-C.B.
How many of you have ever heard of the King Buck from Wisconsin? You know, the state home to the most B&C-listed bucks in the United States. That state where James Jordan shot his 206-inch monster back in 1914, holding the world record from 1971 (when it was officially scored; Jordan wasn't declared the person who shot this magnificent whitetail until 1978 - unfortunately, he passed away one month before being declared the successful hunter) to 1993, when it was knocked down to number 2 in the world by Milo Hanson's 213-inch brute of a 12 point from Saskatchewan, Canada. So you haven't heard about this possible world record buck being taken back in 2006? Don't worry, a lot of others haven't as well. But don't you fret, Deer and Deer Hunting has brought this beautiful specimen of a deer to light and documents the entire scoring journey of Johnny King's 6x6. This is a must-read article and one that stirs up a bit of a conspiracy theory in my mind, but that's neither here nor there. What do you think? Should the King buck be panel-scored at Boone and Crockett's 28th Big Game Awards Program in 2013 to settle the on-going debate once and for all? Leave a comment and let us know!
-C.B.
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I've been in the market for a rifle since moving to North Carolina a couple of years ago. I've been looking for a multi-purpose rifle for a left-handed shooter. After much searching, I believe I have set my eyes on a rifle. I'll detail my findings and rationale for wanting to make the Blaser R8 my next firearm purchase. I'm not positive, but it seems as though this German firearm has just started gaining popularity in the US. You can find their products here. Some of the unique features of the R8 are the following: 1) The R8 is one of the fastest shooting bolt-action rifles available. There is no upward lift on the bolt needed, just a straight pull back and a push forward is all you need to cycle another round. 2) The R8 is also a modular system. There are a variety of barrels that can be purchased. Each caliber has a caliber group, meaning you can switch from one caliber to another caliber in the same group by just switching the barrel. If you want to move a caliber in one group to a caliber in a different group then you'll need to purchase a corresponding bolt head. Each of the barrels comes with the correct magazine insert that is needed. This feature allows a hunter to purchase one rifle and use it for multiple species of game, making this the perfect all-around bold-action rifle. For details on the modular system see the information here. 3) The magazine is located in the trigger assembly. Doing this cuts down on the length of the rifle; it's a pretty slick design if you ask me! 4) The R8 saddle mount is a scope mounting system specific to the Blaser line of rifles. This allows the scope to be attached and detached from the rifle very easily, all without any need to zero the scope after removal and attaching of the scope. 5) These rifles are available in left-handed models so this is perfect for left and right-handed shooters! Now the only thing that has stopped me from purchasing one of these rifles right now is the hefty price tag. From all of the reviews that I have read, the rifle is well wroth the money in every way. You can purchase a R8 Profession Package which include the rifle, case, scope, scope mount, flash light and a hunting knife for about $3600. I believe I'm in love with the rifle so I've started saving to make a purchase! For a more detailed review check out the RealGuns review. If anyone has any personal experience with these rifles please post your comments! -Paul Nicolucci When most people think of stream fishing the first thing that comes to mind is fly fishing. I myself have never picked up a fly rod and hit the streams, instead I've always depended on an ultra light spinning rod and reel. My preferred setup is an ultra light rod that is about 5 feet in length paired with an ultra light reel with 4lb mono line. A pretty good combo would be the Browning Micro Stalker.The 4 foot 8 inch length makes this a great choice because it is easy to cast with low hanging cover or flip out into a pool of water with brush all around you.
Some of my favorite light lures for trout fishing are the Phoebe and the Panther Matrin. Both attract trout like you could not imagine in streams. I've gone out more than once and limited out using just these two lures. Now there are some limitations to using ultra light spinning gear. It is best to fish the pools that you find in the stream and deeper portions of the stream so that you can keep your lure at a depth that the fish are feeding. If you try casting your lure into extreamly shallow water all you are going to do is get hung up on some rocks. Shallow water is the one place where fly fishing will really out performs ultra light spinning gear. However, fish love the pools. If you find a decently deep pool and catch one fish keep casting into the same pool, chances are there are a few more hungry trout just waiting for something to swim by. If you have never tried ultra light spinning for trout I'd recommend you give it a try. If nothing else it's a different way of fishing for them that you might find works for you and it is pretty cheap to start up! -Paul Nicolucci "Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up": A 19th Century Mindset Infecting 21st Century Hunters - Part 15/4/2011 A History of Predators in the US
Back in the 1800's (yes, another history lesson... suck it up Marine!) the prevailing philosophy amongst early conservationists was that predators were harmful to nature. It seemed to make sense, predators killed and ate game species, they killed livestock, and they just plain looked scary. It's as if they thought that nature couldn't handle herself she needed us humans to paternalistically step in and keep the big bad wolves from wiping out the poor little game species. So, if predators are harmful to nature, then it only makes sense that if we want to preserve nature we should eradicate as many predators as possible. Right? Sure! What could go wrong? For decades it was the official policy of the US government to exterminate as many predators as possible. Bounties were placed on wolves and other predator species and they were culled en masse. By the 1930's wolves were essentially extinct in the lower 48. Other apex predators like mountain lions and brown bears fared only marginally better. Then, like in so many other environmental issues, one particular case became the canary in the coal mine and clued conservationists into the fact that there was something fundamentally wrong with their model of how nature works. For the issue of predator culling that proverbial canary was the Kaibab Plateau. In 1906 Teddy Roosevelt set up the Grand Canyon National Game Preserve on the plateau with the intention of bolstering the native deer population. In keeping with the conservation philosophy of the time, all of the natural predators living on the plateau were exterminated and hunting on the plateau was banned under the same reasoning. The ecologists of the time predicted that this would lead to an unprecedented, thriving deer population. For the first few years, the results appeared to confirm their predictions... until reality set in. As the Deer population density soared, diseases were more easily passed between individuals and were soon running rampant. However, the more drastic problem happened when the deer population began to bump up against that proverbial glass ceiling imposed by the ecosystem's carrying capacity. The overinflated deer population soon decimated almost all the vegetation on the plateau. Without the plants' roots to hold the soil in place, erosion quickly swept away all of the fertile soil. By the 1920's thousands of deer were starving to death and what remained of the population was addled with disease. To make matters worse, the erosion had left the plateau barren, curtailing its productivity for decades to come. The prevailing philosophy of the time was that the very presence of predators was harmful to the ecosystem in general and game species in particular. The Federal Government carried this philosophy to its logical end and implemented it as fully as is possible on the Kaibab Plateau. To call the results of that effort a total and unmitigated failure would be a forgiving description. You'd think that such a philosophy would be entirely abandoned nearly a century after having been so thoroughly disproven. -K.M. I was born left-handed and have shot right-handed firearms most of my life. A couple of struggles for a left-handed shooter shooting a right-handed gun are the following:
- If you are shooting a semi-auto gun, then you find that your eyes take a beating from debris from the ejected shot. Also, the expired shell can sometimes come back to land on your arm (ouch if it's a rifle shell and you are shooting in short sleeves ). - The reach around is uncomfortable! Now get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about the safety...jeez. Especially in those quick off hand shots where you only have moments to acquire a target and make a successful shot, that difference in a second to reach around to the other side of the gun to click the safety off is sometimes all it takes to make you miss that shot or miss your shot opportunity. - Shooting a right-handed bolt action gun left-handed is very difficult and making a follow-up shot almost impossible without taking your eye off of the target. Through my years of struggling I have done in-depth research and have found and bought a couple of guns that have solved these issues for me. Shotguns: 1) The Browning BPS - I bought one of these about two years ago. I purchased the 3" model with the cantilever barrel and mounted a Nikon 2X7 scope on it after purchase. The gun is also covered in Mossy Oak camo. Pros: - Multiple configurations and options available including additional barrels and camo options - Bottom load and eject very similar to the Ithica back in the day - Moderately priced at around $650 - Top mounted tang safety, making this a true ambidextrous gun Cons: - Can't buy a configuration with a slug barrel and a 3.5" chamber. You will need to purchase the 3.5" version and then a 3" slug barrel in addition if you wish to have a dual-purpose 3.5" gun. 2) The Benelli Super Black Eagle II - I searched high and low to find a good semi-auto shotgun before I ended up purchasing the Super Black Eagle II. Benelli has a good selection of semi-auto shotguns in various configurations. You can research the different models here. I settled on the 3.5" model in Black Synthetic. These usually run between $1500 and $1600 at your local firearms dealer. I've used this gun for multiple outings for duck and crow hunting as well as countless outings for skeet and trap. Pros: - A true left-handed semi, including left-handed safety and ejection - Multiple aftermarket options including barrels and chokes - Very reliable in the field - Strips down easily for cleaning; the barrel goes all the way to the start of the stock, fully exposing the bolt for easy cleaning and removal - Cycles all shells reliably Cons: - The price tag can be scary, but if you think about the amount of use you'll get out of it, it's not so bad after all. 3) Remington Model 870 - Remington also makes a left-handed model, making their trusty and proven Model 870 in a left-handed configuration. I have not had the chance to shoot the left-handed version personally but I have a great deal of experience with the Model 870 in their right-handed configuration, so I'll talk to that as it's the same gun just with the safety and ejection port on the left side of the firearm. Pros: - The proven reliability of the 870 that has been around for years - Many aftermarket options including chokes, stocks, forearms and barrels - The cheapest price tag yet, about $450 Cons: - Only a 3" chamber. So for those of us looking to shoot 3.5" turkey or goose mags we are out of luck with this one. Rifles: You might be thinking by now: "What about a rifle for the lefty??" Well, I don't have any first hand experience but I have a few on my radar. 1) Savage 2) Blazer - Another post detailing these firearms in the days to come. They have a unique bolt design and allow you to switch calibers pretty easily! 3) Tikka T3 4) Weatherby 5) Remington - Remington has an entire section of left handed firearms on their website. 6) Browning Handguns: I've started researching handguns as North Carolina is a carry state and I'd like to pick up a couple in the next year or so. I'll share what I know so far. 1) Beretta PX4 Storm - Many other manufactures offer ambidextrous slide catches, mag releases and safeties that can be converted for a lefty. It's really just takes some talking to a knowledgeable dealer. Any other suggestions? Let us know in the comments section. -Paul Nicolucci Today I deviate from my gun collection to showcase my bow, a 2008 Bowtech Guardian. I knew whenever I first shot this bow that I would have one; it has a smooth draw cycle, felt good and fit me well, is dead-in-hand and is extremely quiet. I have my 50-60# limbs maxed out, giving me a draw weight of around 62#, which is plenty enough to zip my arrows through the rib cage of an unsuspecting whitetail.
My bow is decked out in Realtree APG and has the inVelvet finish, which is supposed to protect against dings in the bow's aluminum riser and limbs as well as keep things quiet if you hit the riser against, say, your stand, while a P&Y 8-pt is standing right below you. I will note that while it does help to dampen noise in a dull "thud" fashion, the camo portion of finish is rubbing off in certain areas, especially around the grip (but not the inVelvet itself). This bow is a family member, along with the General and Commander, of Bowtech's 2007 and 2008 top of the line, binary cam bows that feature Center Pivot technology. I won't go into the specifics of what this means as far as performance as you can follow the link to see all about it and decide for yourself, but I will say that this bow is considered by many (from what I have read online in both articles and forums) to be one of the finest shooting bows ever produced and I have to say I agree. (Why do you think I chose it over the Matthews DXT and Fred Bear Truth when it came time to make a decision on what to spend my hard-earned money on?) The bow may not be a speed demon, its birth certificate has an IBO speed of only 308 fps at 60 pounds, but I am able to produce enough arrow speed and kinetic energy to use expandable broadheads. As for what accessories I have on the Guardian and what I shoot, I'll just post up a list of my set-up below:
-C.B. I just saw this and thought it was worth posting to inform all of our readers that there has been a recent change to the North Carolina laws for purchase of a crossbow. In the past, a hunter had to obtain a NC pistol purchase permit in order to purchase a crossbow for hunting. This requirement has now been revoked and anyone can purchase a crossbow without a pistol purchase permit. See the entire story here.
We will try to keep our readers up to date with any local law changes. -Paul Nicolucci Everyone has to admit that they have an all-time favorite fishing lure. It might take you a couple of minutes to really figure out which lure is your favorite, but think back to a time when the fish just were not biting and try to remember the lure you looked for in your tackle bag. I know that I always seem to fall back onto the Rapala Jointed Minnow in the FireTiger color combination. I've fished this lure in a variety of ways from casting under docks to trolling, all of which have been successful. I really like this color combination in all water conditions, it has the color for murky waters and also fish don't seem to mind the bright color scheme in clear water either. It has a great swimming action when trolled or retrieved at a moderate speed that fish just can't seem to resist! The species of fish that I have caught include Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout and Brown Trout. I'd really like to hear from some of our readers as far as what their favorite lure is. It's quite interesting to see what others fall back on when the fishing gets tough! Happy fishing! -Paul Nicolucci |
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