We can break down the type of deer cartridges needed based on the conditions of the hunt. Woods hunters don’t need long-range reach; they typically need compact, quick-handling rifles. Too often hunters who prowl the timber become infatuated with the wide-open spaces of the West. In turn, they opt for a rifle better suited to the Wyoming prairie than the pine thicket on the old home place. There are many different rifles suitable for deer hunting, and the same can be said for cartridges. They all work well, some are just a better fit for the woods.

The Woods Cartridge

Yes, it’s been around since 1895, and it’s been killing deer ever since. The 30-30 Winchester is the ideal cartridge for a hunter who prowls the timber. It has plenty of power to kill any deer out to 200 yards, and that’s a good deal further than you can see in the woods. Recoil is light, and the ammo is affordable.

Just as important is the fact that the 30-30 Winchester can be had in easy-to-carry, fast to action, lever guns. Because the lever action is butt heavy — has most of its weight toward the stock and not the muzzle — these rifles are fast-handling and ideally suited to the snap-shooting and quick-handling characteristics necessary in a  woods rifle.

Yes, we all dream of being a rifleman with a high-powered bolt-action rifle capable of shooting the cents off a nickel at 400 yards. However, unless you’re hunting nickels at 400 yards, that type rifle is an unneeded hindrance. If you stalk the thick forest for whitetails, or sit a treestand in the timber, don’t underestimate the 30-30 Winchester.

Modern ammunition for the 30-30 Winchester has greatly increased its effectiveness by utilizing sleeker projectiles that retain velocity, and other bullets that damage lots of tissue and penetrate deep. Two top loads for this former blackpowder cartridge are the Hornady LeverEvolution and the Barnes VOR-TX.

Images by Richard Mann

Article credited to Outdoorhub: http://www.outdoorhub.com

 

HOW TO : 

Whitetail Wednesday: The Peak Time to Hunt Scrapes is Now!

Grant Woods

Many folks say the rut is their favorite time to hunt. I like to hunt more than just the peak week of rutting behavior. I enjoy hunting from opening day until the end of season. However, my tactics and stand locations change throughout the season.

Throughout most of the whitetail’s range, the peak of scrape use occurs from mid to late October. Even more importantly, it seems this is also the peak of when bucks use scrapes during daylight. Check out the recent video clip below to see what I mean.

Peak scrape use occurs just before most does become receptive. When a majority of does are receptive, bucks don’t need to use scrapes as a communication tool. They simply use their nose to search for receptive does.

When hunting scrapes, my preference is to find active scrapes that are in travel corridors. I love such locations. My next preference is scrapes near feeding areas for afternoon hunts, and scrapes by bedding areas for morning hunts.

A great example of this is a hunt I had a few years ago. I tagged a mature 12-point buck that was heading to a known bedding area during the morning. I watched him work a scrape and then grunted and watched the show until I took the shot. This is a great strategy for this time of year, and I will probably be hunting that same stand location again soon.

Good luck in the tree stand this weekend. And remember these two words of advice: Hunt scrapes.

Enjoy creation!

Editor’s note: Be sure to check out Dr. Grant Woods and his popular on-demand web series that shares current information about deer hunting and deer management. The free videos focus on what the GrowingDeer team of experienced hunters and deer managers are doing in the field week to week, including action-packed hunts, proven hunting strategies, habitat management, food plots, trail camera techniques and the gear it takes to get it all done.

Images and video by Dr. Grant Woods

 

In the Midwest, home to some of the biggest whitetails on the planet, the leaves are changing and falling to the forest floor. Whitetail bucks are scraping and looking for a hot doe, but it’s just a bit early for breeding. This is the time to score on a mature buck, but only if you avoid these five common mistakes.

 1. Assuming broadheads fly like field points.

You’ve done a good job practicing during the summer, so all you must do is switch field points for broadheads of the same weight, and you’re good to go, right? Wrong. I’ve tested many broadhead designs — fixed blade and mechanical — through the years, and it’s amazing to me how point-of-impact from field points to broadheads can shift at 20 yards, even 15 yards. I’ve purchased high-quality broadheads from major manufacturers and had them impact 6 inches below the bull’s-eye at 20 yards. For what it’s worth, the best-flying broadheads for me — and the three compound bows I’ll utilize this fall — are the four-blade, 125-grain Magnus Stinger Buzzcuts. Give them a try on your bow; I think you’ll be impressed. Note: These heads come in lighter weights, too, but I’ve found that heavier broadheads penetrate deeper.

2. Moving while on stand.

The best camo, scent control and treestand placement can’t save Mr. Fidget from being spotted by a whitetail, so . . . stop moving! I like to bring a book into the treestand; I’ll slowly glance up after every paragraph. That way, the hours pass quickly on stand without me doing a dance in the stand. (FYI: This weekend I plan to start Eva Shockey’s book, “Taking Aim.” I’ve heard good things from people I trust.) Play games on your phone if you must. Whatever — just stop moving and alerting deer to your presence.

3. Ignoring the wind.

You have a favorite treestand. We all do. And you’ve been saving it for the best weekend of the year. But the wind is wrong, and you hunt it anyway. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

NEVER assume that you can get away with a marginal wind. A mature doe or buck will bust you EVERY time. Before each sit, test/check the wind and then make your best decision with the wind in your favor. Period.

4. Wearing noisy clothing.

Look, I’m not going to tell you that one brand of camo is better than another. But whatever you choose, the most important feature of that gear is that it’s quiet. You should be able to go from sitting to standing without making a sound. The same goes for drawing your bow. If you can hear it, a deer can hear it, especially on a crisp/cold morning with zero wind. And you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get great-performing, quiet gear. Example: I love wearing fleece because it’s deadly silent; the Cabela’s Outfitter Berber Fleece Pullover I’ll wear this weekend in the stand is on sale now for $65.99. Enough said.

5. Waiting too long to draw.

Of the handful of topics I’ve covered here, this is the one I struggle with the most. I’m so worried about spooking a buck at close range with movement, that I often don’t get to full-draw before it’s too late. Remember this: You can’t shoot if you don’t draw. Period.

It’s better to draw a bit early than a bit late. Trust me, with today’s 80 percent let-off bows and the excitement of the moment, you’ll be able to hold the string at full-draw longer than you think. If you wait too long, however, the chance could pass and you’ll be standing there thinking, why didn’t I draw my bow!

Do your best to avoid these five blunders, and good luck this weekend!

If you’re looking for a new sound to fool and possibly soothe an educated coyote, try including bird chatter into your setups. It’s not as birdbrained as you might think. Choosing the right bird to offer solace to a paranoid coyote that has heard one too many squalling rabbits requires a quick lesson in Animal Behavior 101.

The bird world includes a collection of airborne scavengers. These birds scour the countryside from coast to coast looking for leftovers to scavenge in the form of meat, grains, mast and other edibles. In short, they act a lot like flying coyotes, and thus the two have formed an unusual relationship.

Aerial scavengers oftentimes show up with coyotes to take advantage of leftovers. There’s little doubt coyotes tune in to the sounds of these flying surveillance systems to monitor safety as they approach enticing sounds, and smells. The presence of birds can boost the confidence of a nearby coyote leery of any situation. They, too, know that birds are often the first to detect danger aided by a lofty view. And just like aerial scavengers following coyotes for a meal, coyotes may react to the clatter of distant scavengers and move in that direction, thinking about joining a tailgate party in progress.

Crows top the list of the most widespread of the scavenger crowd. They seldom miss a free meal and cover the country forming a foraging relationship with coyotes everywhere. Crows aren’t the only feathered fan of coyotes, but it is one of the easier calls to find in sporting goods store aisles and on your electronic caller. You can also purchase crow decoys and add one or two for visual confidence. For variety and to mimic regional favorites, you can also consider adding in the sounds of ravens, black-billed magpies, jays and even some songbirds that trail coyotes. Members from these groups also arrive at kill sites and may squawk alarms if a coyote arrives, or if they spy you.

Because of their preponderance in my backyard, I rely on crow calls and the sounds of magpies often while calling coyotes. I ramp up their inclusion later in the winter as coyotes feel hunting pressure. On easy-access public lands I’ll often forgo the use of prey-in-distress calls and start out with a coyote lone howl, or sound like a pair vocalizing their presence. After 5 minutes or so, I’ll add in feathered scavenger sounds. Be ready. More than likely your sounds will attract the exact birds you are mimicking, and they have Nikon-quality vision. Any wrong moves could make them scatter and alert an incoming coyote.

Last winter I used this exact routine, and 40 minutes into the stand I spied a curious coyote peeking over the sagebrush, trying to spot the talkative coyotes. I had used magpie chatter and had lured in five or six of the Western icons. My bird chatter combined with the real birds caused that coyote to stand and stare 30 seconds too long.

Mixing up your sounds and adding birds into the mix isn’t such a birdbrained idea after all.

Photo above: This coyote’s curiosity was too much for it as it searched for other coyotes amongst the squawking of magpies. The author used a Bergara B-14 rifle topped with a Nikon Monarch riflescope and Hornady Superformance ammunition to end a successful setup.

Editor’s note: Be sure to check out CarbonTV for free, on-demand predator content such as “Coyote Country.” Watch and enjoy!

Images by Mark Kayser

Scenario: Whitetail buck walking under a bowhunter’s treestand

Bow: Mathews HALON 32

Range: 17 yards

Conditions: Sunny, 45 degrees, calm wind

October whitetails can vanish mysteriously like your lunch in the office breakroom refrigerator. Shazam! Thanks to a nearby food plot, this Nebraska buck appeared out of nowhere below your stand, and if you keep your cool, he would be your best bowhunting buck to date. Is it now or later? Put your Nikon rangefinder aside and consider the shot angles. Check out the possible aiming points A, B or C shown below, then take your best shot.

A. Follow the back half way toward the head and plant your broadhead right into the buck’s central nervous system. You might break his back, the arrow could pierce right through into the vitals, or your broadhead may simply lodge in the vertebrae. It’s risky all around, but an option with more good than bad.

B. Talk about a tight window. Your next option is to slide your Carbon Express shaft past the left hip and into the back of the paunch. Hopefully your bow has enough energy to drive your G5 broadhead into the heart and lung region. I doubt if it will make it.

C. There’s always the Texas-heart-shot option. Instead of a middle-of-the-rear aiming point, you’ll want to shift your aim a smidgeon left to take into account the buck’s slight quartering position. Good luck with this one because the odds for success are not great, but you might hit the femoral artery, or slice through veins feeding the rear quarters. You might also hit a bone roadblock.

Made up your mind?

This buck has no signs of paranoia and is here for one thing: brassicas! Let this buck get busy browsing and then wait for him to turn broadside for a textbook shot and a fairy tale ending. Good night, Cinderella, and sleep well after an easy recovery.