My Permanent Buck

I've wanted this for a long time now, so after finding the right artist I went for it.

Quick Workout Update

Some stats as of today:

Height: 5'10
Weight: 166
Body Fat: 7.2%

Squats: 365- 2 Reps
Dumbell Incline Press: 5 reps with 85's
Tricep dips: 14 with hanging 45 plate

Max HR: 223
Resting HR: 43

BRING ON THE RUBIES.

A-Zone Archery Opener Buck

Wow, what a hunt! Began the morning by immediately spotting nice bucks way up high at daylight, including an awesome 140 class 4x4. Possibly the biggest 4x4 Blacktail I've seen on the hoof. Since no roads had been fixed following the winter damage, I loaded up my pack with 2 days worth of gear and made the 4 mile ascent into the honey hole. As soon as I got up there a few hours later I located a nice 20" 3x3 with eyeguards and a smaller 3x3 that I had glassed up in the spotting scope hours earlier. I closed to 32 yards as they fed on an oak tree below me, but having that big boy on my mind kept me from taking a shot.

I moved on the look for the 4x4. I never could turn him up by noon, so I decided to lay low in the oaks where I could glass and possibly ambush bucks moving through during the day. I ended up napping on and off in that spot 6 hours, and in that time I had 4 bucks and 2 hogs come through within 20 yards all on separate occasions. It's amazing how oblivious they become to you when your there first just laying on the ground! I could easily have whacked all of them, but the nicest buck was a 15" 3x2... who ended up bedding down 60 yards away for most of the day. It was awesome to just lay and watch him throughout the day and see how he reacted to noises and other animals. I took a pic of him through my binos (see below). 6:30 rolled around and I decided it was time to traipse around a bit since I could see bucks up and feeding in the distance. I slowly (very) moved out to the point where I'd last seen the big bucks.

Napping/ Glassing Spot

As I moved along a trail and rounded the corner, I spotted 2 sets of horns above the grass right on the edge of a buckeye/oak filled draw. They were just 18 yards away! One was a 4x3, the other a tall narrow 3x3. I said aww, screw it I'll shoot the 4x3 if given the chance. Just when I nocked my arrow something spooked them, and I don't even think it was me, but they ran into the trees and circled downhill. As luck would have it the 4x3 decided to stop in the only opening in there to have a look around. No time to range at this point. I drew back, took one step to my left, guess 55 yards, and smoked him. He bolted down the steep hill for about 40 yards before running out of gas and laying in a bed where I watched him to the head bob for about 5 minutes before calling it quits. By now it was close to 8pm so I had about an hour of light to take pics, quarter him out, and load up my pack. I got the whole buck and all my gear out in one load, but it was about midnight by the time I got back to my truck.

New Bow This Year

A-zone archery season is just around the corner, and I cannot wait to put my new bow to work. I took a turkey with it this spring just after sighting in. Come July 14th, it will be time for some real hunting.

Bowtech Destroyer 350 Black Ops
Spot Hogg Right On
Ripcord Code Red
Easton Axis N-Fused Nano's
G5 T3's

Nevada Here We Come Again

Results just came out and we drew again. Hopefully the weather isn't so hot! Despite the temp being in the 80s during the day, we managed to find and kill these two bucks in NV last season:

Soon To Come: Nikon ED 50 vs Minox MD 50

I have a Nikon ED 50... and my good friend Ben recently got the Minox MD 50.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a side by side comparison/ review.

Stay tuned, I will try to have it done and up by tomorrow afternoon!

2012 Nevada and Utah Draw Results Just around the Corner

I applied for deer and antelope, and according to the very questionable yet somewhat possible way of backdoor checking this year, it looks like I have drawn something. We will know by tomorrow afternoon at the very latest.

Check here: www.huntnevada.com

Also, official Utah results should be up tomorrow. Credit cards have been being charged by Utah since last Friday.

Check here: https://www.utah-hunt.com/UT_Returncard/(S(ru4hucjmbarnp455gv3z4w55))/Default.aspx

Has Technology Advanced Hunting?

Just ask Ben...

Workout Program in a Nutshell

My routine really isn't that complicated, and I don't worry about over-training. I don't count sets or pay attention to gains in the weight room because for me that's not what's important. I don't plan out my week, saying I'll do this exercise this day or I'll work this muscle group that day. It's pretty random which I think is beneficial, considering how P90X is about confusing the body and a lot of people have great success on that program. I only ride my bike 1-2 times per week, but I hit the spin room in the school gym fairly often. Using my heart rate monitor and the spin bike I can get a lot more done strength and cardio wise than being out on the road. On the spin bike I will keep my HR over 180 for 45 minutes while doing intervals up to 220 BPM a number of times in that time frame. This is where most of my fat burning occurs. I applied to be a spin instructor next semester at the school, which I'm pretty sure I'll get. That will be sweet!

In the weight room I refuse to be like all the static, huge upper-bodied, chicken legged guys that hang around in there. Most of my weight exercises involve the entire body which gets the HR up. If you Youtube Lance Armstrong's weight training program, you will see where I got a lot of my lifts from. They aren't made for packing on large amounts muscle, but they add small amounts of muscle at a time while really helping out balance and core strength. And they make me sweat! I like to throw in heavy squats 2-3 times per week when I'm feeling extra strong.

The other day I let one of my professors talk me into taking her PiYo (Pilates-Yoga) class. I decided to go, but didn't expect much. I was wrong! It was awesome, as I got a great core workout mixed with some serious stretching and balance work. What this did was teach me the importance of stretching which I never did properly before. I really think flexibility is hugely underestimated. I will now be incorporating a number of the stretching and balance positions I learned in that class to my weekly routine.

As far as supplements go, I take a lot of protein (3 27 gram shakes/day), a big spoonful of Creatine/day, and Muscle Pharm Assault before each workout. Since taking the MP, I have been able to repeat the same workouts 3 days in a row sometimes without feeling over-exerted.

Nutrition has probably been the biggest factor in getting in really good shape. I don't know how many calories I eat each day, but it can't be many... even though I feel like I'm always eating. My favorite post-workout dinner right now is steamed veggies with pasta and a little Yoshidas marinade with a chicken breast or steak from something I killed. I'm trying to limit most of my carbs to post-workout when they will be used for recovery. During the day just a ton of water and healthy snacks almost hourly.

Are You Physically Ready?

Reading the forums this time of year may be slow if you're looking for fresh grip n grin photos. But one thing that seems to be highly discussed in the off-season is training and conditioning. Guys like Cam Hanes and a few others have really laid down the law the past few years with regards to training for the mountains. With more and more guys learning to go deeper and longer on their hunts, it is apparent that in being physically prepared is becoming an extremely important factor for success.

I've been training on my road bike for a while now, and recently started hitting the gym at school religiously. I've tweaked my diet a bit, eating way more protein and fewer carbs. I'm feeling pretty good, yet still have my physical goals set much higher than where I'm at right now.

I think I'm going to start writing on here a bit more about my training and what works and doesn't with regards to nutrition, supplements, and workouts. Stay tuned if you care to listen.

(After a month of adding the gym to my road biking)

(3 weeks ago... 100 miles at the Sea Otter Classic)

First Archery Pig for Ben!

My best bud Ben and I took a hunt earlier this week, and he put his new Insanity to work. We had a herd of about 15 run right at us after we stalked to 50 yards. They stopped when he drew, allowing a perfect shot on this great eating-sized boar. It was a top-pin shot, low behind the shoulder with a G5 T3 expandable. the thing bled like a stuck pig... and made it about 80 yards before cartwheeling to its demise.

Ben has been bit by the bowhunting bug... In the past year he has added a whole arsenal of gear to his closet, as you can see in the pictures. It was awesome to finally see everything come together.

My dad, Ben, and I are all in for NV archery muley tags this year. Can't wait for the results to come out!

Petition to Oppose SB 1221

Here is a link to a petition opposing Senate Bill 1221, which is aiming to end the use of dogs for bear hunting in California. If you care about the health of our big and small game populations, sign it! It only takes a minute. We have enough of a predator problem as it is, and fewer bears being taken will only add to that. Not to mention, our bear population has been exploding over the past fifteen years... even with the use of dogs for hunting! Not only should dogs continue to be used, but hunters should be encouraged to hunt bears and the quota should be raised!

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-ca-state-senate-opposition-to-sb-1221?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish

New Elk on the Wall

I finally got my 2009 New Mexico bull back from the Taxi. It turned out excellent. Click the pics to see full size.

Dry Firing A Bow... Ouch.

My roommate "Murch" dry fired my bow... and learned his lesson. Check out his forearm 4 days later. Luckily (for me) his skin slowed the string down enough to minimize the damage to my bow.

Click on picture for full size.

Core4Element Clothing Review

I ordered my first set of Core4Element clothing back in September, using my Nevada mule deer hunt as an excuse for needing some new clothing (I was in fact due for some fresh camo though). I was originally looking at Sitka Gear, but I wasn't about to fork out that kind of money. At the same time, I wanted some clothing a little more athletically appealing than what most standard camo has to offer. I ended up finding some Core4Element Switchback pants on camofire.com, a popular discount site that offers incredible deals on some quality gear. With the purchase of the pants I was offered a great deal on a C4E long sleeve shirt called the "Assault". What really pleased me about this stuff was the material, and the pattern- Mountain Mimicry. I received the clothing a short time later and it seemed to be of good quality. It didn't take long for me to order the matching Element jacket (which came with a free beanie) from the same site. As soon as I opened up the jacket, it was love at first sight. What an awesome looking, comfortable product! I had to go for a hunt to try all this stuff out. I went on a few local hunts for pigs, bear, etc. and I was very happy with the clothing. The real test was yet to come though, as my dad and I had our Nevada tags burning holes in our pockets.

We put many, many long hard miles in on our hunt. I wore my C4E gear the whole time, and here is what I thought of each item:

Beanie: Looks good in pictures, but that's about it. Too thin too keep you warm, and way to big for a size 7 head like mine. I wore it over my regular non-camo beanie (mainly just to complete my outfit). I call it my "beanie beanie", as it's completely useless without another beanie underneath. Keep in mind though... this thing came free with the jacket.

Assault Long sleeve Shirt: Very comfortable. The athletic cut was nice, as the shirt isn't real baggy in the forearms. You can slip through the brush with ease without your sleeves grabbing onto every little snag. Also, the sleeves are nice and long- something I seem to have problems with. I usually have to get shirts a size too big just so the sleeves are long enough. Not the case here. The extended neck coupled with a 1/4 zip was versatile. When the wind blew, I could zip it all the way up to keep my neck warm. The material is fairly thick, but much more breathable than I thought it would be. No front pocket, a minus. There is a zippered pocket high on the arm which is a cool idea, but you really need 3 hands to work the zipper. Or, you can reach down and bite your shirt to keep enough tension to work the zipper. Not real practical, but at least it's there. Also, some of the thread in the armpit and around one of the cuffs came loose. I probably lost about a foot per day of thread from these locations. That said, I really do like the shirt and would probably buy again.

Switchback Pants: These were definitely the most comfortable hunting pants I've worn. Also extremely light weight. The pockets are nice and deep, and the cargo pockets have a few extra zippered compartments which came in handy. The athletic cut was much more comfortable than regular camo pants, although I wished they were a touch tighter in the lower leg... but that's getting nit-picky. I didn't use the removable knee pads (didn't even bring them) but it's a nice option to have on the right hunt. Because of the knee pad option, the knee area of the pants are double-layered which is a great feature in its own right. There are no adjustable tabs on the pants so if they are a little loose, you must wear a belt. The structural integrity of the pants held up extremely well. One thing I was really disappointed with was that the camo pattern from the knees down was almost completely worn off by the end of the hunt. I guess walking through dense low sage was too much to handle. I found the material to be comfortable, breathable, and versatile in a broad range of temperatures.

Element Jacket: My most favorite piece of clothing I've ever owned. I love this thing! Warm, comfortable, great fit, etc. etc. The pockets are all in the right places. Waterproof zippers on pockets. Extremely comfortable velcro cuffs. Nice high collar for when it gets chilly or you need to hide your neck. I've worn this jacket a lot and not a single thread has come loose, and the camo has remained vivid. The micro-fleece like lining is great. All these great features and the jacket is still very light weight and low profile. It's not technically waterproof, but I've hunted with it in the snow and rain and been perfectly cozy.

Final Ratings (out of 10)
                        Comfort            Toughness           Looks             Versatility
Beanie                       8                         8                     9                         5
Assault shirt               9                         7                     9                         9
Switchback pants      9                          7                    9                         8
Element jacket         10                       10                     10                       10

Rattling for Late Season Success

In many areas, rattling isn't a well known tactic for hunting Blacktails. Trust me though, it works! Here are some pointers for your next late-season archery hunt.

Start by selecting a set of rattling horns with extra points (3x3 or better), and make sure they have some size to them. You can tell the difference in sound between large sheds and small ones, and I think the deer can too. I never was able to get anything to come using forky sheds, but once I went to some fairly fresh 4x4 sheds it started working extremely well.

As far as timing goes, I've found that bucks become pretty 'rattleable' about the time they begin making rubs. If you are seeing new rubs and you have a tag in your pocket, you should be in business.

The rattling itself is actually really simple- be as loud as you can! You'll feel stupid at first (at least I did), but after doing it enough you'll see that the bigger the commotion, the better the results. This is where bigger horns with more points come into play. Don't forget to rake the ground and shrubbery while you rattle. Possibly the most important factor is having the wind right. Figure out a rattling location where there is a high likelihood of bucks coming in from up wind, and a low likelihood they will come from behind you. This may sound obvious but it's important none the less! The very best scenario is to spot bucks and sneak to about 200 yards of them with the wind right, then rattle them into bow range. In almost every case I've had they have come to me on a straight line like a coyote. If rattling isn't common in your area, don't be too concerned about bucks trying to circle down wind unless you're in the wide open.

For frequency I usually do 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. When blind rattling I give every spot at least 15 minutes, but after 25 minutes of nothing you should probably move. One more thing, they will come to rattling all day long. Not just morning and evening.

If you haven’t used any calling tactics on Blacktailed deer before, don’t be afraid to give it a try!

Here is a nice Blacktail that my dad and I rattled

 in to 19 yards at the end of the general season a 

couple years ago.

This nice little buck was rattled in to 25 yards before

seeing me and bolting into the next canyon. After 10

more minutes of rattling he was sprinting right back!

I stopped him at 30 yards and made the shot.

"How do you scout for Blacktail?"

Hey all, I was recently emailed this question, and I thought I would share the "short answer" with whoever may find it helpful here. Obviously not all of the following is necessary all the time, nor is it collectively sufficient all of the time. That said, if you are looking for a starting point to out-of-season scouting, hopefully this can get you pointed in the right direction.


I basically scout the same way as I hunt, but with no bow. I also don't mind making more noise, in order to cover more ground and maybe catch a glimpse of a bumped animal. I'm not afraid to push them around a little bit, they aren't going to completely move away. It also shows what kind of tolerance they have, and what their escape rout is. In my opinion, the 2 most important scouting months are the month after the season, and the month before. Whats helped me is taking notes. Scouting heavily in October is just a waste if you can't remember what you learned by the time the season comes around again. I keep a note pad and pencil with me to sketch where heavy trails and bedding areas are, and wind patterns for morning and afternoon. Having an idea about what time of the day the wind switches is very helpful. Figure it out and log it! I also write down how many animals I see and how big they are. Writing down exactly where I see a certain buck each time gives me an idea on what his general range is. Most of the bucks I hunt stay within a 3/4 mile area most of the year. There is no such thing as too much detail! Check out the heavy trails and see if all the tracks are going in the same direction. If so, then why? What other trail are they using to get back to the beginning of this one? Are they using this one in the morning or afternoon? Blacktails CAN be patterned! They are creatures of habit. Trail cameras are an awesome tool, obviously. They give the hunter confidence. Having confidence in an area is a huge factor. It will make you hunt harder and longer than if you don't have a high confidence in your area. On the other hand, trail cameras can really hurt hunters. Most guys put a camera or two out, and get pictures of a buck that they would be happy shooting. They then leave the camera there to take pictures of the same few deer over and over until the season starts. What they don't realize is that in the next canyon there is a B&C monster that they have no idea about because they didn't move their camera around. It's hard to move it away from a place that produces pictures, but the deer aren't going anywhere. When I get some pics that show constant results of the same bucks, I move it 3/4 of a mile or so. Then I get to see different deer. They might be smaller, or they might be bigger. You never know until you do it. If you want to consistently hunt/kill big bucks, then you need to find the biggest bucks in your area. This means getting out of your comfort zone and investigating new pockets of deer. It took me a while to learn to do this but it's paid off.

WELCOME!

To anyone who took the time to get here, welcome! I decided to create this blog to share my trials and tribulations with others who share the same interests. I began my time in the field at a very young age, as my dad and his friends would tote me around the hills while dog hunting for wild hogs. Before long I was promoted from walking dog leash rack to shooter. Besides hunting pigs with my dad, I spent a great deal of time in the field with my Grandfather on dove and quail hunts. My time in the outdoors as a youngster has made me who I am today. In this blog I look forward to sharing stories and photos of hunts from throughout my life so far, and some of the things I look to accomplish in the future. Some stories will be good, some will be informative, and others will contain material that is downright hilarious- in some pretty sick ways.

I also plan to share some of my home projects. Lately I have been bedding and painting rifles, along with a few other DIY projects that folks might benefit from seeing. And by all means, please leave comments if any of you have suggestions for me!

Stay tuned, and thanks for looking!

Todd