners, and hunting leases can be sold either by auction or for a fixed price. All leases sold offer exclusive hunting access for a specified range of dates.
Similar to vacation home rental sites, hunters pay directly through the site and funds are immediately transferred to the landowner.
> When searching for available land, hunters can select the location, rate, and type of game. Other searchable features include whether dogs are allowed, if camping is available, whether there are treestands, harvesting limits, and whether night shoots are allowed.
|
|
That’s what a Penn State researcher is saying:
> “Recreational deer hunting is the primary tool that’s available to state wildlife agencies to manage the resource, but in the next 10 years we’re going to see a steep decline in the number of hunters. A few states still have large numbers of hunters, but this is coming at all the state agencies very quickly. The question is, what alternative tools are available to meet this deer-management challenge?”
> To control deer populations, wildlife managers must consider new strategies confronting a dearth of hunters. Allowing hunters to take multiple deer is one.
Sounds a little pessimistic – also sounds like the most important thing is to get more people hunting deer.
…offered to non-residents last season after epizootic hemorrhagic disease was found in 1 hunting unit. The post says the refund request was made by outfitters:
> “Why was that offer made to non-residents when no offer was made to residents and why was this not made public? It’s an extraordinary move. I can’t think of an instance when refunds were made on an unsolicited basis to non-resident hunters.”
As wolves maybe reduce the herds….
Wow in one of the most liberal states in the country?? Let’s see if the governor signs it.
Mostly due to drought but also blue tongue.
Looks like it was due to less travel:
> Overall hunting license sales decreased by approximately 1.9% in 2021 compared to 2020. Resident license sales were down 4.0%. Non-resident license sales increased by 12.9%.
Phil Dalrymple who came from Jack Link’s jerky and before that was at Cabela’s.
13. 2A stuff.
> …these laws create a mechanism that allows a family member, police officer or some other third party…to file a petition in court, supported by allegations that the person named in the petition, at some point in the future, poses a danger to themselves or others by possessing or having access to a firearm.
> …enacted in CA in 2014, and since then, 19 states and the DC have adopted similar laws.
Headlines of the Week
Not sure how anyone could suspect that when their doorbell rang it could be an elk??
|
|
> The phenomenon is natural, and occurs because deer love to eat sugary spring buds…. This becomes a problem…when the sugar ferments in their stomachs and causes a similar reaction to that of too much alcohol.
So deer can make booze inside themselves?? Just another reason to love deer! 🤣
|
|
Deer Disease News
Is it me or does this sound a little weird?
> Chronic Wasting Disease “ambassadors” will be trained in the science-based management of CWD, both prevention and testing, and how to educate others within their community….
|
|
> …it is flat sexy. The 22″ stainless-steel barrel, with a muzzle brake, melts into the “desolve blak” camo pattern covering the reinforced polymer stock. The rifle was, of course, ultra-clean—no nicks, dings or displeasing aesthetics. At 5.9 lbs…. This rifle fit me like a glove.
> The rifle is drilled and tapped, and scope attachment is elementary. I opted to attach Leupold’s VX-5HD 2-10×42 scope. After a quick boresight, I was ready to send my first round with the Hunter Pro chambered in 6.5 CM.
> The Hunter Pro is priced more than $1,000 below the [Kimber] Mountain Ascent, but they felt identical on the bench. …3-position Model 70-type wing safety, and the trigger guard allows for easy trigger access when wearing thin shooting gloves or bulky wintertime warmers.
> The detachable box magazine is easy to remove via a simple push button, easy to feed and provides an appreciated audible click once reseated.
> The trigger is set at the factory between 3.5 and 4 lbs, offers no creep and breaks crisply and cleanly. It is perfectly curved, and I brand its width as “just right.”
> …while this rifle did kick shooting Federal Premium’s Big Game 120-Grain Trophy Copper exiting the muzzle at 2809 fps, the stock design, muzzle brake and recoil pad made it feel minimal. When the rifle thundered, I was able to stay on the scope and reacquire the target quickly.
> …I shot 3-round groups off a bench at distances of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards. The Kimber Hunter Pro chambered in 6.5 CM is exceptionally accurate. Nearly all of my 100- and 200-yard groups had at least two bullets touching, and my last 500-yard group fit inside a 3″ orange dot.
> This is a big-game hunting rifle built to carry well and be highly maneuverable. It’s the type of rifle you want when going after that once-in-a-lifetime bighorn, or when packing in miles and miles on horseback. Its slim build allows the Hunter Pro to fall into a scabbard, taking up little room on the saddle. Available chambered in 6.5 CM, .280 Ackley Improved and .308 Win….
MSRP is $1,006.00! 👀
|
|
.45-70 Gov’t, 7.1 lbs, MSRP $1,349.00:
> You can expect the same time-honored design as the traditional 1895, combined with Ruger’s trusted reputation for producing high-quality, reliable firearms.
> Improved manufacturing processes create tight tolerances, resulting in a reliable, attractive rifle.
> Adjustable Skinner Sights receiver-mounted peep sight…Improved finish on the stock and fore-end and checkered grip panels…Refined stock fit and thinner fore-end…Threaded barrel with a match-polished, factory-installed thread protector, has a 11/16″-24 pattern….
|
|
From Guns.com:
https://www.guns.com/news/reviews/review-savage-110-bolt-action-rifle-65-creedmoor
> The 110 action has changed…over the decades, but this current 6.5 CM model is not too different from those of the past. Like most Savage actions, it’s machined from round stock with a front and rear ring. The 2-lug bolt rotates the floating head into the front ring of the action, and the 24″ barrel is threaded in the front of the action. The recoil lug is sandwiched there, and the whole assembly is held together with a barrel nut.
> At the rear of the action, the safety and Accu-Trigger are attached, and the whole thing is set into the polymer stock. On the bottom of the polymer stock, there is a detachable box magazine that holds three cartridges.
> To me, this is a basic no-frills hunting rifle. I would feel more than comfortable using this rifle for deer hunting at ranges inside 400 yards.
> I was left feeling a bit let down with the accuracy of this rifle.
MSRP is $849.00.
|
|
Through dealers:
> Each Rival LR package will feature a Zeiss Conquest V4 6-24×50 mounted at the Fierce Factory. Ballistic data will be gathered at our range out to 1,000 yards using factory ammunition. Custom yardage turret will be cut specifically for each rifle and set at 100 yard zero. The Fierce Carbon Bi-pod and steel radial muzzlebrake is included.
Calibers: 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC, .300 PRC, .300 Win, 7mm Win Mag. MSRP $4295 – Twisted Rival Package (steel barrel), MSRP $4675 – Carbon Rival Package (carbon barrel).
|
|
> …dependable aluminum housings underneath ergonomic rubber moldings, to deliver an entire setup that’s waterproof, fog-proof and shock-resistant.
> …compact and lightweight at just 24 oz (10x42mm) and 23.5 oz (8x42mm)….
MSRP is $549.99.
|
|
Mark hunts way more than most of us so anything he’s learning is stuff we can probably learn from. From a long Field & Stream post about his ultimately successful pursuit of that deer:
> …sometimes you have to question what you think you “know” about mature whitetails. “It’s natural to get kind of comfortable with the how and where and when of deer hunting, especially if you’ve had a little success. We settle into a comfort zone of things that work for us. But this buck took me way out of that comfort zone; all the tactics and strategizing that had worked on other bucks were nearly worthless on this deer.”
> The hunt also underlined…that big bucks are individuals, with distinct personalities and behaviors. “Normally, when a buck moves as much and as far as this one did – especially in daylight – he doesn’t live very long. When a buck has a home range that big in the Midwest, it’s almost unheard of for him to live to maturity, much less 8.5 years.”
> Finally, the hunt taught Drury…there were still plenty of surprises out there and lessons to draw from…”whitetails are our teachers, and that deer taught us so much over the years, and he beat us so many times, that when I walked up to him there was a sense of disbelief. I was so humbled and grateful and honored to even hunt a deer like that. He was the ultimate challenge.”
|
|
“There’s a different kind of a thrill being in the wild… It’s hard to describe when people like, say to me…’Why do you like hunting?’ …not just for the meat, not just because it’s difficult to do. But there’s a thing about being in the real wild, like when we’re in the mountains in UT. And you know there’s big cats out there.”
|
|
What’s the DB and who does it?
The DeerBlaster is a weekly roundup of the best, funniest, newest and most important stuff about deer hunting – culled from around the interwebz FOR DIEHARD DEER HUNTERS and blasted into your inbox.
The DB is put together by a couple deer nerds 😁 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!
|
|
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…. And follow us on Facebook and on Instagram at @deerblaster.official
|
|
Advertising Info
If you’re interested in learning more about the DeerBlaster and how we do things, just respond to this email and we’ll get in touch – thank you!
|
|
PO Box 133
Lebanon, NJ 08833
(908) 268 2258
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
