What's Hot and What's Not

New stuff I tried in 2008 which I found to work well for me : 22 cal 45 gr TSX, Sitka core & traverse base layers, Sitka celcius hat, Sitka Bivy45 pack, Browning XPO pants, Bushnell Elite E2 binocs, Badlands Diablo daypack, Browning microfleece jacket/pants
 
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used the BPI brushwads in my 20 gauge for the first time this year for ruffies, they worked super with a 3/4oz load of 9's.
Also used a pair of those lightweight Rocky gloves with the camo back and the rubberized palms - just enough to keep the cold metal from numbing my fingers in the October mornings!
Cat
 
What's NOTNAP ScorpionXP mechanical broadheads.Lost a 300lb black bear after drilling him broadside @ 18 yards from ground level,mid chest,6" behind shoulder....yes it was PERFECT shot placement.Penetration was piss poor,10" of arrow sticking out near side(thought maybe I hit far shoulder?),lost the weak blood trail after 200 yards,3 friends and I spent a combined total of 20 hrs searching,bear un-recovered.I'm calling it broadhead failure,he shoulda been DRT.Shot a partridge with same heads a few days later,20 yards,arrow penetrated to vanes,no complete pass through.Bowtech Old Glory,65# @ 29".I'm using up the remaining 4 heads that I have on rabbits/partridge then that's it,no more mechanicals for me.1st and last year for me using them....not at all impressed!!From my very limited experience with them,I'm concluding that they waste waaaaay too much energy opening if they won't even blow through a bird?
 
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The new "SwingBlade" from Outdoor Edge.

Fantastic design. Easy to use and keeps an edge.

If I were to buy a gift for a fellow hunter, that would be it.
 
Nikon Monarch 10X42 binoculars, good optics and a nice price, they've worked very well for me. Those are the only new equipment I used this year. I did use a pre-64 Mod 70 in 300 H&H that was new to me and it worked great too but that was a given.
 
I studied wild turkey hunting for about a year before I tried it. I got all the gear and the best box call money can buy and practiced using it for a month before the hunt. (drove my dog nuts!)

I bought a video and used my call the same way they described.

Here's where it derails.

My buddy (who is the land owners friend) also wanted to come spank his first turkey opening day too.
Against my advice he grabbed a ####ty push button call that sounded like a wounded cat.


We set up in a field where we saw them the previous year while deer hunting.

He was on the other side of the farmers field from me and we both bordered the wooded area with 3 decoys each.

At about 5:30am to our surprise we could hear turkeys coming down from the roost in great numbers.

I could hear my buddy going crazy on his push button slide caller and was pissed that he’d be scaring them off as he was really givin er on it! (like non stop seriously! no break in the sound what so ever!)

I let out a few soft yelps as I watched 20-25 turkeys running towards him, fighting each other, fighting his decoys, and going nuts in general.

It wasn’t long before he lined one up and shot.(Not easy to get a shot as they were so cluttered and maybe hit more than one if not careful.)

Lucky for me the shot scared a few towards me and I was able to call ONE in for a head shot.

I learned a very important lesson that morning.

I’m still trying to decrypt that lesson but I’ll figure these buggers out sooner or later! lol
 
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Why would you want to split the pelvic bone?

It is in all what people are taught. Heh- some people still "bleed" their game? Neither will do any harm, just a waste of time and the odd good cape ruined. Just one of those things that people do because....
 
I tried the Butt Out on a mule deer buck this time and it was just too small to grab his butt. Not sure if it was a ### deer or just had a big butt hole but the Butt Out left me flat for my first try. I'll definitely try it again though....
 
MMMM... Deer butt..
Got pics of this deer with a big butt?

I thought about getting myself one this year and it's a good thing i didn't. I only made er out once and never let off an arrow.

How big was this deer sheephunter?
 
MMMM... Deer butt..
Got pics of this deer with a big butt?

I thought about getting myself one this year and it's a good thing i didn't. I only made er out once and never let off an arrow.

How big was this deer sheephunter?

Just an average 4 point mulie......

Sorry, no pictures of his butthole
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I picked up a new to me huntin rig this summer (92 jeep yj) and the new parts i upgraded her with performed flawlessly and got me to places i always wanted to venture.
detroit trutrac installed in the front diff, detroit full on lockers in the rear, slip yoke eliminator on the transfer case
2 inch body lift, cold air intake, and a set of BFG mud terrains.

I have nothing to say about how my rig runs in the bush, ice, snow/mud but ..... exceptional.

other new stuff....... the garmin etrex legend got a good work out and it has found a home in my day pack. Never carried one before but it came in handy.

and my camelback stryker daypak still looks and functions as new, 4 hard huntin years later, even ran her over :redface: in the mud and she came through unscathed.

cabelas pinnacle "snake boot" insulated .... will never wear another boot moose hunting..... creeks, swamps, mud...... dry warm feet ..... very happy with them.
 
40gr molycoated Vmaxs' for my .223, my .204 has been my "go to" gopher gun. But after putting 5 consecutive rounds in a nickel size hole at 100 yrds...it may get equal time in the field this summer coming :)
 
Good: 1. TC encore in 50 cal, nice to shoot and easy to clean, it is my first kick at a muzzle loader and so far i like it. 2. First year using barnes bullets .284 140 grain tsx worked well. Shot a deer at 437 yards, 1/4ing to me I found the bullet under the hide after it smashed through 10 inches of spine. Very little meat damage. 3. meindel boots, canadians. I had some trouble breaking them in, but after that they have been great water proof and no ankle rolling.

Bad:1. TC muzzle loading bullets, 50 cal 250 grain. I shot a big bodied mulie at 45 yards, the only shot i had was front shoulder, the bullet exploded on the shoulder and never made it to the chest cavity. I found the deer 50 yards away bedded, second shot quatering away @ 15 yards I found the bullet in the oposite shoulder and it had actually compressed. I havent put a caliper to it yet but it is visibly smaller. 2. Nikon Omega 3x9, although the drop compensation worked well, I found that in hunting aplications the target was hard to acuire in the cross hairs. The scope also lacked field of view and light gathering compared to my leopolds.
 
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