Author Archives: dan.schmidt

On Monday, Nov. 14 Jason Pickerill harvested a buck of a lifetime in Hancock County, Illinois. After sitting all day Saturday and Sunday to no avail, Jason spotted this bruiser around 9:40 Monday morning. The buck walked in slowly from around 45 yards as Jason placed his pin on its chest and patiently counted each yard of the buck¹s approach.

Finally, when the huge deer presented a slightly quartering away shot at 16 yards, Jason released an arrow from his Bear Anarchy bow and claimed the magnificent whitetail. Back at camp, Jason put a tape measure to the rack and learned that it grossed more than 175 inches on the Boone and Crockett scoring system, making him a true Illinois monster. 

From everyone here at Deer & Deer Hunting, congratulations, Jason!

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My favorite sights this time of year: blaze-orange clothing hanging from washlines; a pickup truck parked near a cornfield; and any of the "Welcome Deer Hunters" signs posted at convenience stores, truck stops, etc.

It’s good therapy. Doesn’t matter what kind of mood I’m in, a sight like this puts a calming effect on all of my daily stressors. It’s deer season! Embrace it. Enjoy it. Get out there and inhale it. It only comes once a year!

Here’s a challenge for all you "Whitetail Wisdom" blog readers: Send me your favorite photo of what screams "deer season" in your area. Can you top this butcher-store deer? Email your pics to me here at the office, and I’ll pick a few winners and award some prizes! Send the photos to:  dan.schmidt@fwmedia.com. We will post all of the photos online and announce the winners on this blog.
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Whitetail antlers come in all shapes and sizes, and the reasons why some bucks grow abnormal antlers is highly speculative — even among white-tailed deer researchers.

Take this buck, for example. Jeff Davis of Wisconsin shot this beautiful 9-pointer this morning. I just happened to be driving by the check-in station at lunchtime and saw Jeff checking in his trophy.

"I passed up a buck about the same size yesterday, but that deer only had one side (antler)," he said. "This one was approaching on the same trail, but he was going to pass by a ways out. I took my Primos can call and turned it over, and he came straight to my tree."

Jeff made a great shot on the deer, and the buck only went 100 yards before expiring.

What I find most interesting about Jeff’s deer is the long, sweeping extra point that comes off of the right base. We know from research that many antler peculiarities are hereditary. In many of these cases, we see similar traits from bucks in the same area. However, these traits are usually manifested in things such as forked tines, drop tines, and basic point configurations. Could Jeff’s deer be exhibiting a genetic trait? Maybe; maybe not. There have been some studies that have shown deer can carry hereditary defects and pass them on to subsequent generations. It’s important to note that these "bad" genes could very easily come maternally (the doe).

Whatever the case, our congrats go out to Jeff on taking such a fine buck.

Have you or any of your hunting partners shot deer with similar antler configurations? I’d like to hear from you! Just enter your replies to this blog post by entering your information below this post.

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SCAPULA!

Yep, it is the biggest curse word for any bowhunter. Want the best deer hunt to go bad in a heartbeat? Want the best broadheads to fail to do the job? Want the biggest buck you’ve ever seen to bound away never to be seen again?

Then hit this paddle of a bone squarely with your broadhead-tipped arrow. I’m not saying you will automatically lose your deer, but you won’t be in for an easy bloodtrail.

Yesterday, I helped a friend (and avid Deer & Deer Hunting reader) trail a buck he shot the previous evening. It was a big 10-pointer, he said, and it came past his stand on a straight line after hearing his faux grunts. My friend was about 18 feet up in a ladder stand, and the buck was about 25 yards away when he unleashed the arrow. The deer whirled and ran across a grassy field, heading toward a thick stand of red pines. 

Upon unleashing the shot, my friend knew his arrow hit high of its mark … resulting in the dreaded "Crack!" sound of the broadhead hitting the shoulder blade. He found his arrow about 250 yards from the scene; blood on the arrow indicated only about 3 inches of penetration. A dead deer? Most likely not. Although that much penetration would definitely puncture a lung on a straight hit to the chest cavity, it would mostly likely take 5 or 6 inches of penetration on a scapula hit. The problem here is the the arrow must first penetrate an inch or more of hide and hair  then break the thick, rigid scapula and penetrate beyond that bone and penetrate the chest cavity. Such hits will truly test your mettle … and your blood-trailing skills.

One more thing to keep in mind when hunting big bucks: The scapula moves in 15 degree angles (or more) as the buck walks. The above photo will help you visualize how that happens, and how the bone can cover the vitals at various angles. 

I’m curious to hear shoulder-blade hit stories from all of you, especially on deer that were recovered. Tell me about the blood trail (or lack thereof), and explain which tactics you used to find your deer. Just hit the REPLY button below to share your experiences.

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SCAPULA!

Yep, it is the biggest curse word for any bowhunter. Want the best deer hunt to go bad in a heartbeat? Want the best broadheads to fail to do the job? Want the biggest buck you’ve ever seen to bound away never to be seen again?

Then hit this paddle of a bone squarely with your broadhead-tipped arrow. I’m not saying you will automatically lose your deer, but you won’t be in for an easy bloodtrail.

Yesterday, I helped a friend (and avid Deer & Deer Hunting reader) trail a buck he shot the previous evening. It was a big 10-pointer, he said, and it came past his stand on a straight line after hearing his faux grunts. My friend was about 18 feet up in a ladder stand, and the buck was about 25 yards away when he unleashed the arrow. The deer whirled and ran across a grassy field, heading toward a thick stand of red pines. 

Upon unleashing the shot, my friend knew his arrow hit high of its mark … resulting in the dreaded "Crack!" sound of the broadhead hitting the shoulder blade. He found his arrow about 250 yards from the scene; blood on the arrow indicated only about 3 inches of penetration. A dead deer? Most likely not. Although that much penetration would definitely puncture a lung on a straight hit to the chest cavity, it would mostly likely take 5 or 6 inches of penetration on a scapula hit. The problem here is the the arrow must first penetrate an inch or more of hide and hair  then break the thick, rigid scapula and penetrate beyond that bone and penetrate the chest cavity. Such hits will truly test your mettle … and your blood-trailing skills.

One more thing to keep in mind when hunting big bucks: The scapula moves in 15 degree angles (or more) as the buck walks. The above photo will help you visualize how that happens, and how the bone can cover the vitals at various angles. 

I’m curious to hear shoulder-blade hit stories from all of you, especially on deer that were recovered. Tell me about the blood trail (or lack thereof), and explain which tactics you used to find your deer. Just hit the REPLY button below to share your experiences.

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I readily admit that I had been a stubborn (not yet old) coot when it came to expandable broadheads. After dabbling with them in the late 1990s, I basically swore them off. "Not reliable enough," was my mantra.

I wasn’t the only one. Look at any of the popular press articles over the past 15 years or so, and a lot of other veteran bowhunters were on the same jag. That was until a few seasons ago when I shot broadheads like those from Rage Broadheads, New Archery Products and the TruFire Switchblade. I guess you would call these "third generation" (or is it fourth?) broadheads. These expandables feature blades that slide back — not cam backward — to open. Although I have had some of these types of broadheads basically blow up on me (bust apart on impact), I have yet to see one not leave a huge entry hole. If there is anything to be said about truth in advertising, these heads almost always live up to it in that regard on hits to a deer’s body cavity. In short, they create unbelievable entry and exit wounds and, best of all, almost immediate, idiot-proof bloodtrails.

I will always stop short of saying any single product is the be-all-end all of its class. However, as a whole, I will admit that today’s expandables have convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt that they are good choices for whitetail hunting. Here’s my take on the pros and cons:

Expandable Cons:
1. Not as durable as fixed-position heads.
2. As a whole, not as sharp as cut-on-contact heads.
3. Do not perform as others well when they encounter scapula bones and spinal columns.
4. They’re expensive (upward of $80 retail for three) and usually can’t be re-used.

Expandable Pros:
1. Very large entry and exit holes.
2. Almost immediate bloodtrails.
3. Improved cutting performance over first-generation broadheads (less energy transfer on impact).
4. Fly very close to field points no matter how well tuned your bow is.

The pros and cons are even, so what’s my final verdict? I will continue to use large, 2-blade expandables. Will I use them exclusively? No. There are many other bowhunting instances where I feel more comfortable using a strong fixed-position head. What’s more, if my age continues to limit how much draw weight I can pull (I’m pulling 64 pounds right now), I will most likely shoot cut-on-contact heads more often than not.

In case you’re wondering about the above photo, it is of the entry wound to a whitetail doe I shot last night. I almost couldn’t believe the performance. The deer was slightly quartering when I shot, and the two-blade Rage Titanium sliced a 3-plus inch hole behind the deer’s armpit. The broadhead made an equally large wound on the exit. The arrow was stuck firmly in the ground when I retrieved it. The deer ran about 40 yards before collapsing from massive lung and heart injuries. The bloodtrail was insane — not that I needed one to find the deer.

The end result: Instant venison. That’s how I like it.

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I readily admit that I had been a stubborn (not yet old) coot when it came to expandable broadheads. After dabbling with them in the late 1990s, I basically swore them off. "Not reliable enough," was my mantra.

I wasn’t the only one. Look at any of the popular press articles over the past 15 years or so, and a lot of other veteran bowhunters were on the same jag. That was until a few seasons ago when I shot broadheads like those from Rage Broadheads, New Archery Products and the TruFire Switchblade. I guess you would call these "third generation" (or is it fourth?) broadheads. These expandables feature blades that slide back — not cam backward — to open. Although I have had some of these types of broadheads basically blow up on me (bust apart on impact), I have yet to see one not leave a huge entry hole. If there is anything to be said about truth in advertising, these heads almost always live up to it in that regard on hits to a deer’s body cavity. In short, they create unbelievable entry and exit wounds and, best of all, almost immediate, idiot-proof bloodtrails.

I will always stop short of saying any single product is the be-all-end all of its class. However, as a whole, I will admit that today’s expandables have convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt that they are good choices for whitetail hunting. Here’s my take on the pros and cons:

Expandable Cons:
1. Not as durable as fixed-position heads.
2. As a whole, not as sharp as cut-on-contact heads.
3. Do not perform as others well when they encounter scapula bones and spinal columns.
4. They’re expensive (upward of $80 retail for three) and usually can’t be re-used.

Expandable Pros:
1. Very large entry and exit holes.
2. Almost immediate bloodtrails.
3. Improved cutting performance over first-generation broadheads (less energy transfer on impact).
4. Fly very close to field points no matter how well tuned your bow is.

The pros and cons are even, so what’s my final verdict? I will continue to use large, 2-blade expandables. Will I use them exclusively? No. There are many other bowhunting instances where I feel more comfortable using a strong fixed-position head. What’s more, if my age continues to limit how much draw weight I can pull (I’m pulling 64 pounds right now), I will most likely shoot cut-on-contact heads more often than not.

In case you’re wondering about the above photo, it is of the entry wound to a whitetail doe I shot last night. I almost couldn’t believe the performance. The deer was slightly quartering when I shot, and the two-blade Rage Titanium sliced a 3-plus inch hole behind the deer’s armpit. The broadhead made an equally large wound on the exit. The arrow was stuck firmly in the ground when I retrieved it. The deer ran about 40 yards before collapsing from massive lung and heart injuries. The bloodtrail was insane — not that I needed one to find the deer.

The end result: Instant venison. That’s how I like it.

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Your bags are packed, and the taxidermist is on hold. You’re ready to bag that buck of a lifetime while hunting with a brand-new muzzleloader. All that’s left is to sight in that whitetail gun and make sure it’s "on."

Right?

Wrong. Before taking that first shot, answer one question: Did you clean it first?

That’s right, that gun needs to be cleaned and seasoned before anything else.

I was reminded of this wise gun-care tip the other day while talking with friend Cory Johnson, who operates a small pro shop in central Wisconsin.

"A lot of guys automatically think they’re gun is ready to go because it’s new," he said. "But most of those new muzzleloaders oftentimes have residue in the barrels that needs to be removed for optimal performance."

The above photo is a prime example of what to expect. I took this photo after running several Quick Clean Patches through the new CVA Accura that I will be shooting in Canada next month. I’m only assuming the streaks on the cleaning patches are from residue from the milling process.

Another bit of advice is to "season" a new barrel after cleaning it for the first time. This is kind of like seasoning a new frying pan. In short, take some "bore butter" and spread it thinly on a dry patch. Run the patch down the barrel, then follow up with a clean, dry patch. This is supposed to provide a smooth, healing effect once the gun is fired.

I won’t be able to shoot the gun now for a few days (it’s been raining here since the weekend), but I will be more confident at the range knowing that I am starting from scratch with a clean gun.

Then it will be time to put this muzzleloader to the test on a big buck.

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