Tag Archives: bow hunting

NEW BERLIN, WI (January 22, 2015) – Sportsman Channel revealed its 2014 Sportsman Choice Awards winners at the network’s viewer choice awards event Wed., Jan. 21. The winners were announced during Sportsman Channel’s annual awards presentation at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel Casino Resort during the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas.

The collective voice of American sportsmen and women from coast to coast was heard as more than 293,000 votes were cast in 11 different categories, setting an all-time record for Sportsman Choice Award viewer voting.

“2014 was a significant year for the network’s growth and its exceptional producers,” said Marc Fein, executive vice president of programming and production. “There was a good mix of first-time and returning winners and that really speaks to the depth of our talent and where the network is heading. All of the winners and finalists should be proud of their accomplishments.”

 The winners are listed with the finalist below each category in alphabetical order:

 

Best Hunting Show – Big Game:

Pigman: The Series – WINNER
Hosted by Brian “Pigman” Quaca, Produced by Track Ten Productions
Midwest Whitetail with Bill Winke, North American Whitetail, Realtree’s Monster Bucks and The Western Hunter

 

Best Hunting Show – Small Game:
Predator Nation – WINNER
Hosted by Fred Eichler, Produced by Blue Roots Productions
Avian-X, Dead Dog Walkin’, Heli-Hunter presented by Fusion and Predator Quest

 

Best Shooting Show:
Guns & Ammo – WINNER
Hosted by Craig Boddington and Kyle Lamb, Produced by IMO Productions
Guns & Gear, Hot Shots, NRANews Cam & Co. and Ruger Inside and Out

 

Best Fishing Show:
In-Fisherman – WINNER
Hosted by Doug Stange, Produced by IMO Production
Addictive Fishing, Alaska’s Fishing Paradise, Extreme Angler TV and Louisiana Outdoor Adventures

 

Best Full Draw Show – Bowhunting:
Relentless Pursuit – WINNER
Hosted by Tim Wells, Produced by World Hunting Group Productions
Bowhunter TV, Easton Bowhunting, Major League Bowhunter and Outback Outdoors

 

Best Educational – Instructional Show:
Midwest Whitetail with Bill Winke – WINNER
Hosted by Bill Winke, Produced by Midwest Whitetail Productions
Bowhunter TV, Conquest 200, Major League Bowhunter and MeatEater

 

Best Special Program Show:
Fred Bear: Father of Bowhunting – WINNER
Produced by Bear Archery and Rusted Rooster
Buck Knives – Edge of a Legend, Hog Dawgs, Iditarod and Murph the Protector

 

Best Variety Show:
MeatEater – WINNER
Hosted by Steven Rinella, Produced by Zero Point Zero Production
Brotherhood Outdoors, Gun It with Benny Spies, Meet the McMillans and The Outfitters Built by Ford F-Series

 

Best New Series:
NRA Life of Duty – WINNER
Produced by Ackerman McQueen
Amazing America with Sarah Palin, Heli-Hunter presented by Fusion, Mathews Dominant Bucks and
Winchester Deadly Passion

 

Shot of the Year:
Larysa Unleashed, Fast Reflex Doe – WINNER
Hosted and Produced by Larysa Switlyk
Brad Farris Game Plan, Long Range Pursuit, Pigman: The Series and Relentless Pursuit

 

Best Overall Host(s):
Brian “Pigman” Quaca – WINNER
Host of Pigman: The Series, Produced by Track Ten Productions
Benny Spies, Bill Winke, Jana Waller and Tim Wells

 

Best Overall Production:
MeatEater – WINNER
Hosted by Steven Rinella, Produced by Zero Point Zero Production
Dropped: Project Alaska 2.0, Into High Country, Saving Private K-9 and YoungWild

 

Best Commercial:
Yeti Coolers – WINNER
Produced by Arctos Collective/Jeff Simpson
Buck Knives, Bushnell – TrophyCam Wireless, Danner and Duluth Trading Company

 

Best Show Intro:
The Western Hunter – WINNER
Hosted by Nate Simmons, Ryan Hatfield and Chris Denham, Produced by Alpha Motion
Gun It with Benny Spies, Hallowed Ground Outdoors, Pigman: The Series and YoungWild

By: Jason D. Mills

It’s January, which, for many archers, means cold-weather hunting. Whether you’re hunting small game such as squirrel or rabbits; or you’re headed out to bag that late season buck, there are many difficulties unique to a cold weather hunt.

Here are five tips to remember before heading out:

1. Practice shooting while wearing all of your gear

All those extra layers can hinder how you aim. Bulky gloves can affect your release and limit your ability to feel your bow’s grip – try our Down Under Wool Gloves instead. A face mask could get in the way of your anchor or disturb the string upon release – our Three-in-One Spandex Facemasks are warm and flexible, so you won’t feel bogged down. An unwieldy jacket could be louder than expected when you attempt to draw and could limit your range of motion. The point is, don’t make any assumptions about your gear.

2. Remember to move

From time to time, it’s a good idea to stand up and move a little while hunting in cold weather. Sitting for long periods of time will lead to tired, cold muscles. Simply alternating from standing to sitting can keep the blood flowing, your muscles limber and your mind focused. It’s also a good idea to draw your bow at least once or twice an hour – this will keep your muscles warm and keep your bow from freezing up and making a lot of noise while drawing back. It’s not a bad idea to pack some hand and toe warmers as well.

3. Hunt the ground

When the temperature drops hunters are often better off hunting ground blinds near a good food source or a natural funnel than in a tree stand. The lack of foliage during an end of season hunt usually means many of your early and mid-season trees lack the cover they had just a few short weeks ago. A ground blind will be much warmer and you will be less exposed than in a tree that has lost all of its leaves. It’s also a good idea to look for swamps or pine thickets covered in snow – both are warmer than the surrounding area and make great bedding cover.

4. Find the food

Thick snowfall forces deer and small game into survival mode. Remember that nut-laden flat or fruit filled orchard you saw early in the season? Now would be the time to be there waiting the first afternoon after a snow storm, because deer will be looking for that food. It doesn’t have to be anything that specific, but you will want to find quality food where deer and small game will feel secure. Many deer will look to flowering plants during the latter part of the year – weeds and wild flowers on a southern facing slope are a great food source for deer in the winter and, in turn, a great place for the late season hunt.

5. Hunt the second rut

A doe that did not get bred earlier in the year will often reenter estrus in early to mid-December. If you find a doe in heat, identified by the droplets of red blood she leaves in the snow when she urinates, follow her. If an estrous doe finds and feeds in the forb you’re hunting it will likely prove to be an irresistible breeding opportunity to any nearby buck.

A successful late season hunt can be cold, but it is often worth the effort. Many archers enjoy the brisk weather and the challenge of cold weather bow hunting. However, cold weather can lead to frost bite and hypothermia if not prepared for correctly. That’s why it’s important to stay warm, stay safe and remember the fundamentals.

We’d love to hear from you; what tips and tricks have you found to be successful in your own cold weather hunt? Let us know in the comments.

Down Under Shooters Glove

By: Dean VanderHorst

Let’s face it, if you’re tree stand hunting whitetails in the Midwest you’re most likely just a short hike from your vehicle or house. Most of us are. If you forget a flashlight or heaven forbid your knife it is just a short walk away. I grew up in southern Michigan bowhunting whitetails at an early age just a ten minute walk out my back door to my stand and most of the time I would have only my knife and bow. Every time I trudged back to the house however for a flashlight left an impression on me to be prepared and think ahead.

Every hunt begins with optimism and being armed with a few items in a prepared fanny pack or backpack is a great way to begin any hunt weather you are in the back 40 acres, down the road, or packing your stand into a dark cedar swamp for an evening bow hunt. Having the items prepared a head of time insures that you have all your gear and that you can be focused on your hunt and not be thinking of what you might have forgotten or should have taken. I find myself thinking of heading to a tree stand at every chance through October and November and by having all of my gear in one place ensures confidence that if I take off and climb up my stand I’ll be prepared for the hunt.

First I use a fanny pack primarily for one reason, it is small. Less space forces me to plan smart and keeps my pack lightweight. I’ve seen a lot of guys over the year use large backpacks or monster fanny packs just for tree stand hunting and put more stuff in there than is necessary just because they have the room. I prefer to keep it small, light and simple. My list includes necessities and some items of convenience developed over time so you have to weigh what is important to you and space constraints.

Here is my List:

1. License. Don’t leave home without it.
2. Fanny Pack or small backpack. I like Badlands for their durability, quietness, and comfort.
3. Knife. Your favorite will do. I have had a Kershaw Alaskan blade trader for years. It has a saw blade as well as a knife blade so it is versatile and compact.
4. Compass or GPS. Always good to keep your bearings even when you “know” where you are. The GPS has the advantage of marking way points during tracking also.
5. Headlight. I prefer headlights over flashlights because if you have to track or dress a deer after dark it is much easier to do if you’re not holding a light too.
6. Wind dust. Always know which way the wind is blowing.
7. Knife sharpener. A small 3Rivers CC sharpener is great to have handy.
8. Camo mask or paint. Staying concealed requires head to toe coverage.
9. Bow hook, pull up rope, and 2^nd chance arrow clip. Small items but when you have several stands they can easily be forgotten to be placed ahead of time so it is convenient to have a spare or if you grab your climber tree stand to head to a new spot for a night.
10. Chemical hand warmer and toe warmer. One pack of each. Clearly not a necessity but I put them in my pack early in the season so they will be there so later in the season and often use them on a morning I was not expecting.
11. Camera and camera clip. I never used to carry one but when I started hunting with my kids it has been a must to record the moments. Small is the key. I have a small point and shoot digital camera with a clip mount that will hold anywhere for a great picture to save the memories.
12. Binoculars. A small pocket set of binos for stand hunting are invaluable.
13. Phone. Think that is a given anymore.
14. Small baggy of wet wipes. A one quart freezer bag with a couple wet wipes in it is convenient for clean up after dressing a deer.
15. Armguard and glove/tab. Sounds so simple but I keep them in my fanny pack for a reason; and yes I’ve made it to my tree stand without them before so now I keep them in my pack so not to be forgotten.
16. Hand pruners. Trim those little branches that pop up in lanes, walking into stand sets or trimming out for taking photos.
17. Brunton Inspire™ battery pack. This is not a necessity either but I won’t be caught without one in my pack. They are about the size of your cell phone and can recharge your phone, headlamp, and camera. Very simple and eliminates the need to carry extra batteries.
18. Game calls. Not necessities but if you’re taking them, get them in there.
19. Marking tape. A roll of about 10’ to use when tracking a blood trail. Be sure to take it down after being used.

All of these items kept ready in one spot will help anytime you get time to sneak off to your hunting stand this season. I keep mine in my truck all season with my safety harness so all I have to remember is my bow and quiver and I’m ready to go. Any successful hunt starts with good planning. Stay safe, shoot straight and make some memories in the wood this fall.

3Rivers Haversack Hunting Pack		Ambush Wind Detectors

By: Dale Karch and Todd Smith

Good Game Comes in Small Packages

What is THE most hunted animal in North America? The whitetail deer? The black bear? The elk?

Nope! It’s the cottontail rabbit! In fact, more hours are logged in the field each year by small game hunters than any other. Let’s face it; small game hunting is in our veins. Sure there are some die-hard big game hunters that don’t have the time to “waste” on small game. But they’re in the minority, and they don’t realize what they’re missing.

Some of the most exciting bowhunting action on the planet is found in hot pursuit of small game. Whose heart doesn’t skip a beat when he hears beagles on the hunt sounding off? Or, perhaps the thought of floating silently down a small river on the lookout for late summer, early fall squirrels is more to your liking?

Have you ever been jolted back to reality by a pheasant busting up at your feet, a flurry of feathers and a cackle that just about made you jump out of your boots? Or how about stalking the tundra and spruce in search of snowshoe hares, or ranging the arid desert for jackrabbits?

Dale and I have shared some great fun chasing the multitude of spruce hens that inhabit the Alaskan far north.

From East to West and North to South, we all have small game to hunt and we love doing it. It’s exciting, challenging, rewarding, and produces tasty rewards to boot. Small game hunting has a lot to offer the traditional bowhunter. Not the least of which is plenty of action!

Those of us who have taught Bowhunter Education are well versed in the discussion of how broadhead tipped arrows kill by hemorrhage resulting in blood loss in contrast to bullets which kill by shock and tissue damage. The small game point is, in bowhunting, the exception to the rule. These heads, like bullets, rely on converting the energy from the weapon into a package that kills by delivering a powerful blow packed with a heavy dose of shock and, at times, tissue damage.

Small game comes in many shapes and sizes, as do the points we use to hunt them. In this article we’ll cover the various small game heads available to the longbow and recurve shooter and describe their various strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also learn the subtle and not so subtle differences between heads, which should make choosing what you need much easier. Certain heads are better suited for particular situations and really, no single head can do it all. A few come close, but we feel it’s best to keep an open (and educated) mind as you consider the wide selection of options out there.

After kicking around the best way to present the different heads, we’ve decided to feature a selection of some of the most popular small game heads and discuss them individually. This way you’ll be able to get a good feel for different styles of small game blunts available.

The Hammer™ Small Game Blunt

Nail’em with the Hammer! Offered in a Screw-in Hammer and a Glue-on Hammer, they are devastating on all small game and sure to be your new favorite stump shooting blunt. The fluted design with scalped cutting edges grab into small game and keep the arrow from becoming stuck in trees or under grass. The recessed ballistic point delivers killing shock to all sized small game. Made from hardened steel to take hard hits and keep shooting. Offered in point weights of 100 up to 250 grains.

The Hammer™ Blunt features Scalped edges and recessed ballistic point for a powerful shock and hemorrhage option.

Zwickey Judo

Jack Zwickey and his dad Cliff designed the amazing Judo. It took real ‘out of the box’ thinking to envision such an amazing arrowhead. They truly are perfect for realistic bowhunting practice. You can shoot into stumps, trees, cut-banks, and even open fields without fear of losing your arrows. The small spring arms that encircle the head prevent deep penetration in the stumps and ground and they grab tall grass and flip your arrows up so you can find them in grassy fields. Judos are the ultimate stump shooting head. Zwickey even calls it, The Unloseable Point. You’d be hard pressed to find a longbow or recurve toting traditional bowhunter who doesn’t have a Judo or two in his or her quiver. For that very reason they are often called to perform as small game heads and have many small game species to their credit. Zwickey Judos are available in several sizes and in both screw-in Judo and glue-on Judo versions. Be sure to check out the Judo’s big brother, the Kondor Screw-in point. We do recommend that you have over 50 pounds of bow force if you intend to use them for small game.

The Zwickey Judo is known as “The Unloseable Point,” thanks to the small spring arms that encircle the head.

Snaro Bird Points

What an attention-getter! This is one popular head, probably because of the four loops of wire on a steel blunt. This head has advantages and disadvantages. They’re heavy (200-300 grains) and wind resistant so they slow down your arrow. This makes hitting moving game, especially at longer distances, more difficult. When you see the big loops you think, “Hey, I’ll still get my animal or bird even if I’m off a little.” But the truth of the matter is, if you miss, this head is not going to get you rabbits and squirrels. You need a lot of power behind this head to take advantage of the wire loops. If you don’t have the power, you may hit your target with the loops but you won’t have enough power to kill them. We think the best use of these is on birds, and then specifically when you’re aiming for the head. In that situation, a near miss will result in a bird in the hand more often than not. When the wires connect on the head or neck of a bird, they’re very effective. Snaro Bird Points come in three wingspans; 2″ (200 grains), 3″ (250 grains), and a 6″ (300 grains). Offered in screw-in only.

Snaro Bird Points are most effective against birds.

Bludgeon Small Game Blunt

Made of a hard hitting rubber-plastic. Great for stump shooting and small game hunting. The raised tips offer small game killing shock, yet enough to help prevent sliding under the grass. The Bludgeon blunt is 7/8″ wide at the tip and tapers back to 5/16″ at the base of the head. Offered in 125 grains screw-in only.

Hard Hitting Bludgeon Blunt

Flat-Nosed Steel Blunts

These points are still quite popular with bowhunters and they do a very good job at killing small game. The Flat nosed deals the shock and a small chamfer helps to prevent skipping. They are stamped with diameter and grain weight for easy identification. If they have any down side, it’d be that they’re small in diameter so they don’t pack as hard a hit as do the wider blunts and, when used on wood arrows, impacts on the sharp corner of the front flat will often break your arrow. The solution to that is easy though: don’t miss! But, of course, that’s easier said than done! Still, these heads are a great deal, they’ve been around forever, and they’re every bit as good today as they ever were. They’re available in both glue-on blunts and screw-in blunts, so they’ll appeal to any small game hunter.

Steel Blunts are a popular, effective, and affordable small game head.

3Rivers Bunny Buster

The Bunny Buster rubber blunt is so handy it deserves to be included in every bow hunter’s small game repertoire. The basic concept of a hard-hitting rubber blunt has been tested and battle-proven for over 50 years. This one, with its one-of-a-kind parallel-to-tapered internal slot, can be slipped over tapered or non-tapered shafts or even over other points on wood, aluminum, or carbon arrows. There’s no tapering and no glue needed. Wood arrow users can give new life to an arrow that breaks off behind the head by pulling an extra Bunny Buster out of their pocket and slipping it over the broken end of the shaft for an instant small game or stump-shooting arrow. Make sure to always keep a couple handy.

The Bunny Buster offers more that just convenience; it packs a deadly knockout punch on small game, yet bounces off trees and stumps making it an excellent roving or stump shooting arrow as well. This is a distinct advantage over solid steel blunts. Glancing blows with steel blunts often break wooden arrows, the Bunny Busters bounce and reduce the risk of breaking arrows. Rubber blunts like the Bunny Buster have been successfully used on all sorts of small game, including; snowshoe hare, jackrabbits, grouse, pheasant, squirrel, and more. These blunts deliver a tremendous amount of shock to their target with minimal tissue damage. Whether you use the Bunny Buster as your first choice for small game hunting, or as a secondary head for arrow repair, you’ll be pleased with their power and performance.
Bunny Busters are available in sizes to match most arrows on the market and weigh approximately 120 grains.

A versatile small game head, the 3Rivers Bunny Buster, is great for hunting or stump shooting.

3Rivers Tiger Claw Blunt

One of our most popular small game heads is the Tiger Claw Blunt. The Tiger Claw Blunt has a reputation for putting small game down for good. They’ve proven themselves time and time again as hard-hitting, quick-killing heads. They utilize a flat faced leading edge that transfers the shock to the animal followed by a sharp edged “Claw” that tears its way through soft tissue causing many small game animals to drop on the spot. The 3Rivers Tiger Claw is very effective on all small game. Available in a 145 grain glue-on version only.

The Tiger Claw Blunt is a quick-killing small game head.

The Head Saver

Designed for the wood arrow stump shooter. The Head Saver keeps your field point or blunt connected to the arrow after the wood shaft has broken behind the point. Works great for stump shooting and small game hunting. Great money saver!

The Head Saver is a ‘life saver’ for glue-on points

Field Points

We’ve included the field point because some folks just don’t know any better. In a word, DON’T. Don’t use field points for small game hunting. They don’t kill quickly and it’s not fair to the animal.

Broadheads

Broadheads are not intended for small game hunting, but sometimes they are used. Most of the time it’s a big game arrow used to shoot a small game animal when the bowhunter didn’t bring any small game arrows with him. We don’t really recommend broadheads for small game, but we have seen excellent results on game birds like grouse and pheasant. The risk of shooting clear through your animal is high and if using dogs, broadheads are strictly prohibited. Still, sometimes bowhunters will choose to use broadheads. Recommend you take a look at Zwickey Scorpio Broadhead Stoppers as they help limit penetration of broadheads. Good for turkey hunting too!

Like the birds and animals they were designed for, Bunts and Small Game Points are available in many shapes and sizes. From simple flat-faced steel blunt to exotic Snaro Bird Points and everything in between, there’s a head for every use and every bowhunter.

Keep Hunting
Dale Karch & Todd Smith

For more information contact:

3Rivers Archery
PO Box 517
Ashley IN 46705

260-587-9501

info@3riversarchery.com or check us out on-line at 3RiversArchery.com

By Dave Echterling and James McKenzie

October is a favorite time of year for most bowhunters. In addition to hunting, many of us spend every spare second in the woods looking for rubs, scrapes, and general signs. There is nothing better than a fall afternoon in the woods.

Deer hunting is an ever changing challenge. Just because one spot was good last year does not necessarily mean that it will be a productive area the next. Remember, deer patterns can change rapidly. Just as soon as we think we have them figured out, hunting pressure can cause deer habits to change very quickly. Early gun seasons before bow season and youth firearm seasons can contribute to this change in deer habits. So it’s important to keep your options open, be observant, and not get complacent.

Let the wind dictate your stand choice for a morning or evening hunt. Always be on the downwind side of travel routes. Never risk sitting in a stand with a questionable wind. If the wind is wrong wait for more favorable conditions. On days with unfavorable wind conditions, you might want to find a new stand location or set up a ground blind. Fence rows can be ideal locations for ground blinds, as they are frequent travel paths for deer. Even a perch in between the branches of a downed tree can work well in a pinch. Always be on the lookout for new stand locations. As deer habits change do not be afraid to adjust with them.

Another thing you might consider is to not use a cover scent. A Hunter’s Hack that some have found works very well, is to carry three film canisters, each having a cotton ball in them soaked with doe urine. Place each one about ten yards from the tree, always in a shooting lane because there is a probability that a deer will stop and smell one or two. This will hold their attention and possibly allow you to get a shot off. It is also something new, and deer, being curious animals, will tend to check it out. When you leave the woods take the canisters with you. You may find this is a lot better than placing scent on the ground and leaving it, or using it as a cover scent. Even if it does cover your scent you still have a smell and deer will stop to investigate rather than fleeing.

It is good practice to always carry a blunt tip. When you get ready to leave your tree stand, pick a leaf to shoot at. This keeps you in tune, provides confidence, and improves your shooting from an elevated position.

If it’s a rainy day with a swirling wind try hunting from the ground and spend some time stalking. The woods is noisy during a rain shower and deer tend to typically take cover at these times. The noise also helps drown out any sounds you make. Cornfields are also great during windy and rainy weather. You just need to slowly move from row to row looking both ways one row at a time. Always use this time for a little scouting too. See where the deer are moving and if patterns are changing. You might even take the opportunity to still hunt on the way to your stand locations. You never know what you might encounter. The important thing is to not limit yourself.

As deer season progresses toward the rut, the ability to be flexible and think outside of the box can make or break your hunt. But whatever your preference, the most important thing is that you get out in the woods, enjoy nature, and experience the hunt.