Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

I watched the weeklong rainfall every day, wanting the rain to stay longer, or at least bring water enough to wake up the sun parched land and bring out the underlying green of native grasses and plaster some leaves on the dry brush and trees, young and old.

It took two days for the change to begin.

Deer came out during the daytime, munching leaves and twigs.

Lots of deer were depleted from our recent sizzling, dry and waterless months. I chronicled their story with a combination of my Minolta and iPhone. Below is a doe walking along a old and rusty fenceline.

Every new day was noticeably greener as new growth crept into view.

 Every year more bowhunters start using a backpack for bowhunting Whitetail deer. If you’re thinking about a better bowhunting backpack check out this video I found of the Top 7 Bow Hunting Backpacks reviewed. By Robert Hoague

Links to the backpacks reviewed in this video are below.

The south side of the area where I live is bordered on a river that takes a sharp bend that turns the thousand acre place into an L-Shaped property. So, generally, the natural water supply is ok. But this year the flowing water in the river came to a stand still causing the river to dry up in many places. And the 100 plus heat wave we’ve experienced made most of the man-made stock ponds dry up — or get seriously low.

The picture below is taken from my front yard looking across a sun-dried crop field. The distant tree line is 800 yards away.

Normally there would be weeds and native grasses growing. Deer would browse around and pick up tid-bits to eat. Amazingly enough, those tid bits managed to grow and deer, like the one below, are  professional tid-bit finders.

Below is a doe and her 2 fawns and they are nursing actively.

The drought, besides creating a water shortage situation, has made a surprising effect on the deer movement. I see deer out during all hours of the day. The 100 degree heat has scorched the ground level plants that would ordinarily be natural browse.

Tim Wells videoed his successful South Texas bowhung big Wild Boars and Neilgie bulls. Tim dropped a wild boar in seconds with a new broadhead that Grim Reaper Broadheads sent him to test. Next he ambushed a big Neilgie Bull at point blank range while hiding in the Texas scrub brush. And also a Rio Grande wild turkey Gobbler.

Fast action hunt with cool slo mo kills. Says Tim, “Bloods flying and critters dying.” Tim is fillin’ the freezer with lots of wild meat.

Tim Wells Bow Hunter

Many bowhunters are addicted to hunting whitetails, I’m no exception.  In the Fall I journey to three or four states and match wits with them.  As you may know from reading prior stories I’ve written, I’m always on the lookout for new bowhunting experiences.

I’ve bowhunted the elusive Coues whitetail in Arizona but nowhere else.  I’ve read articles about the Coues of Old Mexico and the idea of hunting south of the border has always appealed to me.  Despite my reservations of hunting in Mexico I decided to give it a try.

I worked on selecting the right outfitter for my hunt while periodically hearing and reading about the drug related crime in many parts of Mexico.  My wife, Shelby, was reluctant but ultimately gave in and agreed to go along to video my hunt.  Finally I settled on an outfitter in the Mexican state of Sonora.

December and January are pleasant times to be in Mexico.  The weather is cool but not unbearable.  So I planned my trip in January.  Shelby and met the outfitter in Tucson, AZ and parked our truck at the airport and got in his truck for the trek to camp in Mexico.  Crossing the border crossing was uneventful although one of our three trucks was inspected.  Bows, clothing bags and everything else was unloaded for inspection.

The hunting ranch was several thousand acres of rolling desert terrain.  A creek meandered through the ranch and overall the place was beautiful.  The outfitter told us we could expect to see some coatimundis, a strange looking ring-tailed cat and maybe an occasional mountain lion in addition to the Coues we were after. Since Coues were plentiful in the area, I wanted to try for a record book animal.  Hopefully, I could be a little bit selective and be successful.

– Safety –

Bowfishing alone in a boat has an added element of risk. There is always the danger of pitching out of the boat if it hits an unseen snag or rock. If the boat is in water that is only inches deep this is no problem, but in deep water the boat will often drift away and be difficult to reenter without capsizing the boat. Always wear a flotation vest when going to and from your fishing area and when bowfishing in waters that are more than a few feet deep.

Many lakes with good bowfishing are noted for standing timber. This also means that there will often be floating logs and branches. If hit at almost any speed these can hole or flip a boat. Be very cautious about boating under conditions of limited visibility.

Some big shallow lakes like Okeechobee in Florida and Pontchartrain in Louisiana may look glass smooth in the morning, but are extremely dangerous for small boats. A thunderstorm over the lake can result in strong winds and high waves that can easily swamp small craft. Be extremely careful in these waters and leave in enough time to return to shore before a storm starts. After the wind picks up and the rain starts, it is too late.

Drinking and bowfishing just don’t mix. A cold beer tastes awfully good when back on shore, but there is no place for alcohol on a bowfishing boat. The risks are too great for going overboard or falling on a sharp arrow. The bowfisherman needs to be fully observant, see potentially dangerous situations before they occur and be able to react quickly should something go wrong.

The quickest path to success in Bowfishing is to use good equipment that is properly set up for bowfishing. Many first timer bowfishing newbees want to use their hunting bows, but they do not want to change their carefully tuned deer slayers setups. That’s a problem.

A better approach is to use an older bow or buy a new one and rig it exclusively for bowfishing.

Telling people how to shoot fish with a bow is easy. It’s the doing of it that is the hard part. There is a necessary learning curve while eye, brain, hand, bow and arrow learn how to bowfish. A hundred or more shots may be taken before that first fish is brought to shore or brought to the boat. This will take a lot of shooting, and there is no need to wear yourself out using an overly-strong bow.

Sight in the bow using a single pin set at about seven yards. Learn to use hold-over and hold-under for longer and shorter distances. This will enable the occasional fish that broaches the surface to be taken reliably. The tough part is learning how much to hold under the fish in order to hit underwater targets. An approximate rule is to hold three inches under the fish for each foot of water depth. This works for shots that are at about 45 degrees. More hold-under will be needed for shallower-angle shots and less for steeper angles.

Good shooting techniques like releasing the arrow smoothly and following through tend to be forgotten in the rapid shoot-shoot-shoot pace of bowfishing. Pull the bow, wait until the fish is in an optimum position for a shot, adjust your sight picture for water depth and release the arrow smoothly. Following these fundamental steps will get those first confidence-building fish in the boat faster than flinging lots of arrows into the water without paying much attention to shooting form. As in all other shooting sports, the body and the brain will learn how to do make good, well-released shots faster and faster, but it will take shooting at a lot of fish for this information to be hard-wired into the brain and nerves.

There is a lot of debate in the archery industry about how much a hunting arrow should weigh. Many online archery gurus believe an arrow should exceed 500 grains and in many cases go beyond 600 grains depending on the big game animal being hunted.

Recently, I interviewed John Schaffer, the owner of Schaffer Performance Archery about arrow weight. He believes the best all-around arrow weight is between 400-450 grains. “I have shot big game animals across North America and I typically use an arrow that weighs in around 450 grains.”

John Schaffer hunts with a 450- grain arrow and has setup thousands of bows over the years.  Most of the bows he sets up in his shop leave the pro-shop with arrows that weigh about 450 grains. “The walls of this store are lined with pictures of successful bowhunters who have killed many different animals with arrows that weigh about 450 grains. I prefer a bow that is shooting a 450-grain arrow about 300 FPS.”

Matt Bateman, the manager from Grim Reaper Broadheads loves shooting a 400-grain arrow. He recently shot the mule deer pictured here with a 420 grain arrow at 57 yards. The arrow was a complete pass through. “I believe many animals are wounded by bowhunters due to lack of accuracy and not having a forgiving setup more than any other reason,” Bateman said. “Super heavy arrows drop quickly at long ranges. I prefer a more forgiving setup.”

To listen to a brief Podcast where John Schaffer tells why he prefers a 450-grain arrow, CLICK HERE AND LISTEN TO the latest episode of The Drop-Tine Report.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources(ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced Wednesday it has confirmed cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in white-tailed deer in 13 Ohio counties.

EHD, frequently referred to as “Zombie Deer,” is a viral infection that deer get from biting midges. The infected deer can lose their fear of humans and have other neurological signs like circling, weakness and not eating. Deer that die from EHD often have a swollen tongue, eyelids, neck or head. It is usually fatal, however some deer survive and develop immunity.

Venison Roast

1 large roast (I usually can get one large enough for two meals when they are on sale.
Steak Seasoning
Little garlic salt & pepper
3 Beef Bouillon Cubes
4 cups of water
Just enough flour to coat roast

7 potatoes diced
1 large onion
20 baby carrots cut into
You can add as many veggies as you like depending on how many you are feeding.

First, I season the roast with steak seasoning, a little garlic salt and pepper. Add flour to a plate or platter big enough to hold your roast. Flour each side and around the edge of the venison roast. Next, add just enough olive oil to the bottom of your frying pan to brown roast the venison on all sides.

Now, we start with our Roasting pan or large enough pan to hold the roast and veggies. Preheat your  oven to 400°. Add your roast to the center of a pan and add 4 cups of water and 3 bouillon cubes. Put it in the 400° oven for one hour then take the pan out. Turn the venison over and put it back in the oven for one more hour. (if your oven cooks fast or really hot then cut down the time or temp) You may need to add more water to cover your roast so it does not dry out.

While my roast is cooking I peel my potatoes, slice the onions, and cut my carrots to bite size. Before, adding my veggies, I add some of the flour and whisk it into the broth so it will thicken and be more like a gravy. My potatoes go in first, then the carrots and the onions last. Place the pan  back in the oven and let it bake for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Important: If your roast is not covered with broth or water when you put it back in the oven for the last time the top will dry out.

Mission Sub1 XR-

Mission Crossbows are the Mercedes models of the industry.  Like Ford and Chevy, most companies change and introduce new models each year.  Mission has found a platform that works and only tweaks as necessary.

Walt Lane has taken three safaris with his Sub-1 and lauds its performance and accuracy.  Mission nearly “owns” crossbow competitions, with podium-earned performances in almost every category.

Dead On-

I helped Lane test the zero on his Mission in camp, setting up a Morrell target at 30 yards with a tiny mailing label as an aiming point.  He shot from the standing position, and I pulled the arrow, “You missed… by ¼ inch,” I laughed.

The Mission Sub1XR is rated at 425 fps, which isn’t as fast as the fastest bows, yet  it delivers all the power any North American hunter needs.  Lane faced numerous shots like this one where exact shop placement and animal angle were critical.

Whoa! What a Waterbuck-

Tops on Lane’s list was a waterbuck, and this management species came to drink.  It was so mature that it was post-breeding and earned a discount to help manage the herd.

Outdoor Journey Radio Show with Ty Morgan and Matt Guedes cover the outdoor world and today they are interviewing Bowhunting.net’s Rich Walton about how and why and what bowhunting.net is and means to the bowhunters around the world and his partner bowhunting super star and Bowhunting.net founder, Robert Hoague.

CLICK BELOW To Hear The Radio Show Broadcast Of The Interview With Rich Walton Of Bowhunting.net.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN WRITING  FOR BOWHUNTING.NET? WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WRITERS FOR OUR WEBSITE. SEND US AN EMAIL AND TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT. 

Email Bruce Ryan at [email protected]

Whitetail bucks have this seeming invincibility around them. Most hunters believe that whitetail bucks cannot be stalked by a bowhunter. But, it can be done and it is not immature bucks that I am bowhunting. These are mature bucks and, yes, they can be stalked. And stalking is the ultimate challenge.

The sun was high enough we had at least three hours to walk, run, crouch, crawl and even slither through the sunflower stalks. Looking across a field of combined sunflowers it looks as if there is no cover, depressions, or contours to use, but by carefully glassing, you can pick a route that will help with wind direction and concealment. On the way your route may change as deer move and wind directions switch. You need to keep all your senses on high alert.

Today the deer were on the opposite side of the field feeding and rutting. They were not focused on us. As we moved in their direction, we crouched and jogged through the sunflowers stalks picking our way, careful not to break or scuff a sunflower stalk and alerting any deer that we were inside their domain.

On the way to the deer we had to adjust to the deer moving, as well as to the changing topography. Keeping our heads low we regularly glassed the deer, looking for the big buck we had seen through the spotting scope, before deciding to go on this stalk.

We saw the big buck’s competitors but could not find the big buck himself so decisions needed to be made quickly, move closer or wait. I decided, and in a few minutes we were closer. Crawling on my belly sliding my bow ahead and picking my way through and around the sunflower stalks. My knees, elbows and back began tightening up, but you have forget the pain … and move on.

Science is in the hunters’ corner when they tell you they’re going to the woods to relax, or calm down ,or to get a change in attitude. Here is what happens.

Research discovered evidence that the woodlands contain airborne substances (phytoncides) that relax humans, boost immunity, lower blood pressure and help fight cancer. Scientists also found compounds in the wilderness soil that improve mood and reduce anxiety and depression.

Mind, a United Kingdom mental-health charity, compiled a long list of ecotherapies and published a study that found nature walks reduced depression symptoms in 71 percent of its participants. Mind also found that three in five people with mental-health problems felt more positive about their lives when leaving an ecotherapy project.

As if the natural and physical-healing properties of Mother Earth aren’t enough, research also links our time in nature with creativity boosts, positivity bouts and greater acceptance of people’s differences. In the paper Rewilding Music; Improvisation, Wilderness, and the Global Musician, researchers in Helsinki, Finland, followed a study group of improvisational artists into the wilderness for three nights, and then to a group performance.

The study’s participants were asked to relate their experiences. They concluded that the qualities of listening, acceptance and authenticity were enhanced by their time in the outdoors. One participant said: “Personally, I am happiest when I am in the wilderness. I would stay there if I could, and I spend a lot of weekends just away from the city, in the peace of quiet of the forest, walking. When I’m there, I calm down.”

Gearhead X16 Tactical-

Many shooters transition from compound bows to crossbows for a variety of reasons. Some welcome the horizontal format while others wish they could still use their vertical gear. If you are in this latter camp, check out the Gearhead Tactical X16 as it embraces more elements of vertical archery than any other crossbow.

 “Wow, that bow is light,”

Exclaimed John Salvatore when I handed him the Gearhead crossbow for the first time. We were headed for Africa and John wanted to update his launch capacity. I suggested the X16 for its unique benefits, less weight just one of them.
The bow was topped with a Hawk scope with illuminated reticles, so we headed to my backyard shooting range to test the bow and see how Salvatore liked it.

Unique Features-

Erector sets were the Lego blocks of the late 20th century and if you are a boomer, you will recognize the unique structure of the X16 immediately. This design is the hallmark of the Gearhead brand and their compounds and crossbow have similar construction.

The X16 shoots compound bow arrows that snap into a trigger box and launch through a Whisker Biscuit rest. You read that correctly, this crossbow uses one of the most popular compound rests and shoots regular compound arrows.

In addition, the bow comes standard with a Triggertech trigger which is the best in the industry, in my humble opinion. Trigger function is one of the most critical elements of crossbow accuracy and this premium upgrade makes a difference.

Tim Wells says, “Nailed a few wild boar with my bow and the big pig took FLIGHT. A flying pig! Just got off a crazy wild trip with arrows and darts flying like through multiple live targets. Deer, pigs, rabbits, gators, you name it, we slocked it. https://www.youtube.com/c/TimWellsBowHunter

CHECK OUT TIM WELLS AT THE LINK BELOW…

Tim Wells Bow Hunter 898,000 YouTube Subscribers

Whitetail deer were imported to Finland from the USA in 1934 and 1948 with seven animals, according to Gearhead Archery fan and whitetail deer hunter Esa Skogstrom of Finland. And the whitetail population has expanded to over 100,000. The animals have succeeded very well in Finnish nature.

“Now whitetails are remarkable game animals in Finland,” Skogstrom said.  “The first were imported from Virginia to a fenced area, but in 1938, but they escaped from the fenced area. That was the beginning of free-range whitetails in Finland.”

Although the population started to grow in the forests people were concerned about inbreeding.

“The next group of whitetails was imported in 1948, three males and three females,” he said. “Whitetails have been hunted in Finland since 1960s but bow hunting of whitetails was legally accepted in 2017.”

Skogstrom sent in this photo from a throwback moment on the Gearhead Archery website when he harvested his first whitetail with a GearHead B20 Bow in 2019.  He’s harvested several more deer since then.

We finally got a break in the intense drought. It was tough on the local deer herd and water and food were an issue. Last week we finally got a good rain. The very next day the native grass had a faint light greenish tint to it. It’s now September 2 (2022) and we’ve had several rains from a couple of storms and several long drizzles.

This morning a doe and its fawn meandered into one of my deer watching areas. The rain has really busted open the growth of native grass and local weeds of several types.

When the two deer came up close to where I was hiding I took video with my iPhone

You’ll notice that this doe still has its ribs showing. It is 9:22 in the morning and she is out and about. Her and her Fawn are hungry. (I got some close up video of her Fawn also. It’s coming later today. Along with iPhone pictures of a nice buck.)

 Speed kills. Greater speed means greater impact resulting in complete penetration. Animals with an entrance and exit wound are much easier to trail and recover. Secondly, the faster the arrow the less likely an animal is to “duck” a shaft. “Jumping-the-string” is a common problem among compound shooters, yet a sizzling arrow catches them before they can react.

Finally, the speed slows gravity… kind of. All objects fall at the same rate, yet a faster arrow drops fewer inches as speed increases. The flatter the trajectory, the more forgiving an error in distance estimation.

If you want a fast bow, I mean screaming fast, check out these three below:

TenPoint Nitro 505- The 505 frequently tests between 510 and 517 fps shooting a 400-grain arrow. I just spent a week hunting in Africa with the Nitro 505 and found it as easy to use as it is fast. The Acuslide cocking and decocking system loads the bow with the turn of a crank that nest in the stock so you can’t forget it.

BowTech Live TV is popular on the internet and one of their top shows is hosted by Aimee Burnett. Recently Aimee interviewed one of Bowhunting.Net’s top bowhunting contributors Rick Philippi of Keller, Texas.

Aimee begins with, ‘Hey Rick how’s it going?” Well, Rick could not have better news. And Aimee interviews Rick about his 2017 monster buck.