Everything Hunting

Tell us about your hunt

2010-10-24T20:18:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has a story about a hunt that they would like to tell and/or some pictures of the monster that they were blessed with please email them to me at sojournmed@yahoo.com. Additionally, if you have tried a product that you either think is awesome or stinks please email me with your comments.

Of the submitted items only a few will be chosen for a post. Nothing will be posted without being edited where necessary. If you submit anything understand that it may be edited for clarity and content and then posted. No compensation will be extended for any submission whether posted or not.

Thank you in advance for your contributions.

God Bless,
Sean

New Land Purchase

2008-12-17T15:26:00.007-06:00

I purchased 16 acres in South Central Tennessee. I scouted the land quickly and found a couple of rubs and scraps along a four wheeler trail. I immediately put up a blind and a climber on the property.

Last weekend I went to the property to hunt and found three dogs on it. I yelled to them but, they never even turned their heads despite the fact that they were only 20 yards away. They slowly walked away after finishing their drink from the creek that runs through the property.

I decided to continue to my hunting spot. A very short while later I heard the dogs chasing a deer through the woods until they there was muzzleloader blast. At which point the dogs settled down. I presume that the dogs were deer hunting dogs and that they were running the deer off of my property to their owner who was illegally hunting private property that is unowned by him but unattended by the owner.

I can't tell you how upset I was by this whole experience. I paid about $70K for this land. I bought the land to get away from public land that is overrun by these kinds of idiots. The ones that have no regard for anyone else. Well, I guess the idiots are everywhere.

My knee-jerk reaction was that I wanted to shoot the dogs and leave them for dead. But, guess what? It's not the dogs fault. It's the owners. I would not hesitate to shoot the dogs if they were a threat to me or my family but for now I will wait to find the owner, possibly capture the dogs and deliver them to the authorities. I wish there was a way to make people live HONORABLY. But, there are so few of people who give any value to honor that the bulk of our society has learned to care about themselves only... not just first, but only.

I would never knowingly step foot on private property to hunt without permission. I would never hunt a deer with a dog (this is my personal opinion) and if I did I would do it on land that I had permission to do it. Since it is against the law to hunt deer with dogs in the state of Tennessee I am sure that the poacher would never bother to ask or to consider whether the deer population could handle this type of hunting.

How do you feel about this practice? Am I wrong to want sole rights to my own land. Should I be alright with someone running deer off of my land for their own use. Not a neighbor, but a thief who puts no value on someone else's property. Not someone who gave me an opportunity to tell them my answer of: No you can't run your dogs on my land.

I called the game warden and his response was this. "Dogs know no bounds." You could shoot the dog if they are hurting your livestock or threatening you or your family. But, unless you catch the dog and deliver it to the authorities nothing can be done. He went on to say that he most likely will not be able to prosecute the hunter because they probably wouldn't be there when they arrived and if they were they can claim that they are hunting rabbits with their dogs. Which is a legal practice. About the only thing they could get them on is trespassing.

I don't want them running their rabbit dogs on my property either. Am I wrong to say, "I WANT TO HUNT MY OWN LAND"? I don't want to share it with people who have not asked my permission. That is the reason that I purchased the land... not to live on but to hunt on.

Send me your thoughts.

2008-11-02T06:16:00.002-06:00

Whisker Biscuit
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

The Whisker Biscuit (WB) has a couple positive attributes. They are as follows:

Very quiet
Arrow stability while stocking deer

Now for the downside:

Tears vanes up quickly. After only a few shots the vanes of the arrows you are shooting will warp and eventually begin to separate from the shaft of the arrow making the arrow useless for target practice or hunting. I shot the WB for over a month and every arrow that I used lost it's vanes. I don't know about you but I can't afford to waste $50 a week on new arrows when I don't have too.
When this rest gets wet... it is unacceptably loud.

I can not recommend this rest to anyone at$5 let alone $65. I may mention that I use carbon arrows with rubber vanes. I am unsure as to how fletchings (feathers) would preform. It would seem to me that it is probably worse.

Blessings,
Sean

Tracking a Deer

2008-10-16T11:17:00.004-05:00

While most of the deer that I have harvested have fallen very close to where they were shot, there have been a few that have made a mad dash out of sight . In fact, when bow hunting this is often the case. When this happens you will need to track the deer.

When a deer is shot through both lungs or the heart they usually will drop where they stand or they may go 30-50 yards before the adrenalin that carries them runs out. However, a deer that is shot too far forward and at an angle may only have a single lung shot, a high shot may penetrate both lungs but takes more time for the deer to succumb to their injury. And a shot that is slightly far back may end up being a liver shot or the dreaded gut shot.

Whether a deer goes 30 yards or a mile tracking skills will be required. The first part of tracking is what you take with you to track. Always tell someone where you will be parking your truck and hunting. It is important to figure that you are going to be tracking for a mile and be pleasantly surprised when you walk right up to the deer just past where you last saw them. I take basic survival items on every track:

Fire starting implements (magnesium sticks are great for this due there ability to start a fire even if wet)

Sharp knife (multi-tool is great for obvious reasons)

Compass and GPS (compass is a must even if you have a GPS… if the batteries go dead you will need to have some idea the direction that you truck is parked to get back to it)

Flashlight (with extra batteries)

Canteen of water (metal ones are best because they can be easily put on the fire to boil water)

Water proof coat if you will not be wearing one while tracking

Side arm and ammo if legal (check your local laws)

Medications that you need on a daily basis.

Basic first aid kit

Cell phone if you get service where you hunt

Beef jerky and/or peanut butter and crackers

In addition to survival gear I take things that I need for tracking the deer:

Toilet paper (while tracking small pieces can be placed every so many feet to quickly remind you where you have been)

Deer drag

Length of rope or twine (this is to tie your tag to the deer, however it is very nice to have plenty as it can be used for many purposes in survival situations)

Once you have packed your back pack full of the gear that you need you will be ready for the hunt.

Accuracy is extremely important while hunting. Most of us know this… we practice most of the year long to keep up our skills. However, after sitting in a tree stand or ground blind for months at a time without seeing a deer a hunter will be justifiably nervous when a deer finally makes an appearance. Some things to keep in mind when preparing and taking that shot are:

Don’t stare at the horns too long, but instead focus on the task at hand.

Make slow moves preparing for the shot. Try to move only when the deer is looking away from you or while the deer is moving. Moving at approximately the same speed and direction as the deer will completely disguise your movements to the deer. This is because their eyes are on the side of their head and as they move their surroundings seem to move too.

Use a steady rest for any shots that you can… consider this before the shot

Follow through on all shots. In other words hold your aim until the animal moves.

When it comes to tracking a deer my general rule is this: First, watch the deer to see where he goes after it is shot. Make a note of the last place that you see the deer before it ducks out of sight.

Second, listen closely to the direction that the deer went. Additionally, pay attention to crashing sounds followed by relative silence. This often indicates a downed deer. The direction of which is important.

Third, I wait at least a half hour to crawl out of my stand and track a deer. The exception to this rule is if it is raining or snowing. Blood trails will disappear very quickly in either of these too situations so I will get down and track them immediately. Lastly, when I get out of my stand I will be as quiet as I was coming in so that I don’t kick up or scare the deer that may be bedding down nearby.

After I get to the last area that I saw the deer I look at the evidence that is there. Look for obvious blood and hair. If you don’t find any blood sign look at the ground for any tracks or disturbances. If you find some follow them a short way. Do you see any blood? Pay close attention to leaves, branches and grasses that are about three feet high. Many times there may be a lack of consistent blood on the ground especially if the deer is running. But, if a deer is wounded it will likely brush against foliage as they run through the woods.

If, after careful inspection, I don’t find any blood or tracks I will place some toilet paper or some other marker where the deer was standing when I shot it and then walk in the direction that I believe the deer went. After walking between 20 and 30 yards if I still don’t see any sign then I will turn left and walk in a circle with the center of the circle being the last place that you saw the deer. I will eventually return to the center (area that I marked off with toilet paper) and increase the size of the circle until I get to about 100 yards. If no sign is found. It is probable that you completely missed the deer.

Usually, you will easily find a blood trail beginning from the place that the deer was standing. If you heard a crashing noise follow the blood trail to where you remember hearing it. If you don’t find the deer there back out and get some help tracking the deer. Most often a deer is shot just before dark which, of course, means that you will be tracking the deer in the dark.

Extra eyes on any tracking job can only help. Place toilet paper on tree limbs and the ground as you go. This will make it easier to back track if the trail goes cold. As you go through the woods following sign remember the deer often circle their trail when afraid. Also, if undisturbed a deer will often bed down at their first opportunity. So, if you find an area that looks like a big puddle of blood and the deer is not there, back out immediately. This is an indication that the deer is responding to your tracking efforts. Instead, come back at first light. If you choose to track the deer further you take the risk of loosing the deer completely.

When you return the next day you should go to where your last blood sign was. Follow the blood trail as before. As you move along pay attention to areas where the deer bedded down. If the blood starts to look fresh and the deer is bedding down frequently along the trail, that may be gut shot. Be sure that you have your weapon with you in case you get an opportunity to take a finishing shot. Often a deer that beds frequently knows that you are on their trail, but lack the strength to go very far. You will likely catch up to them and be able to finish what you started.

Gut shots are not cool for the deer. Practice using your weapon often through out the year to insure proper shot placement. Don’t take risky shots through brush. Remember there is no such thing as a brush gun. So, don’t take a shot thinking that the brush won’t affect your slow moving bullet. It just doesn’t work that way. Don’t take a bow shot at a deer who is alerted to your general position… they can and will jump the string. Use only secure broad heads. Improperly adjusted broadheads that require a wrench to tighten and spin independently of the arrow shaft can plane completely off course and cause gut shots.

Once you have found your deer immediately tag the deer and then field dress it. Place your deer drag around it’s neck and follow your toilet paper trail to your truck. Get help to put the deer into the truck bed if necessary.

Hunting deer is one of my greatest passions. I take the entire experience in and take the responsibility of making a clean kill very seriously. Still as careful as I am, occasionally I need to track an animal that I have shot. The skills listed above have helped me find every deer that I have ever shot except two. Those two deer haunt me from time to time. I know that if I would have known the advise that I have given here I would have recovered the deer.

God Bless,
Sean

Realtree Road Trips Review

2008-10-14T16:25:00.002-05:00

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Realtree Road Trips 2006 Promo

I have been watching Realtree Roadtrips with Michael Waddell on the Outdoor Channel for about 5 years now. In my opinion it is the very best hunting show that there is. I buy the Seasons DVD when it comes out every Fall. There are 5 seasons available at present and they can be picked up as a package at Michael's blog for $55:

http://www.realtree.com/store/detail/4/startat/16/s/0/

The shows include whitetail, mulley, turkey, moose, elk, bobcat, bowfishing and a few more. Many country music singers hunt with Michael throughout the seasons. Some examples of personalities that you will see:

Blake Shelton
Maranda Lambert
Gary LeVox from Rascal Flats
Ted Nuggent
Blue Angels
Rhett Akins (Awesome new singer, look for his CD in stores now)
.... to name a few

The show is entertaining on a different level than other hunting shows. One way that the show is different is that the show doesn't just show the hunt. You get to see the fun and mischief that goes on at hunting camp. If you have ever been to a hunting camp you will appreciate this footage. Michael tends to be a bit silly and he has a host of funny new characters that show up every show.

You can check it out on the Outdoor Channel on Fridays at 5 PM, Sunday at 9 PM and Monday morning at 12:30 AM (I believe that these times are Eastern Times, because here in Nashville the times are an hour earlier).

God Bless,
Sean

Signs of the Times

2008-10-13T15:53:00.003-05:00

I am a devoted Christian. That is my life's work. That is my existence. I may not be a great hunter or a perfect person. I sin almost daily and my sin stems from my pride and the rebellion that comes from it. Just the same, I am called to use my skills and talents to further the Kingdom of God. This site needs to do that as well.

It seems to me that we are about to begin the end times. Here are some prophecies that have been fulfilled or could be fulfilled at any time:

Israel come together from many nations and formed their own country in the mid 1900's.
In 2001 a plan for peace between Israel and it's neighboring countries was drafted up by the leader of Jordan, King Abdullah. This plan was agreed to by all parties involved except Syria, Iraq and Lybia. Iraq has been transformed. Will the other two countries be as well. Watch and see.
How close are we to a one world economy?
Is the United Nations a one world government? Or is it a precursor for one?
How many tragic disasters have occurred over the last 2-3 years?
It is prophesied that it will cost a days wages just to buy the food for that day. While things are getting quite expensive we may not be quite to this point yet. Is it possible that we are headed that direction. Even a fool like me can see that the financial crisis that we are currently in could in fact lead to the fruition of this prophecy. The crisis is affecting the economy of every country in the world.

We, as Christians, don't need to look much further to decide that if we are not telling people about Christ we are doing them a great disservice. If we really believe that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven and that heaven and hell are eternal, then we are letting people die if we are doing any less than shouting the Good News from the mountain tops. Does it matter that we may get made fun of? Or that we are going to look like maniacs or extremist to the secular world. No it doesn't.

Loving our neighbor as our self... Let's actually practice this exercise. Ask yourself if you would want to be told about Christ if you were not a Christian? How about if you were on your way to hell? Really good people who haven't humbled themselves before Christ asking that his blood be applied to them will be in hell forever. If that fact doesn't bother your then you may want to do some soul searching.

The gospel is simply this. If you live and breath you sin. Your sin is punishable by separation from God in a place of eternal torment called hell. Jesus died for your sins about 2000 years ago. If you will recognize your sin, believe that Jesus died for you, turn from your sin, humbly ask God to allow Jesus' blood to cover your sins, surrender you life to God that he may daily change you into what he has in mind for you and become baptized. Then you will be saved. You will spend eternity at home in heaven.

Please follow the below link to my other website titled Serving Christ.

http://sean-servingchrist.blogspot.com/

If you make a decision for Christ please let me know here or on my other blog.

God bless,
Sean

Hunters Specialties, Scent-A-Way Laundry Detergent and Shower Soap Review

2008-10-12T07:59:00.007-05:00

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Today I want to review Hunter's Specialties, Scent-A-Way products. I have been using these products for about 6 years now. I have never had any problems with them. They eliminate smells, they don't have UV brighteners, and they are long lasting and effective. I have had deer directly down wind within 15 yards of my stand without so much as a glance at the the tree I was sitting in.

It seems to me that these products are best in the no scent formulas. Using the dirt or acorn scented versions of these products are a hindrance and should be avoided. The trouble with them is that they put too much scent in the area. Sure these scents are found in the woods but, they don't necessarily smell so strong in a given area and therefore may alert deer to your coming and going. Additionally, having a dirt smell in a tree is not natural. The scent free versions make you disappear.

Here are the items in the Scent-A-Way family of products that I regularly use and will continue to do so until they stop making them or someone shows a reason why not to use them:

Shampoo
Bar Soap
Deodorant
Cover Spray
Laundry Detergent

You can not go wrong with these products. I have tried others over the years due to convenience, but I haven't found any that I liked as well. I have been blown at by deer or inspected closely when using other products. I haven't been blown at with Scent-A-Way except when I forgot to use cover spray or had done something in my stand that spooked the deer.

These products are readily available in just about all outdoor stores and WalMart. They are typically cheaper than most others and in my humble opinion work the very best. Even if there is another product that works as good as the Scent-A-Way products they can't work better. Perfect is perfect.

Blessings,
Sean

ScentLok Carbon Suit Update

2008-10-12T07:36:00.005-05:00

Last week a friend of mine and I went hunting together and we sat in a ground blind. I left my house a few minutes after I got home from work and decided that I would test the suit without me taking a scent free shower. I wore a regular pair of shorts and a tee shirt that had been washed in Tide and not scent free laundry detergent.

We were hunting a new area and needed to clear some shooting lanes. The noise that was made breaking branches probably accounted for our not seeing deer. We enjoyed the hunt though.

When we got back to the truck I unzipped my suit to put it back into it's plastic tote. My friend said man I just got a whiff of soap. He said, "I have been sitting beside you for about 4 hours and I never smelled that smell. But, as soon as you unzipped the coveralls I smelled soap."

This seems to indicate that the coveralls were doing something. I am not willing to give a thumbs up yet as I haven't had any deer down wind of me to judge the performance of the garment. It did occur to me though that no matter how scent free I am I will always have a tree stand, chair or ground blind to put off some scent. I can not leave these items in the woods because I hunt public land. Not only is it illegal for me to leave them, but they would surely get stolen.

Blessings,
Sean

ThermaCell Review

2008-10-11T15:31:00.007-05:00

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Today I am reviewing the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent. During the early bow season in Middle Tennessee the mosquitoes go on the offensive. They will get you even if you are covered from head to toe with clothing. I spent the first 5 hunts this year getting eaten alive. I had a swarm of skeeters attacking me from the very minute that I sat in the woods. The buzzing noise around the ears the sting of their bites and the emotional struggle to maintain my inner being were too much for me on one of my hunts. I had to end the hunt early. I physically could not sit still and was punished by the deer who saw me swatting the blood suckers in self defense. I never saw the deer but heard the tell-tale signs of braking branches going the exact opposite direction from me.

I resolved to try the ThermaCell just to see if it works. The price that I paid was about $20 for the unit and an additional $10 for the holster at my local WalMart. The device was described as being "Odorless" so, I gladly handed over the greenbacks for the possibility of some relief.

I took the device into the woods with only a hope of relief, but deep down I didn't expect much from the little device. I would have been thankful for half of the buggers to be gone. I was amazed by the results. I saw exactly 1 mosquito the entire night and she bugged out of there after catching a whiff of the concoction. She was kind enough to leave without a single bite.

I didn't notice any smell on the first night that I used it, but when I used the second time the smoke blew right in my face a couple of times and odorless it is not. The smell isn't particularly strong or chemically, strangely enough. Like always, play the wind correctly. Because the item is advertised as being "Odorless" and doesn't live up to it's claim, I have given the item 4 out of 5 stars.

An added feature of this device is that it seconds as a wind indicator. The light smoke that comes from it drifts into the wind and tells you where your scent is blowing.

If you are getting bugged by the local sceeters go out and buy one of these handy do-dads. You can find them at just about all outdoor stores that carry camping and/or hunting supplies. I highly recommend it for early bow season and especially camping.

God bless,
Sean

Butcher your own deer

2008-10-08T19:25:00.004-05:00

The price of butchering a deer ranges from $75-150. I don't know about you, but that is a little much when you can butcher your own for free in about 4 hours. If you are content with paying someone so that you don't have to worry about it then you have more money than me.

When I lived in Wisconsin I routinely harvested about 10 deer per year. I donated 5 to a family in less fortunate circumstances than me and butchered the rest myself. In those days, I would help my friends and they would help me. We could get 2-3 deer done in a matter of a few hours. The cost savings for me were between $370-750.

These days I don't get an opportunity at anywhere near that number of deer. I hunt primarily public land in a state that doesn't allow baiting. Last year I shot only 1 deer on public land and a deer on private land. So my butchering skills are not as financially valuable as they once were.

I butcher my meat the way that I want it. If I want a roast I just set some meat aside for that purpose. I always trim away all fat and tendon (white tough stuff that surrounds the meat) which is something that goes against the grain at most butcher shops. I imagine you could find one that will do that but, somehow I think the extra work would cost a bit more.

If you are someone like me that hunts for the shear value of it... learn the techniques I am about to present.

After harvesting your deer always field dress the deer in the woods. This will make the deer lighter to get out of the woods and provide the birds of prey and coyotes with a morsel. The list that follows is my routine. You assume full responsibility for the cleanliness and safety of your meat and to yourself while preparing it. There is always a chance of meat contamination if precautions aren't taken.

Skinning the Deer

If it is warm outside pack the cavity with a bag of ice to bring the core temp down.
Cover your deer if it will be exposed to exhaust fumes. I drive a truck and I just lay the deer in the back uncovered.
When I get home I tie a thick rope around the deers neck and hang it in a tree until its legs are off of the ground. Caution: use a thick enough limb to support the weight of the deer or obvious complications will result. There are hoists that you can buy at Bass Pro Shop and Academy Sports for this purpose. I have never used them, but they may be of some benefit if your budget allows. Admittedly, I have butchered a bunch of deer with one, but just know that they are available. I have skipped the hanging step and skinned the deer in the back of my truck before. This works alright, but it's a little easier if you hang the deer from a tree. I don't hang my deer for long periods of time for the sake of the meat. When I am in the Wisconsin hunting camp I will hang the deer to get back to hunting. But, in WI it is usually well below freezing and meat spoilage isn't a concern.
Get a sharp pocket knife and a knife sharpener (very cheap at any sporting goods store, $2 or less usually).
Make initial cut 360 degrees around the neck.
Then pinch the fur on top of the front legs after the first articulation (first bend after the hoof). Make a cut into the flesh (perpendicular to the leg)... then turn your knife around so that the blade is facing up and hold the knife with your hand palm up and place your index finger on the dull side of the blade. Pick up the skin above the initial incision and put your blade in the hole. Cut the skin in a straight line up to the neck. Repeat this for both front legs and then do it to the rear ones with the only difference being that cut the skin to meat the incision you made when you field dressed the deer.
After you have made those incisions; grab the skin on the front legs and pull it up and away from the leg. You will see a bunch of fibrous, white tissue immediately below the skin. Use your blade to cut the fibrous tissue while pulling with gentle traction. This should be pretty easy and you should be seeing the skin peel away from the leg.
Repeat the step on the other front leg.
Now is where you will have the fun. This step is where you will see if you have a thick enough branch. Grab the skin around the neck and start to pull it away from the body use your knife you did on the arms to cut away at the fibrous tissue. All you will need to do is peel enough that you will be able to get a very solid grip with both hands.
Pull the skin all the way down until you get to the back legs.
Repeat the same steps as you did before on the front legs here. If at any point you feel that you can peel the skin by hand then do it and save yourself some time.
You will need a saw (or a your knife may work) to cut the tail off. Once it is off you should be able to pull the skin off.

Quartering the Deer

There are two rear quarters, two front quarters, back straps and tenderloins. This process may require a small amount of trial and error if you have never done it before. If you have the least bit of dexterity it will be easy after you take the first quarter. Don't let it scare you. First, stand between the hanging deers legs push the deers right leg to your left and make cut where the fibrous tisse connects the leg to the chest. Follow the fibrous tissue until you get the the bone. At that point I like to really push out on the leg in the same direction you have been this will either expose the ball and socket joint of the leg or at least give a since of where it is. Try to expose the ball and socket so that you can see where to cut without having to cut the bone. I believe that it makes it easier.
Staying against the ribcage cut the meat all the way around the body until the meat starts to thin. When the leg is off of the body lay it in a clean unscented heavy duty trash bag. Don't worry you will be washing the mess out of this meat.
Repeat the same thing on the other front leg. When removed from the body into the trash bag it goes.
Rear quarters are about the same. Put them in the bag too once they have been removed from the body.
Now get some freezer two to be exact. Write on one Back straps and on the other tenderloins. The very best cut of meat are the tenderloins. With my friends the person who helped me track the deer also helped me skin it. So I will usually save that cut for that person and I to enjoy as a victory meal for a good harvest. It has been a great tradition for me and my friends. Now its time to take the backstraps. Find the backbone at the base of the neck just below where the hair still remains. Put your knife in the thick muscle tissue that resides directly to the left of the backbone. Then make the incision to the right of the backbone. Make the incision all the way down the backbone until you reach were you cut out your rear quarters. The blade should touch the backbone on the side of the blade and ribs at the tip as you run the blade down the length of the body.
Now move your blade about 3-4" to the left of the backbone. Once the incision is made go back to the top connect the incisions with a transverse (side to side) incision and start to free the muscle from the bone. I do this by grabbing the muscle and pulling up with some light traction from my fingers. I then slowly, run the blade perpendicularly down the spine. You should be pulling up a really thick and very long steak. Repeat the same process on the other side.
Now grab a flashlight and shine it in the deers body cavity. If you look at the area of the spine you will find that there is a band of muscle on either side. Trace this mucsle with your knife and free it from the bone just like you did with the tenderloins.

Cutting the meat into steaks, stew meat, roasts and burger
I don't use any special formula for dividing my meat other than this.

Rear quarters, tenderloins and back straps are best for steaks.
Front quarters are good for jerky and burger.

Get a butchers knife. Cut the ligament (or the white cordlike structure that looks like something you would have a hard time chewing), which is toward the bottom of the leg.
You should make an incision into the meat along the length of the bone. Once you have made the incision down to the bone you should try to pull the bone out of the meat or the meat off of the bone. It may be necessary to use the knife to accomplish this. On the front quarter this will be much more difficult then on the rear. Be careful to get whatever meat that you can off of the bone. I wouldn't spend forever trying to accomplish this but you will get the idea as you go along.
Keep the front quarter meat and the rear quarter meat seperate.
Now take the rear quarter and decide if you want a roast. If so keep it in mind as you proceed through this step. There is a thin layer of muscle that looks bubbly on top of the thigh. Lift this up and off of the rest of the meat. Put it aside to add to the burger. The rest of the rear quarter meat will be your steaks and/or roasts. Cut the meat to sizes that you like thick or thin.
Cut the thick white material off from the outer edge of the steaks.
The front quarter meat will be kind of stringy. Try to cut what ever thick white stuff that you can away from this meat. Then cut the meat into as small pieces as you can to facilitate easier grinding to make burger. Keep in mind that the more of the tendon and ligament that your remove the less chewy it will become.
Clean the steaks and all meat under cold running water. Try to get any hair or dirt off of the meat.
Bag the meat in the amounts that you will use them. I like to use a vaccuum sealer. They are very inexpensive and will keep your meat for a much longer time than regular freezer bags. I have used freezer bags before but after a month or so they start to get a little freezer burnt.
Write the date of packaging and what type of meat (back strap steaks, rear quarter steaks, etc).
Cook your meat and enjoy.

I hope that this helps. Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques of butchering. Sometimes my method isn't as pretty as you will find at the butchers shop but it tastes just as good.

God Bless,
Sean

Animal Rights Activists- Are they swaying the public opinion?

2008-10-05T07:44:00.009-05:00

As I interact with people at work or socially I am finding that people tend to be misinformed about hunting. Many that I tell about my passion for hunting respond by calling me a killer. They tend to be regular people who eat meat which they buy from a grocery store. But, because they don't have to think of the animal being killed or see the process, they get the sense that somehow it is more humane. These are my friends. They know that I am not a bad guy and they feel comfortable speaking their minds to me and freely do so.

Hunting is not a brutal sport that requires no brains or effort. Much goes into planning a hunt and executing it. Scent free showers, scent free laundry, studying topographical maps and aerial photos for hours and hours, scouting the land for deer sign, setting up tree stands or blinds, monitoring the trails to see if anything is using them, exercising extreme caution coming in and out of the wood to decrease the sound of our foot steps and so on. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to take one single deer. And deer hunting is no sport in my opinion.

Many people tell me that they can't imagine why anyone would want to shoot a defenseless animal. They feel that it is morally questionable. Is it? Guess what: A deer is not defenseless. They hear much better than humans; they notice movement better than we do to. They run much faster than we do and they know the woods better than we do and use them to survive.

When the average person sees deer in their back yards they tend to think that because they can go out and shoot them from their back porch that it must be just as easy for hunters in the woods. Or because they see deer on the side of the road foraging for food that they could get out of their car and kill a deer in a matter of seconds. But, things are much different in the hunting woods.

Deer are very sensitive to hunting pressure and respond quickly to it. The woods are equivalent to your bedroom. Would you know if someone walked into your room in the middle of the night and kicked something left on the floor? So do the deer. Any sound or smell that is abnormal to the woods is immediately recognized as foreign and evasive action is taken. They take flight long before you ever see them it's as if they aren't even there.

Not convinced? Take a walk in the woods on public land during bow season and see how many deer you see. If you see deer, are they within 15-30 yards? That is the average effective range of archery equipment. Then take a walk on public land during gun season (wear orange) do you see deer that are within 100-150 yards... that is the maximum effective range for most hunters, myself included. I have never been on a hunt where a shot further than 150 yards was possible due to the trees and undergrowth found in the woods. And hunting fields with rifles on public land is a fool's quest in most cases. Deer don't come all the way to the field until it is pitch black.

The point that I am trying to make is that hunting is not as easy as the non-hunter imagines. If the non-hunting home owner takes a shot at the deer what will happen? The deer will come out much later (at dark) and the deer will not stand there when approached by said home owner.

Is it humane to kill animals in the woods? One point that seems to be brought up time and again is that hunters have no reason to hunt. If you can afford to go to the grocery store to buy your meat then do it and leave the deer alone. The fact that I like to hunt for deer must mean that I do it for joy of killing. So hunting for meat isn't justified if you can afford to buy it somewhere else. I take issue with this point because the deer are animals just like chicken, pigs and cows. And letting someone else kill the animal doesn't make you morally superior. Some insist if you can't take the life of the animal that you cook in your oven you shouldn't be eating it. I disagree with that point because some people are hunter/gathers while others are not. But, judging hunters for feeding there families without the aid of a grocery store is dead wrong and morally questionable in and by itself.

The notion that hunting deer is less difficult and morally inferior to walking a domestic cow to a place to be slaughtered is, well, foolish. Bringing fenced animals that have spent their lives being feed and cared for by humans into a place to be killed so that you and I can eat is less fair to the animal than me going into the woods and trying to hunt an animal. Animals in the woods certainly don't trust me like cattle trust humans. And when the animal goes to be butchered, the animal doesn't die quicker and they are no more or less dead.

So how is it morally superior to go to the grocery store to buy the flesh of an animal that was first tamed and then executed for our nourishment? I buy meat at the store too. There isn't anything wrong with this practice, but if we are going to judge which is morally superior: store bought meat or legally harvested deer, I would side with the deer hands down. And if you think about it you would too.

Many agencies try daily to stop hunting: PETA, HSUS (Humane Society), etc. These agencies have misinformed the public and portrayed hunting as a moral issue. Most of the public is easily swayed by the media. If the media publishes information that pulls at the heart-strings and lists falsehoods as facts or simply gives their personal views as the only facts about the issues; the uninformed majority walk away feeling that they have just learned all of the facts. Undoing the harm done by these agencies is an uphill battle, but one that all hunters must fight. We need to inform people about the facts in a non-confrontational way. We have to pass on our hunting heritage to the next generation. Don't have kids? Take someone else's.

PETA and The Humane Society set small goals to start with. As they reach more and more smaller goals people become used to thinking of hunting as a negative "Sport" or a dangerous past time. Once they have accomplished the goal of swaying public opinion they can easily accomplish their ultimate goal of banning hunting. Some examples of the small aspects of hunting they are trying to ban right now are:

certain guns,
baiting,
using dogs to hunt doves, etc.

They will use their successes to open the door to larger concessions. Currently, they are trying to ban "Sniper Rifles". Sounds menacing right? Let's look at what they consider to be a sniper rifle: Every single rifle that a hunter would or could use to hunt deer (ie, 30.06, .308, .270 and so on). If they're successful we will be left with muzzleloaders and archery equipment. And since there are relatively few hunters who hunt with archaic devises, less and less supporters will be available to fight for there right to bare arms and hunt. Then PETA and the Humane Society will start a campaign that makes hunting an act of murder.

(note: I will be discussing the right to bare arms in a future post)

Now, let's consider this: It is extremely hard to learn to hunt effectively. The learning curve for a brand new hunter who has no one to teach them the basics of: scent prevention, proper use of camo, where and how to hunt, identifying deer sign and so on could be as much as 5-10 years. I believe that people adapt to their conditions. They would eventually get it but it takes many years of instruction and practice to become a good hunter. Eliminating the practice would be a mistake for our country.

Many believe that there is no circumstance that they can imagine that we wont be able to get the food we need from the grocery store. So we proudly march on to become more and more dependent on our modern technology and force everyone to accept our way of doing things. We really don't need guns or hunting right?

But wait a minute: what if we lost electricity for an extended period of time through war or some other means? That would cause an immediate panic and a run on all food. The inability to keep our food refrigerated would quickly wipe-out the meat, all perishables and even canned goods (because once we've lost electricity we would lose our ability to can vegetables in a factory), so when the available food was gone we would be left to live off of the land. Do you know how to keep stuff from spoiling when there isn't a refrigerator around? Do you know someone who can make a glass jar for storing food? Me either, but our ancestors did.

We would all struggle to feed ourselves as our modern technology and our society collapses. All of us would be scrambling for anything that was available. Everyone would want to hunt for food but there wont be guns available and if we had banned hunting there may be know one who knows how. The only ones with guns will be the criminals. They would quickly gain control and anarchy would prevail. Who do you think would be the first to whine and complain about the shortage of food? Or the mayhem? That's right: PETA and the Humane Society who wouldn't have enough food for themselves much less the animals that they have worked so hard to protect.

Another point to consider is that to stop hunting would be morally wrong. The deer population would rapidly increase to overabundance. The fragile ecosystem would not be able to sustain the deer population and the deer would die of malnutrition and disease. The number of human fatalities due to animal related car crashes would spike to unprecedented levels.

PETA and the Humane Society may argue to reintroduce predators into the woods. OK... look to Wisconsin for some answers to this question. Predators have been reintroduced and they are so abundant that human and predator interaction is the norm. Do you want wolves in your back yard? I don't. I have nothing against wolves, but my kids are small enough to be a snack for them. And how is it more acceptable to bring in something else to kill the deer then to let hunters provide food for there families.

I can't deny that there are people who are poachers or irresponsible hunters. However, these are the exception and not the rule. I don't personally know anyone that hunts who isn't a wildlife advocate.

They leave the woods as clean or cleaner then they found it.
They wouldn't shoot an animal if their numbers couldn't support it.
They don't use illegal or immoral tactics to harvest animals.
They look to provide more habitat for the animals that they hunt.
They try to take mature animals to prevent bottle-necking of species.

In the end, we hunters need to get involved and become educators of our public. Our silence indicates to the public that PETA and The Humane Society are right on all of their bogus claims.

Those who don't hunt need to think very carefully about what they are agreeing to when they vote to ban rifles and hunting. When you punish the many for the few, you will eventually be negatively affected by your decision. To not allow hunting - that will be a problem for everyone... I guarantee it.

God Bless,
Sean Porter

Best Ever Venison Steak Recipe

2008-10-02T15:29:00.005-05:00

I have this recipe that everyone seems to rave over. It's the type of recipe that makes you want to kiss the cook and turns the venison nah sayers on their checks. Try this recipe and let me know how it turns out for you.

You will need:

As much venison as you will need to feed your peeps
1 Cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup oil
3 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground mustard
2 tbsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients in a bowl and then pour into a large freezer bag. Put the meat in the bag and let it marinade for between half an hour to an hour. Then place on the charcoal grill (for best results) or on any grill. Cook to your liking. I enjoy my meat medium rare and can highly recommend it. Deer meat is very lean and will dry out quickly once it is past medium. Keep that in mind while cooking.

For best results do not defrost venison in the microwave and cut all traces of tendon and fat away from your meat before cooking. I trim my meat until there is nothing but muscle tissue left behind. I believe when you do that you take away any gamy taste that may be inherent to the meat. I never taste gaminess in my meat.

Happy hunting and God bless,
Sean

Versus Country TV

2008-09-27T11:48:00.007-05:00

I am excited to inform my readers of something that they may already know about. Versus (VS., a tv station for guys) hosts hunting shows on Friday nights starting at 8 PM on channel 72 (Comcast- Nashville... check your local cable listings for exact channel listing or go to the Versus home page and look for Channel Finder on the left sidebar).

In fact, starting October 2nd VS will be kicking off the "4 Weeks of Whitetails". This hugely popular lineup of whitetail hunting shows airs on Thursday and Friday nights throughout the month of October (10/2-10/24). This is the second time that VS has blocked off it's programing for whitetail only hunting shows. Last years version of this programing was enjoyed so much that VS decided to do it again this year.

Some of the programs you should look out for are: "...The Bucks of Tecomate with Jeff Foxworthy, Winchester Whitetail Revolution, and Winchester World of Whitetail with Larry Weishuhn. As an added bonus, viewers will see: Hank Parker 3D, Winchester Legends, and North American Hunter and many others." For more information visit here.

Versus is no slouch the rest of the time either. If you are like me; you enjoy watching hunting shows. I watch The Outdoor Channel's (TOC) hunting shows with some regularity. I find myself a bit disappointed when GOLD RUSH, ATV and the GUNS AND AMMO or when re-run shows come on. If you watch TOC you know that they dedicate some of their evenings to these subjects. If you dig that sort of stuff have at it... but if you're like me, you are longing for more hunting shows. Especially during the hunting season.

Versus has Friday nights dedicated to hunting and there are other hunting shows on throughout the rest of the week too. For example, this week there are hunting shows on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursdays too. There are shows that cover everything from duck hunting to elk hunting and everything in between. Follow this link below to see this weeks actual hunting shows.

I am finding myself looking to VS as often as TOC to see who has the better program lineup when I sit down to watch TV. Last night (Saturday 9/28/08) I found that the programing on VS was way better than the programing on TOC. Admittedly, I am more familiar with TOC's programming lineup than VS, but I am sure that that will soon change as I have been watching VS more and more. Take a look for yourself and let me know what your think. You may find that Versus has your new favorite show on tonight.

VersusCountry.com

God bless,
Sean

Utimate Hunting Truck

2008-09-24T09:44:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Today I want to discuss vehicles that we use for hunting. For the past few years I have been commuting 60 miles per day to work in a 2001 Dodge Ram (average of 14 mpg). The truck was fully capable of doing all of the on and off road tasks required of hunters. I sold the truck this summer due to the price of gas and purchased an Hyundai Accent hatchback (29 mpg average) to battle my commute.

About a month ago my wife, kids and I moved to just south of Nashville. The move put me about 4 miles from my job. My need for the econo-ride has not been as apparent now that I live so close to work. It would certainly come in handy if I planned to hunt Cheateam WMA everyday, but Smyrna boasts a WMA of it's own, Percy Priest Units I and II. The land of which is only a couple miles from my back door.

Two weeks ago a friend showed me some additional public land to hunt that was within 3 miles of my home. The only problem with this land was that it has uneven dirt roads which the lil Hyundai would lose its undercarriage driving on. I didn't considered the cars limitations off road when I purchase it because the areas that I had been hunting were level and easily driven by a regular car. I had planned to add a trailer hitch to the Hyundai to drive the deer out of the woods and a luggage rack to the top to allow more cargo carrying capability. Those plans were changed, however when I noticed the all new 2008 Chevy Silverado.

Let me first say, there is no shame in driving a little car into the woods for your hunting adventure. The akwardness of the smaller vehicles can be limited by cheap and available upgrades (ie., roof rack, trailer hitch and platform, chains for tires, etc.). The smaller cars do get much better gas mileage then even the smallest of trucks. So, if you're commuting a great distance to work and can only afford one car make it an economy car. Cheaper on gas and better for our environment.

That being said... WOW! The Chevy Silverado is easy on the eyes. It is the best truck available according to 40 professional reviews not the least of which is JD Power and Associates.
http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado/
http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research.jsp?section=reviews&crpPage=reviews.jsp&makeid=9&modelid=2757&year=2008&myid=&acode=&mode=&aff=mother

JUST A FEW OF IT'S AWARDS
Best Gas Mileage
Best Truck in inital quality
Lowest cost of ownership
Visit the Chevy website for a complete list of it's awards.
http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado/

The Chevy Silverado has the smoothest ride of any car or truck that I have EVER driven. I have four kids so we have been driving a minivan for most of our family outings until now. The interior seating will accomodate my whole family if they were grown not to mention the tiny frames they currently sport. The truck won't replace our minivan, but it is nice to know that if the van breaks down we have a capable backup.

I purchased a two wheel drive version with traction control. I made the decision based on financial reasons and my driving needs. I may consider adding chains to the truck in case of an emergency (while in Wisconsin), though I don't anticipate a need as I almost never really needed the four wheel drive in my Ram in Wisconsin much less Tennessee. I don't anticipate any trouble from this decision.

The truck has all the power features (ie., power windows, door locks, steering, brakes, cruise control and so on), XM radio (3 months free), On Star (emergency plan free for one year), hands free phone (thru On Star/ Verizon free 30 minutes, approximately 15 cents per minute to add minutes and the unused minutes rollover for a year unless you add more minutes within that time in which case the minutes rollover for another year).

I purchased the 1500 Vortex 4.8L, V-8 with an automatic transmission. This baby gets between 14 city-19 mph highway which is the best gas mileage of any full sized pickup truck with the same size engine. I was surprised to find out that there wasn't any gas savngs between the largest Chevy V-8 and the V6. Their gas mileages are exactly the same. I have filled it up once and it averaged 16.4 mph. I have done mainly city driving with the AC on high. So I figure that I will be averaging 16-19 depending on highway or city driving.

The rear seats move completely up and out of the way to allow all of mine and my buddies hunting gear to store neatly in the truck to keep it dry and less conspecuous to would-be thieves. The keyless entry and alarm are added security features that I know I will enjoy.

The sticker price on my truck is $29,180 plus tax, tags, destination and doc fees. GM has a special "Employee Pricing" event where you pay what they pay. Additionally, they have some rebates and 2.99% financing through GMAC financing. The truck ended up costing me around $21,000 before the usual laundry list of fees. I felt that I was well taken care of and that I got the best deal that I ever could have at TEAM CHEVROLET in Smyrna, Tennessee.

If you are in the market for another truck take a look at the Chevy Silverado. You may be as impressed as I was. I believe the Employee Pricing event ends the end of September so hurry in and check to see if your Chevy guy can help you into a new Silverado for $8000 less then the sticker price.

God Bless,
Sean

ScentLok Revisted

2008-08-14T16:16:00.005-05:00

Hello all,

It has been a minute since I have posted. I spent my summer loving and enjoying my family and didn't take the time to post. I hope that all have had similar experiences with their families as they are a true blessing in every since of the word.

Fall approaches... I know it sure doesn't seem that way with temps reaching in the 90's everyday, but it is. The bow season starts the last week of September here in Tennessee. And so.... I need to go shoot my bow from now until bow season is over. I have been out a few times this summer but admittedly I don't shoot much when it is hot.

Last year I wrote a post on Scentlok clothing and issued a challenge to them. I requested a free Scentlok suit to trial their product (which would be sent back after the test) and then report an unbiased review of them. As I expected, I never heard a word from them. I can't say that I blame them because I am just a small time blog writer. Why take the chance of getting bad press?

Well, I bit the bullet. I bought the Scentlok suit and face mask. I will be buying the hat and gloves sometime soon. I will try these items as directed and report on them again throughout the bow season. I must admit that I am somewhat skeptical of the suit. On the other hand I have had some very compelling comments on the subject on my previous post. So, I decided to try it and see.

I bought the Savanna EXT deluxe coveralls for $159.95 at Bass Pro Shop. This seemed like the right first purchase. It is lower priced then the jacket and pants together and it is designed for hotter weather. If this works flawlessly then I may consider buying the suit intended for colder temps. This may even last for the entire season here in Tennessee. I will have to see. A full report will be made in October.

If anyone has had any experience with Scentlok clothing please post your comments. I would like to collect as many opinions as I can throughout the year to give a fair accounting of these products.

God Bless,
Sean

Turkey Season Has Begun

2008-04-04T16:13:00.004-05:00

Hello all,

First, I would like to encourage my readers to pay a visit to "The Southern Literary Messenger"...

http://www.southernliterarymessenger.com/0101/0101.htm

This is a website that is technically considered an online magazine. "The Southern Literary Messenger" was a magazine that had a long history of entertaining people of all walks of life. This online magazine is a resurgence of this tradition. I have written one of the simpler articles for the magazine this month. The article is about deer tracking and is quite informative. The editor of the magazine is John Wright.

Turkey Season Has Begun

Turkey season began in Tennessee last Saturday, March 29th. My son Quinlan (age 5) and I decided to begin our season together and headed for the woods at around 9 am. As we arrived at the Cheatham WMA we stopped by the ranger station to check in. There we saw about 10 people lined up waiting to check in their gobblers. This gave us a huge boost of excitement, as if we needed more.

We went to our chosen spot to set up for our hunt. I placed a hen decoy facing my direction and about 5 yards from my blind but a little to the left. I then placed a Primos B-mobile, strutting Tom and a Jake decoy atop of hill opposite the direction I expected the turkeys to come. These decoys were about 15 yards in front of my blind. The hunting area that I chose was a field of some immature green plants, the make of which I am not sure. It is the same field that I saw about 20 turkeys hanging out in last Spring while squirrel hunting. I set my blind back in some brush to disguise it a bit and felt confident that any approaching Tom would not notice the intrusion.

As the morning turned to afternoon my son and I began to question our choice in locations. We decided to pack things up and try someplace different. I began to put my Ameristep Doghouse Blind (in Realtree Hardwoods) into it's bag as my son Quinn gathered up the decoys and neatly placed them in a pile. As soon as I had the ground blind in the bag I heard the unmistakable sound of a Tom gobbling. I quickly motioned to my son to get back to the trees and sit down. He didn't get my gestures or my whispering and forced me to walk over to him and tell him what I needed him to do. I quickly placed the decoys in a similar fashion as before and found my place back in the trees.

I began to call the turkey with a Primos slate call to which the turkey gobbled his head off... over and over and over again for about half and hour. Now, what I should have done in this situation was to give a quick call and then go silent. However, I couldn't resist the conversation I was having with this Tom. Despite his being an interrupter of sorts I felt that we talked quite extensively. I spoke with cluck purrs, yelps and so on. While he dug our chat he expected the hen to come to him... I, in case it isn't apparent to you, am no hen and consequently couldn't go over to him. The turkey came in to about 50-60 yards and held up.

At the end of the encounter my son decided that his mask was too big and took it off. And since he no longer had the mask on he felt confident that he needed a little snack of animal crackers. I noticed the bag crunching and immediately directed my attention to him. I said very quietly, "Quinn put your mask on so the turkey doesn't see you." To which he responded, "But it is too big". I said, "Son put the mask on quickly." He said, "It's too big." So the father in me forgot about the turkey and said, a little louder this time, "PUT THE MASK ON NOW!"

I guess the turkey didn't appreciate being interrupted because I didn't hear from him again until I was walking back to the truck. A few crows were flying around harassing what sounded like two Tom's who were responding in kind with their gobbles. For a minute I thought that the turkeys were laughing at me. Maybe they were.

God Bless,

Sean

Benelli Nova Shotgun Review

2008-02-17T07:46:00.009-06:00

Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Benelli Nova 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun.

Review score: 5/5 stars

Here's what Benelli says about their shotgun:

"Just when everyone thought that the pump action shotgun couldn’t be improved, Benelli unveiled the Nova Pump. Completely original and innovative, the Nova Pump incorporates its polymer stock and lightweight receiver into a single unit for unsurpassed strength and weather resistance. Italian styling and high-tech ergonomics, such as distinctive grooves on the pistol grip and fore-end in place of conventional checkering, complement the Nova’s innovative engineering.

With dual-action bars and rotary head locking lugs, the Nova will handle anything from target loads to 3½" magnums. To help dampen the recoil of today’s super-heavy magnum loads, the Nova 12-gauge is specially designed to accept a Benelli recoil reducer.

Available in black, Advantage® Max-4 HD™, Timber HD™ and new Realtree® APG HD™ finishes, and as a youth model or slug gun, the Benelli Nova is the most versatile pump-action shotgun ever made — and just when everyone thought the pump gun couldn’t be improved.

Benelli’s Nova is truly a 21st Century pump shotgun. In a revolutionary shotgun manufacturing process, corrosion-proof polymer is over-molded on a skeleton framework to form the one-piece receiver and buttstock. The lightweight polymer stock also provides plenty of room for mounting an optional 14 oz. recoil reducer."

"The button on the underside of the fore-end activates a shell stop, allowing the chambered shell to be removed without releasing rounds from the magazine."

"Checkering was fine for old-fashioned wood stocks, but the Nova uses distinctive grooves that give both unmatched gripping surfaces and an unforgettably distinctive look."

From www.benelliusa.com/firearms/novaPump.tpl

OK, let me say that this is a pretty great shotgun. The camouflage covering seems to be very protective... almost like a rubberized coating. As mentioned above the shell stop button is very convenient while carrying the gun around between hunts. It doesn't replace traditional safe handling but adds another safety measure with added convenience. Removing all shells while walking to the truck may be a little too much for some hunters. What if you see something while walking right? Well, carry the shell in your hand and quickly add it to the gun if an opportunity arises. Then you will have your 3 shots loaded and ready to go before the bird gets out of sight.

The Benelli Nova 12 gauge shoots up to 3 1/2" shells and cycles smoothly and with little effort. The pump handle is not loud and sloppy like most other shotguns priced just below this one. The gun is very comfortable to handle and priced in a range that even poor folk like me can afford it with a little saving. Academy Sports has the black matte 20 gauge for $329.99... I believe that I paid about $350 for my 12 gauge, in Realtree APG, at Bass Pro Shop last year.

Unless you have lots of money and just gotta have the semi-auto, this is the shotgun to buy.

God Bless,
Sean

Copper John Dead Nuts Hunter Series Bow Sight

2008-02-11T18:49:00.004-06:00

Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Copper John Dead Nuts Hunter Series Bow Sight.

Sight Review Points: 3.5/5

I love this sight and have had the sight for 2 seasons. Here are the things that I like about the sight. First, it is light weight. This becomes important the more you shoot or carry your bow in the woods. Heavier options wear your arm out sooner.

Now you could buy lighter sights but... this brings me to the next point. It has an light weight aluminum construction. If you have ever owned the lighter plastic material sights you know what I am going to say before I say it. They are a waste of money but an even bigger waste of time. Why?

Well, let's imagine that you bought a new plastic sight. You can find them for $30 so the initial buy in is small. You take your bow to the archery range and lose a couple of arrows to get the sight on paper and then spend the better part of an hour trying to sight the bow in. By now your arm feels like it is going to fall off and your groups are anything but consistent. So you decide to come back another day.

When you come back you spend another hour getting the sight tuned in at all ranges. You feel confident when you leave that day and all is well until you have to adjust the sight again for any reason. Whether it be to fine tune it further after adding other new equipment or after bumping the sight in the woods. What happens to the plastic sight after it has been adjusted one too many times? The plastic gives way and the pin advances into the grooves that are supposed to support it. Now what? Buy a new sight. Start all over.

With a metal sight you don't have these worries. You can easily etch in markings to indicate where your sight is adjusted to in case it gets bumped. I like that feature because in the event that you need to change one or all of your pins you know where to put them and you are back in business within minutes.

I like the sight circle. It is huge and doesn't block the target that I plan to shoot. It sports a hunter orange circle which helps when lining up the peep and your sight in dusk and dawn situations. The sight circle has a place to put a pin illuminating light to increase dusk and dawn shooting.

Last but not least, the sight is quiet. I don't sense any vibration in it at all. Most folks who listen to me shoot comment on how quiet my bow is. Of course, vibration is a combination of all the components on a bow. But, each piece of the puzzle helps or hurts in the effort to be as quiet as possible.

I have the 5 pin sight which I prefer over the 3 pin model. I paid about $79.99 at Bass Pro Shop. It was at the lower end of the middle priced sights.

I do have to report a problem however. The fiberoptics seemed to dry rot after a couple of seasons. It is next to impossible to find replacement pins to change these pins out. They used to be available at Bass Pro but for what ever reason they aren't carrying the pins anymore. These pins can't be replaced by your standard pin due to the angle of the pins. You can't buy the pins at the Copper John website either. I had to purchase a brand new sight to scalp the pins. That's $79.99 twice in two years. In my opinion, that's unacceptable.

I emailed customer service at Copper John about the problem 3 weeks ago and have not received an email acknowledging the receipt of my email much less to answer my question. I am not sure if this is an indication of their customer service or if it is a fluke.

I will say this: If the fiber optic portion of the pins was stronger and more protected, the replacement pins were more readily available for replacement of broken ones and customer service would have been more helpful, I would be giving this product my highest score of 5 stars.

I saw that Copper John has come out with a different style pin in their newest version of the dead nuts series. It seems that the pins are a bit more protected. See pic below of the Copper John Dead Nuts 2 Hunter Pro Series:

This sight is also available at Bass Pro Shop for $89.99 (6 pin sight). I would invest in this sight as the Dead Nuts 1 may be phased out.

Incidentally, I purchased a sight cap that is made for Copper John sights that covers the pins and avoids damage to them. The cap doesn't add any noise to my bow and only costs about $20 at Bass Pro Shop. This may take care of the problem altogether. I will report on the subject after next season is over.

God Bless,
Sean

Scentlok Clothing Debate

2008-02-04T14:46:00.002-06:00

Hello All,

I have not used carbon suits at all because I have, up to this point, not been convinced that they work. There are many carbon suit bashing sites on the net that state: the basic rules of chemistry still apply to carbon suits as it does to all other living and non-living things in our world. They claim that the suits can't be regenerated at temperatures produced by a household drier.

There is an article that was posted in The Star Tribune of Minneapolis
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/11648091.html
and The Duluth News Tribune http://www.lakestatefishing.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=61948

... that claim that there are 4 hunters that have filed a class action suit against Scentlok and its affiliates for false advertising on September 13, 2007.

Now, I haven't heard anymore news on the subject of the lawsuit, although 5 months has passed. I have noticed that Scentlok has a new link on their homepage that produces a video that shows a hunter researching the claims of Scentlok.

http://www.scentlok.com/news/news_detail.aspx?n=29

I must admit that this information is compelling. They interview several scientist in the area of absorption and demonstrate a test on the absorptive abilities and regeneration of the garment. Assuming that everyone interviewed was telling the truth as they know it, the suit works and will continue to work for whatever its lifespan is. No real indication was given as to how long that would be... it seems to infer that the lifespan would be the lifespan of the garment itself.

Despite the rumors that their garments are a gimmick, I have been tempted to try them over the years. But, why? Because I want so bad to believe that something out there can make me completely disappear to a deers nose. I have resisted the urge thus far largely due to the cost associated with carbon suits. If they don't work... well I don't want to be out $1000.

I wonder if Scentlok would be willing to let me try their products this year and do a follow up review next January. They would need to suit me up head to toe with the Scentlok gear and in return I will guarantee that my review will be absolutely genuine and truthful. I will report on the performance of the products scent reducing capabilities and on the overall garment strength and reliability.

So come on Scentlok here's your chance to prove your point to an unbiased reviewer. I will not except pay for my review and will be glad to return the products after the season is through. What have you got to loose? It's basically free advertising.

I encourage anyone with comments on this subject either for or against carbon suits to post them here. Thank you in advance for your efforts.

God Bless,

Sean

Redhead Enduraskin base layers

2008-02-04T11:17:00.002-06:00

"The moisture-wicking, odor-fighting, stain-releasing, quick-drying fabric! Using breakthrough anti-microbial technology, Visa Endurance keeps your sweat from making you and your clothes smell. Its durable silver ion-based finish prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria, while moisture-wicking technology pulls sweat away from your body and toward the garment surface for quick evaporation." Bass Pro Shops description

Shirt Rating: 5/5 stars
Pant Rating: 5/5 stars

Hello All,

Today I am going to review the Bass Pro Shops: Redhead Enduraskin base layers. Both the shirt and pants are made of the same material and therefore I will describe them together.

The late summer and early fall of Middle Tennessee produces temperatures between 75-100 degrees F. What do those temperatures mean to hunting? Sweat which equals stink. But, what in the sweat causes the stink? The simple answer is microorganisms (bacteria, fungus, etc.).

What if you could go into the woods and sweat and not produce oder? Well, you can with these garments. Not a believer? Listen to my test and make up your own mind.

Last Summer I was scouting my hunting area and had purchased my Redhead Enduraskin under shorts and short sleeve shirt. The temperature was about 110 degrees that day and I decided to where these and pair of light weight rayon outer clothes. Now, knowing that I was going to test these garments, I put no deodorant on after my regular shower.

I walked in the woods for about 6 miles that day and sweat up a storm. As I walked I realized something... I had goosebumps from the wind that was blowing against my wet undershirt. I thought about it for awhile and realized that I was really quite comfortable in these clothes despite the super hot temps.

When I got home that day it was quite late. I had been sweating without deodorant all day long and was about to undress and figure out if these garments really do kill the microorganisms that make us stink. Guess what? They do.

I should have stunk as bad as a hog but to my surprise, I didn't at all. I wiffed and wiffed and nothing no smell. There wasn't even the smell that I get after being in the sun all day. I became a believer that day.

Here the best news of all. The garments are cheap. I bought my Enduraskin gear at the Nashville Bass Pro Shop. The long sleeve shirt is $34.95 and the long underwear is $29.95. I also bought the under shorts for $14.95 and short sleeve shirt for $24.95 and the beanie cap for $9.95.

I wore the garments on every single hunt of the season. Shed the Enduraskin for cold weather though as I think I may have gotten cold during the really cold days prematurely as a result of the garment. I would recommend the garment for temps between 120-40 degrees F.

God Bless,
Sean

Reflex Excursion Compound Bow Review

2008-02-02T07:44:00.004-06:00

Hello All,

Today I will be reviewing the Reflex Excursion Compound Bow.

Bow Rating: 5/5

"Short, lightweight, and forgiving, with its alloy riser, Reflex Split Limbs, and the zippy 75% let-off Slam & 1/2 Performance System... Brace height: 8-3/8''; axle-to-axle length: 34-1/2''. IBO speed: 295 fps. Weight: 3 lbs., 15 oz. Color: Realtree Hardwoods Green? HD?." Bass Pro Shops description of the Excursion.

Let's start off by saying, take a look at the Hoyt line up. Do you see any resemblance to the Reflex Excursion? That is because this bow is made by Hoyt. The "Slam and a Half" cam system is very similar to the "Cam and a Half" that Hoyt puts out. In fact the riser and overall design looks very similar to the Hoyt offerings. See for yourself: www.hoyt.com

Now, if the bow is designed like a much more expensive bow we need to ask about quality. Does the Reflex Excursion have the quality to be compared to it's much more expensive cousin? Sure does. I have shot my Reflex Excursion for 2 full seasons now and have noticed no problems in any of the components. The bow has been used very frequently and I haven't even had to change the string yet.

Is the bow quiet? You better believe it. I have owned the following bows:

Renegade Tominator II
Mathews Outback
Mathews Switchback
Reflex Excursion

When I compare the performance of the bows listed above, the Excursion gets my best marking. My reasoning is this: In my humble opinion, the Excursion performs as well or better than any of the bows listed above, but priced at only around $300, it costs about half as much as the Mathews selections and a little less than the Renegade (which in my opinion is the worst shooter in the group and costs about $350). I have found that the Excursion is every bit as quiet as any of the selections to my untrained ear and the deer can't tell a difference either.

My humble opinion is that any of the bows can be made quiet by using the Limbsaver products available on the market (Limbsaver cable guard dampener, String Leeches, heavy enough stabilizer, limb stablizers, etc) . Once you have quieted your bow the accessories are the things that make the noise. For instance: arrow contact on arrow rest, vibration of the sight, noise from drop-away rests and so on. Find quiet, yet effective components and your bow will be as quiet as it needs to be.

I believe that we as bow hunters have taken the bait from the bow companies. We figure we have to have the fastest bow in the market because that defines quality. Does it? I don't think it does and here's why. When you buy the fastest bows on the market it comes with a heavy draw weight. I can draw back and shoot 80 lbs. Great, so I can shoot the fastest bows, right!? But, can I make the bow really accurate at that speed? I can't... my arm gets tired faster, I can't hold the bow as long as a 50- 60 lbs draw which I can shoot all day long with minimal fatigue.

IBO speeds are misleading too. They assume there aren't any accessories on the bow and that it is a specific draw length and weight. Your bow, that advertises itself as being able to shoot 350 fps most likely doesn't shoot that fast.

Additionally, what is the advantage to shooting 350 feet per second over say 285 feet per second? There is no advantage that I can think of. I can only think of disadvantages to speeds that fast. First of all, the fastest bow on the market still doesn't go as fast as the speed of sound (1130 fps). So a deer jumping the string is still a possibility. How much speed do we need to kill a deer, elk or moose? American Indians were killing these animals with much less powerful bows than the slowest 50 lbs draw weight bow on the market. I see Uncle Ted killing big African animals all the time with his 52 lbs Renegade Nugebow. So, why do I want to go through the extra pain of shooting an 80 lbs draw weight? I don't, I set my bow at around 55 lbs because I am more accurate at that weight. Additionally, heavier draw weight causes your bow to be noisier and to be less forgiving.

I have heard many friends say that they can use one pin for all ranges. Ok... is that wise? I don't think so. I like exacting my ranges with 5 pins. One for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 yard ranges. I can shoot these ranges and anything in between accurately. Much more so than... ONE PIN FOR ALL RANGES. It requires my using a range finder but I'm ok with that. I imagine, as some of my friends have found out, that one pin outfits are more likely to wound or miss animals than a well adjusted multiple pin systems.

That being said compare the Excursion for quality of parts, I have found that the only difference is in the durability of the finish. The finish is my only complaint about this bow. I have had a small area on the riser that has had some of the outer finish flake off where I hold the bow while walking into the woods. I find that this is only cosmetic and truthfully I have to look very close to even notice any flaw in the finish. Admittedly, I am extremely rough on my bow. I use it ran, snow, extreme cold and extreme heat. I sometimes store the bow in it's case while it's wet and frequently store the bow in my car during Tennessee summer temps. The finish may be my fault and I refuse to discount this awesome piece of equipment for such a small issue.

Buy this product with no reservations. It performs as well as any other that I have shot and costs the least that I have found on the market.

LOVE THIS BOW!!

God Bless you all,

Sean

Squeeky Arrow Rest

2008-01-28T19:03:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

During my first year of hunting, a friend named Alex Koritnig set me up in his stand on his leased 80 acres. His stand was a permanent one and it was only about 10 feet off of the ground. It was bow season and the deer were in the rut. In fact, you could say they were in paired groups male and female.

As I sat in the tree stand I noticed deer movement directly to my left. As I slowly looked, I saw a doe being followed by a buck... and another doe being followed by a different buck... and yet another. All of the deer passed within 5 yards of me and never knew that I was there. They were not nervous at all and calmly came in. Two of the three couples went directly to the bait (which was set up about 20 yards away) and began to eat. The other doe feed in the grass directly in front of me and the buck that came in with her stood about 50 yards away staring in the direction of my truck. There were two 8 pointers and a six point among them.

I found it curious that the deer were at peace with one another (does with the bucks and the bucks with the bucks) and that this buck that seemed to be on the lookout was the largest of the bucks. It was super cool having so many deer around me.

As I watched the deer and waited for an opportunity to shoot, I became strangely aware of how close I was to these animals. I felt that any move that I made would send the deer running. I planned my moves carefully and waited about 10 minutes to be sure that the deer were feeling very comfortable before drawing my bow back.

Slowly I began my draw, but as the arrow slide over the felt tips of my Quiktune arrow rest, I heard... s*q*u*e*a*k .... do you know what happened? Take a guess.

If you guessed that every deer in the county ran for the hills, you are right. They ran and I never saw a sign of them the rest of the hunt.

I had drawn my bow before the hunt which was my usual custom and there wasn't even the slightest noise. Somehow, someway the tip squeaked. I don't know why, they just did. I immediately went out shopping for a new arrow rest and then another after that and after that and so on until I found the rest that I now use. The rest I now use is the Quad Ultra Rest. It is about perfect. I is a drop away rest, but it's noise is very muted. People tend to comment on how quiet my bow is when I am shooting.

I can't stand the thought of losing another deer to a squeaky arrow rest. I will be using this rest until someone shows me without a doubt a great reason to change.

God Bless,
Sean

Knight Revolution Muzzleloader and Nikon Omega Scope

2008-01-27T21:26:00.002-06:00

Hello All,

Today I am going to review the

Knight Revolution Muzzleloader and Nikon Omega Scope

Rifle Rating: *****
Scope Rating *****

The Knight Revolution has gotten some bad press. I have seen articles that say that the gun is next to impossible to keep clean and that the action is terrible. They complain of the trigger being too difficult to pull. To every complaint I say "hog wash".

First, cleaning the gun. The gun cleans as easy OR EASIER than any other muzzleloader that I have ever owned. I have owned: CVA basic inline (the name of which eludes me) and the CVA Optima (Also a nice gun, but slightly less accurate than the Revolution in my hands). It is a simple procedure and one I undertake after every single shot at the range.

1. Release the trigger guard assembly by pushing the button just behind the trigger guard.
2. Remove it by raising the lever just ahead of the trigger guard and the action is completely free.
3. Slide the breech plug wrench into the available space and remove the breech plug.
4. Clean the gun just like any other muzzleloader.

The action seems intuitive once you have operated it a few times. The idea of setting your primer cap onto a shelf and then closing the action and letting the gun seat the cap seems strange at first (See pic above, notice the red cap). Stranger yet perhaps is that the primer cap is removed as the action is opened. This is a pretty cool thing. Think about this: I have had so many caps that seem to seize onto the breech plug nipple and then you go searching for the cap tool that never seems to be where you need it. Not to worry they got it covered.

Knight as a company is awesome... most folks will agree. I originally hated that Knight made me load the primer caps onto their little red caps. I figured that I could save the step with my CVA break action Optima. I did save a step but I always had fowling on my scope and I have had my powder get wet during a down pour. The Revolution stopped that for me by adding the extra step. I painfully admit that I was wrong and they were right.

My, not so delicate, hands don't sense that the trigger is to hard to squeeze after all there is a trigger adjustment on the rifle to adjust to even the most sensitive of 'trager fangers'.

Now for what is important to me. Accuracy...? You better believe it. I, a mediocre shot, can maintain a one inch group at 100 yards. Works for me. I didn't think that kind of accuracy was possible with a muzzleloader. But, it is.

Feel... this gun has a feel that is familiar to me. I wield it as if I have had it for years and it seems less cumbersome than my Optima on and off range.

As with all good things there is bound to be at least one flaw. The Knight Revolutions action is difficult to close with one hand once you add the primer cap. I found a simple solution though... use two hands. This may be a slight inconvenience for those that expect everything from what they buy, but believe me the gun is a shooter otherwise. When you are hunting you will only have to make that motion once and maybe twice tops.

The Revolution is being replaced by the Revolution II. Apparently, the people of Knight fixed the only complaint that I could find and hopefully they didn't change anything else. Now may be a good time to look for a Revolution at a discounted price. I paid $250 at Academy last October because it was their only one and it was a display model. I believe the regular price is somewhere between $350 and $500. Bass Pro has the Revolution II in black synthetic stock and blue barrel for $369.

I love this gun and give it my highest marks, 5 stars.

Now, the Nikon Omega 3x9x40 is a well received addition to the muzzleloading community. It offers a BDC reticle and crystal clear optics. The idea of the reticle is to allow a person using 150 grains of powder and a 250 grain bullet to shoot close to the bullseye at ranges of 100, 150, 200, 225 and 250 distances by aiming with prepositioned circles stacked on top of each other within the reticle.

Now, I may at some point want to take longer than 100 yard shot at a deer so having this type of reticle is not completely useless to me. However, I don't use 150 grains of powder, I use 100. I do however use a 250 grain bullet. So, if I wanted to still use the reticle for further distances I would need to take the gun out and see where the bullet hits at various yardages and make a mental note of it.

Despite the potential coolness to this feature it is not why I bought the scope. I bought the Omega because it can take a licken and keep ticken. It is designed for the heaviest muzzle blasts of a muzzleloader and it provides necessary eye relief for recoil associated with muzzleloaders. The optics are very clear and I trust and can afford Nikon. I am sure some will find the scope out of reach at the $250 (Bass Pro). I imagine the Bushnell Scopechief ($50) would suffice but be careful of the recoil lest you end up with Magnum Eye. I used a cheap Simmons for years on my Optima and never had any real problem. Once in a while I would wore a scratch from the scope but you learn to hang on. But, I wonder... does my accuracy suffer when I am squeezing the gun to prevent being hit? I would have to answer yes. Just a thought.

The gun and scope combo is awesome. Let me know your thoughts.

God Bless,

Sean

Mossberg 100 ATR, .243 & Bushnell Scopechief 3x9x32

2008-01-22T07:01:00.002-06:00

Hello all,

I am a bit behind on the Equipment Review segment of my blog. I apologize for that. Today I am going to review the:

Mossberg 100 ATR, .243

I have this gun topped with a:

Bushnell Scopechief 3x9x32

Gun Review Stars: *** 1/2
Scope Review Stars: ***

The Mossberg 100 ATR is one of the least expensive guns on the market. Coming with a price tag of about $298. What can you expect from the gun? I found the gun pretty accurate and light to carry at only 7 lbs. I bought the Realtree camo pattern with matte black barrel. I used the gun exclusively during the 2006 hunting season.

I have shot 3 deer (all head shots) with instant results at ranges of 15-85 yards. At the firing range I maintained accuracy consistent with a 3 1/2 inch bullseye at 100 yards. These results were sandbag gun rest only without a vise. I find the results to be consistent with my abilities. I feel that I may be able to bring the group closer with a better scope.

I am only giving the gun a 3 1/2 stars due to a poorly manufactured firing pin. I shot about 2 boxes of 20 bullets through the gun and 3 bullets during gun season. That's it... But, this year when I took the gun to the firing range I was unable to fire a bullet. I then recalled that there had been a couple of misfires on range that I had chocked up to bad bullets.

I took the bolt apart to investigate my suspicions of a firing pin assembly problem. Sure enough, the firing pin shaft had broke just before the actual firing pin. I figured that this was a fluke and immediately returned the gun to Academy Sports to be sent out for repair. They were awesome through the process and I felt that I stand behind their products. I shop there regularly and would put them above Bass Pro Shops in pricing if not selection. The guys behind the gun bar in my Madison, Tennessee store are pretty knowledgeable and were extremely helpful through the process.

Mossberg did fix my gun at no charge, but the gun was sent out in July and I didn't receive the gun back until mid November. I feel that this time was undue being that the problem was evident and simply included trading out one part and a 2 minute reassembly. This got me thinking that maybe Mossberg was having a bunch more problems with their guns and I needed to wait in line....

Daniel, a hunting buddy and friend also bought a Mossberg 100 ATR in 30.06. Surprise, surprise he bought the gun this year and had the exact problem occur during this years gun season. He took the gun back to Academy and they traded the gun out after reviewing the situation despite their clear policy to the contrary. I don't write this so that you would expect the exact treatment, but it sure did make a difference for his hunting season.

I personally believe that this gun has great potential, but I can't recommend the gun until they get a better firing pin assembly. They need only spend a couple more cents on quality material to rectify the situation.

I haven't shot more than a box of bullets through my Mossberg since I got it back... so I can't tell you whether they have put a better firing pin assembly or not. I will write an update next year after putting the gun through the paces.

The Bushnell Scopechief 3x9x32 is one of the cheapest scopes on the market. Coming in at about $49.99. I love the fast focus eyepiece. This thing makes finding your target on the fly easy as pie. If you only have about $50 to buy a scope this is certainly reasonable. You will enjoy optics that are better than the $50 price tag. I debated on whether to give this scope 5 stars or not... I decided that I would rate the scope against all scopes that I have used side by side and not consider the price.

I feel that the scope has a bit of travel related to recoil, it is only marginally acceptable for dusk and dawn hunting. Adjusting the scope is anything but a 1/4 MOA turn of the dial. The adjustments are not precise, yet doable with a bit of patience. It's optics, while better then expected for a $50 scope, lacks the clarity of the Nikon Prostaff, which has been reviewed earlier and is a much better choice if you can spare $150. But, if you are on a tight budget... don't be scared. The scope is certainly within a tolerable range for hunting and close (within 100 yards) target shooting. I haven't tried the scope out further so I wont comment on it's distance abilities here.

In summary, if your short on dough and you just gotta get out there... This set up will get you there at a low price. I hope the Mossberg guys get their firing pin deal worked out so that I can give the 100 ATR their otherwise deserved five star rating. They stand behind their product even if it takes them a while to get it done. If you can eek out a few more bucks top this gun with a Nikon Prostaff for an almost perfect combo for only $450.

Blessings,
Sean

2 For 1

2008-01-22T06:08:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,

I was thinking this morning of a hunt in Wisconsin that I would love to share with you.

This hunt was during a "T-zone" hunt, which is a doe only hunt that comes a couple of weeks before the normal gun season. I was hunting with a good friend of mine named Justin. Justin is the guy who taught me how to hunt... as my father was no hunter but a sub sailer. He gave me some basics and let me hunt his fathers land.

One day we set up in a garage on private property and used the garage as a blind. We set a couch in front of the sliding garage door and placed a corn pile about 100 yards into the woods. This practice is legal in the state of Wisconsin. The garage was more than 100 yards from any inhabited building and we had permission from the land owner to hunt there.

The agreement between Justin and I was that we would try to wait until there were at least two deer in at the bait before shooting and that we would shoot them both at the same time. But, as the deer came in they quickly walked out of Justin's sight. I noticed that both deer were going to line up side by side and asked Justin if he wanted me to save one of the deer for him? He said take the shots if I had them. I decided to do just that since I had in my possession two doe tags.

As the deer lined up side by side I raised my Remington 700 ADL 30.06 and found the deer in the 3x9 set at about 9 power... (As an aside, I had the scope dialed all the way up from the get go, but have since realized that setting the scope at around 4 power and dialing up as the opportunity arises is a much more efficient plan.)... and deliberately squeezed the shot off. The was aimed at the area about four inches up from the chest and just behind the shoulder (aka, heart shot). The deer disappeared from view and I struggled to find the second deer that I assumed needed a follow up shot.

As I looked around the area like an amateur using only my scope I came up empty handed. I finally lowered my scope and begin searching the nearby woods with my naked eye. I suspected that if the deer had run off, I would have missed the opportunity while searching the area with the scope that for the situation may have been dialed up to high, thereby decreasing my field of view.

Justin and I walked over to the bait pile only to realize that both deer had dropped in their tracks and we needed to get back to our snipers nest to ready for the next deer that may be coming in.

We had no sooner got back to our location when another deer and yet another came in. Justin sprung into action and quickly raised his Winchester model 70 in .308 and took a shot at one and then the other deer. The first puddled up with in 10 yards and the second was on the run. I raised my gun thinking, just for a second, that Justin (a seasoned hunter and an excellent shot, my teacher) would need me for the follow up shot. As quickly as I raised the gun, I lowered it. Justin waited for the deer to drop all the while keeping his scope on the fleeing deer. The deer puddled up within 50 yards with no follow up shot required.

We had both filled our tags and decided to go and clean the deer. As we gathered up our bounty we looked and 3-4 more deer began to cycle in. We were amazed at how many deer we saw that day in the midst of all the shooting and felt that we had done our part to manage this land as it was overrun with whitetail does. The meat was excellent and I have not been more tickled by any other hunting adventure with a friend in the woods.

I learned a lot that day about letting the inexperienced guy go before myself. Justin, being a life long hunter said that he got just as much out of watching me harvest a deer as when he did. I imagine that is true, but admittedly I have not had the opportunity of yet to return the favor. I believe that as my boys get older I will have many such opportunities and God willing, I will post on them then.

God Bless,

Sean

My first Season

2008-01-13T07:43:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

My first hunting season was spent in Park Falls, WI. This place is an awesome place to hunt white tail and grouse. There is an abundance of public land and plenty of deer to choose from.

I remember a specific hunt that yielded a huge deer with not so huge horns. A friend, Adam Canik, had set me up in a tree stand on public land. He had used the tree in years past and had already cleared a spot for a treestand in a huge spruce tree.

In the state of Wisconsin it is legal to bait deer and I regularly used this tactic to increase my odds of seeing and shooting legal deer. This day was no different. I was sitting over some corn.

I had hunted this stand about half a dozen times with my archery equipment and taken a couple of does during earlier hunts. But this day was different.

About 1 hour before dark I heard a deer approaching from behind my stand and I did my best to sit quietly. As the deer appeared below my stand I strained to see the deer.

As I watched I noticed that the deer was a drop-tine 10 pointer. I spared no time getting my bow ready for a perfect broadside shot at about 10 yards away. As I drew the bow I didn't notice any undue noise from the equipment or the clothing as I came to full draw. But, as soon as I began to anchor for the shot... the deer ran off in the other direction. I was puzzled by his flight.

About 5 minutes later I heard some more crunching behind me as another deer appeared below my treestand. This deer was a much bigger bodied deer and it walked in as if it owned the place. When it arrived at the bait pile I counted 4 points. I was surprised and thought that I was imagining that this deer was larger than the last and decided to wait a bit in case Mr 10 Point was coming back.

Sure enough Mr 10 returned in just a couple more minutes and walked past the 4 point and behind some bushes, all the while never providing a shot. The 4 point deer was much bigger bodied than Mr. 10. None the less, I waited for this deer to go to the corn pile which he never did. I could see his rear quarter only.

After about 5 minutes I noticed that the 4 pointer started nervously looking over his shoulder as if he had sensed something dangerous behind him. I started to worry that if I didn't take the shot that was in front of me that I wouldn't get this chance again.

I came to full draw, carefully placed the pin on the upper chest area and released the arrow. The arrow raced to the target and did it's intended job. I heard the deer fall about 5 seconds later.

The deer went about 30 yards straight down a hill. He was about 230 lbs and man was he hard to get out of the woods never mind into my pick up. I almost could not pull him up over the tailgate even with the deer drag wrapped around his neck. I tried to get him up for about 10 minutes until I finally with all of my might and all of my weight got him up. I weigh somewhere around 200 lbs myself.

I was amazed by the body size of this deer. I have never taken a deer with a bigger body than this and I believe it will be a long time until I do again.

I enjoyed this hunt more than most because of the deer activity and because it was my very first buck. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to have taken this 4 point. His horns are mounted to a plaque in my sons room where I am reminded, every time I tuck him in at night, of a great hunt in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

God Bless You All,
Sean

Ruger M77 Hawkeye .308 with a Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40 Scope

2008-01-12T07:32:00.002-06:00

Ruger M77 Hawkeye .308 with a Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40 Scope

Today I am going to review the Ruger M77 Haweye which I have joined with a Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40 scope.

Gun Review Stars *****
Scope Review Stars *****

The Ruger struts some improvements over the legendary M77. They are:

LC6 single stage trigger set at about 4 lbs (but not adjustable)
Hammer forged barrel
Built in scope mounts for improved accuracy
Better checkering for super grip

This gun has lots going for it. I have owned a Thompson Center Encore in .270 caliber. This gun is a more consistent shooter in my hands. It feels better to me on and off range. It weighs around 7 lbs and doesn't feel cumbersome in the field.

I have been able to maintain around 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I also like the look of the stainless and the black synthetic stock. I have owned a lot of Ruger guns (44 mag Super Redhawk, 9 mm P89 and a .22 long rifle) and have never had a single misfire or problem with any of them. I trust Ruger. I don't have money to spend on junk. It's as simple as that. Check other reviews of this weapon and you will see that this gun is awesome.

I prefer the .308 caliber over the 30.06 for hunting deer. They share the same size bullet but the .06 has more powder and a longer shell. I feel that the .308 allows me almost all of the same applications as the the .06 but without the kick. The .308 is highly accurate perhaps more so than the .06 in part due to the flinch factor related to the 17.6 ft/lbs of recoil energy (150 grain bullet) over the 15.8 ft/lbs (150 grain bullet) related to the .308. It should be mentioned that most people find 15 ft/lbs to be pretty comfortable but anything above this may smart a bit. Most folks use a bit larger bullet for the .06 and will find it more brutal as it reaches up to the mid 20's in recoil.

Some will argue that the bigger powder charge of the .06 will open a greater number of hunting opportunities. Sounds great but there are plenty of people who use the .308 for moose hunting. In fact, it is listed as one of the recommended calibers for moose hunting in the state of Alaska.http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.moose . In addition, I found several articles that speak of the use of the .308 in moose hunting. Seems to be a common caliber for this type of hunting. http://www.kimberamerica.com/testimonials.php

If I can kill a moose with a .308, why should I take a beating with the .06? And what bigger animal should I consider in North America? A grizzly? Yeah, I wouldn't be hunting a grizzly with an .06 either. I would look for something a bit bigger.

So my point is that while the .06 has a slightly faster bullet the extra speed doesn't open up much in application for me. I feel that overall the .308 is more accurate, with less kick, similar if not more round choices available for the .308 and therefore a better buy.

The scope is a 3x9x40 Nikon Prostaff. I notice that this scope gathers light very well at the dusk and dawn times. I am able to make out detail a bit past shooting hours. I don't recommend taking shots past legal shooting hours but I know all of us look at this quality in a scope.

The scope was dropped on concrete one day as I was cleaning the muzzleloader it was attached to. Unfortunately, it knocked the scope way off. I later placed the scope on this rifle when I bought a Nikon Omega for my muzzleloader. I noticed that once I zeroed the scope I haven't had to readjust it much. Admittedly, I haven't had the scope for more than a year and while I have had to tweak it a couple of times I haven't been too far off the mark before tweaking it. This makes me wonder if I had it truly zeroed in the first place.

My last trip to the range I perfectly zeroed the scope in to zero and all shots about 16 (150 grain Remington Coreloks) were within a 3 inch circle and 3 were dead center. This is shooting without a vise just a regular gun rest.

I love the gun and scope. The gun cost me around $600 @ Bass Pro Shop and the scope was $120 @ WalMart. You could spend more for "Better" stuff, but you wont get better performance.

God Bless,
Sean

Always bring your bipod gun rest with you.

2008-01-02T21:29:00.001-06:00

Hello all,

As the season goes on the amount of actual daylight obviously decreases. The time that I am able to get out and hunt greatly diminishes as time goes on. I commute to work about half an hour both ways and Cheatham WMA (my primary hunting location) is about 50 minutes from where I live. Consequently, when I planned a hunt in the early season I could get to my favorite hunting areas after work (@ 3 PM) and have a good 3 hours to hunt, but at this point in the game I can't hunt in Cheatham during the week. Just not enough time

As the Summer turned to Fall and the Fall to Winter the sun now dips below the horizon by about 5 PM. To make a long story shorter... I began to look at public hunting opportunities closer to the hospital that I work. I found a place about 5 miles away.

As I hunted this area last year for Spring Turkey Season I noticed some deer sign, but nothing to write home about. I decided to give the area a look after work. I noted that the area seemed to be hunted frequently. I always saw trucks parked along the fields and while I saw lots of deer tracks I failed to see any deer during the last two hours of light.

On the 25th of December, Cheatham sadly ended it's legal hunting season. I had planned to hunt private land for the next two weekends. Those plans unfortunately fell through. I decided to get up early (4 AM) on Monday morning to go to the area where I had been hunting after work. This would be the first morning hunt at this location.

As I arrived at the WMA I decided to have a look at the large field to see what type of sign was there. When I got to the field I saw a hunter who I waved to and moved to a small little stretch of land that seemed to be a night time haunt for deer. I held very little hope of actually seeing anything at this location. Especially since the sun was rising by now. As I came to the area, I began to think about the breakfast that I could be getting instead of sitting in the cold waiting in an area that was so obviously the wrong place.

I maintained my version of stealth as I came into the clearing. I noticed a deer running to the left of me. I stood motionless as I looked in disbelief. I dropped to my knees and held my Knight Revolution Muzzleloader as if it might know what the deer would do next.

Just a moment later another deer comes in and out of view so quickly that I start to move my head around like a bobble hunter in search of all the other deer that may be running... no traveling undisturbed into their favorite bedtime snack.

I was holding my muzzy up and searching for deer that kept moving behind trees that seemed to be in exactly the wrong places. There seemed to be anywhere from 5-10 deer within 40 yards of where I was knelling.

Just then I notice a deer traveling towards my location. I raise my scope and squeezed off a shot at the deer. When the smoke cleared (which seem like an eternity) I saw some tails in the woods bounding in every direction. I reloaded the muzzleloader and went directly to where the deer was when I shot. I found no sign of hitting the deer. I did find where I thought the bullet hit the dirt though. I made a perimeter search three times and finally concluded that the shot was a clean miss. Thank God. I would have rather killed the deer but am always relieved to know that I didn't injure the deer.

I decided to leave and head to the firing range to check that my muzzy was correctly adjusted. When I got to the range I shot 4 bullets down range 100 yards and all but one hit dead center. That one was the first shot and it was within the 4 in ring and was a flinch that was detected as the shot was fired.

I came up with what I feel is a reasonable explanation: I botched the shot. I could have put up a knee if I had thought of it before I did. By the time I thought of it the deer was heading right towards me and would have surely seen the movement. If, on the other hand, I would have brought my bipod gun rest I would have taken home the venison for sure.

Tough luck though. I felt blessed to see so many mature deer. I will obviously be back to that location some day soon. Perhaps this weekend and for sure next year.

Blessings,
Sean

Eastman Carbon Pop-up Blind

2007-12-30T18:06:00.002-06:00

Hello all,

It's Sunday... time for a unpaid, regular guy tested product review. My reviews are unbiased and are on products that I have actually tested in the field more than once. Specific questions regarding the product can be asked and I will answer them as best as I can.

Tonight I want to review the: Eastman Carbon Pop-up Blind
Review Stars ***

I have used this blind for about 2 years now. I can say that the blind will get you by in a pinch. But, if you have way more money than the meager $78.83 (Academy Sports Price), you may consider something with quieter window systems, with a little better view.

The Pros:

Camo pattern is functional. I have had deer within 5 yards of this blind with no idea that I was there. This was in the summer time and I was sweating like a pig and had my 4 year old son with me.
Passable in the rain. When I have used this blind in the rain (downpour) there had been some slight leakage but no dripping. The leaking seamed to run down the inside walls and the blind keep me dry.
I think this system of blind is extremely easy to put up. I know that many people complain about the directions being vague and that they have had a terrible experience taking the blind down at the end of the day. I say that there is definitely a trick to it, but once you learn that trick it will go up or down in about 2 minutes.
Scent protection seems great. I have NEVER had a deer blow at me while in it.
Withstands wind well when set up properly.
The minimum size blind that I would use to bow hunt from. If you start drawing your bow with your arrow pointing down to one of the front corners you can come to full draw then turn your bow to the window for the shot. It is important to set up just right or you will hit your elbow on the wall of the blind at full draw. I always practice drawing in the blind when I first set up my chair. I use a wide directors chair while in this thing... works great.
Super light weight. One of the best features of this type of blind. It's about 9.5 pounds.

Cons:

Velcro shoot thru windows. I don't get why they put these things in blinds. You can't use shoot thru windows unless you use fixed broadheads. I don't... so I have made a slice down the middle of the screen with a knife to shoot out of. This works fine.
The Shoot thru windows are way to small no matter how you slice it. Unless you unzip the windows a little you can't see anything accept what is right in front of the shoot thru areas. This forces you to position the blind in a way that you would guess the deer will come. It almost never works that way. When you hear noise behind to the side or in front of you... you feel compelled to lean in to find out what is going on. Of course, this is next to impossible without noise.
Shoot thru windows are very difficult to get back on the window once off. I have found the job is much easier if you unzip the window first then reapply the velcro.
Zipper closure for main windows is another puzzle I can't figure out when button and loop technology has been around for thousands of years. Go figure. When that deer is just out of your shooting range and he isn't planning to come in any further you think that you can quietly unzip the the window, but.... no way man. That deer will be two counties away before that happens. I have completely zipped up the shoot thru's and unzip the front corner of the left and right windows. I unzip about 4 inches on the top of the front window and then just leave the windows unzipped so I don't have to make all the racket every time I setup the blind. The zipper on the rear door is also a frightfully loud and painfully slow process getting in and out of the blind. Unfortunately for us cheap skates this is common to every blind of this sort that I have seen.
The rods that lift the blind material into place seem sturdy enough except that one of my rods splintered on my 2nd or 3rd trip out. I have used it that way for two seasons of hunting.

Most of the problems stated above are common to the type of blind. They all have zipper windows with small shoot thru mesh areas. The add on shoot thru windows for the Ameristep version of this blind are pitiful. They do not make it easier to see for sure... unless you consider looking through a dirty (really dirty window) is ok.

For going way back in there this is it though. It is light enough and if you unzip the windows as previously mentioned it is doable. Eastman makes a product they call "Universal Leaf Cover" that will help break up the blackness of the open windows. With this product you could turn 3 out of 5 issues into none issues. But, you would still be left with the retched zipper door and a broken rod. I have not used the "Universal Leaf Cover" but it can be bought at Cabelas.com for about $59.99. I believe that I have seen this at Academy Sports much cheaper. I have checked their website and don't find it listed, so check at your local Academy first for better pricing.

Dog Gear, Archers Choice Jacket and Pants

2007-12-23T19:55:00.002-06:00

I have decided to review some products that I use while hunting. I will do a review every Sunday and list the pros and cons of the product.

Today I will Review the: Mad Dog Gear, Archers Choice Jacket and Pants
REVIEW STARS *****

Pros:

This setup is the quietest that I have found for cold weather.
The garments are well made.
They are best suited for temps between 40-60 degrees, though with layering you may be able to use in colder temps.
Realtree AP pattern is the best for my hunting environment in Middle Tennessee.
Did I say these items are quiet?
Reasonably priced.

The Cons:

On the pants, they used a snap as the means of closing them. For a puggy guy like me the snap is a bit annoying. Seems to unsnap when bending. A belt will fix this problem however as the pants come with belt loops.
I wish the outfit would be something that I could wear in 30 below temps. I use Artic Shield coveralls and jacket when it gets really cold, but they seem to be about as loud as a trash bag when you compare them to these numbers.
These items aren't waterproof. If you get them wet you will likely get very cold. However, I haven't found any waterproof jacket/pant combos that were quiet. I would recommend getting a separate suit for rain and use these babies for your everyday hunting.

All in all, this is the set up from bow season to gun season. Late season may be doable too if you live in Tennessee or some other warmer climate. But as far as I am concerned I LOVE THIS ITEM. I recommend them with 5 stars.

You can buy them online at bassproshop.com . I paid $69.88 each.

The Lord provides

2007-12-23T07:44:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

Yesterday the Lord provided me with some venison. The story of the hunt is interested to me and I hope to you.

I have a very good friend named Daniel. He and I are not established enough to own any land of our own. Our families are poor and we haven't inherited any land that we can hunt on. Now, I don't say this as a complaint, I just think that it adds some detail to the story.

A couple of days ago, Daniel called me to invite me to hunt on a piece of private property that has been basically unhunted during the year. The owner of the property is a relative of a person that Daniel works with. He had arranged the hunt to provide me with a great hunting opportunity.

Daniel's friend doesn't enjoy venison and is a head hunter. He donates his meat to those in need or want of venison. But, he doesn't shoot much. He has a trophy room full of awesome deer that he has shot with his bow, muzzleloader and rifle. He is obviously a very good hunter and a lucky one too. He has hundreds of acres of private land to hunt on. Daniel's friends name is James.

When James hunted this property in the past he had seen tons of does. He said that everytime he hunted the property he had seen 20-30 does and a couple of immature bucks bringing up the rear. He wanted to thin the heard a bit in an effort to manage the properties numbers. We were hunting does yesterday.

Daniel and I set off at 4:45 AM. We arrived at James' house by 5:15 AM and proceeded to his aunts property. We jumped on his 4 wheeler and headed up a mountain. James directed me to his "Honey Hole" with a, "Go this way about 30 yards and look for a set of night eyes. Then turn left and about 7 yards. My ladder stand will be right there."

I tried with all my might to follow his directions in the dark, but was unable to find his stand. I did find a mossy rock to sit on that overlooked a valley below. The wind was perfect at that spot so I sat there figuring that if I didn't do something quick the sun would be up and I would be spooking deer.

About 20 minutes after I sat down I started hearing movement in the valley below. I looked but didn't see anything. I followed the noise until the deer appeared about 100 yards to my left, about halfway up the ridge. I raised my .308 steadied the scope just behind the front shoulder and squeezed the shot off. She responded by running down the hill until I couldn't see her anymore and then she crashed into something below. I could hear her rolling in the leaves and could picture the scene below.

I had committed to siting for at least half an hour before checking for sign. About twenty minutes after this incident another deer arrived and slowly moved up the mountain. I couldn't see it but could hear it. I decided to slowly stand to see if I had a better view. I did and I began to come up with a plan. I would wait until the deer got to a clear area and I would take my shot. The deer seemed to stop just behind a tree and the only shot available was head/neck and butt shot. I considered waiting a bit for a double lung shot but as I waited for what seemed like an eternity I started to realize that this deer caught the scent of its compatriots blood trail. It knew something just wasn't right.

I decided that I would take the neck shot and went about the process of lining up for the shot. I tried to sit for the shot... couldn't see. I stood back up and looked for a tree to lean on nothing that would be of any use. I decided to take the standing shot. I have practice this shot with success and felt that it was a viable option. I squeezed the shot off and watched the deer speed into the woods... I heard what I thought was compelling evidence that the deer had fallen and slammed into a tree in the process.

I waited about 20 more minutes and then went to confirm what I knew was true. I went to where I shot both deer and found nothing in the way of blood. I figured that I would circle the area to find a blood trail. About this time James arrived to help me track the deer. We caught a blood trail and followed it about 30 yards to the first deer... it was a perfect double lung shoot however, I was unable to find a entrance wound just an exit wound. The aorta and lung were reduced to a powdery goo. Seemed to be consistent with my shot placement, but no entrance wound. Weird...

The second deer was a no show. I found where the deer was shot (at) and the trail that it probably took into the woods and then... nothing. I didn't spend much more time searching for the deer as there wasn't any blood sign.

Thank the Lord for the animal he did provide for me. I pray and ask you to do the same, that he would provide me with a few more as our season ends January 6.

Blessings,
Sean

Deer are moving again...

2007-12-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

I have been hunting a bunch the last two days. Yesterday it was rainy and about 55 degrees and today it sprinkled a bit and the temps reach a whopping 75 degrees. The deer starting moving right at dark but didn't offer a shot during legal shooting hours.

I found a really awesome tree though that offers a great view of a transition where standing corn meets winter wheat. In between the two fields is a pond. The bedding area is a hundred and fifty yards behind the tree. The wind is usually coming from the bedding area, but today it blew in the direction of the bedding area.

I realize that this wind will wreck my chances with some of the deer behind me, but most of the deer enter 200 yards down the corn field and this is what makes this a good spot. Deer travel in both wind directions, I only need turn around in the stand to adjust for the wind.

I will update with the progress.

God Bless,
Sean

Deerless

2007-12-02T08:34:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

It has been a rough season since Muzzleloader season opened. The food sources have changed from standing corn to brouse and winter wheat. The later of which are strictly at night. I have heard much activity right before dark but no brave deer to step out in the open for a shot.

Tennessee is a state that doesn't allow baiting, it is illegal to leave a stand or blind in the woods and while you can hunt over a food plot it is not advisable on public land. Everybody and their brother will already be there or worse drive their trucks right into the field, park there and set up right beside you. All the while, wearing their everyday Carhartt and blue jeans no doubt smelling of the booze from the night before.

I have not been able to successfully stalk to the next ridge over or the ridge after that. I suppose my size 12 boots cover just too much area and I tend to break dried branches hidden under fallen leaves. I will usually wait 30 seconds to a minute between step with no joy. I am very careful of the wind yet in this country it tends to be variable. I choose the predominant wind and hope for the best.

I have only seen one deer during the gun season: the deer was grazing and took flight as I summited a small hill. I instantly shouldered the Ruger M77 Hawkeye, .308 the crosshairs found the appropriate spot for a Texas Heart Shot and I watched the spot for 3 seconds or so until the deer disappeared into cover. I decided during that time not to take that shot and committed to letting the deer go if he didn't offer something better.

I have been guilty of taking that same shot during my hunting career one time. I recovered the deer but not without a follow up shot. I think that if it is the only shot that is available and it has been a rough year it is understandable... it will slow the deer down and most likely you will recover the deer. However, you will likely waste some of the meat which is why I choose not to take the shot.

Some may argue against a risky shot like this stating that it isn't humane. The counter view to this is that shooting a deer hurts no matter where you shoot them. If they don't puddle up instantly on the first shot you have caused some painful trauma. Taking a shot that slows a deer down and gives a hunter some much needed meat may be alright if not glorious. All hunters need a line that is drawn in the sand that says, I won't go past here. That is going to be different for each hunter. It should be common among all hunters that we are sure of your target and beyond, but as far as the game we seek if these safety requirements are met the deer is fair game being harvested in a legal yet possibly unethical way.

Ethics do vary from one hunter to the other. Some hunting seasons provide us with lots of opportunities to take deer. We pass on smaller deer and wait for the big ones. We feel somewhat like we are the ethical police and point out what everyone else is doing that is borderline unethical. We tend to puff ourselves up and get on our soapbox. Yet if we face a couple of bad seasons in a new area where we don't see anything at all... our ethical lines may get a little fuzzy. We may start to rationalize: after all it isn't illegal.

Much of our Christian lives are the same. When things are well we like to think of ourselves as the go to person on all things religious, when they turn sour we start to distance ourselves from other Christians and our efforts turn to relief of our sorrow or grief and all of a sudden we see that we are after all sinners and that instead of us being the go to person we are just the same as all those we thumb our noses at and label as a weak Christian or worse a sinner unlike us.

God's Grace to all,
Sean

The deer have disappeared... now what?

2007-11-13T19:52:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

Over the past 2-3 hunts I haven't seen a signal deer or sign of a deer 150 yards from a known food source, which is winter wheat. This week is a bow hunting week, I assume to let the deer relax a bit before gun season. Gun season, here in Tennessee, begins this coming Saturday.

What do you do when it is the ninth hour and your deer have either changed their habits and gone a different way and/or gone nocturnal?

The simple answer (on paper) is to go in after them. Get closer to the bedding area but be mindful of the wind direction going in. If it means you need to walk clean around a mountain...? Leave early and walk to your hunting area wearing clothing that will not make you sweat. Save your heavier clothes for when you get to your stand.

Another thought: Don't hang a treestand during the season in areas where baiting is not allowed. I recently read an article that mentioned that within 3 days of hanging a stand ALL of the deer in that area know that it is there and will avoid it like the plague especially once the bullets start flying.

The morning of gun season "opener" be in next to the deepest hole that a deer can almost climb in to and set up on the downwind side of it. The thick, elevated areas (ie., halfway up a brushy mountain in the thick stuff is where Mr. Big lives during gun season) are where deer seem to be comfortable. They typically like a view and a smell of what is coming down the trail from the food source. Don't take that trail. Move in down wind of it.

If you are able do your deep, deep scouting right after gun season is over. Go until you find multiple bedding areas. Look for rubs and scrapes then too. But, if you don't know the area check the topo/ aerial photos found here:
http://www.mytopo.com/search.cfm

This is a cheap way to get the lay of the land. Find the known food sources and guess the next mountainside over. Try to figure the quickest and easiest path to the area and set up closer to the bedding area then the food source. Think thick cover.

Avoid marching to your hunting location right on the trial that you figure the deer will be walking. Walk around it even if it adds an hour to the setup. Remember wind (even if you have a carbon suit). If the suit does work for some reason you don't want to learn that on season opener.

REMEMBER: About 80-85% of all deer taken during hunting season are taken on the Opening day of rifle season.

REMEMBER: If you hunt WMA's or public land, figure that every hunter in the world will be where you planned to hunt so have a backup (or seven) and go deeper into the woods and not right off of a food source.

If your gun season falls during the peak of the rut deer activity will be higher than usual for a gun season but they will follow the does and in pressured areas the does are going into the thickest stuff in the woods and staying put until dark. Just the scent of a booger could send them into a run that leads them the the next state.

If you miss them going into the bedding area you may still see them browsing on acorns or other natural mast close to heavy cover.

Many say don't shoot the does... this is great advise if your herd is either one to one, buck to doe ratio, if you are interested in shooting Mr. Big more than you are filling your freezer. During the rut you have your best chance of seeing the biggest deer of your life... but, you probably wont.

My general rule is this: knowing that the deer where I hunt are way over populated with does. Wisconsin was the same way. I need and want venison more than I do horns. I can't eat the horn. I shoot anything that I see during gun season. When my kids are old enough to stock my freezer I will get the luxury of hunting for my Mr. Big. Of course, if the Lord wills for me to have a Mr. Big he will provide him for me. There isn't anything that my weak brain and body can do without his help. At the end of the day, I am only guessing.

I don't still hunt much... however sometimes this will produce results. I would reserve this for hunting during the week when there aren't as many hunters. It is a dangerous affair walking around an area heavily populated with hunters. Be careful in making this choice if you run into the wrong hunter it could be your last. Plus during the opening weekend you have a better chance of disturbing someone's hunt. I wouldn't/ haven't appreciated hunters disturbing my legal hunt. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but be curtious. Don't show up an hour before dark or half hour before sun up walking right through the food plot.

Another piece of advise don't leave your stand midday. Many hunters get out of their stands late morning. They kick up deer and might send them your way.

If you don't have a perfect place already picked out. Make an educated guess and stick with it. If you are wrong ok.... make a note for next year. But, if you leave the stand before dark you may end up pushing Mr. Big to someone else.

I am guilty of this. I like to get up for lunch to stretch my legs. I would do better staying put.

I pray that all who read this will have a safe and BLESSED Season Opener 2007.

God Bless,
Sean

Cheatham WMA- Muzzleloader Season 2007

2007-11-10T07:23:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

Our first muzzleloader season finished yesterday here in Tennessee. I hunt on public land... Cheatham WMA (Wildlife Management Area) to be exact. I must say: this past Saturday was an eye opener. Let me explain.

I hunted Cheatham last year and expected this year to be similar in the number of hunters. What I found was that this year their were 10 times as many hunters hunting then last year this time. I was crushed by the waste of time that ensued. I set up where I knew deer were traveling during bow season but knew that I was in trouble 5 minutes after arriving at the WMA.

I had about 6 different areas scouted out as alternates. If a hunter was in a given area I would simply go to one of the other areas that were good for the wind at hand. As I approached each of the areas, I notices multiple trucks parked right on the fields sometimes. Every scouted area less 1 was filled with hunters. The one area that I didn't check was about a mile in from any road and by time that I would get there there would only be about 2 1/2 -3 hours of daylight left. I opted for setting up a ground blind in a field that I hunted last year. This field had winter wheat growing nicely and plenty of deer sign to look promising. I set up there about 3 hours before dark. The very minimum that I feel comfortable with.

About 1 hour after setting up I notice hunters pull up in their truck jump out and head right into the field that I am hunting. They set up to my left and right as I am set up about center of a rectangular field. I keep thinking: They must see me, they must see me... no they are setting up across from each other and are endangering me and themselves. I need to pack up right now before I get shot.

As I leave the area I walk past the older of the two hunters... who profusely apologizes. I told him not to worry about it. I realized that my blind was hidden so well that they really couldn't see me. The gentleman asked, "Have you been there? Or did you just come out of the woods?"

They said that they would pack up but I said, "God bless your hunt and I hope that you get a huge one."

After leaving this area I went to a long deserted corn field that I shot a doe in this fall. The areas is somewhat close to the road and I didn't imagine that deer would graze on the grasses went pressured. I was correct... I didn't see any deer at all during the 3 days of hunting during the muzzleloader season.

Local reports are that there weren't many deer taken. I noticed that there very only about 2-3 shots total for all three days. For as many hunters as were there you would expect at least that many in squirrel shots from bored hunters.

Cheatham has about 21,000 acres of huntable land. The deer went into hiding... my job will be to find out where they go. So that I can set up there next year.

God Bless,
Sean

Last nights hunt

2007-10-24T18:50:00.000-05:00

Hello,

Yesterday when I got home from work I asked my 7 year old daughter if she wanted to go into the woods with me to hang a tree stand and to hunt deer on the way to the stand sight. I explained that we would be walking a lot and that we would be coming back in the dark. She gladly agreed because she has been itching to see a chipmunk in the woods.

On the way to the hunting locale we chitty chatted a bit about how excited we were to see chipmunks and how awesome it would be to be able to explore. Abbie really seemed excited which made me all the more excited to show her a place that I hold close to my heart. I would be sharing a deeply ingrained part of me.

Once we arrived we started walking down a big mountain. It didn't take to long until we got into some pricker bushes and Abbie began to complain a bit. Now the trouble here is that:

It's raining
I am carrying ladder sticks (heavy and cumbersome), tree stand on back, survival backpack on back, bow and arrows and 200 lbs me. I have all that I can handle as I fight the prickers and trees as gracefully as a grizzly bear in a compact car. I get one side freed from a poorly placed tree limb only to find that in the process I have somehow tied a Chinese mystery knot around my quiver (arrow holder for any who don't shoot archery).
Now we have made it about 3/4 of the way down the hill and I realize that I am 25 yards to the North of where I am hoping to be and we are facing a sheer 20 foot drop off into the creek that I am shooting for.
No problem we head South and the problem will be solved. Done this a hundred times. Abbie... my poor child is getting pretty freaked out about the "Stupid Pricker Bushes". I am all of a sudden hit with the reality that this child may not make it. The prickers are apparently not as stupid as either of us thought because they are eating her alive. We are 10 feet from the edge of a slippery cliff, 25 yards away from the trail that we need to get to and the stuff on my back is getting REALLY HEAVY oh and did I mention it is now DARK. Abbie says, I can't do it, I want to go home... I turn to her and say in my best tough guy voice. "What the h*** is wrong with you? We will see no deer on this trip thanks to your loud crying and screaming. I need to hang this treestand and I didn't drive 45 minutes and walk 1/4 of a mile through this maze of prickers just to turn back now." She began to ball.

Now, fathers. I don't ever swear in front of or at my children. I know for certain that my daughter never heard that word out of my mouth until that day. So why, when she needed me to be a daddy, did I fall so flat on my face. What could have been an opportunity to show the love of CHRIST became an example of how daddy loves this sport of hunting so much that I would let nothing get in the way of doing what I knew I had to do to make my hunt that much better.

I began to walk away from Abbie and said "Come On!". She paused a moment and finally ran toward me saying the whole time, "There are no prickers, there are no prickers..." We got to the trail and made it to the creek which we followed for a few hundred yards. I realized that while I could hang the treestand in the dark, I would do better to do it in the light without putting my daughter through an additional ordeal. I decided to lay the treestand and climbing sticks down on the bank of the creek and leave them until I could go back out there and hang in the light.

We started back and had a difficult time finding the trail in the dark for some reason. It is a trail that I have climbed for the past couple of years, yet admittedly it didn't seem the same as usual. I finally decided the general direction I needed to go and within 20 yards everything fell into place and the trail was clear.

Coming back up the mountain I told Abbie how sorry I was for acting like I did. I explained that I was wrong to speak to her that way and I asked her forgiveness which she kindly extended. She asked me if I could forgive her for being so loud, crying, and saying the bad word, "Stupid". And every time that she tripped on a log she would apologize and at one point she said you probably wish that you didn't ever have a little girl.

SCREEEEEEEEEECH!

Wait just a second. Is that what she got from this experience? I absolutely adore her. I am possibly tooooo proud of her. She is the picture of what and who I want and allows wanted my daughter to be. Even before I was married. I knew I would want a little girl.

I felt like puddling up and weeping (not the crying type though). Here my daughter was teaching me something. She was showing me grace and her broken heart. I explained that she had nothing to be sorry for and that I really overreacted. It dawned on me that my children are pretty lucky to grow up in a Christian family where just by being around her family she can learn a lesson on grace that wasn't ever spoken by lived... mostly. It needs to be always, lest we steal there self esteem.

I thought it most excellent that my word was somehow made an equal with the likes of "Stupid" in her mind. How completely innocent she is. Shame on me for my outburst. I do really love this child... with ALL OF MY HEART (tears).

I have learned much from this experience... I am not sure what Abbie learned. Fortunately, God blesses us with other opportunities to demonstrate our love and GOOD parenting skills. I lost my opportunity yesterday. I pray that I am not so self consumed to miss it again.

As we went up the hill I tried to take the path of least resistance (aka. path with less thorns). And consequently got a little turned around. Abbie asked Daddy, are we lost? I said, "No" in my most confident voice. I said, all that we need to do is to continue up the ridge. Just then I realized that the ridge looked pretty level. My investigation of the tree tops offered no help, the moon wasn't visible on this rainy evening, my compass was somewhere else, and my GPS at home. Abbie, suspecting we were lost held my hand and said, "We're lost, right?" I said, "Not lost, just turned around a bit."

I began to look around and spotted the trail to our left. We headed that way and I mentally tracked our path and decided on a direction which thank God was exactly right. We ended up right at our truck. Thank you Jesus.

As we arrived at our truck, Abbie said, "I knew we weren't lost." She is awful sweet... don't you think?

We stopped at Hardee's and discussed our battle wounds (scratches from the prickers) and enjoyed a sweet father and daughter dinner. She was quite impressed by the whole thing after it was all said and done.

God bless you all,
Sean

For the beginning hunter

2007-10-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

I am writing this post to give a basic "how to" for those who wish to learn to hunt but may be having trouble finding advice from a non-biased individual. I don't sell any of the products that I endorse here. But, I have wasted my money on a bunch. Do what works for you... but what follows is my recipe for a successful hunt.

Launder clothing in "Scent-A-Way" detergent and then store the clothes in a plastic tote. Be sure not to use the earth scent if you hunt in a tree this will tell the deer that there is something different in the woods. In fact, all such cover scents or scented detergents and soaps tend to have the opposite effect for me. I use the plain only. I use "Scent-A-Way" because that is what works the best for me.
Take a scent free shower using "Scent-A-Way" soap and shampoo and use their deodorant as well.
Put on your hunting clothes then drive to the woods. In the summer time I like to wear silver ion antimicrobial shirt, hat, socks, and underwear. They really do prevent odors related to sweat and as an added bonus they keep you cooler too.
Be sure someone knows where you will be exactly. And stick to the plan.
Once you have gotten out of the vehicle and gathered all of the equipment that you are taking with you; spray everything (including your clothing, equipment and your boots) that you're taking into the woods with "Scent-A-Way" spray (again just the plain stuff). Interesting note: I dress before leaving for the hunt. My thinking is that if I happen to pick up scent particles on my clothing while driving to the stand, I will likely have it also in my hair and the rest of my skin as well. If, on the other hand, I am going to be wearing a jacket and bibs I will pack them in a tote for the trip. A general rule is this if it is practical to wear something that is scent treated on your way to hunting and then change when you get there, then do that. But, if your like me, I don't feel comfortable stripping in the open which is where my truck is normally parked.
I hike out to the treestand wearing only what is necessary in an effort to avoid sweating. I like to pack a backpack with survival gear if I am going any distance into the woods. I take: sharp knife, multi-tool, magnesium fire starting device, canteen, rope, deer drag, compass, GPS, toilet paper and a flashlight. It could be argued that you should bring some peanut butter with you or something to sustain you should you be injured in the woods and need to spend a few days there.
If at all possible, have your treestand/ground blind placed in an area that is between a known bedding area and a known food source. To determine if these areas are active: look for tracks, disturbed plants (bent or cracked, pushed a certain way), poop (if the poo is clumped together then you know that this is a feeding area that is close to a bedding area. The clumpy stuff is their first poo after waking up.
Now when choosing a place to put your stand/blind keep some simple but important things in mind. Deer don't see in 3 dimensions. To truly understand this walk in the woods and close one eye. Notice how hard it is to make out details. Be very careful not to walk around doing this or you may run into trees or fall off a ledge. Additionally, deer see in black, white and shades of gray. Now, that is not to say they don't pick up any movement at ground level or 20 ft up a tree. Guard against sudden movements and plan any movement to correspond with the movement of the deer. Because as they move do does their environment around them. Movement that is timed to be about in pace with a walking deer will seem to them to be normal. So if you can draw a bow, gun, etc while the deer is walking they are less likely to pick you off and take every deer in the county with them.
Be sure that you consider the wind in your effort or it will be for not. I have had deer down wind of me (I have never used carbon suits because I think they are a gimmick) with no ill effect, however if you take all precautions you will be more consistent in seeing deer. A general rule: hunt with the wind in your face while facing the direction that you expect the deer to come from. For example, if you are hunting in the evening deer will most likely be coming from the bedding area that you found earlier. The morning hunt they will probably be moving from the food source. During the rut try to set up where you would go if you had a super dupper deer nose and wanted to smell if any chicks were in the general area. Downwind corners of fields are great for this.
Never hunt right in a bedding area or right on a trail. Deer are very familiar with these areas and will notice something out of place just like you would if someone rearranged your bedroom furniture. I like to stay 50 yards away from a bedding area and about 20 yards off of a trail.
Practice shooting often, before and during the season. All the above work won't help you if you miss the deer and educate them in the process.
Once a deer is shot, wait a minimum of a half hour before climbing out of your stand. Once you climb out of your stand go to where the deer was shot. If using archery equipment, inspect the arrow if it has bubbly blood you have a lung shot and the deer is probably not far. If you find anything less than bubbly blood on an arrow then give a few hours before starting the tracking process. If you see food or anything green on the arrow you have gut shot the animal and need to wait until tomorrow to track the deer.
Tracking a deer is really a lot of fun. Remember the hunt is still on until you have the deer motionless in front of you. Try to keep talking and noise to a minimum. Even if you know that your deer is down keep the area minimally disturbed for future hunts. Go to the place where the deer was shot. Take your survival bag with you. Follow the blood trail into the woods and place a piece of T.P. (toilet paper) on tree limbs as you go to give an easy reference point should you loose the blood trail. Also, this makes leaving the woods in the dark safer. Don't get too upset if at some point you seem to have lost the trail. Many times deer bound and jump over logs which seems to scatter the blood and decrease it temporarily. When you notice the trail is thin on blood, search the area in a small circle paying close attention to leaves that seem to be at a deers chest height. Gradually widen you circle until you pick up the trail again. If this doesn't work, then go back to the last know blood and place a T.P. marker there. Look around and see if there is a place that seems to be a path of least resistance. The deer will likely go in that direction. If multiple choices apply follow each for a short distance. IF AT ANY TIME YOU SEE WHERE A DEER HAS BEDDED DOWN (big pool of blood) and then got up and moved again. BACK OUT OF THE WOODS and return in the morning. You are chasing the deer and going any further will only push them deeper into the woods. A deer can go an awful long way despite being injured. I have seen deer that had two broken legs make it hundreds of yards in only a few minutes. So try not to push them. They often seem to run out of blood when on the run. Remember that.
Once you have found your deer it is time to tag it. Do this before anything else. Use a knife to cut the appropriate dates into the tag and cut a whole in a does ear and tie it using a piece of string. For a buck just tie it to the antler.
Gut the deer. Probably better to have someone show you this first. There is a ton of information that can be gained from your local DNR (Department of Natural Resources) aka, game warden. Most hunting regulation manuals include a step by step for those without someone to teach them. If you are unable to find this information. I will gladly write more on the subject.
Place a roped deer drag around the deers neck and pull them out of the woods following the trail of T.P. to get back to your hunting spot. A headlight is awful handy here. Do what works for you.
Be safe, and remember accidents can happen so be wise and plan for them.
Enjoy this awesome sport. There are many rewards that we get from hunting. Keep at it and it will get easier. There is a slight learning curve. It just takes a little time to get the basics and a lifetime to perfect them.
Once you become a successful hunter consider sharing your passion with others who don't hunt. Hunting can use all the support that it can get from non-hunters. Be mindful of your comments and flashing gore around town. Most non-hunters will be offended by a detailed description of your harvest or a public display of the same. Be proud of your sport but respect others in the process. Let's give hunters a good name and not a bad one.

Sean

Baiting for deer

2007-10-21T17:45:00.002-05:00

I think that baiting, while not legal in Tennessee (where I currently reside) should be legal. I feel that using the bait will give a person who does their homework (scent bath, odor free laundry, deer sign present, etc.) a slightly better chance of seeing a deer within shooting range. As long as the number of deer we are permitted to shoot is a real number and the DNR has assumed that the herd can sustain the losses, what is the problem?

I am interested in what others think of this practice.

Sean

Muzzleloading Scopes

2007-10-21T17:27:00.001-05:00

Muzzleloaders are pretty sweet. I have been hunting with a muzzleloader for about 5 seasons. Over the years I have been in Wisconsin, Maryland and Tennessee. Each of which have slightly different laws regarding when you can use your muzzleloader, whether or not it can have a variable powered scope, a single powered scope or just plain old iron sights.

It is my humble opinion that while any of the choices are fine a nice variable power scope can really make the gun safer and of course more accurate. When I say safer I am assuming that people don't use a scope to make shots that they're not comfortable with or haven't tried with the specific gun, using the specific weight of bullet and powder at whatever range they are planning to take the shot in question. My hunting buddies and I don't take these kind of shots.

Sean