MikeHanback.com

How and Why Deer Jump the String

Hey Mike: Wondering if you could settle a friendly argument. A buddy and I were discussing deer jumping the string. I say it is all noise related and they instinctively react; he says it could also be visual—they see the arrow coming. Wondering your thoughts? Also, do you ever see a bow being fast enough that you don’t have to worry about them jumping the string or is that impossible? Thanks and keep up the great work! Jake in WI

You win, it’s an instinctive reaction. I heard a guy say one time, “It’s like when somebody sets off a firecracker, you jump.” Good way of illustrating it. I’ve heard people say that some deer might see the arrow and move, but I don’t buy it.

A few personal observations:

Jumping the string is a misnomer, it should be called “duck and roll.” A doe or buck hears your bow go off, drops its chest down and whirls to run in one motion. Can’t see it with the eye, but watch a slo-mo video, it’s amazing.

Some deer drop at the bow sound, others don’t. The unpredictability has to do with the distance to deer, quietness of bow, foliage that does/does not muffle sound, etc. You never know, so hold the correct sight pin on bottom third of vitals. Deer drops, you pierce mid-lungs; deer does not drop, you lance heart/low lungs. Either way, you kill deer.

I think deer duck and roll more in the East and South than in the Midwest or West. Do they duck arrows a lot or a little where you hunt?

I understand the speed of sound is 1,126 fps while a fast compound shoots an arrow at 300-plus fps. So I am reasonably sure there will never be a bow that propels an arrow that at least some deer will not jump (or rather duck :)

First Look: Eyedeal Camouflage

Mike: Didn't know if you have seen this camo pattern yet. It's definitely different and wondered what you thought. Thanks, Jim

I had not seen it, so I checked the Eyedeal website. One thing I read does have some truth and merit:

Most other camouflage patterns create a dark blob that deer can spot in a tree. Eyedeal Camo fools a deer’s eyesight with a vertical illusion, and you blend in perfectly with the tree and sky-line behind you.

I qualify that by saying the “dark blob” would only be a potential problem in mid- to late-season woods when leaves are down (like in the picture) and even then it is arguable that a blob (you up in the stand) would spook deer if you kept still. But I will say this is an interesting concept. By adding the vertical strip it further breaks your silhouette, and that is always good, so I am certain it would work OK in a tree stand.

What do you think, would you buy it?

The bigger question, can a specialty pattern like this go up against Mossy Oak and Realtree and survive, especially in this economic climate? Many have tried, few have suceeded.

Suburban Deer Hunt: Circus in Northern VA

Last Sunday The Washington Post ran a story about John Peterson, a northern VA suburbanite who got fed up with deer eating his flowers to nubs, so he was going to let a hunter or two come onto his little property this fall and cull a few animals, likely does. OMG, a massacre the neighbors cried! PETA along with super-anti Bob Barker joined the circus. Lowlights from the article:

PETA founder Newkirk said: there is hardly “anything more selfish, callous and cowardly than shooting a mother deer.”

In a letter to the VA Dept. of Game Barker said that if the hunt were not stopped: “children will be catatonic, the neighbors will be up in arms, the fawns will be orphans and the does will be dead for the sake of a few flowers.” (Come on down, the washed-up game show host sounds like a drama queen!)

Another PETA person: “This is Bambi. This is between the life of an animal and a few shrubs… This is about the callousness of having someone with a bow just waiting to slice the mother in half and then watch it crawl into the woods to bleed to death.”

The story said Peterson had in the past “hired” a hunter who killed 2 deer and donated the meat to feed the homeless. VA wildlife authorities backed Peterson, said he would be justified in allowing hunting.

I post to remind you what we are up against, especially when it comes to hunting/managing the whitetail explosion in the burbs. There are way too many deer, some huge bucks and great opportunity, and all the wildlife departments are with us. But are the circus and the hassles worth it?

PETA wants you to say no, stay home, let Bambi live. I say find a 5-acre property, shoot your legal limit and help the urban deer managers out. Think of it as your civic duty.

In this saga's end, Peterson caved and PETA/Barker were happy as clams: “This is a real problem but harmony with your neighbors is important,” Peterson told the Post. “We’re not going to do the hunt.”

 

Hunt the July Rut (Axis Deer in Florida)

CJ Davis hunted the tail-end of the rut last week and reported:

Mike: It's July and what's a hunter to do? How about going to Florida and hunting the late rut. Not for whitetails but for Axis deer. Yep, they are an exotic. I'm told they came from India and were stocked on this ranch years ago as a source of meat.

Jim Crumley of Trebark fame and a true expert game cook was on this hunt, and I was curious to see what he thought of the meat. Turns out Axis was awesome, 99.8% fat free from what I understand. It may be because they are grazers more than browsers, but that's a very uneducated guess. It almost has a naturally buttery flavor, if that makes sense.

We arrived a little late to catch the peak rut or to witness the roaring and fighting. I think June would be perfect timing. They were on a schedule exactly opposite whitetails. The bucks we killed had hard antlers; they would have dropped them in November. Apparently from what the locals say these bucks really go at it when rutting and fighting. A guy could probably rattle one in June, plus you could easily tie in a hog hunt. A fill-your-freezer expedition!!

While you can bowhunt (that's what I want to try next) we were gun hunting. We saw plenty of deer. They are a true herd animal and a big problem is picking a shot that won't accidentally kill another animal behind the one you're shooting at.

We had a great time, saw a ton of animals and both got a nice buck. Of course we brought coolers to get the meat back home. I'll be honest, I didn't know what to expect and wasn't sure I was going to like it. But turns out it was a blast. For anyone thinking about this hunt there are gear considerations. 

I used the new Nikon EDG 10X42. The antlers on these deer are simpler than a whitetail’s but it does take a good eye to choose an older buck from a younger one. When you are stalking, it is so thick in South Florida you have to literally pick through the trees with your glasses so as not to spook animals.

Use your Thermacell! The mosquitoes are horrible and will ruin your day if you don't have protection.

The bucks we shot weighed around 160 pounds live weight so any deer cartridge would work fine. I shot a .270 and Crumley used a .280. Both of us picked Winchester Ballistic Silver Tips. Shots were from 60 yards for me to 150 or so for Crumley, who is a diehard bowhunter. This was one of maybe 2 animals he has ever shot with a rifle.

I did not find the hunting as tough as a whitetail, but they are not stupid and you can spook them by moving too much or not playing the wind. The spots on Axis deer make you feel a little weird at first, almost like you're hunting a herd of fawns. But they do make a great aiming point :)

Would I trade it for a mid-November hunt in a whitetail hot spot? No, but what the heck else am I gonna do in July other than sit around and wait on fall? If you are interested here is the outfitter link. 

Knight & Hale Red Locator Beacon

Today’s earlier post jogged my memory. While I am generally not a gadget hunter, the Knight and Hale Locator Beacon is a good idea and worth $28.

Remember mornings you've tromped in the dark, cracking sticks, falling down, cussing, spreading scent, spooking animals, ruining a spot? This is not just a nimrod mistake. I have done it when I knew exactly where my perch was, and with stands I had bright-eyed with tacks. They go missing in the dark :) One time in the Alabama swamps, I got turned around, ended up on a county road 3 miles after daybreak and to this day have never found the damn lock-on. I didn’t get my buck that morning, LOL.

Hang Beacon on stand, walk into general area, hit small remote, look for red light (will flash up to 100 yards away), go to stand. Sensible gadget.

Deer Vision and Red/Green Lights

Mike: I am curious about something and would like to hear your thoughts. I have read where studies show that deer don't see in the red/orange spectrum very well, but they see well in the blue/green spectrum, which is why we can wear hunter orange, but shouldn't wear blue jeans. If this is the case, why are the new green flashlights being marketed as "not spooking game"? It would seem to me that they would do just that, spook them, and that a red lens would be better. Thanks, Brad in AL

Brad: In a big study at the Univ. of Georgia, researchers used optical instruments (same ones used to test our eyes) and fitted deer with contact lenses. They found that deer can see some some shades of yellow and blue, but cannot see reds or greens, they are color blind in those spectrums. Hence, all the “non-game spooking” red and green lights on the market today.

I think it makes sense to switch from a white light (w/yellow tints) to a red or green one to find your stand in the AM dark. But still, be smart. Go in downwind and sneak as quiet as you can; tromping in wrong spooks as many or more deer than lights IMO.

"I can't help myself; I'm addicted to killing big deer."

What Jonathan Martin, 43, of Greenfield (Ohio) told the judge at his sentencing for a string of recent wildlife crimes. Between 2004 and 2007 he was also convicted of poaching 4 Boone and Crockett-class bucks.

I don’t know what to make of that clown, he brings us all down.

Source: coshoctontribune.com

4 Gun-Safety Rules (to live and hunt by)

Tiger McKee, director of Shootrite Firearms Academy in Alabama, wrote this on the Tactical Wire yesterday:

Most everyone who studies the use of firearms for combative purposes should be familiar with Jeff Cooper's four basic safety rules:

All guns are always loaded. Each year numerous people are shot with "unloaded" firearms.

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. Every instructor I know, including myself, has had a negligent discharge. If you handle firearms long enough you will too. The key is, as long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction, you don't put a hole in something you can't afford to buy or pay for.

Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target. This is a simple concept. If your sights are on the target your finger should be on the trigger. Once they come off the target your finger comes off the trigger.

Be sure of your target. Never shoot anything you have not identified, and be aware of what and who might be in front, behind or surrounding your target.

Pound these into your brain. They apply anytime you’re with gun, whether in a buying, self-defense, range, or hunting situation. Remember them always!

“Speechless” Kansas Monster Buck

Remember this monster, the Kansas #1 non-typical? A week before a rifle hunter shot the beast in 2006, bowhunter Tad Davis had 3 encounters with “Speechless.”

Mike: I have bowhunted since age 12, had 17 P&Y whitetails in bow range, but have never killed one. I am snake bit, but man have I seen some great deer.

A friend and I went to Kansas to bowhunt on a buddy’s farm. It was the first week of November and the rut would start any day. The first morning we didn’t have much action. I scouted another piece of ground and hung a stand. It was a great setup, or so I thought. That afternoon I saw 3 does and 2 yearlings. The next morning I saw a nice 10-point (135-140”, definite shooter) chasing a doe. Good, the rut was on!

About an hour later, I saw a spike 70 yards away. I started canning at him (bleating) just playing around when all of a sudden I caught movement--I turned and saw a huge-bodied deer with a ton of rack mass standing at 100 yards, looking at the spike. I canned one more time and he came running! He was on a trail that would bring him within 7 yards of my stand, but at about 50 yards he crossed a ditch. He came in to 42 yards and stood in the only spot within 360 degrees where I did not have a shot.

Steam blew from his nose; he began to stomp his foot, looking for the doe. I saw a drop tine on his right side that looked like a boat paddle! The mass was indescribable to see in the woods. He turned and walked away across the creek and was gone.

Bear Trashes Toyota Prius

From my buddy JR Absher’s blog:

A Juneau, AK couple was sitting in their home Saturday when the horn on their Toyota Prius began blasting. Upon investigation, they found a black bear trapped in their hybrid, engaged in some serious interior re-decoration. "When I say the car was rocking, it was just rocking," said the car’s owner…

3 comments: Must have been one small bear… Like us hunters, I guess the animals haven’t taken a shine to those little greenie-weenies yet either… Imagine me driving down the road with a big, bloody drop-tine strapped on top that concept Prius? Don’t laugh man, the day could be coming :)