Category Archives: Big Game Hunting

Articles about Big Game Hunting.

Bowhunter Arrow/Bolt Speed vs Whitetail Deer Drop- Updated

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We learn something new every year!  This past October 2019, a young bowhunter was video’d at Dr. Grant Woods proving grounds. UPDATE: Also a second video that provides drop data at 20, 30 and 40 yards.

https://www.growingdeer.tv/videos/category/all-videos/#/the-best-hunt-weve-ever-videoed-about-deer-reacting-to-a-shot

The analysis of the video shared some insights to help me understand some key facts.

Fact #1 No matter what you do as the bow or crossbow is shot, a deer will hear the thwap sound of bow/crossbow and string before the arrow arrives.

Fact #2 Deer don’t always jump the string but a louder foreign sound increases that risk dramatically. UPDATE: Dr. Woods says assume all whitetail deer will drop at the shot!

Fact#3 If the deer is “on alert”, your chances of a solid double lung kill shot go down go down the further away the deer is.

Fact #4 Deer with a head down, can drop its body faster than gravity because it uses its head and neck to lever its chest downward. UPDATE: And drop its body even lower.

Fact #5 Deer with head up, when the shot is taken, can’t use its head and neck to lever the body thus can only drop at the speed of gravity, 32 fps² .

Fact#6 Aiming at the lower 1/3 of the chest (heart shot) , instead of center chest is the best advice for deer within 30 yards.

Fact#7 Shots beyond 30 yards even with a fast 300 fps bow are lower percentage success shots if the deer drops. UPDATE: Deer can drop 5 inches or more at 40 yards

Fact#8 Deer drop when startled and it need not be a bow or arrow noise that causes them to drop and turn away from the noise.

Fact#9 Only take high percentage shots for consistent harvests.

Another article to chew on below.

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2019/9/19/deer-trust-their-ears/

Good Hunting!

Arrow Hit Where On The Deer?

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So you shot at a deer with Bow/Crossbow. It all happened so fast and you are not sure if the hit was in the vitals or in the gut. Here is an indicator wrap or a wipe (if you dislike the wrap) to tell you the kind of hit that was made. Wipe the arrow and it changes color. This helps you plan for a recovery of game, to follow now or wait hours or overnight before following up. I like the idea and I will likely buy the wipe type indicator for this fall.

https://www.gutcheckindicators.com/shop-now

We all want to recover and eat the game we hunt, here is a tool that can help.

Good Hunting!

Stealth-Cam 4-IN-1 SD & Micro Card Reader for Apple I Phone

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I have a new Browning Trail Camera. Nice! But I did not want to pay for the tiny view screen. I chose to purchase a Stealth Cam® SD card reader (for IOS devices $30) for my Apple phone which is in a protected case. The case of my I phone prevented the connector for the IOS device from  engaging in my phone. I was frustrated that I would have to take my phone out of its case to  make the connection. So I called Stealth Cam and they sent me a free 4-IN-1 SD reader (normally $29.99) instead that has an Apple connector that is slim (see it below)  and can make the connection even though the Apple phone is in a protected case.

Instructions were clear. I had to go to my Apple Store and download i-Brary-Link software and follow the steps. Inserting your trail cam SD card.

4-in-1 SD Card Reader by Stealth Cam LARGE

I was able to see all of my Trail Camera Images on my I-Phone instantly.

The other connectors with this 4-IN-1 reader were for USB and other brand phones.

So I was able to finally read my SD card in the field and save the images.

I wrote this as a word to the wise to avoid the IOS reader with the aforementioned plug issue for I-phones in cases. Instead get the 4-IN-1 Reader below for I-phones in  protective cases.

https://www.stealthcam.com/stc-qmcr/

Hope that helps!

Good Hunting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost Art Of The Still-Hunter? Are you up for it?

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The lost art of still- hunting. Can you see these deer? I found some but not all. Maybe you are better?

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/can-find-hidden-animals-round-2-deer-pics/

Holy Mackerel! Did you find the deer?

Wide open spaces website above.

From wideopenspaces.com website

https://www.thejump.net/hunting/deer-finder/find-deer-1.htm

Moving slowly ahead without making sounds to alarm game and taking time to absorb every aspect in front of you before taking the next step. I was trained to look for deer parts, ears, eyes, tail and brown that looks different growing out of the side of a tree!  Yes movement is big, but a buck can stand motionless seemingly forever. 

Smelling the air coming toward you too, during the rut a buck’s tarsal gland can be smelled. What often separates successful ground (still-hunters) hunters from those who are not, is woods knowledge. Knowledge of wind direction, finding tracks, bedding areas,  scat and rubs and aging them, finding food sources to key on in different parts of the season. Finding patterns that suggest that an animal uses a particular trail is essential. If you see a buck rub on a tree on the downhill side of a tree on a hillside, was the deer likely going up before sun-up or going down. If you said up, then you are correct. 

Questions:

If you practice with your bow and gun and shoot well, is that enough?  I have an acquaintance that is an excellent shot but he has never harvested a deer, ever. He is not alone.

What about the behavior of the game you are hunting?

What about foods they like and where to find them? Example: What is the difference between hunting over a white oak tree giving acorns and a nearby red oak tree giving acorns?

Which would you choose?

The deer will always choose white oak acorns because they are less acidic and deliciously edible right away. It is like finding an apple tree with apples in forest of fir. What is the keenest sense that both deer and bear possess? Is it their sense of hearing, sense of smell, sense of sight. What?

Do you use your own nose to smell breakfast cooking from your bunk or bedroom? Do you have to see it or hear bacon sizzle to know that bacon is cooking? No!

It is your sense of smell!

If I had to bet money on a deer’s senses, smell will always win. 

Wind thermals will rise through the morning and settle in the afternoon. Taking advantage of wind is essential in still-hunting for deer.  Bucks will often bed high enough to catch the wind rising in the morning. Get there before! And bucks will follow the wind down at dusk and let the does go first. They are alarm bells!

All of us are guilty of trying to shortcut the wind using the same trail to get in and out of a blind or deer stand. That is a key downfall and it has gotten me busted.

I know another very successful friend who is always in his tree stand at least an hour before shooting light and pays attention to smell with a passion. Details Details… Yes they count! His scent is above the deer!

Trail cameras are great but they are worthless if your smell betrays your presence to a nearby bedded deer.

Perhaps reading this brief article, you found yourself thinking about a past seasons hunt and the good and not so good choices. If that is so, then it has served its purpose and mine too. Learning to not make the same mistakes. You get a do-over next season!

 

Good Hunting! Thanks to the above websites we learn!

© 2019 All Rights Reserved

 

Crossbow Targets – Some Thoughts

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Let me break bow/crossbow portable targets into two categories, bagged targets for field points and block like foam targets which can be used for both field points and broadheads. Bag targets often cost less and foam types often cost much more. What do you really need?

Bag type targets such as the Morrell Crossbow Yellow Jacket YJ-425 are cost effective $30 to $40 dollars for field points and the arrow/bolts are easy to remove.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RE6ZPW?tag=sa-b2c-new-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Morrell Yellow Jacket YJ-425 Field Point Bag Archery Target - for Crossbows and Compound Bows. Packaging may vary

 

On-line customer comments say it can handle 400 fps crossbow bolts. Wow! Cost effective and easy to remove the arrow? I like that! Most foam targets really hold on to your arrow and significant effort is often needed to retrieve the arrow.

Foam type targets on the other hand, are great for both field points and broadheads but they often cost up to 2 or 4 times more than bag targets and the arrows are harder to pull out of the foam blocks.  The advantage of this target however is that “one target does it all”.

Example: The BLOCK Vault below does it all for $95 dollars. But you often will have a tougher time removing arrows and in some cases you will need an bolt/ arrow puller for fast bolts stuck deep.

https://www.amazon.com/Block-Vault-Archery-Polyfusion-Technology

Block Vault 4-Sided Archery Target with Polyfusion Technology - Available in 4 Sizes!

 

 

Many quality foam and bag type targets are rated these days, e.g. 300 350, 400 450 fps etc., so look for the speed rating!

This summer I will likely purchase a very cost effective field point bag target for general target practice. I have 2 foam block targets now but hate to pull the arrows out!

Hope that helps!

©2019

 

 

 

New Excalibur Takedown Crossbows and Cases?

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Take it from me, its worth checking out these new TD crossbows like the Assassin 400 but there is so much more… Wow!

. I will try to get one this coming spring to test.

If you are in the market for a compact crossbow that is designed to be a takedown model and the bow portion easily reassembled, take a hard look at Excalibur’s new 2020 TD crossbows that can be assembled and disassembled in seconds and still maintain their accuracy.

The new 2020 Excalibur TD (takedown crossbows) with QUICKLock™ technology are here and reassemble/un-assemble in seconds such as the Excalibur Assassin TD, Suppressor, or the Micro 360 TD.

https://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/crossbows

 

A softcase to store the crossbow is available. The only thing they need is a hard crossbow case that can be ordered separately for air travel. My guess is that a hardcase is in the works.

 

Check it out!

Good Hunting!

 

 

 

 

Crossbow or Bow: Sometimes Deer Jump The String? Updated

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Campfire Talk: I have read many articles on deer jumping the string (ducking the arrow) over the years. Some because the arrow made a whizzing  noise from helical feathers on a traditional bow. Others because the bow or crossbow made a thump, whack or bang noise. Others because the arrow was so slow that the deer could see the arrow coming. And finally, it is a great excuse, if you miss! 

My compound bow killed deer were taken from a treestand and around 20 or so yards. None jumped the string! All could hear the bow-shot thwack.

That said, I ran into this fun-to-read article below by American Hunter written by Bill Winke on the “Science of String Jumping” written back in 2010. As the bow is fired, some deer instinctively duck and the arrow sails over the deer’s back. 

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2010/7/14/the-science-of-string-jumping/

The lesson I take away is “arrow speed trumps bow noise” for closer shots say 20 yards or less. At 30 yards other experts calculate hold low on the heart, if the deer drops then you are high in the lungs. If the deer does not drop then you have a heart shot. A winning approach. Maybe! 

So it is speed that Bill says is all important not necessarily the quieter bow. Quiet does help. How much? I like a muffled thwack not a hard bang. I think the unnatural bang sound from today’s crossbows can spook other nearby deer more than a muffled thwack.  But if the deer is close, say 20 yards, then it does not matter, the arrow is already there.

The video below demonstrates this lack of deer jumping at close range with Lumenok™ arrows.  Few really jumped the string in this video! The Lumenok tells the story! I ordered some of these lumenok’s for my crossbow arrows. But also purchased some brass washers to add to my arrows Front of Center FOC weight to account for the Lumenok weight. 

Food for thought!

Good Hunting!

An Excalibur Crossbow for Christmas? Wow! And More…

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I purchased an Excalibur Matrix Grizzly GRZ2 200 lb Crossbow Kit this past deer season, an early Christmas present,  because of its lower cost, less than $500, and its simple recurve design with a single string shooting at around 305 fps.

https://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/crossbows/matrix-grz2/

I could have purchased a faster crossbow but this is easy to cock and de-cock and excellent for deer hunting! If you want a higher end or faster crossbow, Excalibur has them.

https://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/crossbows

 

A great Christmas Present!

It comes with four 18 inch carbon arrow/bolts with field points and an attachable quiver which is parallel to the main body. I like that better than parallel to the bow limbs because it does not hang up when walking in brush as easy.

The bow makes a thwack that is a bit louder than I prefer. Neither the string suppressors or sound dampening kit came with the crossbow kit but I will have to purchase them to test in a future article.

It does come with a scope that works very well with hash marks to 40 yards.  My broadheads are Muzzy 100 grain 3 blades which come with practice broadhead blades. In the next video I tested a 4 blade Muzzy 100 grains, and it shot the same as the 3 blade. This is the third arrow/bolt with a broadhead ever through this crossbow at 30 yards. Let’s see what happens! I have it mounted on a BOG™ DeathGrip™ Shooting Tripod.

 

What is most surprising and valuable with the Excalibur is that I can easily and safely, de-cock the crossbow at the end of a days hunt without having to fire it into a target. (Most all other crossbows need to be shot into a target or shoot a very expensive de-cocking bolt into the ground.)

In New Hampshire, All crossbows need to be de-cocked so they are legal to transport. A cocked crossbow is illegal in a  moving vehicle says Fish and Game Laws. 

Below is the video tip demonstrating the de-dock of the Excalibur.

There is another additional significant benefit that I find with this Excalibur crossbow: I can re-quiver my broadhead tipped arrow in the field, and de-cock the crossbow in the woods “with little noise” and carry the crossbow safely slung like a rifle on your shoulder as I like to do when moving from stand # 1 to stand # 2, or back to my vehicle. 

Minimum energy needed for a crossbow arrow broadhead to ethically kill a deer, some experts say is around 40 ft-lbs recommended. Most crossbows today can kill well beyond 60 yards with a 350 to 400 grain arrow shooting over 90 ft-lbs at bow release. The problem is gravity and accuracy.  Just like today’s compounds, your skill level drives that bus in part, and the awareness of the animal to move or jump the string, shot angle, brush in the way, are essential to the ethics of the shot. Keeping shots under 40 yards is recommended.

Here is a source for Crossbow Energy. http://www.bestcrossbowsource.com/crossbow-kinetic-energy-chart-calculations-hunting-requirements/

Good Hunting!

© 2019 All Rights Reserved!

6.5 Creedmoor for Gemsbok – The Desert Warrior

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The gemsbok aka “The Desert Warrior” is a formidable and feisty elk size African antelope. It is formally known as Oryx Gazella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemsbok

It has been imported successfully to Texas. In Africa, it has been known to skewer lions, and hunters alike. My African Safari Professional Hunter nearly died from being skewered by a Gemsbok he thought was dead. Remembering this, evoked the words of my PH, “It is the dead ones that will kill you!”

 

The low recoiling 6.5 Creedmoor is an excellent choice to harvest gemsbok as it is similar in size to elk size game and I believe the 6.5  is top rated in penetration with a 140 grain class bullet due to it stellar ballistic coefficient and amazing long distance accuracy. With a very high ballistic coefficient it holds its energy at long distances extremely well and flatter shooting as compared to non-magnum 30 calibers.

The minimum striking energy often associated with elk size game is 1500 ft-lbs. The 6.5 CM is capable of this energy with a 2700 fps 143 grain bullet at 350 yards and a Max Point Blank Range (MPBR 6 inch) to 274 yards. At 150 yards this bullet is still traveling over 2400 fps and delivering 1900 ft-lbs.

That said, a gemsbok is can be successfully hunted with most whitetail deer and elk calibers such as the 308 Winchester, 30-06 and .270 Winchester and 6mm calibers provided you do your job in bullet placement with a well constructed bullet.

Here is a Safari from Outdoor Life I found that used the 6.5 Creedmoor to kill all the way up to Eland weighing over 1800 pounds.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2012/02/shooting-65-creedmoor-african-safari/

 

On my own Safari it was a well placed arrow that did the trick some years back.

My African Safari with Rifle and Bow e-book can be found on Amazon.  The e- book has a wealth of knowledge. Just remember that you may encounter dangerous game in some Safari’s where lion and cape buffalo roam so be sure to USE ENOUGH GUN! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TBEOWQ?tag=sa-b2c-new-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Good Hunting!

© 2019 All Rights Reserved.

Ballistic Word of the Day – Obturation

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This is a word not often used in the ballistic lexicon where modern rifle bullets are concerned, but where you are shooting a muzzleloader, shotgun or a gas checked lead projectile it has a point of conceptual understanding and its benefits are huge!

Cast Bullet Gas Checks below.

 

https://detroitammoco.com/gas-checks/

 

I came across the word obturation when examining the using soft lead, copper or gas checks where the bullets base (sometimes concave) expands to fully engage the rifling in the barrel thus preventing the escape of gas around the slightly undersized bullet.

In the case of my TC 50 cal muzzle loader, I use PowerBelt™ Bullets with a synthetic concave gas check base which obturates, seals the gas, as the slightly undersized lead bullet exits thus providing maximum power and accuracy as the lead does contact the rifling. And it loads easier than plastic saboted bullets. See the story below.

When the muzzle-loader is fired the synthetic base expands providing the obturation (gas seal) to prevent gas to escape around the slightly smaller diameter bullet and thus increases the muzzle velocity and energy delivered. This the same concept for shooting a shotgun with bird-shot or a rifled slug/wad where the wad or plastic base obturates (seals to prevent gas from escaping around the pellets) upon ignition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obturation

Good Shooting!