Do you know that you can brake the law when you call your buddy in the middle of a hunt?

This a very interesting article about the use of cellphones when hunting.

2011 Firearms Deer Hunting Season: Calling all deer hunters.

Cellphones, electronics have a place in the field, but can easily be misused

Posted: October 28, 2011 - 6:07pm

• Photos

Informative websites are accessible for hunters who have Internet access on their cellphones. And, of course, there are cellphone apps for hunters, too. Among the new deer hunting apps this year is “Deer Diary, the App for Hunters.”Among the offerings: satellite map locations and current weather data (sky condition, temperature, wind direction/ speed).

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Informative websites are accessible for hunters who have Internet access on their cellphones. And, of course, there are cellphone apps for hunters, too. Among the new deer hunting apps this year is “Deer Diary, the App for Hunters.”Among the offerings: satellite map locations and current weather data (sky condition, temperature, wind direction/ speed).

By Brian S. Peterson Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

October 28, 2011 - 07:07pm

2011 FIREARMS DEER HUNTING SEASON:Calling all deer hunters

Outdoors Editor

 

Gary Drotts can see it now. Or maybe it’s sometime in the future.
“It will get cheap enough with (trail) cameras where you could have four to five monitors in your deer stand going at one time,” Drotts, DNR wildlife manager in Brainerd, said of the impact of technology on deer hunting. “You could sit there and sleep until one (of the monitors) beeps when a deer comes in and then just get up and shoot the deer.”
Whether Drotts was being futuristic to make a point remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that electronics and technology have changed the deer hunting experience in recent years, creating potential challenges for Drotts and those who will monitor Saturday’s Minnesota firearms deer hunting opener.
“They (deer) haven’t adapted at all, but we keep inventing better, faster tools to harvest deer,” Drotts said. “They (technological advances) do probably increase the harvest rates some. If so, we have to look at that and decide if we have to change anything. Is it a problem today or tomorrow? Is it a problem now? Probably not. But with time ....”
Years ago, about the only electronics in the field for deer hunts were two-way radios — walkie-talkies — which, of course, have given way to cellphones. And in a big way — a majority of the 500,000 or so hunters in the field this season will likely have cellphones with them.
And that’s OK, Drotts said.
“You can carry them (in the field) and they’re a good safety device,” he said.
Tim Collette, DNR conservation officer for the Pequot Lakes area, agreed that cellphones have their place in the field in these modern-day hunts. But misuses remain a concern.
“It isn’t even the calling back and forth or the texting. The main thing people need to remember is that it’s fine to text or call another hunter and say ‘I want to go in. It’s cold.’ Or ‘I need help dragging this deer out.” But where they cross the line is you can’t use electronics to aid in the taking of big game. You can’t say ‘A deer is coming in your direction.’ Or ‘We’re making a drive. Get ready.’ That’s aiding and abetting. But with the prominence of texting, people don’t even stop and think about it. They automatically do it.
“That’s crossing the line. But it’s getting more and more common where I’m interviewing someone for some reason and this person knew this deer was coming. That’s where we say ‘Did you get a text on this. Can I look at your phone. I have (checked hunters’ phones for texts). But I have not had a case where I’ve caught anybody. I’ve had ones where they admitted ‘I texted and didn’t even think of it. But it wasn’t where they actually took a deer. So I give a lot of verbal warnings that you can’t do that, it’s a violation to do that.”
Hunters using phones to aid in the taking of deer face fines and other penalties.
“Part of hunting is to preserve the traditions of the hunt and how you frame fair chase,” Drotts said. “It’s obvious to them (cellphone users) that it’s a useful tool (for hunting) and they don’t hardly think about it anymore (using cellphones in hunts).”
But beside safety reasons — using the cellphone to call in case of an emergency or using cellphone GPS devices to find one’s way — there are other obvious advantages to such electronics. Minnesota hunters may register their deer by phone or Internet, which eliminates having to drive to a registration station. Call (888) 706-6367 or go to www.mndnr.gov/gameregistration to do so.Other informative websites also are accessible for hunters who have Internet access on their cellphones. And, of course, there are cellphone apps for hunters, too. Among the new deer hunting apps this year is “Deer Diary, the App for Hunters.”
The app is available for Android and iPhones users and offers satellite map locations, current weather data (sky condition, temperature, wind direction/speed), the ability to share hunting information on www.DeerDiary.com without giving up your exact location and a locator tool that gives you the exact location of your stand and allows you to mark harvest locations or, say, blood trails and the easiest way to get back to your camp or vehicle.“Successful hunters know their surroundings and understand the conditions that make for the best hunts. With ‘Deer Diary’ it’s easy to record these conditions, see patterns and ultimately become more effective on the hunt,” said Gus Saucerman of Indiana, the app’s owner and creator.
Cost of the app is $1.99 and the eight reviews of the app as of Friday were mostly positive. For more on the app or to download, go to www.DeerDiary.com.“That (the app) is a great example of how things are changing,” Collette said. “I know hunters who have kept good notes over the years. That’s just a smart way of looking at hunting. If so, I would embrace that. You can’t begrudge people for stepping it up in note-taking. As long as you keep it to that it’s fine.”

BRIAN S. PETERSON may be reached at brian.peterson@brainerd dispatch.com or 855-5864. To follow him on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/brian_speterson. For his blogs, go to www. brainerddispatch.com.

Florida Wild Hogs

The wild pig (Sus scrofa), also called the wild hog, wild boar or feral pig, is not a Florida native and may have been introduced by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto as early as 1539.
They occur in all of Florida's 67 counties within a wide variety of habitats, but prefer oak-cabbage palm hammocks, freshwater marshes and sloughs and pine flatwoods. Wild pigs can reach weights of more than 150 pounds and be 5-6 feet long. They usually travel in small family groups or alone.
Wild pigs are omnivorous (eating all kinds of foods, both plants and animals) and feed by rooting with their broad snouts. They may cause disturbance of the soil and ground cover vegetation and leave the area looking like a plowed field.
Trying to prevent wild pigs from coming onto your property is usually futile, but adequate fencing can keep them out of small yards and gardens. On private property, nuisance pigs may be trapped using pens with trap doors and baited with acorns or old corn. Trapped animals may not be released on public land, and can only be released on private property with landowner permission. See the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Regulations for Trapping and Transporting Feral Swine.
Wild pigs are legally defined as wildlife and are the second-most popular, large animal hunted in Florida (second only to the white-tailed deer).
On private property with landowner permission, wild pigs may be hunted year round using rifles, shotguns, crossbows, bows or pistols. There is no size or bag limit, and you may harvest either sex. Also, no hunting license is required.
On wildlife management areas (WMAs), hogs may be taken during most hunting seasons, except spring turkey. But, if it's during archery season, you must use a bow - during muzzleloading gun season, you can only use a muzzleloader. And, you do need a hunting license as well as management area permit and any other necessary permits to hunt wild pigs on WMAs - where on some, daily bag limits on wild pigs do apply, and on a few, there's even a minimum size limit on what you can take.
Best Hog Hunting WMAs

Northwest Region - Aucilla, Blackwater Hutton Unit, portions of Blackwater, Apalachicola Bradwell Unit, Choctawhatchee River and portions of Joe Budd
North Central Region - Andrews, Flying Eagle, Big Bend Hickory Mound Unit, Big Bend Snipe Island Unit, Big Bend Tide Swamp Unit, Mallory Swamp, Steinhatchee Springs and Devil's Hammock
Northeast Region - Tosohatchee is the best hog area where hunters get to use dogs. In terms of sheer numbers of hogs taken, Three Lakes typically is tops, followed by Tosohatchee, Triple N Ranch, Guana River, Bull Creek, Three Lakes Prairie Lakes Unit and Fort Drum.
Southwest Region - Green Swamp has the largest harvest each year, followed by Green Swamp West, Babcock/Webb, Chassahowitzka and Myakka State Forest.
South Region - Dinner Island Ranch, J.W. Corbett, Dupuis, Okaloacoochee Slough, Allapattah Flats and Hungryland

Hunting the vastness of Florida

Hunting the vastness of Florida


October 07, 2011 2:00 PM

Bill Gamblin

 Deer season in Florida is about a diverse as its population and activities.
Due to the diverseness of the state those who wish to hunt deer could actually do so from July all the way to February based on the zones and environmental conditions.
Ironically Northwest Florida is the leader for deer taken statewide with Santa Rosa County ranked tops across the Sunshine State.
In Santa Rosa County according to the 2010 FWC Deer Harvest Survey Report, 10,584 deer were harvested and hunters reported spending a total of 151,118 hunting days in the woods, which was also tops in the state.
Next in both categories were our neighbors in Okaloosa County with 10,163 deer and 146,843 days respectively.
Escambia County also finished in the top 10 with 6,238 deer harvested and 69,041 hunting days reported in its survey.
The numbers actually are not that surprising to some.
“Personally those numbers sound high,” said Donna Tucker, Executive Director of the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce. “But I can sit here and give you a list of people who hunt in private hunting clubs or own land to hunt on.
“The word is already getting out in the hunting segment, but what we will have to make sure of is the accommodations for the groups and the fuel necessary to meet their needs.”
While residents in South Florida and around the Everglades have been hunting since July, hunters here in northwest Florida are preparing for deer season to open on Oct. 22 with crossbow season.
“The dates to the deer seasons across the state of Florida correspond to the rut,” said Stan Kirkland, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Public Information Coordinator for Northwest Florida. “Florida is so diverse compared to others states that it has several different ruts and it would be hard to set one period of dates to accommodate the entire state.”
While the local gun season in Zone D – which is comprised of all or portions of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Gadsden, Franklin, Leon, and Wakulla counties – the break is designed to meet needs of the hunters and when they traditionally like to hunt.
General gun season will begin on Nov. 24 and last through Nov. 27 before taking a break until Dec. 10.
After Dec. 10 the general gun season will run until Feb. 19, with a period from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 where antlerless deer may also be taken.
“It would be just way too hard on the deer if we ran the season for lets say 72 straight days,” Kirkland said. “If we started on Nov. 24 and ran so many day then many hunters feel they would miss out on the rut.
“By having the break from Nov. 27 to Dec. 10 it allows those who traditionally want to hunt during the Thanksgiving Holiday to do so while also allowing those who want to hunt near the rut that opportunity as well.”
An antlerless deer is a deer, other than a spotted fawn, that does not have antlers or antlers shorter than five inches in length above the hairline.
The rut, or deer-breeding season, is when many hunters feel they have the best chance for a big or trophy buck.
Hunters feel the buck, or male deer, is too preoccupied with breeding a doe and eating for energy in order to breed and sighting become more frequent.
Rutting of deer usually occurs in late summer into early fall.
“We have done a great deal of studies and surveys recently to get a better understanding of the rutting seasons so we can set the deer seasons accordingly across the state,” Kirkland said. “We have a ton of information we have put together to help us nail down the deer rut.”
While Florida’s geography or sheer size has something to do with when seasons are established, another factor is the topography or dense wooded conditions.
“In places like Kentucky or Illinois it is not as dense with wooded conditions during the deer season and it allows for a shorter or condensed season,” Kirkland said. “Here in Florida we have much denser wooded conditions where in places like Kentucky or Illinois you can see for much longer distances during the season when the leaves fall.
“By being able to see for several hundred yards you will be able to harvest deer much faster.”
According to the 2010 Deer Harvest Survey conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, deer hunting was down overall last year compared to 2008 and 2009.
Overall most hunters participate in the general gun season (93.3 percent), state wide the number of hunters have fallen to 63.7 percent compared to the past two years when the percentage of total hunters were 68.9 (2008) and 68.1 (2009) respectively.
There were two increases compared to 2008 last season and those involved crossbow season and the NW Zone Special Archery and Muzzleloading Gun Season.
Kirkland indicated one other area that has gone down in numbers is where hunting dogs are concerned.
Free running dogs must be permitted now and have permission to hunt on private land, but public lands remain unregulated.
“We are not getting that many permit request for dogs,” Kirkland said. “These regulations we put in place regarding a permit were to provide relief to landowners who had an issue with free running dogs on their land.
“We know the dog cannot read what is posted and what isn’t, but it is a mechanism to help hold the owner of the dogs responsible for not keeping the dogs under control.”
In Northwest Florida (Zone D) 69,321 deer were reportedly killed over 944,995 deer hunter days.
Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties were at the top of that list as they were number one and two in the state respectively for the number of deer harvested and the number of deer hunter days.
Santa Rosa led the state with 10,584 deer harvested with Okaloosa a close second with 10,163.
In the number of deer hunter days Santa Rosa led the state with 151,118 days while Okaloosa was second with 146,843.


Total Harvest by County (Public and Private Lands)
County Deer Killed Hunter Days Bag per hunter day
Escambia 6,238 69,041 0.151
Santa Rosa 10.584* 151,118* 0.086
Okaloosa 10,163 146,843 0.107
Walton 4,977 63,013 0.071
Holmes 1,963 31,471 0.046
Washington 4,065 48,192 0.113
Bay 3,925 47,239 0.098
Jackson 5,467 74,227 0.109
Calhoun 4,135 42,898 0.131
Gulf 771 10,163 0.085
Liberty 1,752 36,027 0.045
Gadsden 4,416 62,382 0.096
Franklin 491 11,215 0.042
Leon 3,154 42,686 0.162
Wakulla 3,715 58,317 0.072
Information from the FWC Deer Harvest Survey 2010 Report
Sidebar
Zone D – Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Gadsden, Franklin, as well as the eastern parts of Leon and Wakulla counties.
Archery Season – A
Oct. 23 – Nov. 23
Antlered or antlerless deer by bow only
Crossbow Season – C
Oct. 22 – Nov. 23
Antlered or antlerless deer by crossbow or bow only
Nov. 28 – Dec. 2
Antlered deer only by crossbow or bow
Muzzleloading Gun Season - M
Dec. 3 – Dec. 9
Feb. 20 - Feb. 26
Antlered deer only by muzzleloader, crossbow, or bow
General Gun Season - D
Nov. 24 – Nov. 27
Dec. 10 – Feb. 19
Antlered deer entire season.
Antlerless deer may be taken Dec. 26 – Jan 1 by all legal centerfire rifles and pistols, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, and bows
A – Must have $5 Archery Season Permit as well as hunting license. It is prohibited to use bows equipped with sights or aiming devices with electr onic computational capabilities or light (laser) projection during Archery Season
C – Must have $5 Crossbow Season Permit as well as hunting license
M – Must have $5 Muzzleloading Gun Season Permit as well as hunting license. The only muzzleloaders than can be used during Muzzleloading Gun Season are those that take black power or non-nitro-cellulose substitute and are fired by wheel lock, flintlock, percussion cap or center fire primer (including 209 primers). Muzzleloarders using smokeless powder, those that can be loaded from the breech or those with self-contained cartridge ammunition capabilities are not legal during Muzzleloading Gun Season.
D – Free-running dogs may be used for hunting but must wear collars listing the owner’s name and address. When using dogs to hunt deer on private property, hunters must first register with the FWC (at no cost) the tract of land they have permission to hunt, and all deer dogs must have their FWC-issue registration number on their collars. Copies of the registration also must be in hunter’s possession when using dogs to pursue deer.

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Set up Your Scope for Success

Trijicon AccuPin & AccuDial Set Up and Sighting In Instructions

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visiting this product webpage in out website

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Remington 700 SPS DM Rifle Review

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the Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun Super Bantam, Combo, 20 Gauge, 22"/24" Barrel, Blued, Synthetic Stock

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The best Pistols in the World

The Worlds 10 Best Handguns

SHOT Show's 10 Best Hunting Guns

After fondling more than our share of new deer slayers and duck killers at the 2011 SHOT Show, we've picked the ten best hunting guns for this calendar year. By NRA Staff 1/28/2011 With thousands of manufacturers rolling out new products at the 2011 SHOT Show, the AmericanHunter.org team knew it had to have a game plan. What was our strategy? To find as many new hunting guns as we could get our hands on. After fondling more than our share of new deer slayers, duck killers and a few surprises, we've picked the 10 best hunting guns from SHOT Show 2011 (in no particular order). Mossberg Turkey Thug Shotgun Mossberg is stepping up its efforts to serve turkey hunters everywhere this year with the new Turkey Thug line of shotguns. There will be four models offered which come complete with the Lightning Pump Action (LPA) trigger system, adjustable fiber optic sights and an engraving on the receiver that reads "Turkey THUG Series." The shotguns will be exclusively featured on Mossy Oak’s Turkey Thug show in 2011-12, which airs on the Pursuit Channel. Despite its unconventional name, the Turkey Thug is said to perform flawlessly in the field. We'll be testing that notion this spring. You can pick up the top of the line model, the Turkey Thug 835, for only $642. Benelli Super Vinci Benelli USA is maintaining the reputation it gained for marketing genius in 2009 with its efforts at the 2011 SHOT Show. They’re calling the newest addition “the evolution of the revolution.” The Super Vinci comes complete with a catchy new commercial, user-friendly website and the aforementioned slogan. The shotgun’s In-Line inertia driven system has been redesigned to handle 3 1/2-inch magnum loads. It also features the QuadraFit buttstock, the ComforTech Plus recoil reduction system and a newly styled lower receiver. With improved ergonomics and an enlarged safety button and trigger guard, this gun should please every waterfowler in your crew. It can be yours for a low MSRP of $1,750. Nosler Custom M48 Legacy  The new NoslerCustom Model 48 Legacy Rifle is guaranteed to deliver ¾-inch or better, three-shot groups at 100 yards using Nosler ammo. The Model 48 action is glass-pillar bedded and mated to a hand-lapped, free-floating 24-inch match grade chrome barrel that has been custom chambered for each cartridge. The Legacy Rifle integrates a midnight-colored cerakote finish on all exterior metals along with the unique MicroSlick coating on interior metal surfaces. The select American black-walnut stock is an absolute beauty, making this complete-package rifle fit to bare the Nosler name. The MSRP for the Model 48 Legacy is $2,195. Gamo Varmint Hunter HP .22 Cal.  Gamo has added a durable, all-weather solution for pest control and small-game hunting to its line with the new Varmint Hunter HP. This .22 caliber air rifle comes with a lightweight, molded synthetic stock; fluted polymer jacketed rifled steel 18-inch barrel and a heavy duty power plant that produces 1,000 fps with PBA ammo. The package also comes with a 4x32 riflescope with rings, a laser sight and flashlight. This airgun has all the reliability and power of every Gamo offering with the ability to track down your target at night. The upgraded version Varmint Hunter Series is available for $289.95. Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle No, this rifle wasn’t built exclusively for hunting purposes, but it’s such a perfect display of precision that it can undoubtedly handle any shooting task with ease. In short, it’s one wicked gun. Developed with help from Gunsite instructor Ed Head, it’s a new platform in the Ruger M77 family. While the Scout Rifle has M77 features such as controlled round feed and integral scope mounts (scope rings included), the 10-round detachable box magazine gives it a distinctly tactical look. A Mini-14/SR-556 flash suppressor takes care of the pesky muzzle flash that is often the result of a .308 Winchester load combined with a 16 ½-inch barrel. The best part is that it’s available for only $995.00. Beretta A400 Xplor Light Following the example of Benelli and its new Super Vinci, Beretta has evolved last year’s revolutionary A400 Xplor Unico shotgun. It now comes in a “Light” version.  Weighing in at just over six pounds, the new A400 Xplor uses an exclusive exhaust valve that allows the shotgun to shoot a broad range of ammunition. The Light is also designed to reduce the already low felt recoil. Beretta has given shooters all the innovation of the original model in a lighter, less-punishing 12-gauge. You can pick one of these up for $1,400. Browning A-Bolt Shotgun The Browning A-Bolt is back and better than ever for 2011. After a 13-year absence, Browning is bringing back this slug gun in hopes that it will rekindle its old flame in the growing number of shotgun-only states—some of which are right in the center of the Midwest whitetail paradise. The A-Bolt, which looks stylish with a low-luster blued barrel and a Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity composite stock, comes standard with a 3-inch chamber, 60-degree bolt lift, detachable two-round magazine and recoil pad. Go ahead, purchase a piece of nostalgia for this deer season, it will only cost $1,240 MSRP. Taurus Raging Judge Taurus announced the Raging Judge revolver chambered for 28 gauge during the SHOT Show last week. OK, so we know this isn’t the traditional bird hunting gun, but once again, it’s too cool to leave off this list. “With this gun, the Judge not only gets a bigger bore,” wrote American Rifleman Editor in Chief Mark Keefe, “but also the features that made the Raging Bull in .454 so distinctive and more friendly to the shooter when it comes recoil, including a cushioned insert grip.” Taurus has created a new breed of handgun with the Raging Judge, and the rumors have been flying regarding an impending ATF ruling in regards to shotguns and "sporting purposes," but we’ve learned they have nothing to do with this 28-gauge. Weatherby Vanguard S2  Weatherby is adding to its top selling line with a new version of the Vanguard rifle. The new Series 2 (S2) is guaranteed to shoot SUB-MOA with factory or premium ammunition and comes in almost every popular caliber. It accomplishes this feat with a new two-stage Match Quality Target Trigger, Griptonite stock with non-slip panels and a right-side palm swell and the legendary Mark V action. Throw in the full-length, cold hammer forged 24-inch barrel that is known to provide maximum velocity and there’s no reason not to spend $450 to $630 on this rifle. Winchester Model 1886 Short Rifle Winchester is reviltalizing several of its classic lever-action rifles this year, and the reliable action of Winchester Model 1886 is among the finest. The Model 1886 Short Rifle, designed by John Moses Browning, was built to handle the then-new, heavier 45-70 Govt. cartridge, way back in 1873. The Model 1886 Short Rifle features a deep blue receiver, barrel and lever, along with a matching blued steel end cap and steel crescent buttplate. Like the other historical rifle models being offered by Winchester this year, production is limited. You can own this piece of history for only $1,269.

Five Best Hunting Rifles for Less Than $370 by Aaron

For most of the country deer hunting season is in full swing. Many hunters have already tagged this year’s trophy buck, but in many states the doe seasons and late firearms seasons have yet to come.

Some of you out there are thinking about hunting this year but found getting outfitted with the proper gear a formidable obstacle that has kept you from joining the ranks of those who venture out to enjoy the outdoors and manage the wildlife population. Then there may be some that are ready to start that youth hunter on their journey into the exciting world of hunting and sport shooting.

You might think I’m joking, but you’d be surprised at how many newcomers I observed picking out rifles in the last few days and hours before rifle season opened. And let’s face it, if you are new to this sport, the idea of walking into a firearms or sporting goods store to purchase a rifle can be a daunting task indeed. Especially if you go in alone and without an experienced hunter or sport shooter to give advice.

Purchasing a rifle should not be a last minute exercise in futility just prior to opening day, and buying blind because of appearance or a salesman’s suggestions can often lead to disaster. The last thing newcomers need is to make the bold step to enter into the sport only to have a miserable first experience due to poor rifle selection or having a non-zeroed rifle miss that first deer or target bullseye. That kind of confidence killer is what causes many to hang up their camouflage and boots and give up altogether.

With that in mind I thought it would be helpful to examine five great starter rifles for the newcomer and the youth hunter alike. My criteria was fairly straight forward – rifles needed to be less than $500.00, made by reputable manufacturers, bolt action, and available in common hunting calibers.

Savage Axis XP 30-06 Camo with Scope

The first rifle I chose to look at was the Savage Axis XP in .30-06. This particular model is considered by some to be a “best in class” entry level rifle. Like many Savage rifles this one comes in a combination rifle with scope. The rifle I selected comes with a camouflaged synthetic stock, matte finished barrel, and the scope is a 3-9x40mm.  This rifle does not have the patented Savage Accu-Trigger system, instead coming with a standard one stage trigger.

I know some purists aren’t too favorable towards combination rifle packages, but I again emphasize this an entry level rifle selection. For the newcomer, getting a rifle and scope combination is a great ease of mind. This allows for minor adjustments to get on target as opposed to a lengthy process of selecting a scope, mounting it properly and then zeroing it in. Many combination manufacturers have bore-sighted their rifles at the factory adding to the readiness of the rifle for shooting.

The Savage Axis has a 22” matte black barrel with an overall length of nearly 44 inches. The Axis has a free-floating barrel to increase accuracy and the rifle weighs in at a manageable 6.5 lbs. The Axis has a detachable box magazine with a 4+1 capacity, which means four cartridges in the magazine with one in the chamber. I like detachable box magazines for their ease of operation in loading and unloading a rifle, and for a starter rifle I think it just makes sense.

My first hunting rifle was a Savage Model 111 .30-06 combination package that included at 3-9x30mm Simmons scope. I have found Savage to have a very reliable rifle with a smooth bolt operation. The trigger pull is probably set a little heavier than some hunters and shooters would like, but it is smooth and consistent. I would recommend a Savage rifle without hesitation and the Axis appears to be another great product by this fine American gun manufacturer.

I chose the Axis in .30-06 because that caliber is a very popular deer hunting cartridge, but the Axis also comes in: .223, .22-250, .243, .270, .308, and in shorter youth models as well.  I like the camouflage stocks, but the Axis has a matte black stock as well.  Site sponsorGunsForSale.com has the Savage Axis XP Camo for sale for $349.99, while the black stock version of the Savage Axis is for sale at $299.99.

Marlin XL7C .30-06 APG

Another great starter rifle is the Marlin XL7C in .30-06. This rifle does not come in a combination rifle and scope configuration, so it will require the purchaser to find an acceptable scope to mount to the rifle. There are some decent starter scopes from Simmons, Bushnell, or Center Point that can be had for around $50.00-$60.00 so this rifle just makes it into my criteria of being ready at under $500.00.

This Marlin XL7C also has a 22” barrel but is a little shorter than the Savage with an overall length of 42.5 inches. This rifle comes with a pillar bedded stock and a free- floating barrel that has a blued finish. The XL7C has a 4+1 magazine capacity, but this magazine is an interior magazine requiring the shooter to manipulate the bolt each time to eject stored cartridges.

The Marlin XL7C has the adjustable Pro-Fire trigger system, which is a great benefit for the new or experienced shooter alike. This trigger allows the shooter to engage a part of the trigger mechanism to assist the shooter in smooth trigger pulls. When the shooter engages the first stage they pull back until that part meets up with the full trigger. Then a short pull further fires the rifle. This helps take out the guessing (and jerking the shot in anticipation of recoil) of traditional triggers that require a full squeeze of the primary trigger.

The XL7C has a “Soft-Tech” recoil pad to help with those hard hitting shots from a .30-06, and this particular model has a stock already camouflaged in the popular Realtree AP pattern. Marlin adds a fluted bolt to this nice rifle to increase speed and smoothness of bolt operation, and a “target style” muzzle crown.

For those who have always wondered what “fluting” of the barrel or bolt does for a rifle, it is not just an aesthetic feature. When a shot is fired energy goes out in all directions. The rifle barrel focuses most of that energy to pushing the bullet out the end of the barrel, the path of least resistance, but some energy is exerted on the barrel and bolt. By fluting the barrel, or in this case the bolt, engineers have found a way to give more surface space for energy to transfer without compromising barrel/bolt strength or integrity. The end result is a reduction in recoil by the dissemination of energy, and that means easier shots and follow up shots for the shooter.

The Marlin XL7C is for sale though our sponsor for only $339.99.

Remington 770 Sporter .30-06 with Scope APHD

Remington has long been a name associated with the highest quality of rifles, and their Model 700 has been a standard issued military and police sniper rifle for decades. In response to their competitions offerings of starter rifles, Remington came out with the Model 770 series of rifles a couple of years ago.

The Remington 770 comes in a variety of popular calibers including: .243, .270, 7 mm, 7 mm magnum, .308, .30-06, and .300 magnum, along with youth versions as well. The Model 770 is a combination rifle coming with a pre-mounted and bore-sighted 3-9x40mm Remington rifle scope, a feature that I think makes sense for a starter rifle.

The Model 770 SS APHD has a 22” stainless steel barrel and an overall length of 42.5 inches. Having a stainless steel barrel really assists a shooter in rifle maintenance, as usually a gentle wipe down after field use is sufficient exterior maintenance. And this particular version, the APHD, is outfitted with a synthetic stock decked out in Realtree AP Hardwoods camouflage, and a raised cheek rest to assist in proper shot alignment.

Weighing in at 8.5 lbs. this rifle is a little heavier than the first two rifles examined. The Model 770 has a detachable box magazine that allows for 4+1 capacity.

This version of the Remington 770 Camo is for sale at our sponsor for only $369.99.  The 770 also comes in a basic model with a matte black synthetic stock which is on sale through the end of the month for a mere $289.99.

There are some shooting blogs that have an unfavorable opinion of the Model 770, and I have to admit that my first time handling one of these rifles left me a little dissatisfied with its feel. The synthetic stock feels hard and boxy and the action wasn’t as smooth as I was used to with Remington rifles. In fact the trigger pull seemed a bit on the heavy side to me.

On the other hand there are many buyers that stand behind this rifle, and think it is a great Remington rifle that can be had for starter rifle prices. My brother-in-law got one of these Model 770’s in .30-06 a couple of seasons ago and I haven’t heard any complaints out of him.

Mossberg Model 100 ATR .30-06

Mossberg has been a name associated with quality shotguns for some time, but it wasn’t until recent years that their rifles have started to make their way onto the lists of desired hunting rifles. Mossberg focused on the more popular hunting calibers including: .243, .270, .308, 7mm, and .30-06. I’ve chosen to stay consistent with the .30-06 version here.

The Model 100 has a free-floating, matte blue barrel that is 22” long with a total rifle length of 42.75 inches. The Mossberg 100 weighs 7.0 lbs. putting it right in the middle of the rifles examined in this article.

The Model 100 features an adjustable LBA trigger system which allows for a smoother and more sure firing point. The safety is a side lever action and the magazine is a 4+1 internal magazine. This particular rifle does not come with a combination scope, but it is pre-drilled with a 2-piece scope mount.

The Realtree AP camouflage version is really a bargain, with the Mossberg 100 ATR for salefor only $349.99 at our sponsor, GunsForSale.com.

I have had the opportunity to handle one of these rifles and I can say I was pleasantly surprised to find the action very smooth and the trigger pull reasonable. Reading some of the opinions offered on this rifle gives me hope that Mossberg will stay in the rifle business and continue to offer quality options for shooters and hunters for years to come. For just getting into the rifle market the Mossberg Model 100 is a rifle to keep on your check list of starter rifles.

Maverick Super Bantam .30-06

Maverick Arms rifles are produced by Mossberg, and the Super Bantam rifle I chose to examine is the .30-06 version. The Maverick Super Bantam can also be had in .243, .270, and .308 calibers, all very popular hunting calibers.

I have only had limited experience with Maverick rifles and from initial observations they appear to be a similarly made rifle to the Mossberg Model 100, although a more basic model. Being made by Mossberg gives me enough confidence to include this rifle in my selection of possibilities for bargain starter rifles that still maintain reliability and quality.

The Super Bantam comes with a matte black synthetic stock (no camouflage for this one), a 22” free floating matte black barrel, and an overall length of 42.5 inches. The Super Bantam has an interior magazine with a capacity of 4+1. Weighing in at 7 lbs. this rifle is right in the middle of the rifles examined in this article.

The trigger is not the Mossberg LBA trigger system, but is instead a standard one stage trigger pull.

This is also not a combination model so the buyer will have to make a scope selection to finish out the readiness of this rifle for hunting, but the rifle does come pre-drilled with a 2-piece scope mount ready to accept that scope.

Make no mistake, this rifle is a no frills, bare bones hunting rifle. But with as the Maverick Super Bantam is for sale for only $249.99, and with the Mossberg name behind Maverick, I would be tempted to see just how well this rifle can perform. Some out there may refuse to buy a rifle without a “big” name attached to it, but a “big” name does not always mean a “big deal.”

Years ago Montgomery Ward had a series of firearms and ammunition made exclusively for their company, a kind of working man’s selection, and there were many who bought those products proudly. So the Maverick Arms Super Bantam is one to examine with a cautious eye, but one to examine nonetheless.

Happy hunting and shooting!

Posted in Hunting and Hunting Accessories, review, Rifles

Thanks for visiting our blog, remember that you can buy these firearms and other outdoors products at The Hunter Store 

Early Morning Hunting Tactics For Trophy Whitetails! - By Gordon Whittington

Conventional wisdom suggests that the early-morning hours simply aren't the best time to target mature bucks in open spaces. Not so fast…
This South Dakota 15-pointer made a habit of chasing does on an alfalfa field early in the morning. The author and videographer Mike Clerkin trailed him off the field and put him down on a nearby river’s edge. Photo courtesy of Gordon Whittington.

In deer camps everywhere, you hear all sorts of stuff put forth as "fact." And some of it really does have at least a ring of truth to it.

"It's better to be lucky than good."

OK, so it's best to be both. But I guess we'd have to admit that when it comes to bagging a mega-buck, the smart money is on the guy whose fanny pack contains more good fortune than anything else.

"You can't shoot a big one while you're sitting on the couch."

True again -- unless perhaps the living room window is open, offering a clear view of the grain silo that local monster buck regularly checks for loose corn.

"If you want to kill a trophy whitetail in the morning, don't hunt around an open food source. Those are strictly afternoon spots."

Now wait just a minute. I used to assume this little nugget was true, too. But after nearly a half-century in the deer woods, I finally learned otherwise.

Many of the bucks I've tagged in recent years have been shot in direct contradiction to that last "fact." Indeed, of the 11 bucks I've taken in the past two seasons of taping hunts for North American Whitetail Television presented by Arctic Cat, 10 fell in the morning -- and every one of those was either in or adjacent to a feeding area. That suggests a pattern worth time being spent investigating.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Yes, we've been told the only reliably good time of day to hunt mature bucks in open feeding areas is during the afternoon. To be more specific, if it's going to happen, it most likely will be right at last light.

Few other truisms in deer hunting are as widely believed or as religiously followed, and maybe that's understandable. To see why this afternoon-only mindset is so entrenched, let's look at how the average whitetail hunter decides where to put his stand and when to hunt it.

Driving around the countryside, he sees more deer in fields and food plots in late afternoon than in early morning. So right off, he makes two assumptions: (1) the spot in which he sees the most deer is the best place to hunt; and (2) afternoon is clearly the time to be there.

If the guy isn't convinced of it at that point, after a few hunts he probably will be. He watches a good feeding area in the afternoon, and sure enough, he sees deer almost every time. Occasionally he might even see a good buck coming out at last light. The hunter is on the right track.

Sooner or later, he decides to try his luck in the morning. The result? He sees only a doe or two as dawn breaks, and a few minutes after sunup even they drift back into the woods. With the light growing brighter and all deer having vanished, the hunter soon vacates his stand. This really is only an afternoon spot, just as he'd suspected.

There's a fair chance he's wrong.

EYE-OPENERS

I'd occasionally shot bucks while hunting around feeding areas in the morning, but it never struck me as a real pattern. Then, the last week of October 2008, I started coming around to the truth.

Cameraman Mike Clerkin and I were bowhunting a farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Our host was Kenny Schrader, owner-operator of Schrader's Bridgetown Manor. His multi-species outfitting operation has access to miles of farm fields, swamps and hardwood timber.

Early Morning Hunting Tactics For Trophy Whitetails!

This South Dakota 15-pointer made a habit of chasing does on an alfalfa field early in the morning. The author (rt.) and videographer Mike Clerkin trailed him off the field and put him down on a nearby river’s edge. Photo courtesy of Gordon Whittington.

In our scouting, guide Richie Lindsay pointed us toward a huge standing bean field adjacent to a swampy creek bottom. It looked great, and there were a lot of big rubs and tracks. But with the weather warm and peak rut still weeks away, the first few days of our hunt were slow. All we saw were does, fawns and immature bucks.

Then the weather changed. On Halloween morning we awoke to the first solid frost of the season. Mike and I eased into a ground blind on the edge of a woods finger poking into the beans. We'd hunted there the previous afternoon and had watched several young bucks approach our Carry-Lite decoy. Nothing big had showed up, but we knew the weather change would help our odds.

Sure enough, as the impending sunrise began to illuminate the fog hanging over the beans, we saw bucks -- one of them big -- trailing does far in the distance. The deer were moving back to the swamp after a night of frolicking in a field farther south.

Just before sunup, I crashed my rattling antlers together as hard as I could. A minute later, I repeated the sequence. Then we waited. Suddenly, 300 yards out, the sizeable rack and thick neck of a mature buck poked up over the horizon. He'd heard the fake buck fight, and he'd spotted the decoy standing in front of the blind.

The mature 6-pointer ultimately walked to within 17 yards of where Mike and I sat. When the deer finally turned, I drew my Mathews DXT. Seconds later, a 75-grain Muzzy punched into the rear of the rib cage and angled forward into the vitals. Our bull-necked trophy had an estimated live weight of around 250 pounds.

As I began to reflect on that exciting hunt, I at first dismissed it as the sort of thing that occasionally just happens if you hunt enough. We were in a good area, the weather had turned sharply in our favor, the local bucks were itching to start rutting and we rattled and decoyed in exactly the right spot. The food wasn't really a factor.

Or was it? Over the next four weeks, I saw many more examples of morning success in and around feeding areas:

November 15: Bowhunting a ranch being offered for sale by Kansas Whitetail Properties, we arrowed a beautiful 10-pointer around 9:30 a.m. The buck was out cruising for does on a small alfalfa plot, but once he spotted our decoy, it was all over.

November 18: On the fourth morning of gun season on my own land in northern Missouri, we watched from our tree stands as an old 10-pointer walked a thin line of timber between a creek and a recently cut crop field. My Thompson/Center Pro Hunter dropped him right at sunup. No doubt this guy also was out in search of female companionship.

November 21: While rifle hunting with Two Rivers Outfitters in South Dakota, Mike and I got on the trail of a massive buck outfitter Gary Snook had seen looking for does in an alfalfa field early in the morning. Mike and I took off after the buck on foot and finally shot him on the river's edge. By then it was late morning, but the 15-pointer was still out snooping around only 100 yards or so from the field.

November 26: An hour into the first morning of a rut rifle hunt with Trophies Plus Outfitters in northeastern Wyoming, we watched as a mature 4x4 worked a scrape under a big tree just below the lip of an alfalfa field. Guide Skip Peterson ranged the big deer at 230 yards, and in short order we had that buck in the back of the Arctic Cat.

December 18: Late on the fourth morning of a wind-plagued rifle hunt at Wayne Kirk's QB Ranch in North Texas, Mike and I were glassing from a ridge when I spotted a buck in a wheat plot more than a mile away. Cranking the spotting scope all the way up, I could see the buck was mature. We bailed off the ridge, slipped through the thick cedars to a spot just downwind of the plot -- and immediately saw the buck walking right toward us, heading back to bed. The shot was only about 30 yards.

That was a wild seven weeks of hunting and quite a run on good bucks. And the streak continued in 2009, with morning food-plot successes in central Kansas (October 18, at the Buck Forage research facility), northern Missouri (November 17, with Joe Ream and Sean Salisbury of Blackbird Creek Outfitters and S&K Food Plots, respectively), South Texas (December 17, at McAllen Ranch) and northeastern Mexico (December 29, at Rancho las Cuevas). The Kansas buck was taken roughly a month before the peak of breeding there, the Missouri buck right during the heart of the rut and the Texas and Mexico bucks slightly past the peak time for breeding in the Rio Grande region.

Early Morning Hunting Tactics For Trophy Whitetails!

The author caught this northern Missouri 10-pointer cruising the edge of a recently cut crop field at sunup in November 2008. Photo courtesy of Gordon Whittington.

A WAITING GAME

You might have noticed that on only a few of these hunts did the shot come within the first half-hour of legal light. That's a point worth stressing, because it's counterintuitive. Clearly the best time of the afternoon to catch a mature buck in a feeding area is right at last light, so common sense says the crack of dawn is the best time to do so in the morning. But that's not been my experience.

No matter how sneaky you are in getting to your stand, big bucks usually will head back into the thick stuff before day breaks. Some even will be in their beds by then. And if you're not ultra-careful, you'll bump off any stragglers as you make your way there in the darkness.

Sure, we hope to catch a big buck lollygagging at first light, whether he's looking for a doe, tending one or grabbing one last bite. But what we need to focus on is the next wave of movement around the food source. If bucks are behaving somewhat naturally (that is, not being fully nocturnal, due to hunting pressure and/or weather), from late pre-rut on through peak breeding there's a good chance of seeing one well after dawn.

And by "well after," I mean as late as 11 a.m. So this really isn't an ideal game for the guy who can hunt for only 30 minutes before hustling off to work or school. If you're going to hunt this pattern seriously, plan on making a full morning of it.

If your setup has you worried about the chances of bumping deer on the way in, it might make sense to wait until you have a bit of daylight before going there. Move slowly, be quiet and glass constantly. If all goes well, you'll make it into position right after the last deer have moved off on their own.

The buck activity I've noticed suggests they retreat to their beds (or at least more secure rutting areas) around first light, then eventually wander back out to check again for does around the feeding area. A mature buck wanting to check the feeding area for does might not walk right into it; to the contrary, he's more apt to stand in cover and scan the opening before stepping into the clear.

Depending on whether or not he sees anything worth investigating, he might duck back into the brush, or perhaps walk the edge for at least a short distance. If he encounters an active scrape along that edge, he might well work or at least sniff it. Regardless, he's now out in a fairly open spot, and that greatly improves your chances of at least seeing him, whether he offers a shot or not.

It's tempting to put your stand or blind where you have a great view of the food source, and that often works. But the more exposed the feeding area is, the better off you probably will be setting up where you can see into the surrounding cover. That's where most daytime buck activity usually will be, even during the heart of the rut.

BOW SETUPS

As with any other ambush, a morning setup in or near a feeding area must be hunted only when conditions are right. This is particularly true in bow season, when mistakes of all types are magnified.

Playing the wind is critical, both during your approach and while on stand. Along with taking the usual scent-control precautions, put yourself as far as you reasonably can from where deer are most likely to travel and feed.

Setting up away from the action doesn't sound like a recipe for bowhunting success. But when hunting feeding areas in the morning, it can be -- as long as you add one key piece of gear to your setup. That item? A buck decoy.

Remember: we're mostly going to hunt this morning pattern when bucks are at least somewhat focused on the rut. That happens to be prime time for decoying. Whether you rattle and call over a decoy setup or simply let the fake deer work its visual magic, there's a good chance any unoccupied buck cruising the food source will investigate. Be sure your decoy is free of human odor, and try to position it so the buck doesn't catch a whiff of you as he approaches.

And here's another helpful hint for morning hunts: If possible, don't set up the decoy until moments before legal light arrives. Otherwise, you might have a big buck walk in, check out the decoy and leave before you can shoot. It's happened to me.

CONCLUSION

For many reasons -- not the least of which is having much better light for trailing and recovering a shot deer -- I'd rather get one in the morning than in the afternoon. I've never really been a "morning person," but based on recent successes, every fall I now find it a little easier not to hit the "snooze" button at 4 a.m. Tag a trophy on a field or food plot while the day is still young, and you just might become an earlier riser yourself.

Links referenced within this article
http://www.nawtv.com/
http://www.nawtv.com/

Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground

Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground


Improve your game plan this deer season. Recognize the behavior of blacktail bucks at all elevations.

By Scott Haugen

As anticipated, a small three-point blacktail buck walked down the trail, right under my tree stand. He wasn't a shooter, but the one following him was close. He also was a three-point, pushing 18 inches wide. He, too, wasn't the buck I hoped for.

Chris Toy patterned this mid-elevation buck along the edge of a logged unit, then hung his tree stand in the perfect place. The brute buck carried exactly 150 inches of antler -- every blacktail hunter's dream. Photo by Scott Haugen.

I saw these bucks and one more -- a tall, heavy-racked brute at least two years older than the others -- during my midsummer scouting missions. I saw all three bucks together a few days prior to the Sept. 1 opener. They were in velvet then. Now, their antlers gleamed.

After an hour of holding out for the biggest of the three blacktails, I knew it wasn't going to happen. "He should have been here by now," I thought to myself, perched 23 feet up in a tree.

The three bucks had been traveling together since July. Now, something had changed, something more than the shedding of their velvet.

"Maybe he already went nocturnal," I pondered. After all, he was the oldest of the trio.

The following day I found the buck, dead. A cougar killed him 75 yards from my tree stand. As if trophy blacktails aren't hard enough to tag, toss a predator into the equation and the challenge rapidly rises.

During the month of September, the physiology of blacktail bucks shifts, as does their daily routine. The most successful hunters recognize these changes, know what they mean, and adapt their hunting strategies to meet the challenges in the wake of these changes.

THE CHANGES

Columbia blacktails inhabit a vast range -- from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the ridges of the Coastal Range through the valley floors to the Cascade Mountains that reach more than 8,000 feet elevation.

Trying to categorize blacktails into a single, neat little package can limit the scope of how we view their lifestyle and, thus, how we go about hunting them. Though they are the same species of deer, how they live and act greatly varies within their individual habitats. Whether you're an early season archer or you hold a special-draw rifle tag, the key to taking your blacktail is focusing on the deer and their predicted behavior.

One constant blacktail bucks share this time of year is the timing by which they shed their velvet. By the third week in August, a buck's rack is pretty much done growing. Once the growing stops, the velvety tissue begins to dry, itch and the bucks can't get rid of it fast enough. Some bucks shed their velvet on a single tree in a matter of minutes. Others take longer, rubbing their racks on multiple trees over the course of a day or two.

By the last week of August, most blacktail bucks have lost their velvet. Sometimes the velvet may hang on through the first few days in September. Of course, in the mysterious world of the blacktail, there are no set rules as to the exact day the velvet is rubbed off.

Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground

Once the velvet is gone, bucks undergo further changes. Now, they engage in pre-rut behaviors. They acquire nutritious food, preparing their bodies for the rigors they'll be facing in a month's time. Not only will they be traveling more come late in October; they'll also grow more aggressive toward other bucks. They instinctively know that after the rut the nutritional value in the food they eat greatly declines. This means gathering quality food and staying healthy is important in September, even though the rut may be more than a month away.

BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT HIGH ELEVATIONS

Generally, blacktail bucks at high elevations -- 2,500 feet and higher -- face different needs than those that live at lower elevations. In dry, hot years water can be scarce at these elevations, making water sources key places for hunters to focus their efforts.

Physically seeing bucks at water holes is the best indicator of which ones they are using. Trail cameras can also help figure this out, but it can be tough for many hunters to find the time to set them up and check them, especially when hunting far from home. Deer tracks can often be found, too, along the edges of waterholes.

From my experience, high-elevation bucks are the last to turn nocturnal after shedding their velvet. This could be due to several factors, the most important being less hunting pressure at these elevations, and the fact that temperatures are much cooler late in the evening, through the night and into the morning.

Temperatures -- both cooling and warming -- surely affect blacktail behavior. On north-facing slopes temperatures are cooler and bucks may be active well into midmorning hours. As the month passes and night temperatures cool at extreme elevations, bucks will often shift their feeding activity to south-facing slopes where they can catch warming sunshine.

Into October, bucks are still active during daylight hours. At high elevation, hunters -- including bowhunters -- can often pattern these bucks easily because of the typically open features of the terrain. Try spotting a single buck or a bachelor group and watch them to see where they bed. From there, plan your best stalk into shooting range, keeping the wind in your favor at all times. Be patient, don't push things. If the wind changes, back out and return another day. All other things considered, your buck won't be far away.

Also, deer food resources are quicker to dry up at high elevations, meaning bucks are more likely to stick close to a productive food source once located. When you locate a big buck in the vicinity of a food source, keep working that area. Chances are he won't stray far from fresh groceries.

BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT MIDDLE ELEVATIONS

Blacktail bucks living near the 500 to 2,500-foot elevation range can behave differently than those living above and below them. Of course, elevation varies depending on where and in which valley or drainage in Washington, Oregon or California you're hunting.

Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground

During September, these mid-elevation bucks can be the toughest of all blacktails to hunt. Typically, the hunting pressure is greater, which sends the bucks deeper into their core areas, where they feel safe and can be all but impossible to find. Vegetation also is dense at middle elevations, making it a challenge to locate blacktails even if they are moving in daylight hours. Likewise, food resources are more readily available at the mid-elevation ranges than in the higher, drier country. This means bucks won't have to move as far or as often to find food, and they have more varieties to choose from.

The lack of logging these days is, perhaps, the greatest detriment to middle-elevation blacktail hunters. Not only does logging open the ground, whereby making it easier to find deer; cutting away the canopy also spurs the growth of much-needed deer forage. Unfortunately, when areas are logged these days, land managers frequently spray vegetation killers that eliminate any possibility for valued food sources for deer (and other big-game animals) to grow in the clearings.

Because moisture levels at middle elevation can vary greatly, it's important for deer hunters to pay attention to rainfall patterns and ground-water resources. September can be seasonably dry along the West coast and into the mountains, and waterholes can pay dividends for hunters. But beware that when there's enough moisture in the air or on the ground in the form of dew, blacktails may not even go to water, getting all they need from the vegetation they consume. Look closely to see what the case is in your area.

Amid the thick habitat of middle elevations, "spot and stalk" hunting tactics can be tough. Patience can pay off when you work the edges of forest openings, as well as bedding areas, but where deer are using waterholes, get off the ground and into a tree stand. Mid-elevation wind currents can swirl around variably and are far less predictable than air motion at high elevations. Getting above those wind currents can mean the difference in filling a tag or not. I like being at least 25 feet up in a tree stand.

BLACKTAIL BUCKS AT LOW ELEVATIONS

Terming blacktails as low-elevation bucks includes all those bucks that live on the valley floors. In some areas, the "low" elevations can be well above 1,000 feet. In other habitats, the deer may be living only a few feet above sea level.

Low-elevation bucks are born, live and die within a very small area. They are non-migratory, meaning they know everything about all the deer in their area, as well as their habitat.

Low-elevation deer are also more conditioned to humans. Still, they can be patterned. Many low-ground hunts take place on private land, which -- if you're an archer who has permission to hunt such properties -- can be a hunt of high success early in the season. But where low-elevation blacktails are not too pressured, the bucks can be patterned. Their bedding areas are usually no secret. Locate one, and from there it's just a matter of figuring out where they're feeding and then intercepting them.

Blacktails On Low, Middle & High Ground

However, blacktail bucks quickly can turn nocturnal after shedding their velvet. They may enter feeding zones well after dark and leave well ahead of first light. This means hanging tree stands or situating ground blinds should be done with care and close --sometimes within 100 to 150 yards -- to the bucks' core areas to increase the odds of getting a shot during daylight hours. It's a good idea to hang multiple stands in such areas. If the wind is wrong in one spot, you can quickly relocate.

Spot-and-stalk tactics also can work to intercept deer on the move. You should expect hot, dry, noisy conditions in the early season, however. Remove your boots and proceed in your stocking feet. You may want to take an extra pair of thick socks to slip on, not only to cut down on noise, but to further protect your feet.

Compared to big blacktail bucks living at higher elevations, individual bucks in the lower elevations tend to use a lot of trails. Patterning these bucks, especially in thick river bottoms and in areas where multiple food sources flourish, is a challenge. From grape vineyards to hay fields, acorns to wild flowers and numerous types of brush, lowland blacktails utilize dozens of food sources. Trail cameras can help you determine what they like best. Big bucks may not access the foods via the same routes every day, but they will usually keep going to them as long as someone or something doesn't run them off.

Your odds rise for filling your blacktail tags this deer season when you focus your attention on the deer, their routines and their needs. From one elevation range to the next, your success hinges on narrowing down deer movement and adjusting your approach.

Keep in mind, too, the ever-shortening daylight hours will cause a blacktail buck to shift his routines, no matter what elevation he lives at. Observe, adapt, be patience and be persistent. What you learn will make you a better hunter of Columbia blacktails no matter how, when or where you hunt these glorious deer.

We suggest you to check The Hunter Store website to find quality hunting gear before going out hunting.

Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks

Every serious sportsman knows that big bucks abound in the Bluegrass State. However, some places are better than others. Here are some of the best to try! (November 2007)

By Norm Minch

The 2006 Kentucky Deer Season was the third-best ever, in terms of the number of Boone and Crockett (B&C) Club trophy bucks reported in a single season. Couple that with the third-best overall harvest on record, and Bluegrass State deer hunters racked up exceptionally well.

In recent years, trophy buck production in Kentucky has been nothing short of outstanding. Each year since the 2000 season, the state has averaged 32 whitetails qualifying for the record book. That includes typical bucks scoring 160 or higher, and non-typical bucks scoring 185 or higher.

The 2005 season produced 27 bucks that met the minimums for B&C recognition. Biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) actually expressed some disappointment that compared to some previous seasons, that number was just average.

Last year, as the law of averages would have it, Bluegrass hunters reported a very impressive 40 bucks that were big enough to make the record-book cutoff scores.

Said KDFWR senior biologist David Yancy, "The 2005 season seemed like a so-so year to us for B&C deer. We questioned ourselves whether that was just a quirk of weather-related hunting conditions, or something else," said the biologist.

"We might have been a little anxious for another big year for trophies, because our track record this decade has been so good.

"It now appears -- after we've gotten the scoop for the 2006 season -- that trophy whitetail production continues to be very good," he said. "We continue to claim a top-five state status in the U.S. for our land size in pumping out Boone and Crockett-class bucks."

Yancy didn't expect 40 trophies from last season, but based on the overall harvest, he believed that there would probably be some increase from the year before.

"It does look like there's a link between the number of deer Kentucky hunters take each season and the number of trophies reported each season," he said.

"Higher harvests correspond with higher numbers of record-book bucks. But to see a jump of 13 from one season to the next is really phenomenal."

What does this information tell us in terms of what hunters can expect from this year's deer season?

Given the history of recent years and the bumper crop of big bucks that showed up last year, we'll highlight it for you here. You'll quickly see that it adds up to another potentially super year for huge bucks in Kentucky.

To find the counties with the best potential, you need to string together a couple of years' worth of information and look for a pattern. Then consider the habitat quality and season structure for each area. When all those factors are positive, you've got a formula for predicting the trends for trophy deer production in Kentucky.

Let's take a look at which regions and counties blossomed last year, and examine some historical data about where the big boys have come from. Then let's look at how the 2007 season shapes up for finding you a buck of a lifetime.

I think you'll agree that there are some very exciting findings.

PURCHASE REGION

Last season, four of Kentucky's top bucks came out of the Purchase Region to the far west, compared to five the previous season. A two-season total of nine trophy deer (especially given that 2006's top non-typical is among that nine), strongly suggests that this region is coming into its own as a place to find high-quality bucks.

Check these statistics:

Dan Miller dropped a monster Pennyrile Forest (Christian County) non-typical that topped Kentucky's list last season with a score of 246 3/8. His buck is miles ahead of the rest of the biggest non-typicals for 2006.

Coincidentally, another Dan -- Dann Hughes -- shot Kentucky's biggest non-typical the year before in nearby Trigg County, which also lies within the Purchase Region.

Hughes' buck scored 249 3/8 and was "far and away" the leader in that category two seasons ago.

Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks

An observation? If your name is Dan, and you have a place to hunt in the Purchase Region, you're this year's odds-on favorite to score a really big, chart-topping non-typical.

(For the rest of us, perhaps name changes are in order -- as well as some work to get permission on a farm in this region.)

And there's more to note for the Purchase Region, and for Christian County in particular.

Christian County accounted for a big 189 3/8 non-typical in 2005 as well. And Randy Green added a big typical in 2006 that missed the B&C All-Time record (of 170 or better) by a half-inch. Nevertheless, his 169 4/8 bruiser demonstrates that this county has a good trend going into the 2007 season. So keep your eyes open!

Elsewhere in the Purchase Region, Tony Moore stroked the top non-typical bow kill reported for 2006, with a big daddy 185 2/8 that placed his name in the B&C Awards Book.

His buck came out of Crittenden County, one of a handful of counties that has shown trophy-buck potential year after year. It is always highlighted on the maps indicating counties with high potential. The season before, Crittenden gave up the fourth biggest non-typical. Like last season, ironically, it was the top bow kill in 2005.

When the smoke cleared from his muzzleloader in Lyon County last year, David Stevens made the All-Time B&C Club listings with his 170 5/8 typical, rounding out a solid showing for big bucks in the Purchase Region. Many of the bucks qualifying as trophies last year weren't necessarily in the "top" 10 or 15 ranked scores. But all four bucks taken in the Purchase were.

There is good-quality habitat in most of these counties. A lot of crops are grown in this region, giving whitetail bucks the boost they need to generate those record-book antler lengths and circumferences.

"The Purchase seems to kick out three or four trophy-class whitetails each season," said Yancy. "But I believe the potential for more is probably there.

"In recent years," the biologist said, "almost every county has been represented on the list. Perhaps after the 2007 season we will be able to legitimately shade in another county or two on the map for best trophy potential counties in this region."

Yancy's prediction is certainly supported by the "pattern" we described earlier. It's clearly there in the Purchase Region from several angles. Better give this region a hard look this season.

GREEN RIVER REGION

The Green River Region tied for top trophy-producing honors in 2006, with a whopping 11 bucks making the elite cut of being considered trophy whitetails -- out of more than 63,000 bucks taken statewide last fall.

That translates into the top 2 percent of all bucks taken, and so is a remarkable achievement indeed. The Green River Region gives up quality bucks consistently, over and over.

Here's what I'm talking about.

The Green River Region -- and more specifically, Paul Campbell -- claimed the top bow kill in 2006 with a tremendous 192 4/8 buck from Warren County that got things rolling. Hulen Sanders' 176 0/8 Grayson County buck was the best typical from the region, ranking third of all typicals last year.

John Wilcox added a second typical, again from Grayson County. It scored 165 1/8 and helped the Green River Region tie with the Northeast Region for best trophy production last season.

The eight other big bucks from this region that topped Kentucky's charts came from Hopkins, McLean, Union, Edmonson, Todd, Butler, Logan and Hancock counties. Now -- as if we needed another impressive statistic about the Green River Region's trophy-buck potential, consider this:

In the last two seasons alone, at least one B&C Club qualifier has been reported taken -- are you ready? -- in 16 of the 22 counties that make up the Green River Region.

Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks

Yeah, just about everywhere you look. You may have glanced at the Top Trophy-Buck Counties map and wondered why almost all the Green River counties are shaded for high potential. The reason is that they provide big bucks consistently, year after year after year. Historically, there's no better place in Kentucky to encounter a wallhanger whitetail than in this richly agricultural section of our state, so perfectly suited for deer.

While other regions have big years and small years, the Green River counties produce every time.

If a county is off the list this year, it's usually back on the next -- with a record book buck. If history repeats itself, then this region is also one of the best to consider for the hunter seeking a trophy whitetail in 2007 . . . and beyond.

BLUEGRASS REGION

In 2005, Bluegrass Region deer hunters had a bit of a dry year for big bucks. But they got on track last season, according to the KDFWR's official list of B&Cs from 2006.

Trophy bucks jumped from three to nine, again, with some very interesting developments that you need to stay on top of.

Most hunters know that Pendleton County claims Kentucky's best-ever typical buck taken: At the end of the day, Robert Smith came home with his record-book dream-fulfilling 204 2/8 buck -- top 10 in the world.

Over the years, this little county along the Ohio River has produced many trophy-caliber bucks. The 2006 season proved once again that Pendleton County is a hotbed for big bucks anywhere in Kentucky, not in just the Bluegrass Region alone.

Eddie Manning's 169 5/8 typical gun kill and Brandon Bruin's 165 0/8 buck are two more reasons to explore some territory in this area this season, for sure.

But you won't want to stop looking there, in the mid-part of the state.

It's tough to swing permission to hunt on farms in Fayette and Bourbon counties, where extensive horse operations cover much of the land. So you might think it rather strange for me to recommend that you give it a try. Yet it's hard to argue with the facts.

Each of these counties has very limited typical deer habitat, compared to what you'll find in more urban counties. The Bluegrass Region's interior counties aren't generally thought of as top places to find trophy whitetails because they contain so much open, rolling pasture. But as we know, the whitetail is a very adaptable species, capable of doing quite well even in landscapes with fragmented habitat.

But in these two counties, some spots here and there held bucks of a lifetime for three hunters last season -- and for one the season before. In the last two seasons, Fayette and Bourbon counties have yielded two trophies apiece.

It's time to start scanning those big, open fields for more than the next Derby winner. There are some big, big bucks on some of these farms. And if they can, bowhunters especially should be forging some friendships with landowners in this region.

Judging by recent trophy kills, other spots in this region to consider will include Grant County. There, Matthew Jones took Kentucky's top reported muzzleloader non-typical kill -- a 185-class buck.

There too, Rick Pelphrey harvested the top typical muzzleloader from Trimble County when his 165 3/8 buck hit the ground.

True, Bluegrass Region hunters may have to contend with more surrounding pressure than other areas. But that doesn't mean the potential for big bucks isn't present.

Remember that counties in this region have some of the highest deer densities in Kentucky. And when that's the case, just because more deer are present, a buck has a higher chance of making it untouched through three or four seasons.

Kentucky Deer Outlook -- Part 2: Finding Trophy Bucks

Big bucks are good at avoiding getting shot at when there are lots of other smaller deer around to walk out of the woods first. Most hunters will take the first decent buck they see, rather than have the patience to wait and see if a much bigger buck is holding back until he's sure it's safe.

NORTHEAST REGION

Well, what can you say? In recent years, the Northeast Region's production of trophy bucks has been a little volatile -- down, then up. There were only three book bucks in 2005, then all of a sudden, 11 in 2006.

Go figure! But one thing is as sure as anything in the hunting realm can be: If there is only one record buck a year taken in this region, it's going to be from Lewis County.

In six of the last eight seasons -- including the last four in a row -- somebody has taken a trophy buck from Lewis County. I'd almost wager that during the two seasons where no record of one exists, somebody killed one but just didn't report it.

Look what went on during the 2006 season: Dale May dropped a 170-class All Time B&C listing buck with a rifle. Darrell Armstrong and Brian Cooper each took typical 160-class bucks with a gun and a muzzleloader, respectively.

Floyd Bolander even found a 165 7/8 typical in Lewis County.
Four trophies in one season! Is that amazing, or what?

And there were seven more in the region last year, including a 199 2/8 non-typical for Dallas Stacy out of Morgan County -- and the top typical of the 2006 season overall for Larry Walters, with his 180 6/8 gun kill from Pike County.

Morgan County has been out of the picture for a while, but made a good B&C showing last season, when it produced two listings. It was one of about four counties with multiple trophies during 2006 statewide.

So what's the pattern here? Lewis County is the place to be. Sell your house and move, if you have to.

Otherwise, the potential is there, but except for Lewis, no more so in one spot than another. Scouting to find farms not hunted for a few years is probably the best bet in the Northeast Region this season.

SOUTHEAST REGION

For many years, biologists have been highlighting Pulaski County, mostly because of what they believe are some excellent genetics in that part of the Southeast Region. Since 2000, not so many trophies have popped up -- until recently.

In 2005, Darrell Scruggs recorded a big typical. And in the banner year of 2006, Rick Gosser posted a huge non-typical of 202 1/8 of his own, to "re-up" Pulaski as a hotspot for high-quality bucks in Kentucky.

William Bertram also helped out by showing that while the Southeast doesn't always post a lot of trophies, they're generally some of the most impressive when they do show up. Last season, Bertram took a Cumberland County non-typical, scoring 197-plus, that would make any deer hunter envious.

Also among the total five record deer in this region last year were bucks from Bell, Knox and Casey counties, all surpassing the 160 minimum score for typicals.

For the last couple of seasons, Casey County has also been one of the more consistent spots to find a big buck, so don't overlook it this year.

Try to hunt farms where there's some measure of grain growing, or where the habitat's not the same thing acre after acre. Deer like those ecological edges where one type of habitat borders another, and a variety of food supplies are available.
Also key on spots where you find more does congregating. Sooner or later, they'll attract most of the bucks in the area to the same place.

These days, a trophy whitetail can show up about anywhere in Kentucky, at anytime. Play the odds this season, and you'll boost your chances of being in the right place at the right time to eyeball one.