Opening Day Of Gun 11/16/2013

I am writing this post in two parts. I am starting it by remembering last years deer season. I had what I believe was a nice 11 point buck in my scope on two separate days. The first day I saw him which was getting late in the season was a running shot opportunity at around 75-80 yards. I did NOT take the shot. I tracked him with my scope running diagonally across in front of me down towards a stand of woods to my left and eventually a swampy area leading down to a local lake. The strange part is I THINK I would have brought him home with me. I felt good about the shot opportunity and YET.....I did not take the shot.

The last day I hunted, I had a second encounter with this same buck just down over the hill into the wooded area and not far from where he entered the woods earlier in the season. I heard what I thought was a buck grunting up above me a couple of times. I then second guessed myself that perhaps it was another hunter, and after a couple other grunts, remember thinking to myself, "Hey, the guy blowing the grunt call sounds pretty realistic". Immediately I then thought, "Hey, dummy.....maybe it is a real buck". I had already grunted back to him a couple of times with an electronic hand held tending grunt call, waited a while and I then pushed the snort wheeze electronic call and turned the volume up and let the snort wheeze call have a go at it.

Prior to doing that, I had stood on my feet behind the tree I was sitting down by and got my rifle ready and did the snort wheeze with one hand. I then heard another grunt closer to me and still above me on the ridge. I froze with my rifle ready to go, arm wrapped around the sling, and the 3X9X40 Bushnell turned down to 3X. I waited and waited for a while, straining my eyes for some movement and my ears for some noise or another grunt. After a while I figured I had been made and the buck had moved on and become a little wiser for my efforts. I stood the rifle against a tree, and reached down to put my back pack on and THERE HE WAS.... (OR) I should say..."There He Goes." It was the SAME buck as I had seen days before. I dropped the back pack, snatched up my rifle and tracked him in the scope. the only shot I had was up the backside straight away and I was simply NOT comfortable with it. The buck stopped running at the top of the ridge, turned his head back towards me giving me a good look at his head gear while he checked me out and then he went down over the ridge and down a steep hill of pines. Again, I had a shot and I am reasonably sure I could have made the shot from a semi-solid rest leaning against the same tree. WHY didn't I? I told myself it was late afternoon and if I didn't hit him right, I might not find him before dark. I was also hunting alone. In addition he was on the top of a steep hill of pines where I had encountered another hunter twice during the season who left his climbing tree stand in place just down the hill from the buck. Was he on stand that particular day? Turns out, NO he wasn't, however I didn't know that at the time.

That day and the first encounter with the same buck haunted me all year until July 24th when I had a quadruple heart bypass. As mentioned in another post, I had NO heart trouble symptoms, NO chest pains, no tiredness, no discomfort, and NO clue that I had (4) blocked or partially blocked arteries.

My wife indicated to me, that perhaps God spoke to me in that still small voice to "Let The Buck Go" and that I could have made the shot, however in the course of dragging the big buck out of the woods in the dark, I might very well have lost my own life in the process. By the time I would have called 911 assuming I would have been conscious and even able to make the call, and by the time they arrived with an ambulance, I might have been gone. My cardiologist told me that the very FIRST symptom for most men that they have any heart trouble is when their nose hits the ground in mid-stride and they are dead before they hit the ground. Something to THINK ABOUT anyway and I am curious what this coming Saturday will bring.

OK, I should be at Tim's place by 6:15 AM  and he likes to be in his stand on time and it takes about 15 -20 mins to walk to his stand.

Part 2: Hey its Saturday Morning, opening day of deer season in NYS /November 16, 2013.

Got by on about 4 hours sleep last night and got up to Tim's and on our stands on time. Tim took a nice 9 point buck before 8 AM. I looked for the elusive 11 point buck today, however he remained elusive. I did manage to take a nice 8 point around 2:15 PM this afternoon down below Tim's pond. I had it in my head all week to hunt down below the pond today and it paid off. I saw a total of 10 deer today, most of which were does and a couple of smaller bucks.

Tim took his 9 point from his tree stand using his Ruger Model 77 .300 Win Mag with hand loads. I shot the 8 point with Hornady 150 Grain SST out of my Savage Weather Warrior .308 Win.

Dan

Remote Big Woods Whitetail Hunting

I have always been fascinated by stories of true woodsman who pursued their bucks one on one through miles of rough terrain as found in the Adirondack Mountains of NYS, the Jackman area of Maine, certain areas of New Hampshire etc.

I have hunted the Adirondacks and several areas of the Maine woods over the years. Truth be known, my sense of direction is not one of my strong points. If I have two compasses and a decent (easy to use) GPS unit, I can do okay if I am within a mile or so of KNOWN roads, rivers, and other significant landmarks. All of the hunts I have participated in have been with outfitters and somewhat semi-guided. I take great comfort in knowing that they will come looking for me if I screw up and get lost or injured and can't walk out.

I enjoyed all of those hunts and on a couple of occasions saw some bucks that the north woods of Maine and the Adirondacks are famous for. I said, "I saw them", however I didn't bring them home with me. I have also seen a lot of moose in the wild while on several deer hunting trips to Maine. I hope to venture back to either the Adirondacks or Maine before I get too old and feeble and try again. The scenery itself is worth the cost of any trip I have been on to those areas.

Still I am fascinated to read stories about real woodsman like Hal Blood of the Jackman Maine area and Jim Massett of our own NY Adirondacks. To that list you can add Randy Flannery and R.G Bernier and dozens of others I have not mentioned.

These are guys who strike out early in the morning perhaps on freshly fallen snow and  track and pursue a particular buck until a shot opportunity presents itself. After making a successful shot, they field dress the buck and in some cases either drag that buck or throw him over their shoulders and hike back to their truck or the place where they started from. Not only are these guys woods wise and able to stay on the track of a particular buck and interpret his habits, his intended route etc. they are tough as nails. On the best day of my life, I could not have thrown a 200 pound field dressed buck over my shoulders, along with my rifle and other gear and walked a mile and in (one case I read up to 5 miles) like some of these guys have done. I have dragged a lot of bucks out of the woods on my own over the years, however I could not hold a candle to these guys.

R.G Bernier has dragged more than 25/ 200-pound plus bucks out of the woods.

Jim Massett once carried out  a hefty 8 pointer he had successfully taken near the Indian River area of the Adirondacks. He tracked and followed this buck  after 14 inches of snow had fallen the night before. He shot this deer in his bed from 15 yards away, field dressed it and hung it in a tree.
He then walked 5 miles back out to his truck and it was 3 days later before conditions were suitable for him to walk back in and retrieve his buck. He put the frozen buck on his shoulders and hiked for 5 hours before succumbing to fatigue in the middle of the night. Massett returned the next morning with his wife Ruth and carried the buck the last mile to his vehicle.

Hal blood took one of his nicest bucks and dragged it out by himself with NO snow on the ground. I have dragged enough bucks out of the woods on snow and dry ground to know that snow is a LOT easier.

I am fascinated by reading about these guys and their dedication to the hunt, their woods wise skills, and their physical strength and endurance.

A word about their rifles might be in order. Perhaps one of the most popular rifles for guys who hunt the backwoods areas is a Remington pump action model 760 or possibly 7600 in 30:06 caliber or perhaps the 30:06 or a .308 Win in semi-auto persuasion.  It swings like an extension of your arm, hits hard and is capable of a fast follow up shot on running deer.

I like deer hunting. I have been on hunts to Saskatchewan over looking 500 yard shooting lanes from a tree stand with a Ruger bolt action .300 Win Mag and I enjoyed it very much. I also enjoy still hunting through a swamp or mixed farm fields and hardwoods with my Savage Weather Warrior bolt action in .308 Win or a Marlin Model 336 in .35 Rem.

Whether your passion is hunting Texas with a Beanfield rifle capable of taking deer at 350 yards plus or stalking one on one in the great north woods with a pump action 30:06, I salute you.

Dan

Running Shots At Less Than 200 Yards

How much real world difference is there in shooting game suitable to  the .270 Win, .308 Win and 30:06 with various commonly used factory loads? Specifically in the case of running shots at whitetail deer inside of 200 yards. The Simple answer is NOT VERY MUCH. Real world practical difference is essentially none from a ballistic stand point.

NO, I AM NOT advocating anyone take running shots.  I think we should all try to become proficient in doing so at the range, however 9 times out of 10, I think we should pass on taking a running shot, UNLESS you know the deer is already hit from a previous shot.

In a table I came across from Chuck Hawks (one of my favorite writers) here are figures for all three calibers. Table shows the .270 Win with bullets weighing 130, 140 and 150 grains. In the .308 and the 30:06, showing 150, 165 and 180 grain loads.

If you look at my previous post on taking running shots, there is virtually no real world difference between the three, especially inside of (100 yards which is probably the outside distance I would be comfortable in the N/E mixed terrain with a running shot).

I guess I could never really decide before which one I liked best since until recently I owned all three calibers. I still have the .270 Win and the .308 Win. The .270 is a Ruger model 77 MKII and the .308 is a Savage Weather Warrior with the accutrigger. I no longer have the 30:06 as I simply found I didn't use it much. For me the Savage .308 has much better ergonomics and I just like the way it handles. It is also deadly accurate and easy to maneuver in tight places, and while still hunting.

Dan

Open the link below and you can find several other articles by Chuck Hawks.

Here is a link to Chuck's article and an excerpt concerning the trajectory and ballistics of the three guns:

To save space, the following abbreviations are used in the table below: Wb = Weight of bullet (in grains); MV = Muzzle Velocity (in feet per second); BC = Ballistic Coefficient; MRT = Mid-Range Trajectory; yards = yds.; inches = "; MPBR = Maximum Point Blank Range; BT = Ballistic Tip; FP = Flat Point, HP = Hollow Point; RN = Round Nose; Sp = Spitzer; SP = Spire Point; SSp = Semi-Spitzer.

Cartridge (Wb@MV)

Bullet BC

100 yds.

200 yds.

MRT@yds.

MPBR (yds.)

http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

.270 Win. (130 Sp at 3140)	.416	+2.5"	+2.4"	3"@150	305
.270 Win. (140 AB at 2950)	.496	+2.6"	+2.1"	3"@140	293
.270 Win. (150 Sp at 2900)	.481	+2.6"	+2.0"	3"@138	287
.308 Win. (150 BT at 2800) .435 +2.7" +1.7" 3"@135 275 .308 Win. (165 Sp at 2700) .410 +2.7" +1.3" 3"@130 264 .308 Win. (180 Sp at 2610) .483 +2.8" +1.2" 3"@125 259 .30-06 (150 BT at 2910) .435 +2.6" +2.0" 3"@145 287 .30-06 (165 Sp at 2800) .410 +2.7" +1.7" 3"@135 273 .30-06 (180 Sp at 2700) .483 +2.7" +1.5" 3"@125 269	.481	+2.4"	+2.6"	3"@160	320

Running Shots On Whitetails

I mentioned in an earlier post that I turned down two different opportunities on the same buck for a running shot where I hunt. The buck I believe was an 11 pointer that others had seen on the property. 

On the first opportunity I had been utilizing a "Snort Wheeze" call and then a grunt call carrying on a conversation with a buck above me on a ridge. I could not actually see the buck, however I knew approximately where he was above me. He had been grunting back at me and at one point had moved closer to me. I was even on my feet and rifle in hand when he finally broke cover and ran diagonally along the ridge behind me quartering towards a stand of pines which descended steeply down hill to an area where I have shot a few deer over the years. When he broke cover, he ran like he was late for a bus and he was in and out, in and out of trees etc. He stopped briefly for about a 2 second look back over his shoulders where I could see he had a nice rack and then he was gone down over the hill. I did not take the running shot in the mixed cover and also did not know if another unknown hunter could have entered that area and be watching the whole thing from a different advantage. In other words I was simply NOT comfortable taking that running shot. Even when he stopped at the top of the pines for a couple of seconds, probably 80 yards away, the only real shot I had was at the South end of a "caboose" on a North bound train. The gun was certainly capable as I had my Savage Weather Warrior .308 with Federal 150 grain Fusions as my deer load. At 100 yards, they will easily go at an inch or slightly under. I remember as a kid having bow hunters tell me they had taken femoral artery shots at a deer standing and facing away from them. I just was not comfortable with the shot. The other reason I did not take it, is that I knew there was a climbing tree stand just over the hill from the pines where the buck was headed. I had spoken to the hunter in his stand earlier in the season and came across his climber again on several occasions. I had NO way of knowing if he was hunting that day or not and if so exactly where he was.

The other running opportunity involved the same buck perhaps 250 -300 yards above where I saw him the first time. I was pussy footing along the edge of a wood line and looking out into an overgrown area with apple trees, small saplings, lots of golden rod etc. It was bordered on the N/E end by a hedgerow and large cornfield and on S/E side by a ravine. The buck despite my best imitation of being a quiet, keen eyed stealthy hunter....SAW me before I saw him and began to run diagonally in front of me at perhaps 60-75 yards or so down towards the corner of the property towards a nearby lake. I swung on him and followed him across and two or maybe three different times, I almost touched off the AccuTrigger equipped .308. I honestly think I could have made that shot and my background was clear. I have second guessed myself about 100 times since that day. On the other hand the snow that was on the ground earlier in the week had melted and he was heading into some really thick cover where my son Jeremy has taken several of his deer in recent years. The thought occurred to me if my lead was wrong and I ended up gut shooting this magnificent animal, it would always haunt me. I didn't like the idea of this animal ending up under the low hanging branches of a pine tree with coyotes feeding on prime venison.

The purpose of this post is to take a look at whether or not we should be taking running shots. I am going to post an interesting article concerning this along with some ballistic tables indicating velocity, distance, how many feet to lead a running animal etc. The article is based on a 30:06 using 165 grain bullets. Under 100 yards, the .308 Win and the 30:06 are two peas in a pod so to speak as far as bullet weights, velocity and therefore how much lead to take etc.

In years gone by, some clubs used to set up running deer simulated practice by having  a life size deer target pass across a 50 yard opening with proper backstops and supervision and give hunters an opportunity to take off hand shots at the cardboard running deer target. I believe the ballistic tables etc. are very helpful, however there is NO substitute for actually simulating a life size running deer to practice on.

Dan

Here is the LINK:

http://www.udarrell.com/30-06_springfield_165.html

Whitetail Calls I Have Used

I have had some limited success with trying to call deer over the years. When the various scents and calls work, it is like magic, however more often than not for me they have not paid off. YET, I seldom head out hunting without them.

I usually carry two separate grunt calls, one from Roger Raglin and a separate one from MAD calls. I also have a lost fawn distress call from MAD calls and I usually have the BIG CAN bleat call with me along with a rattling bag. Years ago I tried carrying either the antlers from a previous buck I had killed or a BIG pair of synthetic antlers (spray painted orange) so as to reduce my chances of getting shot. The full size antlers were just too much to carry as I like to move around and try different spots during a hunt and they were simply awkward to carry. I usually pack an inexpensive and fairly realistic battery operated recording call from Cass Creek which has a buck grunt, snort/wheeze, tending grunt, lost fawn and rattling antler choices at the press of a button along with a volume control.

I have called in bucks that were walking away in the distance with a grunt call and have had some success during the rut with the BIG can estrous doe bleat. I have also tried about every deer scent on the market at one time or another and have had very limited verifiable success with any of them. I have tried Deer Sense smoke sticks, Pete Rickard's various concoctions, Doe Pee, Buck Bomb Spray Can, Tinks 69, Code Blue, Hunter's Specialties  and dozens of others. I have actually had the best verifiable luck using Tinks 69. and Buck Bomb. I simply don't spend as much money each season on scents since I retired. I think the buck/doe ratio plays a role in how effective scents are and that applies to rattling and calling also. I went to a seminar once where the speaker liked to use vanilla extract as a curiosity scent. I personally LIKE the smell of it myself and have used a couple of drops on my hat or coat and sometimes put some on a cotton ball or a torn strip of cloth hanging on a branch etc. Does the vanilla really work ? ..... I am NOT really sure, however as I indicated, it amuses me and makes me think I am adding curiosity to the mix. I have never had a time when a buck smelled it, snorted and took off the other way, so I keep using it.

I tend to think 90% of it is playing the wind right, (I always carry a little bottle of wind checker powder with me) and spray down my clothing with one of the 99% sprays. Making yourself as invisible as you can and staying quiet and limiting movement also plays a role.  If you are hidden and using a good pair of Binos to hopefully see and identify deer before they see you, your odds improve dramatically. Look for pieces of a deer and not necessarily the whole animal. I was taught to look for horizontal lines (a deer's back line) in an otherwise vertical world (a woods full of trees). Also look for a twitching ear, or slight movement of the head etc. Pay particular attention to a brush pile or deadfall that might reveal a big buck hiding in the branches. Practicing until you are proficient with your bow, or rifle or shotgun, muzzle loader etc. gives you confidence when it is time to make the shot.

Truth be known however, I have killed as many deer over the years still hunting (pussy footing along, stopping, looking, listening) as I have sitting still. I have a real problem with heights, so for the most part I stay out of tree stands. I have no doubt that I could have probably killed more bucks from a tree stand than I have off the ground, but I am afraid I would spend most of my time hanging onto the tree.

The time of year plays a big role and from experience the last two weeks of October and the first couple of weeks of November  ( at least in NYS) are probably the best time to use scents and calls. I killed my biggest buck ever on Thanksgiving day a few years ago with a Ruger 77/50 muzzle loader.  I also try and pay attention to the various hunting mags as they set their annual "Best Days Of The Rut" articles.

I would be interested in hearing from other hunters what sort of calls, and scents they have used with a degree of success.

Dan

Tim's 8 Point Buck Taken With An Oneida Eagle Bow

I wanted to do a post on my younger brother Tim and the nice 8 point he got with the bow on October 20th around 6:10PM EST. The buck was taken in Madison County in NYS.

In Tim's own words, here is a little background on the deer and his equipment:

Dan wanted me to write a bit about my little 8-point buck I took with my old bow this year.
The bow is a "Strike Eagle" by Oneida Eagle and is about a 1992 vintage so around 20 years old. Oneida bows were made in Syracuse back in the day. I believe it since has been sold and moved out of state. The bow was considered very fast 20 years ago at around 210 fps. Pretty slow by today’s standards. I chose it because I liked the idea it was made locally and in the USA. Also the fact that it had no cables in the way.
 I shot it instinctively with fingers and no sight for many years since it was "so fast" but unfortunately old age and failing eyesight has persuaded me to go back to a sight and release. In fact I think it might be getting time to upgrade to a newer bow. I had the Eagle turned down to a 50lb draw weight at the time as my left elbow was giving me some trouble. I normally have it set at a 60lb draw weight. The arrows are carbon fiber "Blackhawk Vapors" with Muzzy 100 grain 3-blade broadheads. Arrows are 28” in length and weigh about 450 grains including broadhead.
The buck was harvested Oct 20, 2012 about 6:10 PM after watching him for about 10 minutes. I had to wait for him to get into range and clear of some tree limbs.  He came out late in the afternoon to feed in my field of sunflowers. Sunset was at 6:13 PM that day so not much time left. The shot was taken at about 25 yds. broadside from my brother’s ladder stand that I had set up on the edge of my field. The arrow got both lungs but I did not get a pass through shot. Suspect that was due to the low draw weight at the time and perhaps my broadheads were not as sharp as they should have been. Dan lectured me about that. Still he only traveled a total of 50 to 60 yds. leaving a very good blood trail. I didn’t start trailing him for about an hour and found him after dark only 25 to 30 yds. from where I had last seen him stumbling. He probably weighed about 150 lbs.
That all happened a couple weeks ago. I had venison tenderloin for dinner tonight. Sunflowers apparently make a tasty deer! They certainly ate enough of them!
Tim

Below is a picture of the buck taken the next day and an original ad for the “Strike Eagle”.

This would be a great place to point out one of the major differences between my brother Tim and I. Tim is a GENIUS. He must have been born with talent I never possessed. He can build a house from scratch,  frame it, do the plumbing, do the wiring etc. He can disassemble a truck or car, fix what is wrong with it and put it back together and it actually works. (I always have parts left over no matter what I take apart and put back together)  My only talent is after years of trial and error, I am smart enough to know "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and if it is broke take it to someone who knows how to fix it.  Tim also has his own website, entitled, "Tim the Toolman Wafer". IF you are into old tractors, trucks, farm equipment, aviation or ATV's etc. you will enjoy Tim's site. Even if you are NOT, you will still enjoy his website.  Like I said, he is a very talented guy.

Dan

Here is the LINK to his site:

http://www.timwafer.com/index.html

EXCERPT:

Tim the Toolman Wafer

---

My Collection I enjoy restoring old and unusual equipment and vehicles and also enjoy flying Radio Controlled Aircraft. Included below is a page describing the restoration of a 1939 Farmall F-14 tractor. My current project is a 1951 Farmall H and I just added a page devoted to that. Future projects include a 1969 SkyTrak forklift, a 1954 Tucker Sno-Cat, a 1941 Caterpillar D2 and several unusual ATV's. A Passé Par Tout, Alsport Tracker and a Max IV. The PPT and Max are both in good shape right now but the Tracker is also undergoing a full restoration but is currently on hold. I have added some pages detailing the restoration projects on several of the vehicles. I will be adding pages for each machine as time permits. Thanks for visiting and check back for further updates!

MORE RUT Dates To Look At

Been reading all the outdoor mags and thought I would post some additional "Best Days To Be In The Woods" info.

• November 2nd (Friday) / just past the full moon
• November 6th  / Transition from seeking to chasing phase
• November 10th / Dominant buck probably have already bred at least one done / rut in full swing, HIGH deer activity period
• November 19th / (GUN in southern tier of NYS opens on the 17th which is a Saturday) 19th is a MONDAY with a Mid Day moon rising / bucks still searching for does
• December 9th - secondary rut, follow the does, watch food sources

Again, my sage advice, HUNT any and every day you can from beginning of bow till the end of ML season. May you and yours have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving and hope you get a BIG BUCK if that is your goal this year.

Dan

Posted below are excerpts from the DEC season dates for big game hunting in NYS.

Deer and Bear Hunting Seasons

See Future Big Game Season Dates to plan for future hunting seasons.
A summary of 2012-13 hunting seasons (PDF, 433 kB) is available to print or download.

Deer Hunting Seasons

See Rifle, Shotgun, and Bow Areas for where these implements are allowed during the regular deer seasons.

New Youth Firearms Deer Season over Columbus Day weekend in 2012.

Click image to purchase a license

2012 Deer Hunting Season Dates

Area	Bowhunting	Regular Season	Muzzleloading	Special Firearms Season
Northern Zone	Sept. 27 - Oct. 19 Dec. 3 - Dec. 9 (WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6H, 6G only)	Oct. 20 - Dec. 2	Oct. 13 - Oct. 19 Dec. 3 - Dec. 9 (WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6H, 6G only)
Southern Zone	Oct. 1 - Nov. 16 Dec. 10 - Dec. 18	Nov. 17 - Dec. 9	Dec. 10 - Dec. 18 (except WMUs 1C, 3S, 4J and 8C)
Westchester County (WMU 3S)	same as Regular Season	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only)
Suffolk County (WMU 1C)	same as Regular Season	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only)		Jan. 7 - Jan. 31, 2013 (Weekdays only; Special permit required)

Antler Restriction Program

An antler restriction is in place to reduce harvest of young bucks in a portion of the Catskills in southeastern New York. The antler restriction REQUIRES that bucks taken in the antler restriction units have at least one antler with 3 points (or more) which are at least one inch long. This restriction applies to the archery, regular and muzzleloading seasons. Hunters aged 12-16 years are exempt from this restriction. For more information see Antler Restrictions in New York.

Black Bear Hunting Seasons

Early Season bear hunters in the Northern Bear Hunting Area (Adirondacks) may use a bow (with appropriate bowhunting eligibility), muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, rifle or crossbow. For legal implements in other bear seasons, please see Rifle, Shotgun, and Bow Areas.

2012 Bear Hunting Season Dates

Area	Early	Bowhunting	Regular	Muzzleloading
Northern (yellow shaded)	Sept. 15 - Oct. 12	Sept. 27 - Oct. 19	Oct. 20 - Dec. 2	Oct. 13 - Oct. 19
Southern (orange shaded)		Oct. 1 - Nov. 16 Dec. 10 - Dec. 18	Nov. 17 - Dec. 9	Dec. 10 - Dec. 18
Westchester County (lt. blue shaded)		Same as Regular Season	Oct. 1 - Dec. 31 (bowhunting only)

Become a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator

1. First, report your bear harvest.
2. Second, submit a premolar tooth from the bear for DEC to determine the bear's age. and then,
3. You will receive a commemorative patch as a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator.

See Black Bear Tooth Collection for instructions and more information about becoming a NYS Black Bear Management Cooperator.

Wind, Electromagnetic Field and Whitetail Hunting

I have been hunting whitetails since I was 16 years old in NYS. Some of my fondest memories of my life involved whitetail hunting. That includes the ones I took home with me and the ones that got away. The biggest thing I think I have learned is that technology and knowledge keep improving as the years go by. Between wildlife biologists, an organization called "Stump Sitters", Deer and Deer hunting Magazine, the explosion of deer hunting magazines and articles, Cable and Satellite TV shows about deer hunting etc., .......we have LEARNED a lot and been exposed to a lot of info over the years. KUDOS to Roger Raglin (ONE of my favorites) and his BKS (Best Kept Secrets) video hunting series over the years.


Back on 10/10/2011, I did a BLOG POST on the Whitetails uncanny ability to detect danger with his nose. In that post I mentioned that the whitetails NOSE works best when:

• Humidity is between 20-80%
• Temperature is 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit
• Wind is steady at 5 to 15 MPH
• Whitetails nose is 7 inches long (vs.) 2 inches for a human
• Whitetails nose has 6 to 8 cubic inches (vs.) 1.5 inches for a human
• Whitetails nose has 150 million scent receptors (vs.) 5 million for humans

(NEW estimates are that a whitetail under the right weather conditions can smell between 100 times to 500 times better than a human can).


I indicated that whitetails can smell food under up to 1.5 feet of snow and in verified tests, a whitetail buck smelled a single corn cob under 1 foot of snow from 5 feet away.

IN a different POST on 6/29/2010, I touched on the SIXTH SENSE FACTOR dealing with new information that even when the wind is in your face so the deer CAN'T  smell you, and you are completely CONCEALED OR CAMOUFLAGED so he can't see you, the big buck sometimes stops dead in his tracks, spins around and is gone in a flash. RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS BECAUSE OF AN "ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD"  that the deer is able to sense. This is something that your scent free clothing, carbonated suits, all purpose camo and even playing the wind right simply cannot defeat. I suspect that as a buck matures, this sense is more pronounced. In other words that spike horn or crotch horn, six point etc. might see you, catch a whiff of your scent etc. and not totally spook, however that 10 point or 12 point 3 1/2 to 5 year old buck is more likely to whirl on a dime at the first sensory inherent mechanism that spells DANGER. Sometimes we as humans get a feeling someone is watching us, and the hair on the back of our neck might stand up and although we do not have any evidence that anything is wrong, we SENSE something is wrong. Our 6th sense so to speak is not anywhere near as developed or effective as a whitetails.

I have said all of that, to SAY THIS:

Recently I have read different articles on doping the wind, barometric pressure etc. to up the odds in our favor while hunting deer. This is some of what I found out:

• Prevailing wind across the USA is  from the south-west
• Wind is created when air moves from a HIGH-pressure system  to a low pressure system
• Wind changes direction when the prevailing wind collides with a high or low pressure system
• Average Barometric pressure is 29.92
• Therefore if pressure is in the 30's you have HIGH pressure and LOW pressure would be less than 29.92 (under 29.60)
• HUNT if you can low pressure systems when the barometer is dropping as low pressure normally brings (BAD weather - I.E. rain, sleet, etc. making it more difficult for a whitetails NOSE to detect you.)
• LOW pressure systems can also produce cold or warm fronts and cause the wind to change directions several times.
• When the barometer is dropping hunt swamps, or other thick cover which are normally found in lower elevations which reduce the effects on wind direction.

Lakes or larger bodies of water can also affect wind direction. When the water is 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the air temperature it can CHANGE wind direction near a lake. I do a fair amount of hunting near a lake so I found this interesting. The wind direction near a lake is often different than the weatherman might predict. Often I find the prevailing wind where I hunt to be from north to south west (At least thus far this year's bow season).

It is all fascinating stuff and explains why most of the time the odds are in the whitetails favor. He can small better than we can, hear better than we can, see better than we can, run faster than we can and change direction in mid stride.

I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. If hunting wasn't challenging, most of us would have quit a long time ago. Like I said, I remember the ones that got away just as much as the ones I took home with me.

Now that you are armed with that information, get to the range with your favorite bow, rifle or shotgun, muzzle loader etc. and make sure they are sighted in before you hunt.

This year's opening day, I am in a nostalgic mode and will be carrying my Marlin model 336 lever action with a Simmons Pro Diamond illuminated reticle and stuffed with Hornady's Lever evolution 200 grain loads. It just happens to shoot better than some of my bolt actions and when sighted in properly it shoots under 2 inches at 200 yards and drops only 5 and 1/2 inches. My son is coming home for Tksgiving week and will be toting my Ruger Model 77 MKII .270 with Federal 150 grain Power Shoks. We will keep my Savage Weather Warrior .308 Win in the vehicle for back up if something goes wrong with one of the rifles or a scope.

Dan

KEY RUT DATES

I came across an old deer hunting rut date graph for NYS that I thought I would post some dates  from here. I know all the top hunting rags come out with the best days to be in the wood's graphs every year, however I have found that those same dates or very close to it seem to pop up every year. I STILL read all those articles and TRY to plan my hunting days around them if I can.

These dates are from a bow hunting course I took in Cortland, NY over 20 years ago.

First interesting statistic which doesn't change much is that approximately 63% of the does are bred between the 10th of November and the 30th of November. I have always felt those were great days to be in the woods anyway and they co-orespond with the last week or so of bow hunting and the first week  or two of gun anyway.

Sept 7th on the graph is dated / Velvet Shed
October 18th as / False Rut
November 15th as / Peak Rut
December 13th as / Secondary Rut

Hot dates to watch scrapes listed as October 16-20th, 10/26, 27, 31st, November 3, 11, 14, 16-19th, 21 24th-26th (I don't read as much about hunting over scrapes as I used to)

Dec 1, 3, 6, 9, 11

It is safe to say that the last week and 1/2 of bow hunting has always give me more action and deer sightings than the early bow season and with gun season in the southern tier opening on 11/17 the first week and 1/2 of gun combined with a lot more hunters in the woods moving deer around just happens to fall in that time zone when 63% of the does are bred anyway.


My strategy this year is to go hunting every day I can, and keep in mind personal success days and deer pattern movements on the property I hunt combined with the best dates the deer biologists and game management folks come up with.

Good luck and good hunting.

Dan

Final Checks Before Opening Day

As mentioned I recently returned from a 5 week working ministry trip to Ireland. The jet lag and being sick the final week in Ireland took its toll on me this time. Today I think I finally have the jet lag etc. on a down hill run and got away to the gun club late this afternoon for a final check on (3) go to rifles.

I only fired exactly 2 shots out of each rifle at exactly 100 yards. Why? Because previously I already knew if they were on at 100, exactly where they shot at 150 and 200 yards respectively with my choosen loads. In other words I did my range work and home work and testing various loads etc. last summer, BEFORE the local gun club was packed with guys just beginning to do some range work for the upcoming deer season.

First up was my Marlin model 336 in  .35 Rem. This rifle shoots better than some of my bolt actions and since installing a Wild West Happy Trigger on it this summer, it shoots even better. For this gun I will hunt with Hornady's 200 grain Lever Evolution FTX ammo and knowing that when it is zeroed 1.75 inches high at 100 yards, it is only 1 inch low at 150 and 5 1/2 inches low at a measured 200 yards. 3 shot groups at 200 yards are under 2 inches. Unless I change my mind, I will use this opening day of gun season in NYS. This gun also shoots 1/2 inch three shot groups with Federal 200 grain power shocks. The Federal load DOES REQUIRE  A NEW SCOPE SETTING AND RECHECKING ZERO. Out to 150 yards, I would have no trouble making the switch. When you stretch that UNlikely but possibile shot to 200 yards, the Lever Evolution ammo take the stage.

Second up was my Savage Weather Warrior in .308 Win with accu trigger and shooting Federal 150 grain power shoks. I did make a slight 1/2 inch adjustment to the right. My Bushnell 3X10X40 Elite scope has 1/4 min clicks so two clicks right and I am good to go.

Lastly was my Marlin Model 1975 lever action 45-70 shooting Hornady's Lever Evolution ammo in 325 grain FTX persuasion. Set 2.5 inches high at 100 yards, the gun is 7 1/2 inches low at 200 yards. I did make a 3 click elevation (UP) adjustment on this gun today. That rifle also has had the benefit of a Wild West Happy Trigger installation.

I brought all three back home, and ran one solvent patch and 2 dry patches down the bore, I then wiped the outside with a very light coat of oil and put them away.

Some other tips before season:

• Check all stock and scope screws
• Make sure you cycle your choosen ammo through the rifle's action prior to your hunt and then CARRY that ammo with you on the hunt. This is more important with hand loaded ammo, however it is also a good idea with factory ammo. When the first batch of Hornady Lever Evolution ammo came out in .35 Rem there were rumours of cycling problems. I personally did NOT experience that, but it is always good to check function.
• I always tape the end of the bbl with black electrical tape. The best reason for this is if you should trip over a branch or lose your footing and shove the muzzle into the ground, you won't fill the end of the bbl with mud and debri. It will NOT change your point of impact and YES, I have tried it enough times to prove that. It also keeps rain and snow out of the end of your barrel.
• Check sling swivels and your sling and make sure it will hold during season and not come loose or break and drop your rifle off your back and onto a rock, or a log etc. IF in doubt, now is the time to purchase a NEW sling or have a gunsmith check your sling swivel studs.
• IF you are travelling on an out of state deer or bear or moose hunt etc. fire a couple of shots when you arrive in camp again to verify zero. Do this NO matter how cushioned the ride was and regardless of what sort of gun case you took with you.

Have a great hunting season and I hope you shoot the buck (or bear, or moose, or elk etc.) of your dreams.

Dan

Hunting Season 2012

I recently returned from a 5 week trip to Ireland doing ministry work there. It is good to be back in NYS and to my surprise I find that bow season in NY opens on October 1st this year. In the past for as long as I can remember it has opened on Oct 15th.

In light of that I found the Outdoor Life' annual test of compounds and Crossbows interesting this year.They tested 11 brand new compounds and 11 new crossbows this time around and I have always gravitated to their test for any bow purchases at least as a starting point. I think they do a great job and are very thorough and very honest with no partiality.

Their top pick for compounds this year was the new Hoyt Vector 32 with a **** rating. The cam and a half bow tested at 326.8 fps velocity and also registered as the quietest bow of the annual test. The bow is easy to look it with classic Hoyt styling and the grip earned unanimous praise from all the testers. Hand shock and vibration were very low. The bow is NOT cheap at $950 suggested retail, however quality never is.

(4) bows came in with *** 1/2 rating ranging in price from $839 for the Strother Wrath model to $999 for the BowTech Insanity CPX model. Two others in this class were the Matthews Heli-M at $959 and the PSE EVO7 at $849.

The Outdoor Life's Great Buy sticker belongs to the Mission RIOT this year at $399. The bow is QUIET, however it does apparently shake a little with 47.31m/s2 of vibration. It has a 7 inch brace height and lots of adjustability.

Based on OL bow test from a few years ago I purchased their best by rated bow for that year and still own and shoot my Bear INSTINCT and have never looked back. I simply do not shoot enough to warrant a new bow every year and being retired cannot afford the latest and greatest equipment every year.

I do appreciate the staff and the testing methods at Outdoor Life and certainly would look hard at their ratings if I were in the market for a new compound.

I glanced at the CrossBow tests, however until NYS sees fit to allow crossbows during our regular archery only season, I will have to pass on the crossbow fever.

The editors choice for the 11 crossbows tested was the Stryker Strykezone 380 which earned **** award and lists at $749.00. Arrow speed is rated at 375.2fps delivering 119 ft-lb of kinetic energy at 20 yards (KE/20) and 10.6 inches of drop at 40 yards. The bow weighs 8 pounds and surprisingly has a creamy smooth trigger which trips at only 2 lbs 13.1 ounces. It is rated as a quiet bow with low vibration. This is a bow you want to look at if you are in the market for a crossbow.

After getting home two days ago, I made the trip already to Wally World locally and purchased the Super Sportsman's hunting license which includes my bow stamp, muzzle loader stamp and two doe tags for $98.00.

I did a lot of walking and 1600 push ups while in Ireland to help get myself in shape for this year's hunting season. I am LOOKING forward to it and I always will. There is hardly a day all year that I am not practicing with the rifle, or ML or bow or at least reading about the planning for next years hunt. I guess like many of you, it is in my blood and I try to stay in shape enough to climb those hills and be able to hunt every year.

Good luck and good hunting.

Dan

Lever Action Choices For Deer or Bear

I like Lever Action guns. I always have, partly I guess because I grew up watching Chuck Connors in the Rifleman series. In addition I loved  shows like Wanted Dead or Alive starring Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, and who can forget "The Duke" standing there holding his Winchester.

At one time I owned a Winchester model 94 top ejecting 30-30 with the original open sights on it. Alas, it was another one of my regrets letting that rifle go. Early on I fell in love with the Marlin series of lever action rifles and at one time had a mdl 336 with a peep sight on it which carried easily and shot very well.

At present there are two lever guns in my stable and both are Marlins. One is a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem and the other is a Marlin Model 1895 in 45-70. Both have had Wild West Happy Triggers installed and both wear variable scopes. Both guns also like Hornady LeveRevolution ammo.

I wanted to do a review of what is available from Hornady in calibers from .30-30 to .450 Marlin in the LeveRevolution line up:

Caliber   /    Standard Factory Loads   /   LeveRevolution Loads
                    Bullet Weight/ FPS              Bullet Weight/ FPS

30:30 Win       170            2,200                       160          2,400
.35 Rem           200            2,080                       200         2,225 
.444 Marlin     240            2,330                       265          2.325
.45-70             300            1,880                       325          2,050
.450 Marlin     350            2,100                       325          2,225

Velocity Gains:

In the .30-30 we have a bullet 10 grains lighter than the factory load moving out 200fps faster. The .35 Rem retains the same 200 grain bullet weight and also moves out about 145fps faster. The .444 marlin jumps in weight from 240 grains to 265 grains and loses only 5fps over the 240 grainer. The 45-70 again jumps from 300 grains to 325 grains and picks up 170fps. The .450 Marlin drops 25 grains in weight and ups the speed by 125fps.

Keep in mind the unique spitzer pointed bullet with the special polymer tip maintains velocity longer and delivers more energy on down range targets.

What about the integrity of the bullet itself?

Quote from one of my PREVIOUS POSTS follows: SEE JULY 8TH, 2010

"My particular rifle shoots some very tiny groups with the 325 grain FTX Leverevolution ammo. I also recently did the water jug tests on this load, except this time I moved the jugs out to a measured 25 yards (instead of the 20 feet or so I usually conduct testing at). I thought this would be a reasonable distance between a baited bear bait site and a ladder stand in the N/E, specifically in Maine.

As mentioned the FTX bullet blew apart (4) one gallon jugs of water and landed neatly resting on the 2X4 in front of the 5th jug. From a penetration standpoint, this was the equal of the BB 405 grain Expander load recommended by Tim Sundle's for bear hunting. Tim indicates it is designed for 2 1/2 feet of penetration in flesh with tremendous expansion qualities. Their 350 JFN (the penetrator) is designed to go 4 feet in flesh and is rated for game up to 2500 pounds, which certainly includes anything I am ever likely to hunt.

My one shot test in water jugs of the Leverevolution 325 grain FTX bullet duplicated the 4 jugs blow apart along with the BB 405 grain JFN, however the FTX bullet mushroomed nicely and HELD together intact."


I have had several sub minute of angle 100 yards groups with both the .35 Rem and the .45-70 using LeveRevolution ammo. I have also read accounts of black bears going down quickly to this load in the .45-70. This is a useable load for deer out to 200 yards in BOTH guns. My own .45-70 when sighted in 2.5 inches HIGH at 100 yards is 7.5 inches low at 200 measured yards. 100 yard groups was 3/8 inch center to center. The .35 Rem was 1 and 3/4 inches high at 100 yards, dead on at 150 and just 5 and 1/2 inches low at 200 yards. Group size at 100 yards ran from one inch to about 1.5 inches.

If I were going after BIG bear with the .45-70, I would likely use heavier loads from either Buffalo Bore such as their 350 grain penetrator load or one of the Garrett Hammer Head  loads. For whitetails and black bear over bait, I feel the LeveRevolution loads will do the job and their inherent accuracy makes bullet placement easy. Combined with the Wild West Happy Trigger and a decent rest, both of these guns shoot as well under 150 yards as any bolt action rig in my safe.

Dan

Getting The .35 Rem Ready For This Fall

Spent a little time at the range today with my Marlin Model 336 .35 Rem. Last year I had it sighted in with the Hornady 200 Grain FTX LeverEvolution ammunition. Unfortunately I am currently out of that ammo, however I found a box and 1/2 of Federal 200 grain Power Shok round nose SP ammo which had previously shot very well. The gun club range was extremely wet today from several days of rain, so I did all my shooting at 75 yards. The Federal ammo was impacting about 4 1/2 inches high at 75 yards and shooting slightly to the left of point of aim.

The Marlin is equipped with a Simmons 1.5X5X32 lighted Diamond reticle scope with 1/2 min clicks. I brought the impact down to 1 3/4 inches high at 75 yards and over compensated by adjusting 2 clicks to the right instead of (1) and ended up shooting a 3/4 inch three shot group with the Federal Power Shoks.

Based on familiarity with the scope during several range sessions I moved the windage adjustment 1 click or 1/2 inch back to the left. The gun is now ready out to and a little beyond 150 yards, which incorporates 100% of my terrain when carrying this particular gun.

The gun is a joy to carry and recoil is mild. The Wild West Happy Trigger I had installed last fall makes getting tight groups a lot easier.

See the photos below.

Dan

IF I owned Only (4) Rifles What Would they Be?

I know the only 3 rifles to hunt the world or 4, or 5,  or, 7 etc. has been done numerous times. Fortunately in this country, we are not forced into that situation YET. Be sure to vote responsibly in November to protect your second amendment rights.

If I could only own four rifles  what would they be? I will keep it sensible and NOT include African game. I will be 65 in October and have never been to Africa even though I dreamed of hunting there as a kid growing up. I still have a dream of taking a brown bear someday, God willing and the creek don't rise. Right now it is simply not financially in the cards for me, however I hang onto the possibility of someday.

I mainly hunt whitetail deer, and the majority of those have been taken with an Ithaca 12 GA shotgun, or a muzzle loader prior to NYS opening most counties to rifle hunting in the last 5 or 6 years. I have taken one moose in New Foundland (with the Ruger .300 Win Mag)  and have been on three baited black bear hunts, plus several unsuccessful early bear hunts in the Adirondacks of NYS. My favorite hunting as a farm kid was limited to 99% woodchucks (I loved growing up during the 50's and 60's before the world went nuts and you could use kids and guns in the same sentence and we had never heard of "Political Correctness", and the chucks were very plentiful in those days. I do not see as many since coyotes became so numerous. I have been on a few whitetail hunts in Maine and only once had an opportunity to take a crotch horn buck on the last afternoon of a week long hunt. I let him walk. One other Maine hunt did give me a short glance at a beautiful monster buck, however I simply could not get on him fast enough to make a high percentage shot.  My brother and I had a wonderful whitetail trip in Saskatchewan a few years ago and I passed passed up several bucks.

That being said, and going forward hunting mostly woodchucks, whitetail deer and possibly black bear and holding out for a brown bear, this is what I would pick if doing it over:

First the discussion assume rifle #5 for plinking and a fun gun in the form of a Ruger 10/22. See I am breaking the rules already, cause you just gotta have a .22.

My FIRST of four choices would probably be a bolt action .223 with a 4X12X40 scope on board. The .22-250, the .204 Ruger etc. shoot flatter, the various .17 HMR's, .17 Hornets etc. are fun,  however ammo for the .223 can be had at a bargain in a lot of outlets. The .223 would do everything I wanted it to in the fields of NYS out to 300 yards or so. It is deadly on coyotes, big woodchucks, and inexpensive to shoot, and one can see impact of the bullet through your own scope without a spotter.

MY second choice would be my Savage bolt action Weather Warrior in .308 Win. It handles like a dream, is deadly accurate and .308 ammo is likewise very available. It is an ideal caliber for hunting NYS farm fields and combined woodlots and also the big woods of Maine. It could easily be my deer and black bear rifle with the right loads and also to take wild boar if I ever get the opportunity to do that.

I would keep my Marlin Model 1895 45-70 as I dearly love that rifle and sometimes just want to carry a lever action. With the right loads it makes a 200 yard whitetail gun (Hornady LeverEvolution loads), and with the Buffalo Bore 350 grain penetrator or similar loads from CorBon, Garrett Cartridges and others is capable of taking anything on the planet with the right loads.

My last choice would be to get my Ruger Model 77 .300 mag back if I could. I let it go a few years ago and have always regretted it. It had a professional trigger job, a top notch scope on it and a muzzle brake. With 180 grain bullets it was very accurate and if going to Alaska to hunt brown bear, would be the gun I would take with me. I normally would favor a heavier caliber gun, however knowing the Alaskan brown bear hunt would be a one time event and knowing that a LOT of brown bears have fallen to the .300 Win Mag, IF I had the rifle still I would take it with me. In part that is because my only opportunity on the last day of the hunt could come down to a 175-200 yard shot and I know the .300 Mag would do its part IF I did mine. Also it is a perfect gun for a second opportunity on the prairies of Saskatchewan or other Canadian provinces for whitetails.

Check with me tomorrow and I might change my mind. Fortunately right now, I still have the freedom to keep what I have or sell or trade on of my existing guns for something I might like better.

Dan

"Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift from God? Thomas Jefferson

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government."

Patrick Henry

.270 Winchester Revisted / Ruger Model 77 Mark II

My son Jeremy is coming home this fall during our NY whitetail season, perhaps catching the last week of bow season and the beginning of gun season. Today I thought I would do a little range work with the Ruger .270 which I believe is his favorite rifle. He has taken two deer with that rifle two years ago including a 146 7/8 buck that made NYS's Big Buck club. During that hunt he used Federal's 150 grain Hi Shok round nose ammo. The Ruger likes Federal ammunition better than any other brand based on many range sessions. The gun also shoots 150 grain loads better than most 130 grain loads. The exception to that was the best group ever fired with this gun at 200 yards which was the now DISCONTINUED 130 grain Federal Hi Shok loads.

For preparation for the hunt two years ago, I shot groups at 100 yards as follows:


Federal 150 grain round nose Hi Shoks (NO longer made) 1.5 inch 3 shot group / 100 yards
Federal 130 grain Hi Shoks (NO longer made) 1.25" group / 100 yards
Federal 150 grain Power Shoks round nose 1.75" / 100 yards
Remington 150 grain round nose core lokts 1.00" / 100 yards

I repeated my procedure for checking stock screws in the same manner as my last range test with the Ruger .338 Federal hawkeye by removing the barreled action from the stock and tightening the FRONT screw very tight FIRST to pull the action down into the stock. I then tightened the rear screws a little at a time until they were both tight.

Today's range session consisted of 130 grain Remington core lokts which shot dismal groups at 100 yards and beyond. The Winchester 150 grain power point round nose load shot around 1 3/4 inches at 150 yards. The Winchester 150 grain Partition Gold loads shot a slightly smaller group than the power points.

Today's hands down winner was the Federal 150 grain Power Shok round nose loads. I fired two groups with this particular load at 75 yards and both groups were in a tight cluster . The first group was 1/2 inch center to center/BOTTOM picture and the second group (TOP photo) was AFTER 3 clicks LEFT and 1 click UP and measured 3/4 inch center to center. I will hunt deer with that type of performance any day of the week.

I then cleaned the gun and have put it away for this fall for my son. Jeremy IF you end up reading this make a note and put it in your wallet that IF you purchase any ammo for this fall's hunt, make sure  it is Federal 150 grain power shok round nose loads.

This gun is a tack driver with this load and previous tests have been out to 150 yards and beyond. I tend to sight my rifles in for the area being hunted and since the majority of shots are well under 150 yards, I do not go the usual recommended 3 inches high at 100 yards which would enable one to make 300 yards shots. We normally hunt a mixed terrain of crop fields and eastern farm wood lots.

Here are the photos of the rifle, ammo and targets from today's range session. Again if you own a Ruger and it doesn't shoot well for you be sure to check out my recent post on tightening stock screws and play the Ruger authorized assembly video and then try another range session with your Ruger bolt action rifle. Like any rifle your gun may like different loads than mine as most rifles are a "Law Unto Themselves In That Regard", however if you don't  tighten the Ruger stock screws correctly, you could burn a lot of ammo and never be happy with your groups.

Dan

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams

The Magic High Shoulder Shot For Deer

This article is about using RIFLES OR SHOTGUNS OR MUZZLE LOADERS and NOT about bow hunting. The magic high shoulder shot should be avoided when bow hunting.

Do you hunt on small farms or parcels of land that are bordered by land you cannot hunt on? Is the land that surrounds your hunting area posted? If so, you may want to consider the "High Shoulder Shot" as a means to drop deer in their tracks. Many years ago, I came across an article in one of the popular hunting magazines and I do NOT recall whether it was Field and Stream, or Outdoor Life or something else. It was an article written by a hunter who had had great success in dropping deer in their tracks with the HIGH shoulder shot.

I recently found  information  to validate that thinking. Following is an excerpt from an article by David Petzal of Field and Stream magazine on taking the shoulder shot.









                          
Dan

Excerpt:

October 09, 2009

Petzal: The "Infallible" Shoulder Shot

A few weeks ago a friend of mine went out West with a .338 and collected both a nice elk and a mule deer, and while the elk succumbed without a struggle, the muley made a point with his passing. The critter was shot in the shoulder, downhill, at 265 yards with a 225-grain Barnes TSX bullet at 2,750 fps. I know all this because I loaded the ammo myself.
Rather than dropping like a stone because his shoulder was smashed and his innards were pureed, as indeed they were, the mule deer did his level best to get away and required three more shots to convince him that it was time to call it quits.
None of this is detracts from the .338, or the Barnes TSX, or the shoulder shot. Almost always, when a critter is struck there and the bullet does its job, the beast goes down right away or within a few steps. The shoulder shot is the way to go if you have a bullet that will break bone reliably and if you are shooting something big that may object to the proceedings.
The lesson you can take from this incident is that shot placement is an inexact science; it’s a matter of going with the percentages. There are no guarantees handed out. Whenever you shoot, always be ready with an immediate second shot. Or a third. Sometimes, no matter how hard you hit them, they just don’t cooperate.

TIP For Accurizing A Ruger MDL77 Mark II or Hawkeye Rifle

I LOVE Ruger rifles. I have had trigger jobs done on every Ruger I ever owned, including the NEW Hawkeye series with the improved LC6 trigger. It was improved but not good enough. I also am a big fan of the integral Ruger rings and think personally they are the best set up in the business. One less thing to worry about on an out of state or wilderness hunt. There are NO tiny base screws to come loose or sheer off if the rifle is dropped.

One tip I find makes a BIG difference is properly tightening the stock screws for best performance and accuracy.

In a nut shell, loosen all the stock screws, then TIGHTEN the front screw first, which pulls the barreled action down snugly into the stock. IF you have a torque wrench or screw driver the front screw should be tightened to 7.92 ft lbs of torque. THEN tighten the rear screws equally by alternating tension equally on each screw until both are also TIGHT. This simple procedure will normally turn your Ruger into a minute of angle or better rifle. Combined with a tuned up or replacement trigger and a decent scope most Ruger's will shoot better than you and I can.

Here is a link to a Ruger approved video on reassembling your action into the stock or simply to loosen all the screws and then start with the front screw tightening it first, then alternating turn on the rear screws to keep them even while tightening. You do NOT necessarily need a torque screw driver or wrench to accomplish this. It works.

Case in point: I took the Ruger Hawkeye .338 Federal to the range twice this week. The first time, I shot a 1 3/4 inch 2 shot group with both the 200 grain fusion and the 210 grain Nosler partition load at a measured 100 yards. BOTH the Nosler partition and Federal Fusion shoot almost identical size groups although the Partitions seem to shoot about 1.5 inches left of the Fusions for some reason at 100 yards. I knew from last summer that the gun had shot much better than 1 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards.. It was windy but I didn't think that was the problem. I took my own advice and disassembled the Ruger rifle's action from the synthetic stock and then  RE-assembled it per my own instructions and guess what:

Today I RE-zeroed the gun and shot a two shot 3/8 inch group at 25 yards and  a 3 shot 7/8 inch group at 150 yards with the 200 grain Federal Fusion load. This was a dramatic difference from a week ago. I remembered taking the barreled action out of the stock last fall after hunting season and didn't pay much attention to tightening the front stock screw first. It DOES make a difference.

The KEY to getting the best accuracy is tightening the front stock screw FIRST which pulls the barreled action down snugly into the stock s opposed to tightening the rear screws first or all three together.



Dan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KGAYS91BDk

Hope this shooting tip helps you with your Ruger rifle.

Do You Hunt "FUNNELS" When Deer hunting?

First of all, what exactly is a funnel? It is a particular feature of the landscape whether natural or man made that cause deer to tend to use those same routes on a regular basis, or use them as escape routes when the pressure is on.

A funnel can be as simple as a ravine that connects two distinct types of terrain, such as natural or man made food plot to a thicket. Years ago, I hunted a lot with a high school friend down in the Richford, NY area off route 38 South. There was a particular hedgerow that extended from route 38 south back to the railroad tracks and on the west side of the tracks several steep ravines that made their way through the hardwoods and up to another hedgerow and several farm fields. I killed a fair number of bucks over the years by sitting about 150 yards up the hill towards the crop fields every opening day.

Early morning before sunrise, my friend and I would make our way down the RR tracks and then up to our favorite stands along the hill side. The RR tracks allowed us to get close to our stands without disturbing the woods, rustling leaves or leaving a scent trail through the woods. My friend usually climbed a tree and I stayed on the ground, partially hidden and with the 12 gauge Ithaca Deerslayer cradled across my lap. 75 yards was a LONG shot in those days and I took a few bucks at less than 25 yards.

I certainly MISS those days and think of them often. I would make the 40 min ride to Richford early opening day and then my friend and I would either have breakfast at "Red's Diner" or sometimes at the Richford Fire Dept where they would have a HUGE pancake breakfast. Every year I would enter the raffle for a new Remington Mdl 870 12 gauge Pump and of course every year, I would not win.

Some of my fondest memories are of those days spent bow hunting and shotgun hunting whitetails in Richford. My friend has since retired and moved to Ohio.

Back to funnels:

A funnel or crossing area can be as simple as a barb wired fence on the property you hunt. If you walk the fence line, you will likely find a place where there are deer hairs on the barb wire. perhaps a branch has fallen over the fence, or it just sags in that place, or it is in a low spot in the terrain or a steep ravine etc. Deer are creatures of habit and left undisturbed will take the path of least resistance. If they find a place where that fence is EASY to cross, they will continue to use it if not spooked away from it.

It can and often is where a steep ravine connects an old apple orchard, or thick pines to a crop field by passing through a stand of hardwoods. It allows the deer to pass from one type of cover to a food plot, or escape up through fairly open hardwoods to connect to another hedgerow for example by allowing them to stay at least partially hidden.

IF you own the land, you can also create escape routes through thick areas (in the OFF season) that will tend to naturally funnel the deer making them more predictable. You can then set up a tree stand or ground blind that keeps you hidden while taking advantage of the prevailing winds to give you a better shot opportunity.

Deer will take advantage of any terrain feature that allows them to move Undetected. The best way to find these is with a topo map or aerial photo of your land or simply take a hike in the off season or just AFTER season ends while snow is on the ground (at least in NYS). This allows you to bust bucks out of their sanctuary's when it no longer matters. You can mark waypoints on your GPS, and plan your next year's hunt around what you have learned.

Here in NY rifle season opens where I hunt on the 19th of November. Good luck and good hunting.

Dan

Selecting A Scope For Your Shotgun Set Up For Deer hunting

Whether you hunt with a 12 gauge, 16 gauge or a 20 gauge, you should strongly consider having a low power variable scope with adequate eye relief on top of your shotgun set up for whitetails. I have been asked to recommend some AFFORDABLE RUGGED scope for use on shotguns set up for whitetails.

Following are some suggestions that won't break the bank and will work well on your shotgun:

• Nikon Prostaff 2X7X32 with BDC (bullet drop compensator) reticle, fully multi-coated lenses, and 3.8" of eye relief listed at $149.95
• Leupold 1X4X20mm with fully multi-coated optics, 3.8" to 4.3" eye relief listed at $179.
• Mueller Multi Shot 2X7X32 illuminated red dot scope with fully multi-coated lenses at $149.95. I have this scope on my TC 209/50 Muzzle loader and LOVE it. 
• Bushnell Trophy XLT1.75X4X32 Circle X reticle with fully multi-coated lenses and 4.1" eye relief $129.99
• Bushnell Banner 1.5X4X32 scope with 4.0" eye relief for $69.99
• Simmons Master series fixed power 4X32mm scope for $59.99 with 4" eye relief

 There are dozens more out there, however I can easily recommend these six scopes and all are available from Midway USA at the prices quoted at the time of this post. They are reasonably priced and hold up well to shotgun recoil.


Dan


II Corinthians 4:1-5 KJV


1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

Whitetail's Sense Of Smell / How Good Is It?

With  bow hunting season in NYS just 5 days away, I thought I would list some known facts about a deer's incredible sense of smell. Keep in mind that there is nothing exactly wrong with their sense of hearing and eyesight, or their ability to be running full tilt and change directions in a micro second. Last time I watched one, they have the ability to jump a little higher than I can manage too.

I think that of all the keen senses God built into the whitetail, it is their sense of smell that is the most important for their survival. Their sense of smell allows them to detect predators long before they can be seen or even heard. That applies to both two legged and 4 legged critters. Different studies have been conducted at whitetail research facilities indicating that deer can detect and react to scents from at least 425 yards, (probably farther under the right conditions). How many times have you tried to complete a stalk on whitetails, perhaps to cut the distance to ensure better shot placement, only to have the wind shift, and watch the white tails waving goodbye to you. I have read that the whitetails nose works best when humidity is between 20-80%. temperatures are between 40 degrees to 90 degrees and wind is in the 5-15MPH range.

Whitetails also can smell food sources under 1.5 feet of snow under the right conditions. If the snow is covered in a layer of ICE, that greatly diminishes the ability to detect odors. One study I read about indicated mature whitetails can detect a corn cob buried under a foot of snow from 5 feet away. Apples buried under the snow can be detected even farther due to their pungent odor.

Ever wondered how does can detect which fawns belong to them? Studies have proven that the fawns will  try to nurse from any available doe, however the does smell the fawns and will turn away a fawn that is not theirs.

The sense of smell also of course plays a key role in the perpetuation of the species.  The bucks nose allows him to determine if a doe is nearing or actually in estrus. This takes place because of the "vomeronasal gland" (VNO) which is a diamond shaped lump on the front of a buck's mouth. This gland has a different connection to the brain than the nasal nerves. It helps to detect and possibly control the reproductive condition of the deer while the nose's nasal receptors decipher all OTHER non-breeding odors.

Did you know:

• A whitetail buck's nose is apprx 7 inches long
• A human's nose is apprx 2 inches long
• A deer's nose has 6 to 8 cubic inches of nasal surface
• A human has about 1.5 inches
• A whitetail has apprx 150 million scent receptors
• A human has perhaps 5 million
• A deer is believed to smell 8 to 10 times better than a human

I have read that we simply do not know exactly how much better deer can smell than humans. I have seen estimates of 100 times better, however 8 to 10 times is a LOT.

In closing a whitetails nose is his best asset. With it he determines which scents are dangerous (predators), which scents are edible (food sources), the condition of an estrus doe, thereby perpetuating the species itself.
Add to that an incredible rotating, antenna like set of ears, eyes that have more rods than cones to detect movement and the ability to go from zero to top speed (estimated to be around 40MPH for short distances) almost instantly while changing directions in mid air, and it is a wonder we are as successful at hunting as we are.

I like to think I am better at it that I was 25 years ago and sometimes I realize that perhaps I am NOT. I always remember that a bad day hunting, beats a good day at work every time. As one gets older, he ceases to equate a good day hunting as one in which he or she harvest's a deer.

Someone once told me that somewhere in the bible is a scripture that says, "God does NOT subtract days spent hunting from a man's total allotted time on earth". I have never been able to actually find that passage, but I find it comforting none-the-less.

Dan