One of the best feelings an archery hunter can have is when the perfect shot placement causes the particular game they are hunting to fall after only a few yards. However, anyone that archery hunts knows that we don’t always make the perfect shot. One factor that may help you retrieve your game after the not so perfect shot is the type of broad-head you are using. There are so many types of broad-heads on the market today ranging from cut on contact, to mechanical, to chisel tip; but why do we choose the broad-heads we shoot?

Mechanical broad-heads seem to be the most popular on the market today, probably because they allow the hunter to shoot an arrow that flies as if it were equipped with a field tip. Mechanicals seem to provide good arrow penetration when the perfect shot is made but I’ve seen too many deer lost due to shoulder shots where the arrow only penetrated a few inches. One must also consider the amount of energy that is lost when the mechanical broad-head opens upon impact. Years ago I used to shoot a mechanical broad-head called a Vortex. It provided a great cutting diameter, and when put through the rib cage, there was no problem finding a blood trail. However, this broad-head performed sub-par when it encountered any type of bone heavier than a rib. After seeing several people loose deer because of this, I knew it was time to switch broad-heads.

One broad-head that seemed to impress us was the Steel Force Sabertooth in stainless steel. This broad-head is a cut on contact type that will provide excellent arrow penetration on animals from whitetails to elk. Before heading into a hunting season with the SteelForce, my father and I decided to do a test and compare it to the Vortex. We went to the local butcher shop and picked up a cow shoulder and then fixed it to a stump. Our intension was to shoot each broad-head at a particular location on the shoulder blade and see how the broad-head was affected, and what type of arrow penetration occurred. The Vortex was first and it confirmed our expectations. Although the Vortex broke through the shoulder blade, the arrow did not pass through and was sticking out the other side by only a few inches. The Vortex also did not hold up mechanically. The shaft was bent, one blade was bent, and the other blade was broke clean off. Now we all know that a whitetail shoulder blade is not as dense as a cow shoulder blade, but I wouldn’t expect great performance from a mechanical when hitting a whitetail on the shoulder nor would I expect a pass through. After shooting the Vortex, we moved on to the Steel Force. The cut on contact passed completely through the shoulder blade and continued through the woods. After inspection of the broad-head, there was no damage. I have been shooting a cut on contact broad-head ever since. I have also been able to get the Steel Force to fly like my field tips, combining both great arrow flight and penetration, even on the shoulder.

Another great broad-head on the market is the G5 Montec. This broad-head is made from an injection mold process which creates a broad-head made of entirely one piece of steel. I would also consider this broad-head a cut on contact type, 3 bladed. Although I was not able to get these broad-heads to fly for me, I have tested them compared to the Steel Force. This time around I used plastic 5 gallon buckets filled with sand. Shooting a 65 pound draw weight; neither broad-head provided a pass through but each one did allow the arrow to pass about half the length of the arrow out the other side. The Steel Force did provide about three inches more arrow penetration than the G5, but this could be due to the increased drag created by its three blades. Either way, both broad-heads proved that they could get the job done.

I have only touched on a few types of broad-heads but there are a lot of other brands on the market that consistently take deer. There are also other factors that go into arrow penetration such as arrow weight, arrow size, and bow draw weight. Although, I will debate that a cut on contact broad-head is arguably the best type of broad-head to use when hunting big game, I am curious to hear why hunters shoot the particular broad-heads they use?

With the 2007-2008 season at an end, we have a long few months ahead of us before the game begins again. After putting in the long hard hours on stand this past season, it’s easy to push the bow and gear to the side and watch the dust build up until the bug hits again. But to all of us “crazy” bowhunters (as some would say) this is one of the best times to get a jumpstart on that trophy buck for next season. Whether it’s buying that new gear you’ve been eyeing up or getting a game plan together for the upcoming pursuit, there are a lot of tactics you can use to help you get closer to that wall hanger this season. Here are a few ideas/tactics I use to help increase my odds of harvesting that trophy.

First, while most hunters are sitting around talking about next season and where they are going to hunt, I find this one of the best times to look for some new property to hunt. Most landowners will respect a hunter who appears professional and is dedicated well after the season has ended. Another reason I look for property now is because the spring foliage hasn’t grown in yet. While the trees are still bare, and the forest hasn’t started to turn green, it’s much easier to locate heavily used trails, bedding areas, and previous rubs. A few weeks ago, I took a walk through the property I hit heavy this season and located a whole new area that consisted of numerous big rubs and heavy trails.  By analyzing the situation, I realized that this area was acting as a funnel around my treestand. If I would have found this sign earlier in the season, I would have had a whole new perspective on my hunting plan for the area. Given, this may not be the situation for all hunters, but this is a great example of using the bare woods to your advantage to locate buck patterns and new property to ambush bucks.

Another tactic that comes into play this spring is shed hunting. Even though I am not very successful at this, it can help dictate the areas you will be hunting hard this upcoming season. Finding sheds can tell you a couple of things that just might get your hopes up. First, it can show you the quality of deer that are in your area. I’ve seen numerous bucks this past season at my local honey hole, but there are always those few bucks that seem to give you the slip. I use the sheds that I or fellow hunters find to help build my confidence and work even harder for the upcoming season.

Another thing that this can do is show you the patterns of the buck in your area. By finding the sheds, it can help put the odds in your favor for your future hunt. I don’t know of a better feeling than knowing a buck on my property, scouting him, setting up on him, and then getting the opportunity to harvest the animal. Finding the sheds this spring can help get that process started.   One of the last tactics that I use is simply preparing my gear. I like to get all my calls, lights, binoculars, and such organized. This is just a simple thing that can save a big headache in the future. The biggest thing I can recommend is making sure your bow is ready to go for your next shoot or hunt. I keep the string waxed at all times and always inspect the bow and its accessories to make sure no damage has been done from the previous hunting outings. This could break the bank if you would find out a month or two before season that one or both of your limbs are cracked! Take this precaution now to help ensure safe and accurate shooting. The off season is also a great time to shoot your bow and keep that drawing arm in shape. By shooting the local 3D and screen shoots, you can keep yourself on top of your game for when hunting season begins.

I hope some of these ideas and tactics can help you put another one on the wall this season. If you have any tactics or ideas that you use, please share them in the comments. Let’s all try to help each other get that trophy! 

That’s exactly the question I was asking in my head the other day when browsing some postings on archerytalk.com. I am considering a new arrow set-up for summer 3D shooting as opposed to using my hunting arrows, so I figured that archerytalk.com would be the place to go for some advice. After posting my question in the 3D forum, I spent some time browsing around and came across the topic, “FOBs vs Vanes.” Naturally, not having ever heard of a FOB before, I had to check it out.

FOB stands for “Fletching Only Better.” To save me a lot of typing, I encourage you to go to http://www.starrflight.com/ where you can learn everything there is to know about them. Basically, instead of using the standard feather or fletching set-up on your arrows, this simple device pinches around your arrow between the nock and arrow itself and performs the stabilizing function. They look like a simple plastic “o” ring, with three “wheel spokes” in between. The website, as well as many posts on archerytalk.com, claim that this little device actually outperforms standard fletching set-ups, and is much easier to work with.

I haven’t tried them yet, but for $19.99 you get a dozen of them, which makes them worth trying. There seem to be a lot of advantages to FOBs, including eliminating the need for glue, fletchers, and vane strippers. Also, be sure to check out the videos they have of impact shots. The FOB is designed to “pop off” upon impact (assuming you get a pass through), helping you begin your blood trail, and saving the need to refletch the arrow. The downside of this though is your arrow will be quite a bit harder to find. I figure this can be addressed by simply adding a white wrap to the arrow.

The biggest obstacle I see facing Starrflight (again assuming they function as advertised) is tradition. Archers have been used to seeing feathers and vanes for decades, and these have a far different look. Of course, bows never came with wheels and fiber-optic sights until the last forty or so years when Holles Wilbur Allen developed the first ones in 1964. Even so, it wasn’t until the mid 1980’s when they became commonplace, and truly accepted by hunters. Another slight hindrance is you can currently only use them if you shoot a drop away rest.

Will it take the FOB forty years to catch on? I’m guessing not given the high number of archery hunters these days as opposed to the 6o’s. My guess is it’s only a matter of time until a pro shooter wins a significant competition using them, which will be a great endorsement. OR, what may be more likely is one of the arrow giants, such as Easton, Carbon Express, or Gold Tip will buy the patent and run it through the heavy advertising machine. No matter how it turns out, I wish the guys at Starrflight well. As someone who started a scent business in the basement, I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into developing your own product!

Has anyone tried FOBs? If so, let our online community know how you feel about them.

After sitting all day yesterday measuring deer for the Northeast Big Buck Club at the Allegheny Sport, Travel, and Outdoor Show, I started to wonder what it is that drives so many people to events like this. Although this is a relatively small show, I know that thousands of people walked through, and this was on a Friday. It’s nothing compared to the monstrosity known as the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show in Harrisburg, PA, but it’s a big deal in the Pittsburgh area.

They are everywhere! It seems like every state has multiple shows, and thousands of people flocking to them. Since I do a lot of different shows throughout the year, I’ve become an avid “people watcher.” As people stroll by, am always interested in what they’re carrying, talking about, and who they’re with. I would say that seven out of ten people are carrying nothing more than a plastic bag containing literature that they picked up from the various vendors. And after talking with several vendors, it’s clear to me that most of their time is spent advertising for a later sale, and not selling at the show. More than any other time of year, I see entire families together checking out the various hunting and fishing related items. The show promotors know this too as they do their best to include vendors that sell a lot of other products not necessarily outdoor related. At this show alone there are people who sell food and spices, furniture, cooking utensils, toy guns and knives, puppies, and even a guy with stun guns!

 Of course, you have the traditional vendors, such as hunting and fishing dealers, ATV and recreational vehicle dealers, and hunting and fishing outfitters. I’m always amazed by where some of the outfitters come from. Although most outfitters are offering hunts throughout the continental United States, you can also find them for Alaska, Canada, and Africa. I asked a couple of outfitters how they were doing, and all indicated that they booked hunts during the show. The fact that someone can come from Africa and sell extremely expensive hunts in Pittsburgh, PA tells me that the outdoor economy is running strong. 

I guess people come primarily because it’s something to do in the middle of winter, and they can do it with their families. They seem to keep the blood flowing in an outdoorsman’s veins, helping to bridge the gap between hunting season and fishing season. I doubt that many come specifically to book a hunt, or to buy a certain product. I’ll have two more days of sitting and watching to ponder this. What is it about these shows that draws you? Are their any that you particularly like, and why?

If you live anywhere from the midwest to the northeast, there’s a good chance that your home heating unit has been working overtime over the last couple of days. As I type this, a nasty mass of arctic air is pounding the northeast, with base temperatures in the teens, and wind chills at -20 degrees! During times like this, I often hear people talking about how weather like this affects deer, and if it leads to their untimely deaths. Although some deer will succumb to these extreme conditions, most will make it through just fine. Hopefully this article will help ease your mind.

Healthy deer are remarkably equipped to deal with winter, including prolonged periods of deep snow and extreme temperatures. The key word is healthy. A deer that may have been injured during hunting season or has some other ailment is much more likely to die during the harsh winter months simply because their bodies are spending too much energy on the healing process. Deer that weren’t fattened up enough going into winter are also at risk, especially if the herd is out of balance in a particular area, and competition for small food sources is intense. Still, the above two scenarios make up just a tiny percentage of the whitetail population, meaning most deer will make it to the spring months, which will offer warmer temperatures and new food sources.

When temperatures start to drop and food sources become scarce, a deer’s body will kick into energy saving mode, which means they’ll be relying on fat reserves and low activity to get them through the last two months of winter. For does and fawns, this tends to be a lot easier as they use much less energy during the rut than bucks, and instead spend most of their time feeding. The photos below were taken last year during a similar arctic cold snap, and you can clearly see that the doe appears healthy, and well insulated by fat and a thick coat. The photo below it is of a young buck, and you can clearly see how much thinner he is than the doe. In particular, notice how the legs on the buck appear long and thin, and the doe is much thicker through the midsection, with her legs still looking “blocky.”

During extreme days, most deer will group into small to medium sized herds (10 to 12) and move very little. Regular feeding patterns will be abandoned, and they will focus on the food that’s immediately available to them. If there is an area still offering acorns and it happens to be in a valley or on a wind protected hillside, you can bet the house that you’ll find deer there. They will also try to stay close to water, particularly small streams with good flow that won’t completely freeze over. Remember, deer need to drink at least four times per day, and during the winter months, most biologists will tell you that they need double the amount of water.

When a cold snap breaks, it’s not uncommon to see large herds of deer in fields during daylight hours trying to make up for lost feeding. Keep your eyes out when the current system eventually blows through and you’ll see what I mean. I don’t have time to cover it here, but the worst thing you can do is provide a large food source, such as corn or soybeans. A deer’s system isn’t equipped to handle the sudden food binge, and this often leads to sickness and even death. Since most people aren’t willing to continually keep their feeders filled, the best thing for the deer is to not feed them at all.

Today’s hunting industry has been providing new gadgets and equipment almost on a yearly basis for us hunters. One of the many important tools we use while out in the field is the camouflage we wear. Several household names come to mind, such as Mossy Oak and Realtree, but the question is, why do we choose the patterns we buy?

Mossy Oak and Realtree have done an excellent job promoting their products, as their patterns are available on just about every piece of equipment you can buy. Let’s face it, though, most guys buy a particular camo pattern because it has shelf appeal. It looks good to the human eye or it is the brand of camo to have for that particular season. How good that pattern looks on the shelf is the last reason you should be buying a particular pattern. Some guys still swear by the old green army camo because it works for them. I’ve always tried to rate a pattern by how well it blends in to the areas I am hunting. After all, this is why you are wearing camo in the first place. 

I’ve tried several patterns over the years, from Realtree Advantage Classic to Mossy Oak New Break-Up. Last year I was given the opportunity to try Natural Gear. At first, I will admit, I was very skeptical because it just didn’t have the look I was used to. Still, I did some research on it beforehand, and that made me a little more comfortable. I have listed below a few well-made points that Natural Gear makes on its webpage.

• Natural Gear uses the optimal base tone found in nature. Because Natural Gear is photographically derived, it has a natural base tone that is not too light and not too dark. Many other camo patterns are artists’ renditions and tend to be too dark.
  
• Shadows occur naturally, so you don’t need them in your camo pattern.
  In an effort to create shelf appeal, other camo makers have incorporated shadows into their patterns. Unfortunately, if you happen to be hunting in an open area, those shadows are way too dark and cause you to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. Shadows occur naturally. That’s why there are no shadows in the Natural Gear pattern.
  
• The more clutter you add to a camo pattern, the darker it gets at a distance.
  Look at a sticks-and-leaves camo pattern close-up, and it looks fine. But, get it out into the woods and look at it from a distance, and the images start to merge into a dark mass. That’s because the pattern is too cluttered. The Natural Gear pattern is much more “open.” Because of the lack of clutter, it resists long-range merging and will never give you away by going dark at a distance, like a sticks-and-leaves pattern can.
  
• What an animal can’t focus on, it can’t identify. One way an animal identifies an object as friend or foe is by shape or image. Natural Gear has soft, blurry edges that are hard to focus on. This confuses the identification process, and your quarry can’t see you to determine if you’re friend or foe.

• The Natural Gear pattern is vertical…just like trees and grass in nature.
  Thanks to gravity, things that grow (trees, bushes, grass), grow vertically. Ask any deer hunter how to spot a deer in the woods and he’ll tell you to look for horizontal lines, which stand out among all the vertical lines. Natural Gear has a distinct vertical orientation, which helps it blend in to the natural environment. Other camo patterns used to have a vertical orientation, but they covered it up with sticks and leaves.

After taking some of the above into consideration I headed into the woods with my Natural Gear camo. I was truly impressed and have since converted all of my camo over for deer hunting. I have found this pattern to be extremely effective, from hardwoods to corn fields, and even use it for waterfowl hunting. In my opinion, I would have to say it is the most versatile camouflage pattern on the market today.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that other patterns on the market don’t work. I’ve taken many deer wearing a variety of camo patterns, but when it comes down to it, why did we purchase the pattern we are hunting with? Does it blend in to where we hunt well or did we just buy it because we saw it on TV? Considering how well you disappear may just be enough edge to help you get that big buck or old Tom in range.

Finding the right pair of archery hunting boots has been a struggle for me over the years. Ever since it became gospel that you had to wear knee-high rubber boots, I’ve battled with discomfort, cold, sweat, and boots that were almost impossible to get off. Heading into the 2006 season, I decided that I was going to drop a few extra bucks on some higher-end boots to see if I could get some different results. I figured as many hours as I spend in the woods, it made sense to have a high-quality pair of boots that would keep me warm, dry, and comfortable.

At my last show for the year in 2006, I purchased a pair of Muck Boots for about $100. Is it just me, or is their something magical about the $100 plateau that makes you feel like you’re getting something really good? What first attracted me to them was the ease of putting them on and taking them off. You simply rolled the material down and it was a piece of cake. They also felt pretty comfortable, but the true test would be the hell I was about to put them through known as a hunting season on Nick’s feet.

Early on I was pretty impressed. They were comfortable to walk in and very light weight. About three weeks into the season though, I encountered my first problem. A piece of the rubber over the toe had lifted up, exposing some of the insulation. I didn’t remember doing anything harsh, so it must have had a basic structural failure. Still, water wasn’t getting in so it didn’t end up being too big of a deal. As the season wore on though, I became increasingly irritated by how my feet would sweat excessively on my way to the stand, and then freeze after an hour or two of sitting. Admittedly, you expect some level of this from rubber boots, but in this case, it seemed excessive.

Toward the end of the season, I began to notice small holes forming in the upper parts of the boots. The neoprene fabric wasn’t holding up to the rigors of a long hunting season, and now my boots were no longer water proof. I used the boots steadily from October 2006 through January 2007, and made the decision to try and get one more season out of them this year. Again I used them heavily throughout the season, and finally pronounced them dead a few weeks ago because the insides were basically worn out. I can still get some work use out of them, but their days as my hunting boots are over.

My biggest disappointment with Muck Boots was their lack of durability. Granted, I put way more hours into a hunting season than the average Joe, but for $100, I expected a little better performance. Remember, I noticed my first problem just three weeks into their first season. As for the foot sweating issue, I went to a two sock liner system with scent free anti-perspirant that helped, but it was still a problem. I’ve talked to others who have experienced the same thing, so I’ll assume this isn’t just a “me” problem. On a positive note, they are very easy to get on and off, and they were pretty comfortable to walk in. I hike some pretty long distances into my stands, and I don’t remember ever having sore feet.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’ll give Muck Boots a 5. That may seem a little harsh, but if there is one thing I want my equipment to be, it’s durable. The fact that I was experiencing problems so early really influenced the rating. My new boots are Scent Locker Dream Season knee high boots, which I got on clearance for, you guessed it, about $100. I’ve only worn them once so far and I like what I’m seeing, but we’ll see how they do next season.

For those of you who don’t know, I actually have a “real” job aside from owning and operating Appalachian Whitetails. I am a senior manager at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the largest regional conservation organization of it’s type east of the Mississippi. We get involved in just about every conservation related issue you can imagine, and front in center on our plates right now are feral hogs. Our stance is simply that feral hogs are bad for Pennsylvania, and we need to get rid of them while we still have a chance. Otherwise, they will have detrimental effects on native wildlife, even deer and ground nesting birds such as the ruffed grouse. I will be providing public comment at Sunday’s Pennsylvania Game Commission meeting on behalf of the Conservancy. The script is below the photo. You can also view our full position paper by clicking the link above the photo. How do you feel about this issue?

feral-swine-position-paper-v5.doc

Greetings Commissioners, Director Roe and others.  Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony and comments.

             Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is Pennsylvania’s first conservancy and has protected nearly 220,000 acres over the course of our 75 years. Of these, almost 44,500 acres have become state game lands, which are enjoyed by tens of thousands of Pennsylvania’s sportsmen, hunters and anglers every year.  We are very proud of that. 

A new invasive species has recently been introduced in Pennsylvania, and has serious potential to become permanently established. Feral swine are recognized as one of the most serious and damaging invasive species by many sources and impact both natural resources and other human interests. We recommend an overall strategy of eradication and prevention for this animal.

As of 2007, U.S. Department of Agriculture has gathered evidence that feral swine are establishing small breeding populations in five counties (Bedford, Bradford, Butler,

, Cambria). Breeding populations are also likely in two others (Crawford, Tioga). Their numbers may be increasing through deliberate importation and illegal, intentional release, and escape from shooting preserves.

Numerous studies also show the negative impact of feral swine on wild habitats. Feral swine wallowing disrupts small streams, wetlands and riparian areas, destroying habitat and creating excess sedimentation. Invasive plants benefit and expand into areas where swine have disturbed habitats. Feral swine are efficient and adaptable, eating almost any plant or animal for food and are able to live in a wide range of habitats, so long as water is available. Forest regeneration is also hindered.

Feral swine also have a detrimental impact on many game species, such as ruffed grouse, wild turkey and white-tailed deer. Feral swine can seriously harm both native game animals and native game habitat.  In addition to eating some wildlife (even deer fawn), feral swine also compete with wildlife and game animals for food.  Thirty diseases can be carried by feral swine, some of which are transferable to wildlife, domestic animals and even people. And there are no significant feral swine predators. 

 In short, this invasive animal is bad for Pennsylvania, bad for Pennsylvania’s game and bad for Pennsylvania’s hunters.  

After carefully examining the issue, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy concludes that:

• Feral swine pose a significant and imminent threat to the native game, other wildlife and habitats of Pennsylvania
• Existing populations and individuals should be identified and eradicated from
  
  Pennsylvania

  as quickly as possible.

• Legal measures should be put into place and enforced to prevent new individuals from entering the Commonwealth.

           We feel it will be more cost-effective to invest in eradication and prevention than deal with the combined costs of swine-caused damage and population control in the future.  Also, the development of a feral swine hunting culture in Pennsylvania will be counterproductive to successful and economical eradication and prevention.

 Efforts by the PDA’s Feral Swine Task Force and the Governor’s Invasive Species Council have been important first steps in putting the spotlight on this serious invasive species problem. The forthcoming rapid response plan that has been requested by the Invasive Species Council by April 1st will hopefully maintain this early momentum. 

In fulfilling their responsibility for managing feral swine, PGC should craft their draft recommendations for wild boar management rules with the twin goals of eradication and prevention in mind.

It should be specifically noted that encouraging shooting or hunting of feral swine has not been demonstrated as a sufficient method of control. In fact, the risk of dispersing populations and inadvertently making the problem worse by pressuring swine into areas of the Commonwealth not previously inhabited should be considered when developing control practices. 

 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy believes that allowing the incidental taking of this animal will ultimately make it more difficult to remove from the state, and only will only serve to disperse the hogs and assign it legitimacy as a game animal instead of treating it as an invasive pest or threat.  

The problem we are facing is large but not insurmountable. Productive actions should be undertaken as soon as possible while the problem is still manageable. The solution will most efficiently be achieved with a broad and coordinated public-private partnership. Many other states did not respond quickly enough and are now regretting their inaction.

 Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is committed to the eradication of this animal and will gladly and willingly participate in any efforts to achieve this goal. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has developed a background paper called “The Eradication and Prevention of Feral Swine in Pennsylvania” in which we offer additional information, conclusions and recommendations on the feral swine issue. 

Thank you.

I was going through my daily barrage of e-mails and stopped on my routine “SCI in the Crosshairs” regular political alert, which keeps me informed about threats to hunting. The bottom article entitled, State Sportsmen’s Economic Impact Reports Available, caught my eye. The article provides a searchable database that lists how each state ranks in such categories as number of hours afield, number of resident hunters, number of hunting related jobs, and more. For instance, did you know that Pennsylvania ranks #1 in the country when it comes to the number of total hours being spent in the field? Check out the top ten below:

Since I thought many of you may be interested in this, the complete article and link to the database is below. This is pretty important stuff because the future of our outdoor related sports depends on the decisions being made by our elected officials. Our elected officials are driven by numbers, and this information shows clearly that hunting and fishing have a major impact on the economy. For example, in Pennsylvania, annual spending by sportsmen ($3.5 billion) is more than the combined receipts for dairy products, cattle, nurseries and greenhouses, mushrooms and broilers ($3.1 billion), which represent the top five grossing agricultural commodoties. Here is the article and link:

State Sportsmen’s Economic Impact Reports Available
Hunters and anglers provide major economic benefit to the states they hunt and fish in. Now there are tools available to prove it!  Visit www.sportsmenslink.org and download the economic impact flyer for your state. These can be a valuable tool when speaking to state legislators, useful for your chapter conventions or membership drives or to make non-hunters understand the value of what we do. Limited copies of each report and the main report covering all 50 states will be made available at the press room or during the board meeting at this month’s SCI convention in Reno. SCI, and others, have partnered with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation on this research effort.

Josh’s final sentence in his comment on my last post about antler scores inspired this topic. A lot of this issues surrounding antler restrictions, the emphasis on score, etc. is influenced by tradition. Josh really drove the point home with his last sentence. I look fondly back on the days when all you wanted to see was an antler so that you could harvest a buck, regardless of size. We all hoped for a big one, but in the end, we were going to take the first buck that presented itself. It’s because of these traditions it was difficult for me to pass up my first decent buck in archery season.

Although I passed up a spike or forkhorn or two, I definitely never passed on a deer that had six points or better. That was before I was introduced to the concept of quality deer management by Art Grguric, an archery shop owner in Saltsburg, PA. He was managing a piece of property for big bucks, and offered to allow me to hunt there, as long as I followed the rules. They were simply:  shoot a mature doe first, then you can shoot a buck that has a spread beyond the ears. Break the rules, and you would be banished from the property. Seemed simple and easy enough, right? Not so fast!

I got my doe requirement taken care of early, so I was able to shift my total focus on buck hunting. About the third week of October, a nice eight-point came directly beneath my stand, offering several good shots. It would have been my largest archery deer, but it just wasn’t meeting the spread requirement. As I watched it walk away, I admit that I was a little upset, maybe even angry. I even hunted a different property every once in a while after that because I wanted to get a buck, period. I wasn’t 100% committed to waiting for a big one, especially since I hadn’t seen one all season.

That’s when “it” happened. It was a day or two before Halloween and I was back on the management property perched in my climbing stand. Just before dark, I heard a commotion in the creek bottom below me. When I finally saw the animal emerge, I couldn’t believe my eyes. What stood before me in the distance was by far the biggest buck I had ever seen in the woods. My adrenaline rush was so high that my eyes started to water. I’ll NEVER forget that moment, and how it made me feel, and how it changed me forever as a hunter. I didn’t get a shot that day, but you can be sure that I wasn’t going to be afraid to pass up yearlings anymore. The next couple of weeks found me passing up a lot of bucks, even a small ten-point that met the spread requirement. Also during this time, I saw four different “shooter” bucks, and got to see two of them duke it out in a territorial battle. What an awesome sight, and I’ll never forget how loud it actually was. I had a front row seat to witness the magic of the rut, and how it can make monster bucks appear out of nowhere, almost as if they were stocked.

To make a long story shorter, on the last day of the season at 10:15 a.m., the bruiser I saw a couple of weeks earlier let lust get the best of him as he trailed a hot doe within range of my stand. The rest is history. I’ll never forget how I felt when I put my hand around the thick bases of his antlers. This deer represented a higher standard that I was going to hold myself to from that point forward.

All of that being said, I only shoot big bucks now because that’s what “I” prefer. The fateful season described above taught me more about deer than I knew from my several years of experience before that, and to this day I learn a ton about these animals by passing on so many. Although I would like everyone to wait for that magical experience like the one I had, I certainly don’t expect it of them. For kids especially, I totally support them taking any buck so that they can taste success, and want to continue pursuing the sport. But this is where the tradition part comes in.

The reason it was so difficult for me to pass on my first decent buck is because the “tradition” had always been to shoot the first buck you see. It was a little harder for me to break away from that because that’s what I was taught. Had I been brought up differently though, I feel that I would have looked at things from another perspective. For example, I met a young kid in Illinois last year that took a 180+ deer the previous season. Although he had been hunting for a few years, it was his first buck, largely because the tradition there is aligned with letting immature deer pass. For people there, it’s more about the big buck you shoot every few years versus all of the small bucks you shoot in a row.

I see tradition starting to change slowly here, and it’s not just because people are seeing bigger bucks. Just as many people seem to talk about how much they’ve learned about deer now that they have to be more selective, and how much more they appreciate the challenge. Some may never feel that way, but we will likely see the Game Commission eventually do away with antler restrictions in our lifetimes simply because the tradition will have changed. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.