NHFG Deer Project Leader Dan Bergeron Writes On New Crossbow Law

From: Bergeron, Daniel [mailto:Daniel.Bergeron@wildlife.nh.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 8:24 AM
To: ‘Edward Hale’
Subject: RE: Crossbow use expanded! Great!

 

Hello Ed,

 

Glad to hear that law works for you.  We also expanded crossbow use in WMU M (which covers about half of Rockingham County) this past season.  It is now legal for any hunter to use a crossbow in WMU M (in place of a traditional/compound bow) throughout the archery season with no need for a special permit of any sort.  New England is different from other states in its allowance of crossbows because we have some of the lowest relative deer densities in the nation (we are near the northern limit of whitetail range).  In NH we are not opposed to their use and have been expanding opportunity with them when we can.  However, crossbows are a more efficient weapon than traditional or compound bows and therefore result in higher success rates.  Because of this we have to be more cautious when expanding their use, particularly given how liberal our archery season already is.  In most areas of the state if we expanded their use we would likely have to drastically reduce the length of the archery season to compensate for increased success rates.  As time goes on and deer numbers rise in certain areas of the state I’m sure crossbow use will continue to expand, we just have to be more cautious than states to our south and west that have a more robust deer resource to work with.

 

I hope this information was informative.

 

Happy Holidays,

 

Dan Bergeron

Deer Project Leader

New Hampshire Fish & Game Department

11 Hazen Drive

Concord, NH 03301

(603) 271-2461

Daniel.Bergeron@wildlife.nh.gov

 

Did you know? New Hampshire Fish and Game protects, conserves and manages more than 500 species of wildlife, including 63 mammals, 18 reptiles, 22 amphibians, 313 birds and 122 kinds of fish as well as thousands of invertebrates!

 

Leupold Waterproof VX-6 7-42x56mm Side Focus Rifle Scope Matte Black

My son wrote in competition F-Class about this engineering marvel here in my New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine; a Leupold VX-6 scope for Long Range Target Shooting at 600 yards and was extremely pleased with it. The VX-6 stands for 6x zoom. In one twist of the dial you can go from 7x to 42x as “clear as a bell” when you set the parallax distance with the side-focus.

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/rifle-scopes/vx-6-7-42x56mm

“Tested by and developed alongside F-Class shooters, the new 7-42x56mm delivers dead-on precision at extreme distances. With the widest field of view among competitive scopes and the TAC-MOA Plus reticle featuring an open center, it helps shooters and hunters easily locate targets when taking long-range shots.”

It is, for the money, the finest American Made long distance 7-42x56mm scopes on the market. In 3-18x42mm it is a hunters long range go-to scope but its big brother the Leupold VX-6 7-42x56mm just blows it away for competition target or game shots longer than I care to shoot or perhaps to count the antler points on several deer from say 800 yards away with a steady rest. On top is the large VX-6 3-18x42mm with a 30mm tube and below that scope is the very large VX-6 7-42×56 with a 34mm tube. It can really collect light at sunset.

At 7x it is good for say 10 yards and out to infinity with the side focus. My Weatherby Vanguard hunting rifle is a 6.5 Creedmoor with a 20 MOA ramp. This rifle/scope combo can shoot 1000 yards all day long but game killing energy for deer with this combo is at max for 600 yards. But with a laser rangefinder I can plot a precision round for large antlered Texas whitetail bucks and count antler points too when the prickly pair cactus look like mouse ears in the distance.

It is not uncommon to be set up in a blind and see deer coming in towards the hunter from many hundreds of yards away. On this hunt we will need help in determining age and scoring points, especially when there is more than one big buck to see. Either VX-6 model will be just fine. Longer shots out to 600 yards or more will lean towards the 7-42×56

For long range varmint hunters, the open center on the TMOA reticle allows you to see a ground hog or coyote aim point without obscuring the target at 800 to 1000 yards. At over $2000 for a scope it would be a fine accompaniment for sub moa 1/4 inch capable rifles or a once in a lifetime long range custom rifle costing many thousands. It’s precision elevation and windage are at 1/8 inch at 100 yards or 1 inch at 800 yards per click. This scope has dual bias erector springs for absorbing recoil. From Leupold’s website; “A powerful 6:1 zoom ratio delivers crystal clear images from edge-to-edge throughout the entire magnification range, and the Twin Bias Spring Erector System features berylium/copper alloy leaf springs and 30% more holding force to withstand the most intense recoil and abuse.”

This scope is equipped with 2nd Generation Argon/Krypton Waterproofing; A fast focus eyepiece,

“Features Leupold’s exclusive, proprietary Argon/Krypton gas blend, which nearly eliminates the effects of thermal shock, and reduces the diffusion of gases sealed inside your scope even more than our proven nitrogen technology already does.”

The TMOA Plus™ Reticle hash marks are in MOA (Minute of Angle). When you use a Leupold rangfinder model that can switch from yardage, meters and MOA, the MOA can be set and read thus allowing the MOA hash marks to be utilized.

Most of us have trouble paying for a rifle that costs $2000 but if you want the best US made scope for very long distance then any of the VX-6 scopes should be considered and can range in price from $1000 to $3000 dollars. I have used Leupold for decades! On my Safari they were fantastic with heavy recoiling rifles with the Twin Bias Erector Springs. Yes it is an investment but your $8000 hunt makes it worth it!

© 2018

 

Smith & Wesson: M&P Shield® M2.0™ with Integrated Crimson Trace® Laser

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:
Matt Spafford, Smith & Wesson Corp.

1-844-772-5159

media@smith-wesson.com

 

M&P Shield® M2.0 with Integrated Crimson Trace® Laser

Now Available in .45 Auto

New Models Available with Red or Green Integrated Crimson Trace Laser

 

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., (July 30, 2018) – Smith & Wesson Corp. today announced that it has expanded its M&P Shield M2.0 pistol series with the addition of the new M&P®45 Shield™ M2.0 pistol with integrated Crimson Trace® red and green laser, chambered in .45 Auto.  An ideal choice for those looking for a concealed carry firearm in a larger caliber, the new M&P45 Shield M2.0 pistol builds off of the proven M&P Shield M2.0 pistol series, providing confidence and reliable performance, day or night, in a slim, lightweight, and easy-to-carry profile.

 

The M&P45 Shield M2.0 pistol with integrated Crimson Trace red and green laser delivers all of the familiar M&P Shield pistol operating features, including a slim profile and 18-degree grip angle for a natural point of aim.  The M&P45 Shield M2.0 with integrated laser features two laser modes and ambidextrous laser activation.  The pistol is designed with a compact 3.3” barrel and the enhanced M2.0 feature set, including a light, crisp trigger and the M2.0 aggressive grip texture for enhanced control.  The M&P45 Shield M2.0 pistol ships with two magazines: one seven round extended grip magazine, and one six round flush magazine.

 

The M&P45 Shield M2.0 pistol with integrated Crimson Trace red laser has an MSRP of $499, while the configuration with integrated Crimson Trace green laser has an MSRP of $549.

 

For more information about the M&P Shield M2.0 family of pistols, including spec sheets and images, please click here.

 

To stay up-to-date on the latest news from M&P, be sure to follow Smith & Wesson Corp. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

 

About Smith & Wesson 

Smith & Wesson Corp. is a provider of quality firearms for personal protection, target shooting and hunting in the global consumer and professional markets. Smith & Wesson is world famous for its handguns and long guns sold under the Smith & Wesson®, Performance Center®, M&P®, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech® brands.  Through its Manufacturing Services Division, Smith & Wesson Corp. also provides forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services to a wide variety of consumer goods companies. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com.

 

New Hampshire Rifleman Worldwide Readership

For those companies who send products for us to test, we say; Thank You!!

We are delighted to share our often stellar test results in hopes of increasing sales and educate our readers on the pros and cons of the products we test. We are very happy with test results on Leupold products, Ruger Rifles, Savage Rifles, TC Rifles, Weatherby Rifles and for Nosler and Hornady bullets. And pleased with testing of the Sig Sauer P320 just recently.

New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine is growing yearly with a worldwide readership nearing 60,000 views. The hottest readership month for us is November with over 8000 views and focuses on hunting and cartridge/caliber selection.

The most popular of my articles is the “The 270 Winchester vs the 6.5 Creedmoor”.  Our readers can’t get enough of it!

The largest portion of our readership is right here in the USA, second is Canada, third is South Africa and New Zealand. We have readers in UK, Poland, Czech Republic and South America (Argentina) as well as other nations. 

Here is to a second half of 2018 that is even better than last year!

Cheers!

Ed Hale – Editor-in-Chief

 

 

I Just Joined QDMA – Quality Deer Management Association

I do not know many here in New Hampshire who are members of QDMA but that is about to change. I just joined! Why did I join?  As a hunter, I want to see Quality Deer and Deer Management. Education is the key, and QDMA has a lot of educational activities if you like deer and deer hunting. I just took the on-line QDMA Buck Age Class to determine visually the age of a buck before a kill. As I said, I am hunting Texas this October and will see many bucks. Getting a leg up on practicing live ageing is very helpful in selecting a deer to take. So far for all the deer I have killed in New Hampshire, the oldest deer was perhaps 4 1/2 years old. The rest were younger. I remember bowhunting in PA many years ago where there was a place hunters could stay and hang up their deer. There were a dozen deer hanging and all were spike bucks. None of them were over 1 1/2 years old and the deer were tiny. Tiny because there were extremely young. It was disappointing! “I watched that deer come under your stand. Why didn’t you shoot”, a hunting friend asked. “Looked too small to me, a baby. Let it grow”, I said. I am looking for a real deer… QDMA helps.

See the website below:

https://www.qdma.com/

 

Foibles of an Oyster Tong

Ok, my older brother calls me from Arizona to say; “I’m sending my Oyster tongs to you in New Hampshire.” Seeing there is no ocean there in Az., I said sure. The sent tongs had no wood handles. Below is a youtube oystering on the Chesapeake using similar tongs. so I get a sense of what size wood handles to use.

Decades ago I Oystered with my brother and forgot how to create the handles.  Some handles can be over 10 feet long. How do I build them? Oak? Pine? What?

I used to have a boat but I have a friend that does, and there are Oysters just 20 miles away in Durham, and Newmarket NH on Great Bay in New Hampshire.

 

Map of the Great Bay

I called NHFG in Region 3 at Durham and spoke with Renee Zobel, a Marine Biologist and part of the Marine Fisheries Division. She was very helpful and eager to share her knowledge on Oystering. I asked if she had any oyster tongs to see. Having some at her building, we went to see them and how they are assembled.

Instead of trying to Oyster we wanted to explore the bay first but having engine trouble cut our visit to zero. Looked like no water was coming out of the 15 hp 4 stroke. Perhaps an impeller? So this article is a part I.

Look for a Part II and maybe some Oysters on the Half Shell. The season closes for July and August so it may be a while if the impeller is delayed…

Aww Shucks…

© 2018

 

 

 

History-New Hampshire Revolutionary War – Enter the French Made Charleville Musket

The American Revolution, from a New Hampshire perspective, was saved in part by the French made Charleville Musket?

The French invested muskets in the American Revolution with the 1763 Charleville Musket. It eventually became the most abundant battle weapon of New England Soldiers after the 1777 American win at the Battle of Saratoga. Many Brown Bess Muskets were owned by Minute Men (adult males as British law required), but as the war got under way there were not enough Brown Bess Muskets to go around in New Hampshire, especially for new recruits.

Note: The Pennsylvania Rifle saw little action here in New Hampshire but has its place of honor as a sniper/”over mountain man” rifle in many battles such as the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of the Cowpens and my hero General Daniel Morgan.

It was in 1777 that quantities of the Charleville, with Lafayette’s assistance to General Washington, arrived in Portsmouth, NH via Ship from the Charleville Armory north of Paris, France. In total, in 1777, the Continental Army eventually received 25,000 of these muskets.

Like the Brown Bess, the Charleville shown below was a smooth bore. It was a 69 caliber vs the Brown Bess (Long Land Pattern) of 75 caliber and each could support a bayonet.

 

Its use, like the Brown Bess, was to directly engage the British who also used the Brown Bess, force on force on the battle field at short range. It had a similar firing rate of 3 rounds a minute.

Both the Charleville Musket and Brown Bess Musket are on display at the Independence Museum in Exeter, NH. https://www.independencemuseum.org/

The Brown Bess eventually fell out of favor as the Charleville was stronger and banded with metal rings vs pin’s and many say it had a better bayonet locking ring. It became the model for which the US Government copied at the Springfield Armory as the M1795.

Accordingly, here in New Hampshire we had the Charleville and Brown Bess. If you are interested In New Hampshire during the Revolution you can go to the website below and read more.

https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/pdf/downloads/exhibition_NewHampshire.pdf

A bit of History for you…

 

 

 

 

Rainy Day Turkey Scout with young Grandsons

It is NH School vacation week. My two grandsons were bored to death at home on this rainy day, so I said, “lets go scout for turkeys”. The older one 13 said “yay” the younger one was not convinced. But both like to ride in my full size pick-up. Are you going to take the big pick-up Grandpa?” the younger one asked. “Yes I am” I said with a grin! Ok, I’ll go too.

I knew a spot where I see and hunt them not far from home. When I arrived to the spot, it was if the turkeys were planted there just for us. We saw more than a dozen and six of them were full grown bearded Tom’s. I had my camera and they had binoculars. We did get close.

Turkey at a Stop Sign…what is that all about?

Time to cross the road…

Betcha can’t see me!

Ok, time to boogy out of here.

I bet if I go around this parked truck they wont see me.

 

My grandkids had a blast seeing these Tom’s. We talked about when I was going to hunt them. “When the season opens”, I said. Soon enough it will be May 3rd. We shall see. “But we can only hunt them in the woods and fields away from homes and roads”, I said. Maybe the turkeys know something we don’t? These turkeys were near roads and houses…

Good Hunting!

© 2018