BOWHUNTING BLOGS

While walking around the Iowa Deer Classic this past weekend I spotted a few new products that may soon be stocked here on Bowhunting.com. Some of these could be very useful for us bowhunters. There are always new products at every show, some make the grade and last for years, some are never heard from again. The following are are few I think just might make it in the industry.

The Ready Arrow is a simple device that clamps to the side of your stand and holds one spare arrow at the ready. You can position it anywhere on the outside rail of your stand to make it convenient to reach if a second arrow is needed. After all, how many times do you get the opportunity to empty your quiver at a deer?  Be on the lookout for our video gear review of this product which will be posted this week.

Next are a couple of trail camera mounting systems from Prarie Manufacturing LLC. The first one screws into a tree and has a ball swivel, so you can get just the right angle you need for the camera. This could be very useful if you want to mount your camera up high out of reach of potential thieves. It will allow you angle it down at a scrape or mineral lick. Then you simply attach it to your camera and you'e done.  This is an example of a product that is simple, well made, and can be very useful to just about anyone who uses a trail camera.

The second version is designed specifically to be used on T-type fence posts. It has a round piece of aluminum with the center machined to slide over the standard T-Post shape and tightens with a screw. This model also has the ball swivel to allow for easy positioning on the target. I'm pretty sure you will soon see these in BH.com's shopping cart, as I know Todd picked up a couple at the show.

Next is the TriVane Contour Static Rest. This is a new twist to an arrow rest on a proven design. The arrow is held in place by 3 brushes, and at the shot the brushes rotate out of the way leaving zero contact with the arrow and total vane clearance. This allows you to have the best of both worlds; full containment as well as dropaway brushes for total clearance.  There are 3 models to choose from. 

Next we have 2 products from TruCarbon. One is a carbon powder in a shaker bottle that you can rub on your skin or shake in your boots and gloves. Or just sprinkle it on your clothes to absorb odors without having to buy the expensive carbon clothing.

The second is TruCarbon H2O. This product allows you make your own carbon clothing at a fraction of the cost. It is a carbon powder specially formulated to mix with water. You mix the powder in a bucket of water, soak you clothes and hang them to dry. Then place them in a scent proof container until you are ready to hunt.

Silver Scent Products has the new Laundry Ball out on the market. The all new Vanish Laundry Ball contains natural ceramics which emit negative ions weakening the adherence of soil on fabrics so that garments can easily be cleaned. Most importantly to hunters, the Vanish Laundry Ball contains antibacterial properties which eliminate organic and non-organic odors. In addition there are no UV brighteners and the life expectancy is over 1000 washes.

 

Bad River Outdoors has the Tagged Out ranging system on the market. This is simply an attachment to your bowsight housing which allows you to range your target through your bow sight. It consists of steps that you fit the deer's body into. Yardage is determined by which bracket the deer's body fits into.

Finally, for the turkey hunter we have the Strutt'n 360* Decoy Stand. This device is a remote controlled stand you mount your turkey decoy to. With the push of a button, you can add realistic movement to your strutting decoy.  Just be sure to check your local regulations first, as electronic decoys are illegal in some states.

Keep your eyes open for these and many other new products coming to Bowhunting.com's shopping cart in the near future. It will be interesting to see which of these products are around in a few years.

With our flight to Dallas cancelled due to snow and our hunting arrangements fast becoming unarranged, I began wondering if this Valentine's Day hog hunt was actually going to take place. Although things began looking up when we booked a flight into Oklahoma City, Mother Nature was not cooperating as easily as the airlines. Anyone who has ever hunted hogs, know they don't move much when it's cold and this proved to be true on my first hog hunting experience.

Our first early morning hunt took me to a snow-covered oak tree landscape far different from my hunting homeland of the Rocky Mountains. Even without seeing a single hog, experiencing a new area in such a surreal setting satisfied my need to get out of the office and into the woods. After calling it quits for the morning, we tried to catch up on sleep after a night of sighting in our bows through Dustin's living room. While we slumbered, the snow covered forest floor turned into a mud bog that would be an ideal setting for a demolition derby. As we sat in the stands that night, the feed floating in a pool of water and mud, the pigs proved again, to have found forage opportunities elsewhere.

Day 2 consisted of getting up late due to a late night dinner of barbequed dove wrapped in bacon, garnished with jalapeno slices and one too many Sprittles (Sprite, Vodka and Skittles; highly recommended). Instead of sitting the stands, Will and I walked through a creek bottom, hoping to push a hog out to Dustin and Paul. As I dropped farther back from my line up with Will due to losing a wrestling match with a pile of greenbriers, Will spotted a huge boar but was unable to get a shot. Disappointed that I hadn't even seen a hog yet, we headed back to the truck in order to get on the road to the River View Ranch, outside Ada, Oklahoma.

That afternoon we got settled into our new cabin home and soon discovered that the previous tenants had left us some beer which we gladly drank. We met up with the owner, Keith West, who took us to the skinning shed where we could sight in our bows and get acquainted with the ranch before taking us to our stands. On the ride, the sun came out for the first and only time during the whole trip. I was beginning to think the sun had simply retired from shining in Oklahoma altogether and the snow was its hired replacement. As we sat in the stand, I soon realized I wasn't the only one enjoying the break in the weather. A lonely boar decided he better get out for some feed before the snow got back from its vacation and took a drive by the feeder, only to keep on moving. Seeing this hog only fed my excitement to stick my first one.

Shortly thereafter, another lone boar decided he better get some dinner, not realizing he would soon become breakfast in the form of spicy sausage that's great for burritos. As he sucked up corn from the ground, I waited high in the tree for a good broadside shot. It didn't take long for him to give it to me and when I let my arrow fly I was stunned to see it hit the mud behind him; and not because of a pass-through. I realized my string slapped the sleeve of my jacket and in an attempt to regain my composure after the disappointing shot, I knocked another arrow. No sooner did the little boar give me another perfect opportunity, he turned away in search of more corn. I held at full draw until he turned back and this time when the arrow flew, it connected with both of his lungs. The Rage 2-Blade broadhead performed as optimal as it usually does and stuck the hog deep in the opposite shoulder. The boar run uphill about 30 yards before losing the arrow and kicking up leaves, only to lose the good fight and lay still on the forest floor. Dustin videoed the miss, the hit and my excitement, as well as some extra commentary that will likely be edited out with some good tunes.

After a little celebratory dancing in the stand, it was on for Dustin to get his hog. As we waited and the sun went down, three came in from different directions to meet the feeder. With little to no light left and the evening turning fast into night, Dustin made a perfect shot on one of the boars. When his arrow hit the pig we knew the bacon was coming home as we heard the blood running out of both the entry and exit holes. The NAP Blood Runner broadhead passed through the heart and left the hog expired less than 50 yards from the feeder.

 

When the rumble of Keith's truck came to a rolling stop down the trail, Will greeted us with a quote of a lifetime. Seeing my hog, he skipped all congratulatory speeches and simply said, "Well, get it in the truck and let's go." That was it and it was fantastic feeling like one of the guys. I stacked mine on top of Will's who was swarmed in hogs letting him be pickier as to what pork chop he chose. After we got Dustin's squealer in the truck we headed to meet Paul at his stand. Although Paul had made a good shot on one just before dark and the hog left a good blood trail, we were unable to retrieve it. The blood drops got smaller as it fled from the site of impact and eventually quit altogether. This hog appeared to have the latest version of Fix-A-Flat installed and was able to carry on farther than we were able to track him.

Keith's set up at the skinning shed allowed us to easily and conveniently skin our hogs that night and get them ready for processing. After explaining to Keith that I wanted a piglet to make a piggy bank out of he suggested that I make coin purses out of the boar's you know whats. I politely declined his suggestion through my laughter and over the hysterics it caused throughout the shed. 

Day 3 started out with fresh doughnuts hand delivered by Keith on his way to pick us up. I believe it may have been a form of apology for forgetting to put mattresses on the bunk beds. We were unable to decide if the bunks contained only a box spring or possibly a box of rocks, but it was definitely something to chuckle about in the morning as our sore backs and already exhausted bodies revolved against us. No sooner had we loosened up were we back in the stands at the River View Ranch. The clouds were right back on top of us and we didn't wait long for the snow to fall and wind to rage. Will and Paul bailed out of their stands early but Dustin and I stuck it out waiting for a pig to get hungry enough to bare the cold. As we were about to crawl down from the stand, one hog started snorting down the trail in search of food. Maybe it was the weather or the thoughts of being alone on Valentine's Day that made him lose his appetite but he never came in to the feeder and didn't stop running around long enough to present a shot. With our last shred of hope lost and time running out, we reluctantly called it quits and headed back to the ranch where Will proceeded to mock us and take "proof pictures" of our commitment to sit in the snow for a pig.

My hopes and expectations of having an incredible hunt were met whether the snow liked it or not and I had one of my most memorable Valentine's Days to date while three little piggies are headed to market. It looks as though my tradition of spending this corporate holiday with pigs is continuing on in 2010, only to be substituted with a different breed of swine and much better people.

            StringSnot is the latest product on the market designed to protect your bow string from wearing and from the elements. It has been scientifically designed to be superior to ordinary bow string waxes.

Some of the features of StringSnot are:

*Weatherlock Technology

*100% Odorless

*Reduces string flaring and feathering

*Heat Displacement Technology (HDT)

*Waterproofs compound and crossbow strings and cables

*Prolongs bow string life

*Retractable glide on container

*No clumpy, waxy buildup

*Will not freeze

*Non Flammable

*Increases bowstring speed vs. traditional waxes

*Made in USA

 

 

 

            I had the opportunity to test StringSnot out on my bow. Their slogan is “StringSnot Nothin’ Slicker”. I have to agree, I have not used anything slicker on my bowstrings. StringSnot comes in a retractable container much like chapstick. It is also about the consistency of soft chapstick. It glides on the bow string very smoothly unlike some of the stiffer waxes which clump up or need to be heated to use. It’s very easy to work into the string and cables on your bow. And once applied it leaves a smooth, even  coating of protection on the string and cable.

 

 

            StringSnot really repels the water off of my bow string. What doesn’t roll right off beads up and will not soak in. Being very soft the StringSnot works deep into the individual fibers of the string, not allowing water or dirt to penetrate.

 

            While claiming to increase bow string speed, I did not find this to be the case in my test. I started out with my Bowtech Captains string in an unwaxed, but not badly frayed condition from last hunting season. I shot 6 arrows just to get everything loosened up. I then shot 3 FMJ arrows weighing 460 grains and 3 Gold Tip arrows weighing 405 grains at 60 pounds of draw weight through a chronograph.

The speeds were:

FMJ

1. 253 fps
2. 255 fps
3. 253 fps

Gold Tip

1. 267 fps
2. 266 fps
3. 268 fps

I then lubricated my string and cable with the StringSnot. I shot a few rounds of arrows the let the snot work into the string. After shooting 24 arrows I did the crono test again.

FMJ

1. 251 fps
2. 250 fps
3. 250 fps

Gold Tip

1. 263 fps
2. 262 fps
3. 265 fps

So adding the StringSnot actually slowed my bow down a small amount. Which to me kind of made sense, after all I had added weight to my string and adding weigh will slow down your bow string. If applied to a badly frayed string it may help to increase speed as a frayed string is not very aerodynamic. Not much to worry about in a couple of fps loss.

 

            Over all I was impressed with the StringSnot, it is much easier to work into the bow string than the old stiff waxes. Water repellency is great and this stuff is slick. The company also produces ArrowSnot and RailSnot. The ArrowSnot is an arrow lubricant to ease arrow pulling and the RailSnot is a lubricant for crossbow rails.

You can now order StringSnot from Bowhunting.com  http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/String-Snot__SS-1.aspx

As the population and range of wild (feral) hogs increases across the country, bowhunters are given new opportunities to chase these animals with very liberal hunting regulations.  Hogs present excellent opportunities for spot and stalk hunts as well as hunting them from stands at a food source.  It has been my experience that hogs can be one of the most difficult animals to shoot and recover with a bow for a multitude of reasons.  The layer of fat that encompasses their body has the ability to seal up a broadhead wound in record time, the heavy bone sturcture of their shoulders protect the forward lying vitals and create a challenge for almost any broadhead on the market.  In a hog, the diaphragm which separates the heart/lung cavity from the liver, stomach and intestines sits just a couple of inches behind the shoulder.  This type of anatomy makes it difficult to make a clean heart or lung shot from the broadside position without penetrating the shoulder.  It sounds ridiculous, I know, as we're all taught from a young age to shoot a deer, elk, antelope or any other game behind the shoulder... not into it.

I've killed hogs with Slick Trick, Muzzy, Eastman Mechanicals, Montecs, Crimson Talon, and Magnus heads.  Of those broadheads, none of the mechanicals could ever be used again and several of the fixed heads met their match as well.  The second weekend in February I was able to try the NAP Blood Runner 3-Blade head that I picked up from bowhunting.com.  For a full video review on this head, you can click here.  Briefly, the Blood Runner 3-Blade 100gr. appears to be a fixed blade head with a 1" cutting diameter, upon impact the blades "open" and add another 1/2" of cutting diameter.  There is physically no way that the blades will not expand and if there was, you'd still have a 1" fixed blade head on the tip of your arrow.  As with any NAP product the blades are extremely sharp out of the package.

Valentines Day eve found me sitting in a treestand in South Central Oklahoma awaiting my first shot attempt with a Blood Runner tipped Easton Axis.  As the darkness quickly set in, fellow staff member Jessica Edd and I were in the process of calling it quits when three black hogs materialized in front of us.  I came to full draw and waited for several seconds for a shot opportunity, one sow turned broadside and I strained to make out the green glow of my 20 yard pin.  I centered the almost silhouetted pin on her shoulder and touched the release.  It was dark enough in the trees that I couldn't see my arrow impact the animal, but we could hear the arrow hit and as the animal ran past our tree we could hear the boiler room was flooding.  Seconds later we could hear the pig expire not 50 yards from the point of impact.  We gathered our gear and moved to the spot where my hog was last standing.  The arrow had passed through and there was blood where the animal stood at the shot.  From there, the most incredible blood trail I've ever witnessed led us directly to my pig.  At the time, I didn't have the foresight to use an arrow or anything else in the photo to show how wide the blood trail was but it was never less than 12" wide.

Still photo of the blood trail created by the NAP Blood Runner

Still photo taken down the blood trail.  If you look closely you can see blood spatter all the way across this photo.

We eventually hauled our pigs back to the skinning shack and I was able to do a bit of an autopsy.  The arrow entered directly in the left shoulder joint, passed through the rib cage cutting the top half of the heart and exited through the armpit and leg bone on the opposite side.  I was somewhat shocked to see the amount of bone that was contacted after seeing that my broadhead showed almost zero damage.  The only visible damage is two very small nicks on one of the three blades, small enough that any sharpening stone will do the trick.

Damage through the rib cage, notice how far forward the heart was sitting


Close up


Exit wound through the leg


You can see the "nicks" here is the lower blade


Still operates perfectly!

The NAP Blood Runner has passed one of the most difficult tests in the hunting world, with flying colors.  This is by far one of the best heads I have shot to date and I will have one in my quiver for many hunts to come. 

The Verifier Lens by Specialty Archery in my Super Ball Peep has definitely improved my shooting in the last couple of years. It was like putting reading glasses on my bow. What were big fuzzy blobs are now crisp and in focus sight pins. For all of you older bowhunters out there with eyes that just aren’t what they used to be with regard to close up vision, you need to try the Verifier Lens out. I guarantee it will help your accuracy.

The Verifier comes in 5 powers just like those reading glasses in your local pharmacy. I use the #8 lens in my peep. Hopefully your shop will have all of them so you can try all of the powers to see which one helps you the most. There is no magnification with the lens it just clears up your sight pins.

The Verifier Lens screws into the Super Ball Peep and come in either 1/8” or ¼” aperture size. When installing the lens, it’s best to put a little bow string wax on the threads before screwing it in the peep. This keeps it from backing out due to the vibration of the bow. The ¼’ is better for hunting, allowing more light to pass through for those low light shots when the big guys like to show up. For those of you who like to center their sight housing in the peep instead of a single pin, you will need a sight with a small outside diameter. The ¼” verifier works well with sights of 1 ¾” diameter and smaller.

The Super Ball Peeps come in many styles and colors, with or without tubing attachments. I’m getting the red one for my Black Ops Destroyer 340. They also come in 2 different angles, 37* for bows 40” and shorter and 45* for bows longer than 40”.

You young guys might not have a use for this product just yet, but when the time comes, just remember it can save you a lot of headaches trying to hold that big blob of a pin on target. All of us more experienced bow hunters need every advantage we can get to stay on target. And the Verifier Lens is a tool not too many people even know about. Everyone I let look through my peep is amazed at the difference it makes.

Growing up in a family who hunts and a community who gives “hunting holidays” at school, it was only natural that I would start hunting. My dad had more of a challenge than most considering he had my mom, my sister, and me to deal with but he figured it out and made successful hunters out of all of us. I attribute most of my success in this sport to him for getting my mom involved early on in their marriage (even though she too was from a hunting family) and allowing them to pass on the tradition together.  As we all well know, the word “hunting” encompasses so much more than simply stalking and killing an animal.

With the world of hunting growing larger every day, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the increase in population may be, in part, due to more females picking up weapons. It seems as though women have always been riding along in the truck with the men of their lives, but it’s only been recently that we began to see the shift of them getting out of the truck and going out on their own. For decades the men who look at hunting as something more than just “time with the guys” (and I applaud them for this) have tried to get the ladies in their lives into the world of hunting. Some of which follow and fall in love, some who end up being assistant butchers at the end of the day and some who make their “Honey Do” list just long enough to prevent hunting all together. I believe the brave huntresses of the world have been out there all along and we have just now tapped the resources of finding them. At any rate, it is something that cannot, will not, and, most importantly, should not be ignored.

After reading the blog “Big Kansas Buck Falls to the Bow” I was thrilled to read on and find it was a female who took the 200+ inch deer. However, the part about it being “not often heard of” disappointed me. Why is this true? Is it because there simply aren’t as many female hunters, or maybe we just don’t hear about their big kills, or maybe females just aren’t as good at hunting. I believe the first statement is true and the second may have some validity but the third is only something that is reasonably assumed with little to no evidence backing it up. Why wouldn’t a woman be every bit as good as “one of the guys?” I will be the first to admit that some females lack in certain physical attributes needed, but most of us give it all we’ve got.

We’re starting to see “Women Only” hunting groups as well as forums and workshops targeted specifically to the outdoorswoman. This is not because we need special training or attention; more so, we want the same companionship that comes along with an all women’s camp that accompanies the All American Men’s Deer Camps.

After several years of being uncomfortable in the field due to wearing oversized men’s clothes, I’m also starting to notice more and more women’s gear companies. The pants, jackets, gloves and boots are made specifically for women and yes, if you can believe it, we are built much different than the skinny hipped men of the world. If you’ve ever wondered why your girlfriend/wife lags behind you, have you ever thought it could be due to the crotch of her pants riding down to her knees and straps of her pack being too wide for her shoulders? We already have steep slopes, rough terrain, high elevation and the cold on our search for that bugling bull so we definitely don’t need to be fighting our gear too. Thankfully companies like, Prois, She Safari, SheHunts, and High Maintenance Camo have come along to save the day (and our cute little hineys too).

Only recently have I begun to hunt in different groups other than my family and I am starting to get a very good picture of how women are viewed in the field. Some guys simply won’t have it where others welcome women openly, but not for any reason regarding hunting (animals, that is). For the most part, however, I have found that most hunting circles enjoy having women in camp and don’t see it as a problem. I have met handfuls of wonderful people from all over the country that I have either hunted with or have hunts planned with and most of them have no biases. Until, that is, the girl in camp gets the biggest buck!

            I have the perfect solution for those bitter cold late season sits on stand. The Heater Body Suit will keep you warm no matter what the weather brings. I used mine quite a few times last season and I never got cold while I had it on down to -6*.

 

            I purchased my suit after the season ended last year, so it took me a while to give it a thorough testing. I used it this season when the weather got really cold and windy. I wore a base layer of Under Armor with an insulated Scent-Loc Liner over that and a Cabelas Fleece Outfit while walking to my stand. After I was safety strapped to the tree I put on the “booties” that come with the suit, these help keep the inside of the suit clean and also help your boots slide into the legs. Then I put the Heater Body Suit on. The suit resembles a sleeping bag with legs sewn into it, with suspenders to hold it up when you remove it to shoot. Getting cold while wearing the suit was never an issue, I was out in temps as cold as -6* with a steady wind. The windproof liner kept the cold winds out and my body heat kept the temps up inside.

 

 

            I was a little worried about hunting out of my Lone Wolf Sit and Climb while wearing the suit, but I fit down inside the arm rails just fine and didn’t feel cramped. It was fairly easy to get into the suit on the small platform too. But then again I am 6’ 3” and 180#, so I can maneuver around in tight spaces.

 

            Using it in late season with the woods wide open, I always saw the deer coming in plenty of time to get stood up and slide the suit off of my shoulders. Once the suit is off your shoulders it is no problem at all drawing your bow. In fact it’s easier than drawing with the bulky layers you would need to be wearing if it weren’t for the suit. The material is very quiet, making no noise while drawing your bow.

 

            While traveling to and from the stand the suit rolls up to about the size of a sleeping bag and has straps so you carry it like a backpack or over one shoulder.

 

            At first the zipper was a little loud, but I rubbed some wax on it and if you keep outward pressure on it as you move it it’s really pretty quiet.

 

            If you live where the temps really get down there or if you just don’t like the cold.   The Heater Body Suit will definitely keep you on stand longer. It will also make it easier to draw your bow once you slip it off of your shoulders and only have the lighter clothes on underneath. Check out their website at http://heaterbodysuit.com/ . They have a special field test opportunity going on right now on their website with a big discount if you buy one and do the field test.

Bow season is my most awaited time of each year; the winter, spring, and summer months are "passed" by predator calling, waterfowl hunting, 3D archery, fishing and turkey season. My bow season began in early September and encompassed four states in pursuit of both whitetail and mule deer.  After countless hours on stand and thousands of miles of travel, I began to feel the burnout coming on strong.  During my sits I began to get impatient and had trouble staying focused, specifically when deer movement was slow.  In an effort to salvage my mental state on stand for the rest of the season, I decided to take a break from bowhunting and work with my German Wirehaired Pointer pup appropriately named "Hoyt."  We had the opportunity to hunt pheasants, quail, chukars, ducks and geese in Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma... so far it's been a great time.  I've also been able to share the majority of these hunts with my dad which has made them all the more enjoyable.

I'll be back in the whitetail woods soon for the remainder of the season, to try and fill an empty buck tag or two in Oklahoma.

We began our Christmas trip in Kansas for one day of pheasant hunting with some friends

 

I was knocked down the first rooster that stopped for Hoyt to point

 

The waterfowl were plentiful

 

Dad and Hoyt with Wyoming roosters, a few days prior to Hoyt's 6 month birthday

 

Subzero air temps and scenery were both breathtaking

All in all, it was a great opportunity to take a break from the whitetail woods and spend time with family and friends.  Don't be afraid to take a mid-season break from your season to make sure you stay sharp and enjoy each and every outing!

The Energizer Night Strike Compact Light just may be the perfect bow hunting light. It’s compact, light weight, has multiple lights built in and has a hands free detachable clip. This light is so versatile; I know I can find many uses for it around home or hunting camp. I may need one for both.

 

 

 

            The Night Strike is very small and compact. It fits in the palm of your hand or is barely noticeable on the bill of your cap.

 

 

 It runs off of one AA battery, with the Energizer Lithium the recommended power source. Even though it is small in size it produces a very powerful beam of light. It has 4 different light options built into its small frame. The first is a very bright 40 lumen white LED in the center front which has 3 power options, high, medium and low. You can toggle between the three by pushing the on/off button on the right side of the unit. This light is great for using around camp or map reading.

 

 

 

The second is a red LED on the front left which also has 3 power options. This light is excellent for finding the way to your stand in the morning darkness, since red light is not supposed to spook game. The switch for the red light is on the left side of the light.

 

 

 

 Third is a blue, blood tracking light on the right front operated by a switch on top of the light. Blue light is supposed to make the blood trail stand out from the background.

 

 

 

 Last is a green strobe light on top of the Night Strike. The strobe is operated by pushing the same switch that turns on the blue light in the opposite direction. The strobe light is designed to alert searchers to your location in the event of an emergency.

 

            The versatile swivel clip makes hands free operation of the light simple and quick. The light slides onto the clip from either direction and by swiveling you can clip it onto your cap, pocket, collar or sleeve and light your way, or use it without the clip as you would any other flashlight.

 

            The white and red lights have 3 power settings but once the light is set in one position for 3 seconds one push of the switch shuts it off without having to toggle the switch more than once. When switching from one color to another just push the next colors switch and the first light is powered off, using only one color light at a time and conserving power. Runtime varies by the light used, but the light will last 8 hours on high power of the white LED. Other lights use less power and will run for longer times.

 

            Some of my favorite features of the light are.

1. The 3 power settings of the red LED. Some mornings are brighter than others and you just don’t need a lot of light, however on those really dark mornings it’s nice to have full power.
2. The powerful white LED is great around camp or when the power goes out.
3. The detachable swivel clip allows you shine the light exactly where you need it hands free.
4. Very light weight and small size.
5. Battery cap is attached to the light by a cord.
6. Operates on 1 AA battery.

 

All in all I am very impressed with the Energizer Night Strike Compact Light. I can’t think of one negative thing to say about it. I actually plan on leaving one in my hunting pack and having one at home for use there. It’s that good. It might also be a good idea to have one in each vehicle. These lights should be available soon here at BH.com. But in the meantime you can check them out as well as the rest of Energizers Lights here.

http://www.shop.com/Energizer+Night+Strike?g=1&t=2&p=300256990&k=24

The deer you've been waiting for all season steps out of the thicket at a mere twenty yards.  As if he was reading from a script he enters your lane and turns broadside looking the other direction... you settle your pin behind the shoulder and watch your arrow disappear over a foot farther back than you were aiming.  Sound familiar?  Maybe not the scenario, but the result is something that 99% of the bowhunting will or has experienced.  It's what you do after a poor shot that can determine whether or not your deer is recovered.

Understanding the "why" of any given hunting situation, not only makes me better, but is something that I owe to the animal I'm hunting.  Understanding "why" a deer may do something after the shot increases your odds of finding that deer.  For instance deer that are "gut shot" lose body fluid internally and naturally they become thirsty, the natural way to replenish fluids.  In the event that a blood trail is lost on a poorly shot deer, the nearest water source is the first place I'll look.

All the images below represent actual deer that were shot poorly and recovered.  A couple of them I shot, others were buddies that I was part of the tracking expedition.  Notice the similarities between the tracks.  The "J" or "hook" shape is present on nearly every deer, notice the proximity to the nearest water source (water is not marked).  These are things to keep in mind in the event that you find yourself on the trail of a gut shot deer.  I will add that probably the most important factor in the recovery of all these deer, is that they were not pushed (to my knowledge) and the majority of them were found dead in their bed.

The use of tracking aids such as Tracking Glow Sticks truly are incredible at helping you see a pattern or a patch when tracking in the dark.

This buck was shot one evening in 2005, left overnight and recovered the next morning.



This doe was shot one evening in 2005, left overnight and recovered the next morning.

 

Justin's buck killed in 2009

 

This buck was shot one evening in 2007, left overnight and recovered the next morning.

 

This buck was shot one morning in 2004, left all day and recovered the same evening.

 

This doe was shot one morning in 2004 and recovered the next morning.

 

This doe was shot one evening in 2003, left overnight and recovered the nex morning.

As simple as these concepts seem, they're overlooked time and time again throughout the archery season.  The best tools we have at our disposal are our past experiences or those of fellow hunters.  It's my hope that what little bit of information this provides can help you in your next tracking journey.

            Some of you may remember the doe I shot a few weeks back. Here is a link to the video. http://www.bowhunting.com/gallery/45/bowhunting-videos.aspx   Even though I wasn’t able to use the meat it certainly didn’t go to waste. I did however use one of my doe tags and called her in, I felt it was the right thing to do since it was my arrow that killed her. I set up my Moultrie GameSpy I45 trail camera on the carcass to see what would show up.  Lots of critters took advantage of the doe I killed but wasn't able to find for a couple of days.

 

            Mother natures best know scavenger, the coyote had a few meals of venison.

 

  

            Another well known carrion lover made a few visits to the kill site.

 

 

            Even a house cat couldn’t resist a free meal.

 

 

            Most people probably don’t realize it, but our Nations Symbol the Bald Eagle also is a bit of a scavenger. On more than one occasion I have seen Bald Eagles sitting on deer carcasses in the middle of fields in winter.

You can check out the Moultrie GameSpy I45 in the shopping section of Bowhunting.com  http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/Game-Spy-I45__12451.aspx

Bad Boy LSV Equipped Models - Street Legal and Safety Equipped

As a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) the XT LSV, Classic LSV and Stretch LSV meet all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards required for LSVs (49 CFR 571.500). LSVs may be operated in most states on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less!

The regulation of LSVs differ from state and state. You must comply with all registration requirements and rules of the road for your specific state. Prior to operating a LSV on the streets of a particular state you will need to register the LSV with the applicable state department or division as a motor vehicle, and must follow all rules of the road for that state.

AVAILABLE ON THESE MODELS:

• BAD BOY XT LSV
• BAD BOY CLASSIC LSV
• BAD BOY STRETCH LSV

On October 27, 2009, the Department of Treasury notified Bad Boy Enterprises that the Bad Boy XT, Classic and Stretch Models equipped with a LSV (Low Speed Vehicle) package qualified for a $5,590 tax credit in 2009, meeting the requirements of the Qualified Plug-in Electric Vehicle Credit as a Qualified Plug-in Electric Vehicle.

What do you need to do to take advantage of this offer? Simply contact your local dealer and they will assist you in taking advantage of this limited-time tax credit.

(MSRPs for the LSV Bad Boy Models: XT: $12,994.99 Classic: $10,994.99 Stretch: $12,994.98)

LSV TAX CREDIT DISCLAIMER

Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC makes no representation or assertions, implied or otherwise, as to your eligibility for any tax credit. BBE does not offer tax advice of any kind. Consumers should consult a professional accountant pertaining to tax credit questions regarding the purchase of a qualified Bad Boy Buggy LSV.

Some of you may recall Johnny and I chasing a buck in IL this fall, who we fittingly name Bill Brasky. He may have won the first three rounds, but we haven't given up yet.  Barring any set backs, or my wife Jill going into labor, we'll be heading back down on December 14th for one last shot.

Here's the story so far.....

We first got pictures of him when Johnny walked into his treestand one morning and heard a deer walking away from him. A minute later, the flash went off on one of the Moultrie trail cams and took this pic....

 

 

We hunted a few more days after this, with no sightings of him or his buddies, so we decided to head home for a few days as more rain was setting in.

We left in the wee hours of the morning on November 9th and got down there early enough to get an afternoon sit in. We were only sitting about 140 yards apart and had a 135"ish buck, named Hans, inbetween us for about 30 minutes before dark. He never presented us with a shot.

Hans....

 Before jumping in the stand that night, Johnny pulled the card on the camera inbetween us. When we got back to the trailer that night, we popped it in and....

BAM......Bill Brasky staring back at us...... 

  

 We keep scrolling through the pics.....a few more of Mr. Brasky and his buddies. As we get near the end we see a blurry daylight pic taken the day before we went back down.

Upon further inspection.....its definately him. Look in the tree to the right of his rack....Yep, Johnny's stand.

 

The stand was 70 yards from that scrape, but who knows which way this bad boy came from, or went. Had he been there, would he have shot him?  I guess we will never know!

Johnny did see and film this buck later in the week. He had him at 70 yards with a doe at 9:30 am. After waiting all day, the buck never got out of its bed before dark.  That was the last we saw of him.

After talking to the landowner, it sounds like Mr. Brasky is waiting around for us to come back and play a little more chess with him, as no one shot him during the first firearm season. Hopefully he makes it through this weekend and we get another chance to see him again.

To Bill Brasky!!!!

Eugene, OR (November 2, 2009)-For their 10th Model Year anniversary, BowTech is pleased to introduce their most advanced bow ever produced. It's called the Destroyer for a reason.
 
"From concept, this bow was designed to be easy to draw, quiet, accurate and forgiving. As it turns out, the bow happens to be fast," Craig Yehle, Principle Designer explains, "We believe it is important for our flagship offering not be construed as a speed bow, but as a truly exceptional all around offering. We believe we have achieved this."
 
The Destroyer is offered in two models; Destroyer 350 and Destroyer 340. Both are accurate, shock-free, easy to draw and fast...very fast. While most archers have to trade shootability for speed, the Destroyer delivers both. This balance is accomplished using three new technologies; OverDrive Binary™, HardCore Limbs™ and FLX-Guard™. 

 
OverDrive Binary™ synchronized dual cam system gives the perfect synchronization of a Binary while allowing split buss attachment to both cams for best-in-class cam stability and tune-ability. Premium alloy composition allows for a strong, lightweight design which diminishes noise and vibration.

 

            My taxidermist friend just finished mounting the largest whitetail brought in to his shop so far this season. A 214” gross, 209” net non-typical that looks very typical. This beast is a main frame 10 point with split G-2’s and a small sticker off of one brow tine. The G-2’s are 14” long and the mass measurements contribute a lot of inches to the total score on this buck. What really helps this bucks score is the fact that his typical rack is very symmetrical, there are very few deductions from side to side.

 

            The monster was killed by a bowhunter to remain nameless in West Central Illinois in early archery season. Congrats on a fine trophy.

Trail camera setups can be as complicated or simplistic as you choose to make them.  I personally stay on the simplistic side of things as I am not trying to "pattern" bucks with their use, but rather get a better look at them after I locate a buck I am interested in from summer glassing. For me it all starts in the summer.... I will spend countless hours and evenings glassing the areas I hunt looking for big whitetail bucks.  Once I locate some bucks of interest I move in and set up cameras and leave them up anywhere from two weeks to a month on the property. 

Leaving cameras up and checking them over and over again all summer is pointless to me.  Once I get a better look at the buck(s) in question, I know right away if he is an animal I am interested in or not.  Once my curiosity is satisfied I pull the cameras not to return with them again, unless a new buck is found on that land I need a better look at.  I err to the side of caution by only placing them on field edges or just into the timber. Deer are used to activity in these areas so you can get away with a little bit of human scent around these setups from your trips in and out.  If you are trying to setup trail cameras on their travel routes or bedding areas I feel you are setting your self up for early season failure.  With my personal focus on early season success, I do not want to tip anymore of the odds in the whitetails favor. 

I used summer glassing to locate this buck this past July.  I then moved in and set my DLC Covert II Assassin trail camera up for 2 weeks and got the photos I was looking for. He turned out to be the largest buck I located on land I can hunt.

October 17th found me in a particular stand for the first time this year with a strong, and very rare for my area NE wind.  I was setup just outside of his bedding area (beds located during shed season) and was able to capitalize on my preseason efforts in a big way!  Chances are I may not have been setup in that area had I not known this guy was in there. 

If you do your summertime homework by locating the bucks, move in and setup the trail cameras on their food source, pull the cameras out after you get the info you need and save those bedding area stand locations for the perfect wind and conditions I bet you will have a better shot at success this fall.

 

Montana 2009	Remi Warren MT Typical Mule deer
	September 25, 2009
	Remi Warren of Conner MT drew one of the premier deer tags in his home state this year and took this great buck on Sept 12th. With an unofficial green score being roughly 214, the early archery kill will rank very high in the overall state rankings. While this buck appears to have great mass and symmetry, preliminary reports have indicated significant deductions, Whether the current state record is in jeopardy of dropping down a spot will be left up to speculation until the 60 day drying period has passed. Remi has indicated he will have the buck measured for B&C in addition to P&Y when the 60 day requirement is met.

Ask yourself one question, “am I maximizing my preseason efforts?” Though you may think so, your back may feel so, and your wife may say so; there still may be a few rocks left unturned. My Father, Uncle, Grandfather and I have prepared for each bow season similar to the last and the recipe had yielded success. We had our routines and were following the “If it aint broke don’t fix it” methodology. At the close of the 2008 Illinois archery season however, we decided to add two new tactics to our arsenal and boy am I glad we did.

Tactic 1: Trail Cameras
This is the first year we’ve set trail cameras around our property, and it only took one check of the SD cards to get us hooked. There is no better way to get the pre-season buzz going than to catch a buck in velvet on camera and watch him grow into a shooter. For the first time, we were able to establish a “hit list” from the shooters that were making multiple appearances on our cameras. The list then focused our attention on a few mature bucks that we took interest in. One in particular, which we named Guthook, began to show patterns.

We have several trail cam pics of Guthook on one side of our farm and with his numerous appearances; his early season pattern was exposed.

Without the trail cameras, we would not have identified Guthooks home range and may not have even known this deer existed prior to the season. We also would not have realized how effective our second pre-season tactic is.

Tactic 2: Food Plots
I’ve read about food plots all throughout various hunting magazines and websites, but it seemed out of reach for the “average Joe” bowhunter like myself. I was dead wrong. My Father and Uncle planted two plots this year without any major farming equipment. Though both plots were under an acre, they attracted bucks like Guthook and kept them coming back.

Guthook makes an appearance at the “secret spot” food plot which my Father and Uncle planted in July.

This plot is 30 yards long 15 yards wide and sits only 70 yards off of the farms bean fields. If you find that mature bucks won’t enter the open fields till after legal shooting time, try planting a small pot tucked away in the woods. The secret spot gives mature deer a (false) sense of security making it the perfect ambush spot to harvest a buck before sundown.

The “Secret Spot” setup.

This is the other food plot planted which is just off the main bean field. This is where I was able to harvest Guthook on October 4th, 2009. The buck entered the field from the spot the picture was located and traveled along the winter pea’s path. He was munching on the Brassica and Clover blend when he didn’t know what hit him.

If you have become comfortable with your routine, try challenging yourself next season by adding some new tactics to your arsenal. Ask yourself whether you are “maximizing your pre-season efforts”? My family and I did this year and it led me to early season success.

This was just sent into us and this is all the information that we have...

Mike Herrin a man I have been training lives in northern Calhoun county. That county is deer heaven, I have never seen so many in herds. Anyway he called last night and said that in the little creek in front of his house, 2 deer had been fighting up the hillside and became locked together and ended up going down the hill and into the creek. Mike said that over the years, this is the third pair of deer he has found locked up, although the other 2 were dead when he found them. He and a neighbor were attempting to save one of the deer, both of which were nice trophy deer. They shot one with an arrow (they both have bow permits) and then they tried to separate them and release the other one. In the process Mike got injured when the live deer was bucking around. Mike had bone chips in his wrist and elbow, and got gored twice. They then had no choice but to shoot the second deer. They tried to separate the horns and couldn't. They then skinned out the deer and took the heads to a local taxidermist and they still could not get them apart. Amazing that they could become that entwined. They are having the heads mounted, that should make a very interesting mount. Below is a series of pictures that they took of the ordeal.

            I’m not going to make excuses as to why I have been hunting hard in Illinois for nearly a month and a half now and still don’t have a deer down. I’m just going to try and explain how it can happen.

 

            I guess I’ve entered into a different stage as a hunter. I used to be all about killing the animals. I have killed as many as 10 deer in a season and enjoyed the hell out of it. I doubt I will ever do that again, no reason to really. I have also killed some really nice bucks and hope to again soon. It seems a lot of the hunting was about the competition of killing a big deer.  Now it feels like more of a chess match. Waiting for a particular buck or one that meets my own personal standards. Like these guys.

 

 

 

            But right now I am having just as much fun managing my property for the deer and turkey that call it home. I have really gotten into food plots in a big way. Hopefully to help out the local deer heard in the harsh winter weather and also to make the hunting a little easier. But so far that hasn’t happened. You would think with a smorgasbord of food available whenever they want it there would be deer out in it any time of day. It just isn’t working that way this season. Some of that may be due to the fact that with all of the rain this fall the farmers haven’t been able to get their crops out of the fields. In normal years all crops should be out by Halloween, this year they may not be out by Christmas. Still my plots should be a good draw for the late season.

 

 

 

  These 2 seem to be enjoying my efforts.

 

            I have also planted my CRP field in Native Warm Season Grasses such as Big Blue Stem, Indian Grass and Sideoats Gramma. In a couple more year as these get established they will create a wonderful bedding area for the deer and a nesting area for the turkey and other ground nesting birds. This will help hold more deer on my property and keep the neighbors from killing too many of the ones I’m trying let grow older.

 

            I have also been sharing my treasure with friends that appreciate what I am trying to do with my piece of Whitetail Paradise. Last year Matt/Pa and Greg/MO were out and we hunted hard for a good buck, but that never happened. So on the last evening of our hunt we decided we needed a deer for our trophy shot. We ended up taking 3 does in the last hour of the hunt. This year Matt couldn’t make it with his new job and Greg ended up killing this buck on Halloween evening. Mobow is also hunting out there with me this year. He has killed a button buck (by mistake) and is still waiting on the wall hanger to offer a shot. My taxidermists’ son has also harvested a mature doe while hunting on my place.

A good evening of hunting

 

The Halloween buck.

 

            Now don’t get me wrong. I haven’t stopped trying to kill deer, but I have become more picky in the ones I do shoot.  I can afford to there are some really nice ones living around me. I may not kill a good buck every year but that will be ok with me. I don’t go out with the intent on shooting every doe that walks within range and I have a certain hit list of bucks that I’d like to put a tag on. But to just kill a deer, I think I am past that stage. I still get the same adrenaline rush every time I see a deer materialize from the woods. I just don’t have to kill every one to make it a successful hunt any more. I have also starting taking my video camera along, weather permitting, and am enjoying some of the things I am getting on camera. Still not a pro at the video thing, but maybe that will be the next stage in my hunting career.

I still like this side of hunting a lot.

 

 

 

 

But this side is gaining fast, maybe I'm getting soft in my old age.

The story starts on October 25th 2009. Camera man Bryce Kish and myself were hunting central Wisconsin. We were in our stands waiting by 2:30pm. By 6:00pm Bryce calls out, “shooter buck!” As I turn around I notice a beautiful buck heading our way. As many big bucks do, he quickly changed course and walked approximately fifty yards out, too far for my effective range with a stick and string.

While Bryce was filming the buck, I noticed movement about thirty yards behind the first buck. It was a second buck and he too was a shooter. Bryce zoomed in on the second buck with the camera, he stated that the second buck was not as high as the first buck but definitely had more mass.

As both bucks walked away from our set up, my heart was pounding. I knew that there was going to be no shots taken that night, however we knew that the rut was just around the corner and good mature bucks were starting to become more daylight active. After the evenings hunt we headed back to my house to review the video of the bucks. While watching the video, I noticed the back buck had matching set of crab claws off of his front part of his main beams. Now I’m not good at scoring deer, so I wouldn’t even try, but what I can tell you is that he was definitely a mature deer and one that made my heart pound. That night I went to bed dreaming about another opportunity at the Crab Claw Buck.

Fast forwarding five days later, October 30th. I woke up at five in the morning. As I lay in bed I could hear rain hitting the roof and water dripping off the eves. I wanted to lie in bed where it was warm and dry, but I knew that the bucks were on the move, because the pre rut is in full swing. I met cameraman Chad Holdorf at the hunting property where he was standing with his hood synched tight around his head. Chad looks at me and asks, “Tell me again why we are doing this?” as rain was just pouring down on us. By looking at the radar it appeared that shortly after daylight the rain would stop.

For the second time in my hunting career I was also going to be using a buck decoy, so I wanted to be able to slip into our stands using the rain to cover up our noise and scent. When we reached to our stands, Chad was busy setting up the camera equipment while I was setting up the buck decoy. I was using the EZ-Buck by Carry Light Decoy Company. I took one antler off from the buck to make it less intimidating to the challenger. I had the decoy placed ten yards from my stand just incase a buck hangs up; he will still be well within bow range.

An hour went by and the rain stopped. All of a sudden Chad called out, “There’s a deer.” As I turned around I watched a wide, dark racked buck get up from his bed in some thick black berry brush a mere sixty yards away. The buck stretched, and soon started walking in our cardinal direction. After several steps the heavy horned buck stopped and locked eyes on the EZ-Buck. His deep eyes peered at his archrival, he immediately started rubbing his chocolate stained horns on a wrist-sized tree. After working the tree over and showing his dominance, he turned and came right on a b-line to the decoy. His ears tipped back, legs went stiff, and his back fur stood strait up. Staring at the decoy with every step, the big buck made it closer to the decoy. Only ten yards from my stand the big buck did a stiff leg side step looking over the decoy.

With his attention off from me and on his opponent I drew my bow and came to full draw. The buck circled to the back of the decoy and stuck his nose right into the decoy’s synthetic tail, immediately the buck caught a whiff of my scent from setting up the decoy and jumped about five to ten yards before he stopped broad side, staring back at the decoy. I settled my twenty-yard pin and released the string. I herd a loud “Crack” and the big bruiser did the best reaction, the mule kick.

I observed my tracer nock flashing from the shoulder blade as the buck was trying to break the land speed record to the thickest cover. As he reached the farthest point of which I could keep visual on him, it appeared that his legs were fighting to keep him up. Within nano-seconds he disappeared down into a deep draw. I turned to Chad with my knees shaking, saying, “I think we got him!” I knew I needed to check my arrow, due to the fact that it broke off several steps after I hit the buck. I told Chad that the shot was not perfect because I hit the shoulder blade. I needed to know how much penetration I got with my NAP Blood Runner, to know if I hit vitals.

I got down from the stand and recovered my arrow. You would have thought I found gold by my reaction when I observed that over half of my arrow blew threw his shoulder blade producing a bubbly blood coating my arrow. I looked at the leaves around my arrow and immediately there was a tremendous blood trail pointing the direction to the pot of gold. I marked where I found my arrow and returned up to the stand to talk with Chad.


As I got into the stand Chad delivered the bad news. He informed me that he hit the record button but the camera is not allowing us to review the shot to confirm our hit location. We were crossing our fingers that it was just the camera not playing it back instead of it not recording. We switched tapes in the camera and decided to try a new tape. After filming our post roll explaining what happened, it began to mist.

As an hour went by, it felt like days. Soon we took up on the blood trail. As soon as we began following the blood trail it was clear that the NAP Blood Runners did their job. It looked like some one tripped while carrying a five-gallon bucket of red paint. Approximately seventy yards later, I noticed a white belly down at the bottom of a big draw. With both of my arms in the air and some shouts of joy, my feet never touched the ground as I walked up on the heavy horned brute!


For the first time in my life I was honestly speechless as I picked up the head of this beautiful creature. I am not a guy who judges his hunt by the size of horn rather the sound of my heart pounding, and I was in shock that both were happening at the same time! As I admired the heavy horned ten point, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. I just harvested the crab claw buck. His duel front crab claws appeared to me like diamonds in the sand. Not only did I just harvest a truly magnificent buck, but also it was the buck that I dreamed about every night since I laid eyes on him five days earlier. This was the perfect ending to my fairy tale hunting adventure, and for as long as I live I will always remember the day that I met the crab claw buck.

After we took photos, rehearsed the hunt, we brought him home. Chad and I were excited to watch the video. As we tried to play the video we realized that the camera did not agree with the high moisture, as the video did record the buck coming in but it was extremely distorted and almost unable to view. However the recovery with a new tape did record.

Our hearts sank, I felt so bad for Chad, because I got my dream buck, however all the hours and hard work that Chad had spent all season long to bring us great video documenting our hunts did not record at the moment of truth. However Chad did say it best, “Even if we didn’t get the shot on video, it will always be in my mind and that made it worth the work.” He couldn’t have been more accurate, and a special thanks to Bryce and Chad for all their hard work behind the camera to bring our hunting season to your TV and computer screens.

On Sunday October 25th Johnny and I packed the truck again and headed back to Knox County Illinois to hunt with good frineds Carl and Polly.  Our intent was to stay until both of us filled our tags, but good old Mother Nature had different plans.  Just before leaving, we checked the forecast, which looked to only have a few showers in the week to come. 

 Our first and second nights were spent in the 5th wheel listening to the pouring rain pounding the roof.  Only a few showers for the week?  We should have known not to trust the weather man!  During one six hour stretch, Carl's gauge measured 2.5" of rain.  I hardly call that a shower. 

 

This creek was ankle deep when we first arrived and came up around 7' overnight.

 When the rains finally settled we hung a couple more stands, checked out some sign and put out two Moultrie I40s and two Moultrie D40 trail cameras.

 

 Over the couse of the next 8 days we spent many long hours on stand with little to show for it.  The combination of the full moon and fields of standing corn really put a damper on the deer movement.  This past Wednesday, November 4th, Johnny and I decided that we would throw in the towel for a few days and head back to WI to get a bit of work done and come back down closer to the new moon.  All was not lost though, as the trail cameras started to take an inventory of the bucks cruising the property at night. 

 Check out a few of the bucks below that have made it to the "hit list" and a couple others that look to be good up and comers for the next couple years. 

"V"

Hans

Jack (and the Beam Stalk)

Cabo

 

These last two pics are hard to tell if this is the same buck or not.  What say you? 

 

Blur?

Bill Brasky

 

Once again, the truck is packed and we're ready to head back south in the morning for our final trip of the year.  It'll be interesting to see if anyone new showed up on the cameras while we were gone!  With any luck, we'll let the air out of a couple of these boys!

 Good luck to all still out there and shoot straight!

The 2009 bowhunting season is entering that time of year every hunters awaits, the rut.  Bowhunting.com has created a 200 point club for those members that do what it takes to put down a slammer buck and or a doe.  In the bowhunting.com contest a doe is worth 50 points and a buck is worth it's score in inches.  The bh.com members that reach the 200 point mark, and enter their kills in the "200 Point Club Entry" thread, will receive a gift from Bowhunting.com.  Not to mention bragging rights and something prestigious to add to your signature!

How it works:

Each hunter may enter either a buck and doe or just a buck that meets or exceeds 200 points.  The deer must be killed with a bow during the 2009 season, photo proof is required.  The top scorer will have his/her package sweetened as well.

Congratulations to a few members that have already accomplished this feat... shown below!

 

"Wiaxle" - 200 Points





"ILL BUCK" - 200 Points

"Bloodcrick" - 203 Points





"Buckeye" - 210 Points

Is it really November 6th?  Seriously?  Wow, time actually does fly!

Way back on October 9th Johnny and I loaded up the Rock Star trailer and made our way south to the Land of Lincoln to hunt with good friends and lease partners Justin Zarr and Mike Willand.  The drive was full of talk about all the bucks we had seen last year and daydreams of what they would look like this year.  Nine hours later, we pulled into Siloam Springs State Park, parked the 5th wheel and headed to bed.  Justin and Mike arrived in the middle of the night and laid down to catch a few hours of sleep themselves.

At 4 am the next morning Justin and Mike were up and chomping at the bit to get down to the lease.  Johnny and I decided to get a couple of hours more sleep and head out around mid morning to hang a couple stands.  Much to our surprise, the door opened back up at 6 am and there stood Justin and Mike with that "someone just kicked my dog" look.  With all the recent rains, the creek we had to cross to reach the lease was swollen and impossible to cross.  After a quick discussion, Justin and Mike decided to make the 5 hour trek back north and hunt another piece of property they have access to.  To read more about their adventure, click here. 

Now that Johnny and I had made the 9 hour trip south, what were we to do?  Just then, I recalled a conversation I had with a gentleman back in June and his invitation to us to hunt his property 2 hours north in Knox County.  After a quick call, to be sure the invitation was still open, we were on our way to check it out. 

 Upon arrival, good friends Carl and Polly met us in the driveway with big smiles and open arms.  After a short discussion, Carl put on his boots and took us for a tour around the property.  Needless to say, we were pretty jacked up with what we had seen.  (Unfortunately, in all the rushing, I had forgotten my camera in the 5th wheel and was unable to take pictures.)  We got back to the house, thanked Carl and headed back to get the 5th wheel and move it to our new home for the next couple days. 

 The next day (third of our trip already) we hooked up the 5th wheel, headed back north to Knox County.  After parking the big rig in their yard, Polly preceded to tell us that if we were able to, we were to shoot a couple does for them for the freezer.  Of course, this was music to our ears.  We quick loaded up a couple stands, and headed out for an evening sit.  Johnny's evening was pretty uneventful and just before dark I had 5 does stroll by, but no shots were presented.  The next two days were about the same, doe sightings, but no shots. 

When we woke up Wednesday morning we decided we would give it a try that day and then head back home for a week of work, before coming back down to hunt more.  That evening, Johnny was able to spot a couple good bucks in the tall CRP grass get the blood flowing a bit.  After they disappeared with no shots presented, a mature doe made her way to him and offered a great shot.  The NAP Thunderhead found its mark and made for an easy track job. 

 

 

When we delivered the news to Carl and Polly that Johnny had put down a doe for them, they were very excited.  Being the kind and generous people they are, they offered to let us hunt there when we come back down and to leave the 5th wheel parked in their yard.  Floored with the offer, Johnny and I graciously accepted and dreamed of our return trip in just over a week. 

In this day and age, people so generous and kind are getting harder to come by.  Thank you Carl and Polly for opening your home and provinding us with such a wonderful opportunity.  I hope I can return the favor in the future and put a Canadian black bear in front of you.  Once again, Thank You!

The majority of bowhunters understand the importance of quality footwear.  We've all crossed a creek on a cold November morning only to find out our boots were far from waterpoof, at least I have.  It's nearly impossible to find a boot that excels in every situation in each part of our season, and for the majority of whitetail enthusiasts a knee-high waterproof boot is a must.  Over the years I've owned this style of boot made by Rocky, Muck Boot, Red Head, Scent Blocker, Columbia and LaCrosse.  In Oklahoma I wear rubber/neoprene boots on about 70 percent of my hunts, so it's important to have a boot that I actually enjoy wearing, this boot fits the bill.

It's been a few weeks since I received my first pair of LaCrosse Burly Classic boots from bowhunting.com and I've had some time to give them an honest shot at my footwear starting lineup.  If there is a motto to my 2009 Archery season, it's "Simplicity," these boots are just that.  They have the essentials... everything you need and nothing you don't.  

First success with LaCrosse Burly Classics!

In the past my complaints with rubber (or neoprene) boots was their weight, the noise they make with each step and the over molded soles that always seem to come off halfway through the useful life of the boot.  To this point (somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 hunts) these boots have been excellent in all categories.  They're very light weight compared to similar models of other brands and they sport a single material for everything thing from the shank to the sole, I feel this sole will hold up much better than other styles.  As noted in the bowhunting.com description of these boots, they do run slightly larger than standard shoe sizes which (in my opinion) is okay for a rubber boot.  When temperatures get cooler it gives me the ability to wear an additional wool sock without constricting my feet.  So far, I haven't had the opportunity to test out the insulationas we haven't had temperatures cool enough to need it.  I was very pleased with how soft the boots were brand new out of the box and that they required zero break-in.

They've obviously been put to use and they'll stay in my closet for years to come.

Overall I would rate these boots a 9 of 10.  The only thing that I would change is to offer this boot in camo as opposed to only offering the O.D. Green.  I guess when the only thing you can find to complain about with a boot is the color, you're doing alright.

Check out these boots here at bowhunting.com along with other LaCrosse products by clicking the photo below!

On a recent hunting trip out west I was reminded as to why I love deer hunting. Myself along with four close friends found ourselves on a high mountaintop with two wall tents and a mouth-watering supper on the grill. As supper was heating up on the grill beneath the soft subtle light of a lantern, and a falling star shooting across the western sky was the official start of deer camp storytelling and reminiscing. I don’t care if you are a rifle hunter, a bow hunter or both. We all share the same passion; we are all hunters no matter what weapon we choose to carry.

For me the truth behind the hunt started at an early age. When I was twelve years old, my dad took me to deer camp located on the Upper Michigan boarder in northern Wisconsin. From that trip on I experienced the small things that the general public doesn’t understand about hunting. It’s the things that Hollywood doesn’t portray in the movies and even Bambi can’t deny. The truth behind the hunt is more than the kill; it’s about traditions, good friends and the stories of past hunts.

As each hunter would arrive in camp, the fellow hunters in camp would walk out on the porch and greet the new arrival with a big smile and a firm handshake. For most of us, deer season was the only time that our busy schedules would allow for us to sit down and reminisce about the past and plans for the future.

After everyone was unpacked and settled in our old rickety cabin, that was home for the hunters (as well as the mice), supper would soon be sizzling over the stove. What I find the most interesting about deer camp is that for most of our busy home lives it’s a challenge to have a good old fashion sit down supper, but at deer camp it’s a daily event.

After a gut busting supper that would make Paul Bunyan himself loosen up his belt, we would all gather around the old oil stove and talk over a torn and well weathered topo map like an army strategically planning our next move about the mornings hunt. These are the truths behind the hunt.


Fast forwarding to the present, I was introduced to two guys that I had never met before, to head out west on a mule deer hunt with. It didn’t take long and soon I had so much in common with these two guys that the eighteen-hour drive wouldn’t be long enough to share stories.

As we arrived at our camp location, five guys worked together like a well oiled machine and it wasn’t long an our two wall tents where set up and what would be our home for the next two weeks was ready to become a tradition. After supper we started a nice warm fire in the old barrel stove. Soon we rested our aching feet and backs on old tethered cots and closed our eyes. Even though our eyes were closed, our ears were open. Intensely listening to the music of the mountains, which was singing in harmony with the crackling fire. It’s the sights, sounds, and smells that provide the scripts to our songs. Soon with the sound of the wind against the mountainside was singing, then the crackling fire joined in and last the howls of distant coyotes joined into play the mountain music that we all drifted off to sleep dreaming about.

It wasn’t long and the silver morning light started to break the mountaintops. A warm cup of coffee that was brewed on a wood stove finished the picture that most artists dream to capture in the morning. Wall tents warmed by the suns beams that were projecting like a spot light from the mountain tops was a picture that was meant for hunting magazines. Its sights like these that aren’t in the travel brochures.

These are the truths behind the hunt. You have to hunt to be able to kill but you don’t have to kill to have hunted. Far too often we get captured up in the kill or how big of a buck we got, that it takes away from the enjoyment of why we got into the sport in the first place. It becomes a competition and not a moment to cherish. So the next time you’re out on a hunting trip with friends and family, don’t forget to take the time to breathe in the fresh air, relax and enjoy the small things that draw all hunters alike to the great outdoors. It’s not all about the kill or the biggest buck. It’s about friends, families, and the memories made as well as shared that is the real truth behind the hunt. 

Moultrie I45 Movie Mode

 

            Over the last week I had my Moultrie I45 set up on a mock scrape I made along the edge of my food plot. I chose this area because last year the bucks had scrapes under every branch that overhung the field edge.

 

            I got quite a few video clips over the week period, but not of any good bucks working the scrape. Most were at night too, so the IR mode got a good test. I had it set for a 15 second video clip. You can choose 5, 15 or 30 second clips I believe. If I had to do over again I would aim it a little higher. The IR bulbs illuminated the area right in front of the camera, but anything at a slight distance was out of the effective range of the camera.

 

            The doe in the first video was right at the scrape and the video of her turned out pretty good. You can make out good details of her in the clip. Pretty good quality for a trail camera.

   

            The next video is of a decent buck that was in the food plot behind the scrape. You can barely make him out in the background, and he is maybe 15 yards from the camera. I believe if I had the camera tilted up more it would have taken a much brighter clip of the buck.

 

    

            Over all the video quality was ok, I think some of it was my fault for not aiming the IR bulbs up a little higher on the night time shots. The daylight clips are really pretty high quality.

 

            One complaint I have on this camera is the battery life. I had the camera out for 3 weeks in the still picture mode and had gotten about 275 pictures. The battery was down to 59%. The one week of video, which I had 58 video clips, and it also adds a still for each clip completely drained the battery life. I’m not sure how much more battery life the video mode uses but this seemed too fast to me. I’m used to getting 5-6 months out of the batteries in my I40.

 

            Overall I’d give the I45 a 7 out of 10. It has some good points like taking color pictures much later than the I40 and the improved placement of the SD card  but there is room for improvement. Mainly the battery life and some grainy effects in the still picture mode.

 

If you’d like to try one for yourself, you can order one right here at BH.com.

 http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/Game-Spy-I45__12451.aspx

            After seeing all of the threads on making mock scrapes recently, I decided to give it a try. I really haven’t been using any kind of commercial scents in recent years at all. I just never had any response to them or any success. After doctoring up a small scrape I found around the edge of my food plots last week and seeing the results on my trail camera, I may start using them again.

 

            I really started noticing the scrapes appearing around my food plot last week. While picking up some supplies I went into the hunting section and picked up a bottle of Wildlife Research Active Scrape and a bottle of Code Blue Dominant Buck Urine. I decided to give this mock scrape thing a try.

 

            I picked out a scrape in the narrow part of the field, figuring any buck crossing through there would see it or smell it and stop to work it over. There has been a scrape near this spot each year I have owned the property. I broke some of the small overhanging branches for good visual effect and sprinkled some of the contents of each bottle in the scrape and also on the branches above it. I then took my Moultrie I 40 Trail Camera and attached it to the tree the scrape was under.

  

         The only problem I have with the results, is all of the pictures were well after shooting light. The bucks are only visiting the scrapes at night. But hopefully once a few does come into estrous they will drag the big boys out during daylight.

         The following pictures are the results at my “Doctored” scrape. I can’t say for sure that the bucks wouldn’t have visited this scrape anyway, but I can say that the scents I put down sure didn’t scare them away. I now have my Moultrie I45 set on the video mode on another scrape. I’m hoping to get some video clips of these bucks working that one over this week. Stay tuned for the next blog! 

You can purchase the scents I used or any of your favorite brands here at BH.com.

http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Departments/Scents.aspx?sortorder=1&page=1

 

 

This buck found the scrape the night after I doctored it up.

 Working over the licking branch.

 Another buck a couple of nights later.

 A tall narrow 10 pointer a couple nights later.

Getting a nose full of scent.

 Working over the scrape itself.

This is the stud I really want. Hopefully one of the ladies gets him to do something stupid.

This new product brought to market by Covert Scouting Cameras caught my eye right away when I first noticed it at the ATA show this past winter.  "Covert" is the perfect name for such a camera, it's tiny only 5 1/2" high x 3 1/2" wide x 2 1/4" deep.  It literally fits in the palm of your hand.  It's small stature coupled with it's infrared flash makes this camera very hard to detect by game and thieves alike.  Without looking for this camera it would be very easy to unknowingly walk right past it.

I had the privilege of testing this superb unit over the summer.  This trail camera is hands down the best I have used to date.  I got over 8000 pictures on one set of 8 AA batteries!  The cost of running this camera is minuscule.  In time this camera could nearly pay for it's self from it's low cost of operation compared to other cameras I have experience with.  It also comes with a 2 GB SD card so other than adding batteries it is ready to go right out of the package.

The camera is equipped to take either 3 MP or 5 MP photos backed by 24 high intensity LED bulbs packing a 40' flash range.  I will admit to never testing the unit on the 3 MP setting.  I only ran the unit set on 5 MP and it took fantastic photos both day and night.  The LED lights do a nice job on the photos after dark.

Below is a sample of a couple day and night photos. Keep in mind the photo quality suffers quite a bit when I resize and upload them to the blog.  They are much more crisp and vibrant before manipulating them.

These first two photos showcase the cameras fast trigger speed.

 Features of the Covert II Assassin trail camera include:
-24 "high intensity" Infrared LED's with a 40' flash range.
-Adjustable sensitivity for the PIR motion sensor.
-The camera comes with a 2 GB SD memory card.  The unit accepts cards from 8 MB to 2 GB in size.
-Adjustable from 1 second to 60 minute delay.
-Adjustable from 1 second to 60 second video length.
-The case includes a sun / rain shield over the lens and PIR unit.
-Industry standards such as locking tabs and a waterproof seal.
-1 year limited warranty.

These cameras can be viewed at www.covertscoutingcamera.com or http://www.dlccovert.com/ and you can reach Dave who is very helpful at david@covertscoutingcamera.com for all of your Covert camera questions or needs.

 

            The Pro-Bow-Cam Camera Arm from Pine Ridge Archery is great for do it yourself filming where you aren’t going to be moving the camera a lot. Lightweight, simple tree attachment, silent movement and ease of adjustability are all neat features of this camera arm.

 

            The base of the Pro-Bow Cam separates from the support arm, making it much easier to attach to the tree. You don’t have to worry about the arm and camera swinging around as you try and attach the unit to the tree. Simply pull the pin holding the two together and strap the base to the tree, then slide the two pieces back together and insert the pin back in the hole and you are ready to film.

Two piece design allows easy attachment to any tree.

 

            The arm itself is made up of three pieces of tubing connected with Teflon washers to insure silent operation. Fully extended there is approximately 26” of movement away from the tree. I like to position mine opposite the hand I hold my bow in and a little above seat height. This allows me to see the viewfinder while sitting or standing and the arm doesn’t interfere with drawing my bow.

 26" of extension away from the tree.

 

            The sections of tubing are held together with locknuts on bolts. The locknuts allow you to adjust the tension of the arms movement so it doesn’t keep pivoting out of position. The camera mount also has tension adjustment to allow smooth movement of the head. It can be swiveled left and right and tilted up or down. The movement on this head is not the smoothest on the market when trying to follow a deer or other animal. It is more suited for setting up and catching the action in front of the camera. Ideal for filming yourself without another person along.

Swivel and tilt adjustable head.

 

 

           

Here are the videos I captured using the Prow Bow cam:







If you are looking at just getting started in filming your hunts and want to try it out before you sink a ton of money in it, this is the perfect tree arm. Cheap, but very functional, suited perfect for the Handycam style of camera, not the bigger professional models. You can check out the Pro-Bow-Cam right here at BH.com.

http://www.bowhunting.com/shopping/Products/Pro-Bow-Cam-Camera-Support__PR-BOWCAM.aspx