Dave Hurteau

Trivia Question: What Bow Did Bo Duke Shoot?

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:36:21 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

We all have our embarrassing secrets. I’ll spare you mine, for the most part. But for the purposes of this blog, I will admit to one: As much as I would like to trace my interest in archery to the likes of Hill, Bear, Pope, or Young, the truth is that the real greats were all before my time. No, being a product of the television generation (an embarrassing admission itself), my initial fascination with archery was sparked by the exploding arrows of—cringe—Bo and Luke Duke.

Did You Get a Gun For Christmas, Too?

Sarah Smith — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:27:15 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Actually I got a winter restoration project—a Savage Model 24 in .22LR/.410 with good bores and solid wood but a very rough exterior. As far as I’m concerned, the Model 24 in this configuration is the perfect squirrel gun.

By the way, did you know that squirrel hunting makes excellent practice for hunting whitetail deer, the species about which this blog is solely dedicated?

As I was saying, it’s a fantastic squirrel gun, particularly for small woodlots close to populated areas, because you can use the .22 when your backdrop will stop a bullet and the .410 when it won’t. Plus it’s just a damned cool gun that I’ve always wanted to own.

On Why I Like Vegetarians (for the Most Part)

Sarah Smith — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:24:08 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

I’ve known a lot of vegetarians. I was engaged to one once (technically “pre-engaged,” whatever the hell that means). And you know, I don’t think I’ve ever met one I didn’t like. I’ve met some I thought were full of $#!%, but none I didn’t like. I like some hunters who are also full of $#!%.

It’s fun to bust on vegetarians, and they usually take it well. Especially fun are the easy marks, the ones who say, “I’m a vegetarian but I eat fish.” We had a vegetarian friend over to dinner recently who said, “I’m a vegetarian but I eat fish and chicken,” which made me think of a line from The Princess Bride: “I do not think it means what you think it means.”

How to Tell Good Acorns—And Pick The Right Tree To Hunt Near

Dave_Maccar — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:23:29 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

You need to know who to steal from, goes the saying (even though it should go “whom to steal from”), and for this video I have stolen a tip outright from Bestul, who stole it from a logger buddy of his. When you’re hunting an area with lots of oaks and you need to figure out which trees the deer are feeding under, make sure to keep a sharp eye out for acorns that do not have their caps. It’s something a lot of hunters overlook but shouldn’t. Acorns that fall with caps often have rotten or punky flesh; those that fall without caps typically have fine, firm flesh and are therefore preferred by the deer.

Graphic Photos: Coyotes Take Down Big Velvet 10-Pointer

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:02:48 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Reader Cole Meadows sent us these incredible, albeit graphic, photos, saying, “These have been going around the Internet. I know the coyote problems here in Ohio are bad. Hopefully you could post these pictures so we can get hunters motivated to start controlling coyote populations.”

You can view all the photos in this series here on Deer & Deer Hunting's website. WARNING: THESE PHOTOS CONTAIN GRAPHIC IMAGES

Making the photos an argument for more predator control may be taking them out of context, seeing that we have no idea what the context is. What’s clear, though, is that at least two coyotes manage to take down a heck of a velvet 10-pointer in August--particularly intersting given the new studies suggesting that coyotes play a larger-than-ever-expected role in deer predation. (See Bestul’s column on same.)

I’ll let you draw your own conculsions.

Beware: Before You Shoot at a Buck From a Ground Blind...

Sarah Smith — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:34:06 -0500

Depending on where you live, it is now, or soon may be too cold to want to spend hours aloft and exposed in a deer stand. And so some of you will likely trade your tree for the comparative coziness of a ground blind. But before you do, take heed of what American Hunter Managing Editor Jeff Johnston told me on a recent whitetail hunt in Wyoming, which he also wrote, in bold, on his BullShooters blog: “If you choose to use expandable broadheads, don't shoot through the mesh, mister!”

Bushnell Scope Buck-Scoring Contest, Round 2

Sarah Smith — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:08:32 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Four Steps to Good Bow-Shooting Form

Sarah Smith — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:42:46 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

As I say in this video, we archers are forever trumpeting the importance of “good form,”—too often without bothering to explain just what that means. So here’s a simple breakdown. This is basic stuff, but it goes a long way toward shooting well.

(Sorry about the “that-is-a-dead-jackalope” line; that was the video editor’s idea. Damned editors.)

Bow Tip: How To Find Lost Arrows

Sarah Smith — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:41:50 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

Just for you buckhunter, here are five tips for recovering those arrows that—no way!—missed the whole dang target on the practice range.

1) Keep the lawn mowed short. (Yeah, right.)

2) If possible, set up so the terrain behind the target is uphill, even if only slightly.

3) When you shoot a flier, stop shooting. While the shot is still fresh in your mind, stare at the target and do your best to remember and mentally mark exactly where you missed. (e.g. “Left edge of the target, 2 inches high.”)

4) Drop your bow at your feet. Walk past the target, beyond the farthest point where the arrow could have landed, turn around and line up the bow, your marked miss and yourself—all in a straight line. Drop your hat.

Guest Shoot Me Down: Expensive Bows Are Worth Every Penny

Online Editors — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:32:13 -0500

by Dave Hurteau

In our last “Shoot Me Down,” I argued that “Speed Kills” because a fast bow allows you to use a heavier arrow and larger broadhead without giving up too much in trajectory. In response, lovetohunt gave us a thesis on kinetic energy, momentum and most interestingly, bow-and-arrow efficiency. Now, as our SMD winner, he is here to rant and rave as my special guest.

Take it away, lovetohunt:

Expensive bows are worth every penny.

All too often I see people hunting with bows that look like they were made in a toyshop 15 years ago. These folks can’t seem to justify spending the money on today’s better models, but I don’t think they realize that these expensive bows kill deer better than those ancient bows do.