As I prepare to hunt deer in northern Maine, I can’t help but notice many use pump rifles. Why? If its to get off a second or third shot at a running deer, I agree it is fast, …If practiced.  Same with lever and bolt guns …if practiced.

So how does a hunter practice on a running deer?

For me, with great difficulty at my club. They would not allow it for safety reasons.

My strategy, is to practice at home using Snap-Caps to practice loading, squeezing the trigger, jacking a new round in and getting the second shot off and training regularly before and during the season.

Knowing where your trigger breaks is very important. I have shot target at a group of small balloons that move a bit on the target face. That works.

But make the first shot count. 

I have never tracked a deer in snow for miles. Most of my life has been still hunting or stand hunting. 

Deer often fall to my rifle or shotgun on the first shot. But there are times for a fast second shot or even a third. 

Accordingly, today, practicing daily with my Ruger Marlin 45-70,  levering a second snap cap round while the rifle is at or close to my cheek helps.  

I recall decades ago, in my mid 20’s, my first big buck, a dandy 8 point was being followed by my nephew some distance away. The buck ran away from him and quartering toward me. I raised my .270 Savage bolt rifle and fired. The bullet went low just under the chest and struck and busted the far leg.

The buck thinking danger came from the side with the broken leg, wheeled toward and directly at me as if to run me over. 

I worked the bolt and shot, he’s still coming, shot again and again till a round struck the spine, which put him down for good.

I approached the down buck with my empty gun, but the buck never moved after touching his eye with my rifle barrel. Call me lucky, no practice. 

Below this big 11 point Texas buck was taken at 80 yards,  the buck standing and moving slowly around with one shot from my TC Encore Muzzle Loader. The shot was text book. He fell DRT. Can’t get any better…

Practice, practice, practice.

Good Hunting!

Haven’t gone to hunt bucks in Maine yet …but soon. What keeps me hunting? Adrenaline, my friends. I was just on “youtube”, checking out those already hunting. I was getting little surges of adrenaline just watching, hearing a stream nearby gurgling even on  youtube, leaves crunching and some seeing scrapes and rubs was enough to get me excited. You too?

Yes, guess, I’m in the rut as well!

It’s been warm this whole week but mother nature says snow is coming.

I recall years back as a teen hunting just south of Erroll NH near 13 mile woods with 6 inches of snow on the ground. There was nary a deer track to be seen.  So my dad and I pushed a small piece of land, hoping to see a deer. We were venison hunting, you see. 

Out popped a doe.

One of my dads friends took a shot at the doe. We checked for blood. None! Not even in snow.

“Crap” the shooter friend said, with a discouraging tone, and they turned and headed back toward camp.

“Wait,” I said, “I haven’t seen a track all day so I’m gonna follow that doe track.” 

As I turned to follow the track, the shooter friend said, “Hey, I’ll come with you! “Great,” I said, as my dad and other hunt friend headed back toward camp.

We followed those tracks for 100 yards and still didn’t find any blood.

The shooter discouraged was about to turn back when I found a tiny speck of blood. Now our adrenaline kicked in to continue. Funny thing about adrenaline! Instant energy!

We found another crimson drop melting into the snow. Then in another 30 yards we saw multiple drops. Ahead, another 30 yards lie the doe. She was down for the count! Excited, we fired a few shots into the ground to alert my dad and friends. In just minutes they arrived.

The doe was hit high in the lungs. That’s why we didn’t see any at the start.

The moral of this story is simple. Don’t just give up! Track your deer or find where your bullet missed or hit a tree. And when your deer is down, ..enjoy the adrenaline rush! 

Good Hunting

See update on mitochondrial DNA repair link and C15:0 research below in blue highlight print.

For many of us who hunt and enjoy eating deer, elk, moose and bison among other ruminants, recent studies say besides eating a healthy muscle building protein, you get a longevity boost too. Yes, this is true!

This knowledge discovered by a US Navy study of aging in Dolphins has revealed that a special fat compound is linked to longevity, metabolic health, and resistance to age-related diseases. 

See website below. 

pentadecanoic acid in wild game

Yes that’s right, a fat known as C15:0 or pentadecanoic acid (C₁₅H₃₀O₂ ) is present in ruminant wild game meat and provides longevity benefits and aids in mitochondrial DNA repair

Amounts of C15 can vary, however FYI you can take this C15 as a supplement too to increase longevity as we age. I have begun taking a C15 supplement too. 

C15:0 Research in Dolphins that started this longevity finding. 

Note: Whole milk has much more C15 than Skim or 2%. Todays whole milk fat and cheese is good for longevity too.  I won’t use 2% milk for fish chowder, I use whole milk or cream and butter has C15 benefits. For years many doctors told us the opposite. Do your own research too. You decide!

Good Eating! Live Long and Hunt!

Here I am again talking about using natural deer urine for deer hunting as an attractant. I have successfully used them for more than 50 years in New Hampshire. My research finds;

Recently some states wisely allow deer urine manufacture protocols such as the Responsible Hunting Scent Association to allow use of natural deer urine under strict USDA control.

Producing natural scents is a long standing industry that wants to continue it’s urine practice in a wise and scientific manner.

Enter the Responsible Hunting Scent Association below.

I am supportive of this association and protocol vs an outright future ban across the country. 

https://responsiblescents.com/ 

The Responsible Hunting Scent Association says “It was established to bring professional cervid urine producers and hunting scent manufacturers together to work for the common purpose of protecting, maintaining and growing the cervid urine and hunting scent industry; to provide a forum to communicate effectively with other industry trade groups and state and federal agencies and legislators; and to help develop and manage their businesses in a manner that protects wild cervids while providing quality hunting scent products for hunters.”

Further that a Petersons Hunting Magazine article asks; Is doe urine really the culprit behind so many deer deaths? See the article below. 

https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/deer-urine-bans-spread-of-cwd/370115

One researcher, Dr. Nick Haley, a Midwestern University veterinarian and microbiology researcher, says urine bans will not stop or slow the spread of the disease.

Be Educated – Hunt Smart Destroying the scent industry is not a permanent fix. The Responsible Hunting Scent Association is a win-win for deer and hunters. 

I flew to Alberta Canada last spring with hopes of scoring on huge black bear. Never saw a keeper, just smaller bear like we have in New Hampshire. Yes, I harvested a smaller bear with crossbow. 

My 1/2 mount taxidermy cost $2500 and took more than 14  months to make.

Canada now has a $1000 dollar export tariff to be paid on my mount before shipping. Then about $1400 US for shipping. So between taxidermy I paid already,  tariff and shipping it will cost close to $5000 to get my lesser black bear home. When the shipper called, I asked myself, is the tariff of $1000 and $1400 ship fee totaling $2400 US  worth it to bring home this lesser Alberta bear?  Canada is punishing US clients with their export fee. I would have paid the $1400 shipping. I had to say no to the tariff fee which nixed the whole deal. 

Honestly, is the $2400 better spent elsewhere here in the USA. You bet. I thought about the transaction for less than a minute and said…No Thanks. They are sending it back to the taxidermist.

My word to the wise, If its not a Canada trophy bear, don’t shoot.

I wont be hunting Canada any time soon with that tariff.

USA hunting is looking better and better. 

Hunt USA