BOWS

BOWS

Hoyt Katera

6-15-2008

What can I say about Hoyt and their wonderful line of products!  I’m privileged to get the opportunity to try out these revolutionary new bows when they are introduced to the public.  

When looking for a bow I usually pick the longest axle to axle bow they make in any given line.  The longer axle to axle, the more forgiving.  That has always been my motto, however Darrin Cooper, an engineer at Hoyt, talked me into going with the shorter axle length with the Katera.  I was told to throw my old beliefs out the window when it came to the new Hoyt bows.  So with Coops advice in the back of my head, I reluctantly ordered the shorter axle length bow which was 33 inches instead of my usual 36 inch length.  

When I received the bow two weeks later, I was absolutely blown away by this bow from the first shot.  Its great to have a short bow you can shoot all of the time, instead of just in the blind or tree stand.  This is the most accurate bow I have ever shot.  It took me a day or two to get the feel for the shorter brace height, but when I did, my Vectrex got the green light to retire.  I have never shot groups this tight with any bow.  PRO’s By far the best bow on the market,  I don’t see how they can improve on this one.  Short axle to axle allows for greater movement in tight situations.  CON’s  Short brace height.  Once you get past this hurdle, it’s the best shooting bow hanging in your local pro shop.

I can’t wait for next years line of bows to see what Hoyt will come up with.  Hoyt has their work cut out for them if they think it is going to be as easy to retire the Katera as it was the Vectrex.

• Company - Highest rating…. Great people and they respond in a timely matter.  They go above a beyond for even their smallest customers.
• Products -  Highest rating…. Never had a problem with one thing that I have received from Hoyt!  Toughest bows on the market! 

 

Hoyt Alphamax

4-09-2009

Got it in the mail this week!  Hoyt Alphamax 35 with the z2 cam and a half. Had it put together yesterday and shot it only 15 times before my wife started tapping her foot.  Fifteen times was all it took.  I am blown away. Yes, I’ve said this before but its true.  Not only did Hoyt improve on their katera,  they absolutely blew it out of the water.  Only 15 shots and it is my new hunting bow, no doubt about it!   I will write more on the new Alphamax after I get a few hundred arrows through it.

 

Steve Alderman

Founder, Mule Deer Country

GUNS & MUZZLE LOADERS

MUZZLE LOADERS

Thompson Center Arms

TC Pro Hunter 50 cal.

As many of you know I am an avid muzzleloader hunter. There is just something about getting close to the game with the knowledge of only having one shot to get the job   done. The smoke, the smell, the challenge, loading the gun from the muzzle, and getting only one shot at most game brings back a little hunting heritage for me. Technology is fine and I think you, as a hunter, can draw the line anywhere in the sand you want. For me, the challenge is getting within 150 yards and having only one shot.

When I think of muzzleloaders, only a few brands come to mind with one of them being Thompson Center Arms. For gosh sakes Jim Shockey uses them, they must be pretty good! I decided to give them a try when the company I used previously was having some difficulties. So, I went to Cabelas and purchased my first TC. From Cabelas, I went straight to the range and out of the box at a distance of 50 yards all three of my first shots were touching. To say the least I was pleasantly surprised. Of course this was with open sights as that is the only way we can hunt with them here in Idaho during a muzzleloader season. During the rifle season we can use a scope, however for my test no scope was used. I then moved the target out to 100 yards. My first three shots were all within 2 inches of one another. Again, I was very surprised but I knew the gun could out perform my eye sight. I set up for another three shot group swabbing between each shot and this time my group was at the one and three quarter of an inch mark. Not bad for the first 9 shots out of the box. I ended up working up a pretty good load by the end of the day. 120 grains of triple seven ffg and a 300 grain Shock Wave sabot by TC. My best group was at the one inch mark with this combination. A great performance for the first day at the range with a new muzzleloader.

• PRO’s…. TC speed breech, easy to clean, great stock with flex tech and energy burners, and the power rod. Great invasions to make the muzzleloaders life a little easier.
• CON’s…. The sights are a little beginner and should be changed out for the experienced muzzleloader hunter. The fiber optics are too big to be as effective and as precise as I would like.
• Company – Very good…Very busy company. Be patient if want an answer, as it may take a few phone calls. Their gun smith is one of the most knowledgeable in the industry. Service is great when you get someone on the phone, just keep calling!
• Product – Highest Rating…. Very well built and put together. Everything is top quality.

Thompson Center Arms

BOOTS

BOOTS

KENETREK

BOZEMAN, MONTANA

3-29-2009

Mountain Extreme non-insulated hunting boot

This review took a while due to the fact that I wanted to try  Kenetrek’s boots for an extended period of time.  Not that it was needed because as soon as I put them on I knew they were different then the Danners I have been using for the past ten years.

I put these boots(Kenetrek light hikers) through the extremes that the desert in Idaho has to offer.  I purchased these boots on July 15th and started scouting with them. Right away I knew these boots were different.  They felt great, right out of the box.  No stiff leather to break in, nor were they uncomfortable to use, no break in period needed. Right out of the box, a six mile hike with a 60 pound pack and my feet were in great shape the next day.  I wish I could say the same for the rest of my body.  Getting old sucks!

I put these boot through the riggers of a 45 day Idaho hunt.  Not to mention all the days scouting and filming before the season.  The lava of the Idaho desert didn’t even show its effect on the soles of these boots.   From the snow to the heat these boots preformed flawlessly.  Water proof with windtex liner, my feet only got wet from the perspiration of working hard trying to find that big buck…

• Pros… Most comfortable boot out of the box that I have ever put on. Light and water proof.  The soles showed the least amount of wear of any boot I’ve owned.
• Cons… None really.  I’m looking forward to their new boot without the windtex. It’s not water proof but, I’m hoping it’s a little more breathable as my feet sweat in socks.
• Company - very good….  Small company need to be patient when working with them.  Sometimes it takes a while for them to get back to you.
• Products - Highest Rating….  Haven’t found a problem with any of their boots. I own several pair and even wear them for everyday activities.

Update 4-22-09

I thought I would share a little perspective with you about my boots.  I usually go through one to two pair of Danners in a hunting season.  When I say Danner I mean the tried and true American made Danners, not those fakes from China.

Let me show you some photos to compare the two products Kenetrek Mountain Extremes to the Danner Grouse. Both of these boots were used for a similar amount of time and in similar places i.e.. the desert here in Idaho.  Lava and more lava is where I spend much of my time pursuing monster mule deer.  The Danners did not hold up to the abuse that I can dish out to my boots.  Granted, I’m not boot friendly. I don’t oil or take pride in taking care of my boots.  I use them and use them hard.  I know that oiling and taking care of my boots will make them last longer, I just haven’t figure out what and how to do it.  Here are the pictures of my boot comparison.  The first picture is of the soles of both pairs of boots.  The Danner with their tried and true Danner bob sole completely fell apart compared to the Kenetrek on the right.

The next photo is of the uppers of the two boots;  Kenetrek on the left and the Danner on the right.  I know that if I would have taken better care of the Danners the stitching may not have come apart.  However, I did not oil the Kenetrek either and they held up much better.

Kenetrek Hardscrabble

4-22-09

I bought my first pair of Kenetrek boots and couldn’t get enough of them.  I loved the boots so I went out and bought another pair.  This time it was their low top hiker called the Hardscrabble. I wore these boots during the archery elk season of 2008.  My thoughts were that they were a low top boot so they should not cause my feet to perspire as much. I was wrong, my feet perspired,  just not the bottom part of my calf.   They are three ounces lighter than the Mountain Extremes. They are not insulated, but are water proof and breathable.

MSRP is around 305.00 dollars and worth every penny.

I spent over 100 days in the field last year and my Kenetrek boots never let me down.  They are the toughest boot that I have ever owned.   They tip the scale at an unbelievably light 3.6 pounds.

I suggest you wear the best socks you can afford.  This well help your feet tremendously.  Like I said earlier, my feet sweat in socks alone so add boots and look out Niagara.  I wear the Genius socks from Cabelas.  They are silver lined for sent prevention and are very breathable.  I need all the help I can get.

I have heard that Kenetrek just released a new boot called the Mountain Safari. It is uninsulated and does not have the windtex water proof membrane in it.  This boot should allow your (and my) feet to breath better.  They are not water proof but are water resistant.  They retail for around $305.00 and weigh about 3.7 pounds.

Kenetrek Mountain Light Hiker

4-22-09

I’ve recently bought a few more pair of the Kenetrek boots.  I bought the Mountain Light Hiker for the simple reason that I love their boots and my buddy was opening an account with Kenetrek and needed to order ten pairs of boots to get started .

I wanted to try some of their other great styles in my quest for a boot that wouldn’t make my feet sweat so badly.  I though the cordura might breath a little better than the leather.  Boy was I wrong!  They are even hotter than the leather of the scrabble.  I have yet to try these boots extensively in the hills at this point.  One trip is all they have had but so far I like the boot.  The upper feels more ridgid with less flexibility than the Kentrek boots with leather uppers.  It has the signature steel shank which provide more support through the sole.  They weight about 2.9 pounds and the SMRP (suggest manufactures retail price) is about $295.00.

Do you think that I am a fan of Kenetrek?  They have done a great job with their boots and their other line of products.  These quality boots are manufactured in Italy and distributed out of  Bozeman, Montana.

New

Kenetrek Mountain Safari

Review to come……

The new Mountain Safari is the perfect boot for use in the desert mountains wheather located in Arizona’s Kofa Mountain Range or the Zambezi Escarpent in Africa.  Specially designed for the support and comfort in warm tempatures, the non-insulated Mountain Safari is lined with perforated calf skin to enhance breathability and wicking of persperation.  Also an ideal boot for the warm, early seasons of the west.   For a boot with this kind of support, the Mountain Safari is incredibly light weight at only 3.7 pounds per pair.  They are made in Italy.  Suggested retail is $305.00

Update 7-24-09

The new Safari by Kenetrek should arrive today or tomorrow (7-24-09) in the mail.  I’m very excited to try these new boots out.   Review should be completed in the next couple of weeks.  Thanks for your patients.

Steve, Founder of  Mule Deer Country

BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW

Deer of the Southwest

by Jim Heffelfinger

Finally finished Jim’s Book!  I have always thought Jim’s articles were very interesting.  Now, you and I can have some of that wealth of knowledge that Mr. Heffelfinger has stored away in his brain to hold in our own hands.

This book is a biological, ecological and popular guide to the deer of the Southwest.  It covers Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and northern Mexico.  

The Book begins with Taxonomy,  the classification of the deer of the Southwest, including the desert mule deer and the white tail (coues). It then goes into what I thought was the most interesting chapter in the book which covered the historical perspective, especially the section on the History of Deer Management in the Southwest.  Jim traces history all the way back to why and when the first Fish and Game Laws were established. He outlines a historical timeline of the significant changes in southwest deer management.

Jim goes on to discuss the physical characteristics, including a full chapter on antlers. Here  is an excerpt from that chapter:

Humans have been intrigued by antlers since the beginning of time.  Although valuable to the early man as tools, they undoubtedly elected the same admiration and curiosity they do today. What factors effect antler growth? How did antler evolve? Do genetic factors or injuries play a more  important role in the occurrence of non-typical antlers?  The questions are infinite, but not all can be definitively answered.

He then  goes on to discuss diet, densities,  home ranges, reprodution, mortality and deer managment.

Some of the questions answered in this book are:

• Can deer see color?
• What do they eat?
• Can they hear deer repelling car whistles?
• How large is the average home range?
• What causes deformed antlers?
• Are “antlered does” really does?
• Do preditors affect deer populations?
• Do mule deer and white-tailed deer interbreed?

These and many other question you have about deer are answered in this must have book.  This is a book every hunter and deer enthusiast should own.  It is easy to read and Jim doesn’t bore you with all the latin terminology that just confuses the average guy.  This is a go to book if you have any questions about The Deer of the Southwest(or mule deer or white-tail in general).  Deer of the Southwest is now is in my library right next to books like, Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer of North America, by Olof C. Wallmo and Mule Deer Country by Valerius Geist.

Thanks Jim for all the useful information and adding this great book to my library.

 

You can Purchase Jim’s book on his site at www.deernut.com

Steve Alderman

Founder of Mule Deer Country 

What Deer See!

Can I see you? 

 Article By: Todd  A. Black

Photos By: Vince Martinez

 

I have been asked by clients, friends, and other hunters what I think is the best 

type of camopattern available out there on the market today.  What camo I buy and why. 

Now I will admit that I have my preference for a particular camo patter but in the interest 

in advertising and marketingI’m not going to tell you what it is, those of you that really 

want to know can visit our web page to find out.  I’m not even going to talk about what is 

or isn’t the best camo out there but what I am going to do is talk about ungulates  (deer, 

sheep, elk, moose goat) in general and what and how they see.

It’s funny to watch how the camo industry has exploded in the past 20 years. This 

explosion has occurred despite little knowledge and without much consideration of what 

deer, elk, and other game animals actually see.  It used to be that the good ‘ol army camo’

was good enough for everyone and every where. Now we have specialized winter, spring, 

fall, hardwoods, sagebrush, aspen, dark timber, and everything in betweencamo—we 

have gone ‘camo crazy’. I guess we hunters are just suckers for camo, I know I tell my 

wife all the time that it’s my favorite color and like most of you I feel comfortable 

wearing it to church or out in the field. My brothers and I still have a running joke about 

camo and every time we get all decked out we always make the comment that ‘I can’t see 

you’ or we ask ‘can you see me now’?  Really though what it comes down too is how 

well we break up our Homo erectus form not if we look like the closest bush or tree out 

there in the woods.  I wonder if we really think about this or just how good we think we 

look in the mirror, to our hunting buddies, or to those of us that are really lucky to our 

wives. Too understand what it means to break upthe human form, I think we first must 

understand how and what an ungulate sees.  Read more

POACHED IDAHO MONSTER

We got the skinny on the poaching of this awesome mule deer.  It was poached on October 27, 2004, by Gary Lihnherr of Wisconsin.  He was accompanied by Ron Gardner of Wendell, Idaho and two other individuals.  Ron and Gary’s story was that they chased the buck from a muzzleloader hunt into a rifle hunt where they lost it.  Three days later they found the buck, still in the rifle unit, where they proceeded to hunt and kill this great animal.  Unfortunately for Gary and Ron, there were a couple of other hunters that had muzzle loader tags and had been hunting this same buck when it just disappeared.

These hunters had run into Mr. Lihnherr and crew in the muzzleloader hunting area using high powered rifles.  Concerned that the buck was illegally taken, these individuals contacted the Fish and Game Department.  Officer Rich Holman was assigned to investigate.  With picture of the kill site and buck, Officers Holman and Milner met again with the concerned parties.  The individuals told the officer that the deer pictured was the buck they had been chasing.  They also described the area the buck called home.  Holman and Milner then served a warrant on Ron Gardners house to get more field photos.  They wanted to see if they could try and locate the kill scene from these new photos.

While at the residence of Gardner, Ron went into great detail on how they killed the deer with a rifle because Lihnherr couldn’t hit it with his muzzleloader. He also went into great detail that they had chased it into the rifle area where he actual shot the animal a few days later.  Gardner even offered to take them to the kill scene, but he couldn’t do until a week later, due to other miscellaneous reasons.  New search warrants were obtained that night for the Gardner residence and for the taxidermy shop that held the hide.

While the warrants where being served here in Idaho, State and Federal officers in Wisconsin were seizing the antlers from Mr. Lehnherr.  Now armed with field photos, antlers, and hide the Fish and Game Department just needed to prove where it was shot.  On Thanksgiving Day, officers Holman and Olson combed the desert floor trying to place the kill scene photos to the actual location.  Five hours later they hit pay dirt.  Much to their surprise there was plenty of evidence to gather.  You see, the perpetrators moved the deer up on a rock outcropping to clean and quarter it.  There was no dirt to absorb the blood so evidence was left all over the rock flat. Over 100 individual hair samples and blood where gathered from the scene located approximately four miles inside the muzzleloader hunt boundary.

On January 24, 2005, the DNA samples were concluded to be from the same individual deer.  For the next two years the case would grind slowly through the Idaho State court system and eventually wind up in Federal court because the antlers where transferred across state lines violating the Lacey act.

Lehnherr and Gardner with both charged with violating the lacey act (the transferring of illegally taken game across state lines).  In addition, Lehnherr was charged with providing a false writing statement to Federal authorities.  The two other individuals turned states witness and were granted immunity for their testimony in the grand jury hearings.

On October 22, 2007, the two men plead guilty and were sentenced in Federal Court.  Lehnherr  lost his hunting privileges nationwide for a period of three years.  He was ordered to pay a $2,300 fine and $1,700 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  Gardner was given the same three year license revocation and was ordered to pay $2,500 in fines and $1,000 in restitution.  This sentence was a mere slap on the hand for what they had done.  The Fish and Game had  a total of over 413 hours in this investigation at twenty dollars an hour.  That ends up being over $8,000 in restitution that should have been paid, not to mention the fines.  You can’t even find a guided hunt for that cheap let alone one that would produce one of the largest bucks ever taken in the state with a muzzleloader.

This buck officially makes the Boone and Crocket book both ways. As a typical it netted 195 6/8 and as a non-typical it netted 231 6/8  This buck is know on display at the Magic Valley Fish and Game headquarters in Jerome.   I would like to send out my thanks to Officer Holman, Milner and others, for all their hard work on this case and for not giving up on the battle!  I just wish there would have been a little more justice in their fines at the end of it all.

Steve Alderman

Mexico Monsters

 

Whats in your pack?
Muzzleloading mule deer

By Steve Alderman

With all of the new technology in our backpacks hunting has gone to a new level. Gone are the days of stalking a deer. Gone are the days of  hiking for miles to get to the basin that holds that group of bachelor bucks. Gone are the days when you had to guess how far the deer was and where you needed to aim your gun, which incidentally was only lethal out to 300 yards. Gone are the days when you, the average hunter, had a fair chance to run into the buck of your dreams.

Technology has been one of the key components to the demise of the modern mule deer.  Technology coupled with drought currently affecting many of the western states and non native grasses taking over the winter ranges, have caused mule deer numbers to plummet. Don’t get me wrong.  I think technology is great if it makes you a more ethical hunter. It is absolutely important to harvest an animal as quickly and humanely as possible and all those gadgets in your pack will help with that.  However, shooting at animals a half a mile away has taken the sport out of hunting. It’s no longer hunting, it’s shooting. What happened to old belly crawling or sneaking from bush to bush to get close enough for a fatal shot?  Technology!  Get out your range finder, set up your bipod and shoot 600 yards.  Technology has taken it from a sport of hunting to the sport of shooting.  Again, don’t get me wrong as there is nothing wrong with shooting long range.  I just think there is a time and a place for it.  To me, shooting an unsuspecting buck in his bed at 600 yards is not sporting, however, getting in close enough that the keen senses of the mule deer have a chance to detect you is.  Has hunting lost its heritage?  Has the goal changed from going out and having a good time with family and friends in the woods to doing whatever is takes to kill the biggest buck on the mountain?  My point being mule deer need a break. I’m not saying you need to give up hunting but, maybe we can pick up a bow or a muzzle loader and respark the heritage.  Let’s give some of those unsuspecting mule deer a slightly better chance to make it until next year.

Let’s take a look at muzzleloading, if we may.  Talk about advances in technology!  You don’t even have to use a cap anymore.  CV has come out with a gun that uses a spark from a battery to light the powder.  Savage has a gun that uses strictly smokeless powder and boast over 2000 feet per second velocities. Where’s the heritage in that? Muzzleloader hunting is about fumbling to get the cap on your gun as the deer stots out of the picture. The smell of the powder, the haze of smoke, and most importantly the stalking of the game.

I know what you are thinking!  Yes you do have a better chance to kill a monster with your rifle over a smoke pole, however, stalking and harvesting a 200” mule deer at 100 or even 150 yards is much more gratifying then shooting one at 400 yards with a rifle. Trust me, I’ve done both.  You can kill big deer with your muzzy, if  you just learn to be patient.  Big deer have fallen to black powder and a slug. Look at the world record rocky mountain non typical mule deer that came out of Utah, the Barton buck which is a 297 gross giant.  Also the new world record bull elk out of Utah a 423” inch monster harvested by Greg Holman. How about Arnold Sandoval’s buck from Nevada that goes 306 gross and is one of the two biggest velvet bucks ever harvested with any weapon?  Big animals can fall to short range weapons, but it takes a little more stalking ability and a lot more luck. 

It doesn’t really matter to me what you hunt with, but if you have the best interest of the game in mind you might just want to leave some of that technology at home and get back to the basics of hunting. Here is one such story.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to old Mexico on a mule  deer hunt. In Mexico you can use the weapon of your choice . I love to hunt and stalk wise old mule deer on their turf. There is nothing more gratifying than stalking within 100 yards or less of a mature mule deer buck.  So, my weapon of choice was my trusty front stuffer(muzzleloader). Yes, there was the concern that I could go on the hunt of my dreams and come home empty handed, but anytime you go hunting you should realize there is always that chance. We call it tag soup and it happens more often than not with short range weapons.  However, on this trip that would not be the case. I was very fortunate to harvest not only a spectacular mule deer but also an awesome coues deer with my traditional gear.  Hunting mule deer in the thick nasty under tangled mess of iron wood and cactus is more suited for a high racked vehicle and a long range shooting rifle. With all of the vegetation it was easy to get turned around and loose sight of the quarry, but it also helped with the stalking of game once it was spotted.

On the second day  of the hunt we spotted a group of deer from a vantage point about 1200 yards away where they were feeding and carrying on.  The date was Jan 5th and the pre-rut was in full swing. We snuck within 150 yards of a buck that was around the 180” mark, just not the buck I drove 1500 miles to shoot. We watched the buck and his herd carry on for over 15 minutes before they started to move to their bedding area, when off to our left a monster buck appeared from around an iron wood.  I knew instantly this was a buck I came to Mexico to harvest.  I found myself in a stare down with one of the monarchs of the Mexico.  It seemed like it lasted for over 20 minutes, but realistically it was more like 3 minutes before the buck turned to follow his harem. I pulled the trigger and the smoke flew.  After moving around the haze, I could see my Mexico buck lying on the ground a mere 180 yards away.  My desert mule deer ended up being 30 inches wide, with 7 points on his left side and 6 on his right with a typical rack of 198 4/8 SCI and a gross score of 206 4/8 inches.  It made him the new world record desert mule deer with a muzzle loader.  It broke the old record by over 25 inches. Breaking the old record by this much taught me a few things.  Its tuff to hunt Mexico mulies with a smoke pole and more people need to bite the bullet, put away their rifles and hunt these wiley old desert mulies with a muzzleloader. 

Two days later I was hunting for coues deer.  I actually went to Mexico with the prediction that I would come home empty handed when it came to a coues after hearing all the stories of the gray ghost of the desert and the long shots that are need to anchor one to the ground. What were the odds of getting close enough to one with the muzzleloader?  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could stalk the gray ghost and had a number of coues within range of my slug. Finally, on the fourth day of my hunt I got within a 100 yards of a buck I considered a shooter.  After several minutes of waiting, the buck finally made it to a clearing were I could get a shot. At 105 yards my muzzy barked, the buck jumped and went 5 yards before falling to the ground. My coues was a beautiful 5×5 with matching kickers on both sides. He ended up scoring 106 4/8 SCI making it the largest non typical to fall to a muzzleloader.

 

 

 

What a dream come true!  I was fortunate enough to travel to Mexico with the opportunity to hunt two of the most sought after big game animals in North America and to hunt with my weapon of choice,  my trusty front stuffer. To harvest two new SCi world records, now that was a surprise of a lifetime.

Hunter:                    Steve Alderman
Location:                 Sonora, Mexico
Private land
Self guided hunt
Date:                       Jan 4th through 10th
Days scouted:         1
Days hunted:          6
Weather:                 clear to partly cloudy
Temp:                      35 to 75 degrees F
Terrain:                   Very thick with small openings ( lots of cactus)
Camouflage:           Kings Desert Shadow
Spotting scope:      Swarovski 20-60x 65
Binoculars:             Swarovski 10×42 ELs
Range Finder:        Swarovski laser guide 8×30
Footwear:                Danner Groose
Pack:                         Eberlestock J 104
ATV:                         None
Other gear

Weapon:               Markesbery Muzzleloader (Brown Bear)
Caliber:                50 cal Brown Bear
Bullets:                 Power belts 348 grain 100% lead conicals
Powder:               105 grains of Triple seven ffg