See the general note about dv’s Gear Reviews.

Product:  The Moultrie D40 Game Camera

Overall Rating:  ***+ (3.3 stars)

Specifications (from Moultrie’s website):  

• 4.0 Mega pixels
• Rapid response time captures moving game
• 60-day battery life
• 45-ft white flash ensures optimal viewable shots
• Color day and night pictures
• Video clips during the day
• Imprinted time, date and camera ID on every photo or video
• Laser and IR aim for quick and precise camera set-up
• Multi-shot pictures (up to 3 shots)
• Weather-resistant, airtight camera housing and seal
• Operates on 6 D-cell batteries (sold separately)
• Easy to operate LCD menu driven display

Cost:  **** (4 stars).  Typically $99.95 or less on sale.  I like that price.    

Performance:  *** (3 stars).  I don’t ask a lot from my game cameras.  Take pictures or videos reliably and I’m set.  Trigger time is 3 seconds from wake up (see Chasingame.com’s review).  This makes it a better food plot or feed station camera than a trail camera.        

Battery life:  Here’s the weak link in this camera.  My cameras are deployed 3.5 hours away.  In the summer I visit as seldom as every 30-45 days and in the winter my visits range from 14-21 days apart.  If the camera quits working then it isn’t much good to me.  Summer performance, especially when coupled with a solar panel and auxiliary 12 volt battery (this’ll be the subject of another blog), is 30-60 days.  In the cold temperatures of winter I’ll sometimes only get 10 days of service from good quality batteries.  At one dollar per battery for a total of $6 per crack (refer to Consumer Report’s battery testing) the cost of batteries per season starts to make this camera less attractive when compared to my Scout Guard 550 (review to follow in the future).    

Picture quality:  Good and good enough for scouting game.  See the two top photos in Best Of Trail Camera Photos – May/June 2009 for samples.

Set up:  Set up is easy/intuitive even without reading the manual.

Security:  The D40 is not easily secured as provided.  I recommend the use of a security box which I’ll feature in a future DIY blog.

Manufacturer’s Customer Service:  *** (3 stars).  I’m in the middle, on the fence on this one.  When I called to have a camera repaired they were initially stand-offish since I didn’t enter a purchase date in the warranty registration form on the website.  There were two problems with that.  First, the camera was a gift from my brother.  Second, there is no option or spare space to enter the purchase date on the online form.  I now mail in the card supplied with the camera.  However, when I sent in my D40 Moultrie with a written explanation Moultrie repaired my camera in a timely manner without additional charge.   

Source:  Gift from brother (I blame him for my current infatuation with game cameras).

General notes:  For feeding stations or food plots this is a great little game camera.  They are popular and rated well among consumers.  The price is reasonable.  It’s easy to use.  The pictures are great.  I would like to see better battery life. 

happy hunting, dv

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• Hamming With Game Cams
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Are you ready, physically, to give this bowhunting season your best shot?

I suppose I must start out with the obligatory statement that I am not a doctor or a licensed trainer – I’m a worker-outer.  So, if you aren’t in shape, but want to get in shape, maybe you should start by hoofing it on over your doctor. 

How do you know if you are in shape?  If it has been more than 3 weeks since you biked, swam, ran or used the elliptical trainer you probably aren’t in shape.  If you have “done-lap” disease (your belly done lapped over your pants’ waist, either gender) then you probably aren’t in shape (and you probably shouldn’t wear low-rise jeans, either gender).  If you haven’t done a push up or a bench press in more than 3 weeks then you probably aren’t in shape.

Like I said in Half Marathon Down, I believe working out and bowhunting go together like peas and carrots.  Back when I first moved to Wisconsin I hunted with a very physically large man.  He used a climbing tree stand and while I never watched him ascend a tree with it I was sure that one day I’d come back and find him hanging dead from a heart attack.  After moving away I found that something did happen to him in the woods and he gave up hunting.   Either for your family or to fully enjoy the sport of bowhunting you owe it to yourself to get into some sort of shape. 

Likely influenced by the physical fitness culture of the U.S. Navy (it’s there if you wish to partake) I’ve been working out for 22 plus years.  I’ve been a Command Fitness Leader or CFL assistant I don’t know how many times and I’ve helped many men and women pass their physical fitness test after they strayed from the standards.  I am absolutely no Cameron Hanes or Awnald Schwwwaaazenager and when I was 31 I had a heavy-built 42 year old USMC Gunnery Sergeant kicking my butt in wind sprints, but I’m building and maintaining flexibility, strength and stamina.    

First, like any good thing worth working for, start with a simple plan.  Figure out what you want to do and when you have time to do it.  If so inclined you can find all kinds of workouts including the latest Kamakazi Special Forces Bowling Ball Cruncher Guy workout in magazines and books.  I suggest three simple things; some cardio, some body-weight exercises and some stretching.  Time.  Basically, if you want to do it, you’ll find time for it.  Period.    

I also suggest not buying any equipment.  Other than tennis shoes and some clothing you don’t need much more.  I suppose clothing is optional if you workout in the solo privacy of your home.  If you do go out to get some new clothing or equipment park as far away from the store doors as possible and walk in.  If there is an elevator or escalator, use the stairs.  There, we just started our simple exercise plan and you won’t have some inconsiderate idiot banging your car door with theirs since you parked so far away.  There is one further thing you need and it is the most important – mental fortitude.  You’ve got to stick with it.

Exercises

Conventional Wisdom says you should warm up by running in place or something and stretching.  That’s a good idea.  I don’t do it.  You decide.  I like to roll right into some exercise. 

This is my “old standard” exercise routine.  Easily done, including the running, with limited equipment and space such as the flight deck of a Navy frigate which is roughly one-quarter the size of a basketball court. 

I repeat the listed rounds 3 times. 

-1 round of abdominal exercises with a goal of 40 repetitions. 

-On the first set I do regular crunches.

-On the second set I do cross-leg crunches, i.e., right elbow to left knee, then left elbow to right knee. 

-On the third set I do leg raises ensuring I roll/raise my hips off the floor when my legs and feet are at the apex.

-1 round of pull ups with a goal of 12.

-1 round of push ups with a goal of 27.

If you think are you are in ok shape, start out by cutting the quantities in half.  If you are in no shape at all, set the quantities to one-quarter of those listed.

Want to go advanced?  Get one of those manly looking pastel gym-balls (when are they going to make a camouflage one?).  My abdominal work outs have never been so good since I started using one of those.  You build your core while working other muscle groups at the same time.  Do the regular and cross-leg crunches on the ball.  Put the ball between your feet for the leg raises.  Do all the push ups with your hands on the ball and your feet on the ground or mix it up with feet on the ball and hands on the ground.

Ball crunches.

Cross-leg ball crunches.

Ball leg raises. 

Push up position one. 

Push up position 2.

Cardio

Again, simple.  Do 20-45 minutes of cardio.  Whether you want to swim, bike, run or use an elliptical trainer, do it.  Running is my favorite.  Nothing else burns calories like running.  Depending on my current running goal I usually try to run a minimum of 35 minutes, about 3.5 miles.  I don’t focus on miles, though, just time.  However, if something is aching or the weather is poor or whatever then I’ll swim, bike or use the elliptical trainer.

Want to go advanced?  Add some interval training one day per week.  Sprint from a telephone pole to the next, then walk to the next pole.  Repeat.  Or, sprint 100 yards, walk back to where you started and repeat. 

Post Exercise Stretching

I have a set routine of stretches including gastroc (focusing on maintaining flexibility in the left ankle where I have two screws), calf and other upper and lower body muscle groups that I hold for a thirty second count. 

Right leg gastroc stretch.

Left leg calf stretch.

More upper and lower body stretches.

Stretching hands and arms away from body and flexing back up off the ground.

That’s it.  I can be done with the entire routine in less than 60 minutes and I like to do it a minimum of three times per week. 

happy hunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:

• Half Marathon Down
• All In – Registered For The Wisconsin Half Marathon
• 7 Miles In – Training For A Half Marathon

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Printed on a broadhead package, “Field Point Flight.”  I have no doubt. 

Spoken by a bowhunter, “My broadheads don’t fly like my field points.”  Really?  How do they fly?  They just fall out of the bow?  They defy gravity?  What? 

From my point-of-view all broadheads fly just like field points – right through the air.  Now, whether or not they have the same Point Of Impact (POI) down range may be an entirely different story.  That’s really good marketing subterfuge.  Stating that a broadhead has the same POI would really be definitive.  Stating that it has field point flight is rather ambiguous. 

A number of dissimilar events have brought this to the forefront of my mind lately.  One, I purchased some new 100 grain, 1 1/4″ cut, Slick Trick brand GrizzTricks to try out.  Two, I stumbled on this broadhead flight testing video by Pro Release (follow this link and see the MUCC video on the lower left).  Three, I need to prepare for a mid-August pronghorn hunt.  4) While devastating and fatal on every critter I’ve ever shot one into, I haven’t gotten the penetration I’d like on whitetail bucks with my 100 grain, 1 3/4″ cut Wasp Jakhammers (although I’d choose no other head for turkey). 

The Pro Release broadhead flight test video linked to above is fascinating.  I can’t get it out of my mind.  To the best of my recollection every broadhead I’ve ever shot that didn’t hit to the same field point POI did, indeed, hit left and/or low. 

So, what can we do if our broadheads don’t hit the same POI?  Below are many of the options I’ve read, seen discussed or used along with my discussion on them. 

1)  Cry and/or kick a tree (maybe in reverse order).  I use and suggest this in combination with other options.   

2)  Re-tune field points and try again.  To me, this is a waste of time.  I don’t agree with the statement, “If your bow is properly tuned you should get same field point POI with your broadheads.”  That is actually a bonus.

3)  Tune your broadheads.  You can see a video description of this procedure from Magnus Broadheads here.

4)  Using a spin tester check to make sure your broadheads are aligned properly to the axis of the arrow.  Apply slight pressure to the tips of offending broadheads to align them and try again.  I do believe very much in making sure my broadhead is properly aligned, but using pressure to “fix” the alignment is a fragile solution at best.  One shot into the target and you’ll likely have to try it again.

5)  If you are still shooting aluminum arrows with hot-melt-glue-installed-inserts try rotating the broadhead and insert incrementally and re-shooting.  I’m not suggesting aligning the broadhead blades to the fletching, just finding a sweet spot.  When still using aluminum arrows I adopted this option from Dave Holt’s Balanced Bowhunting to good effect.   

6)  Utilize two sights.  One sighted in for broadheads, one for field points.  Obviously, switching out sights can be problematic and less than convenient.

7)  Sight in with broadheads.  If I’m short on time or don’t want to use option 7 then this is what I do after spin testing.  I will make “witness” marks on my sight so I can adjust between broadhead and field point POI.

8)  Adjust to broadhead POI.  Follow the below procedure to make broadheads and field points hit the same POI.  Again, this was adopted from Dave Holt’s Balanced Bowhunting.  If you are like me the voice in the back of your head is saying, “But what happened to the bullet holes I was shooting with field points?”  I’m with you and I’ve never seen a good answer, but I have seen blood trails and whacked animals.  In the end, that is what is important to me.

-If the broadhead hits left, move the rest right.

-If the broadhead hits right, move the rest left.

-If the broadhead hits low, move the rest up or nocking point down. 

-If the broadhead hits high, move the rest down or nocking point up.

-Re-sight with field points and broadheads.

My initial shooting shows the POI of my new GrizTricks is to the left of my field points.  I’ll be moving my sight to compensate for this.  By the way, if you haven’t broken out and test shot your broadheads for this upcoming season then you are definitely behind the ball. 

happy bowhunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:

I really like trail cameras.  It is almost as exciting as hunting itself.  Here are the best pictures from May and June 2009. 

What appear to be a pair of wolves.

Whaaaatt have you been eating???

A fawn nursing.

happy hunting, dv

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The Southeast Wisconsin Bowhunters’ Chapter of Safari Club International held their annual banquet Thursday, June 25th, 2009. 

Among others in attendance were Dave Langston from Hunter Safety Systems and Laura Francese of Martin Archery.  Also there was United States’ Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Tim LeSage.  A scout/sniper he has earned two Purple Hearts.  It was an honor to shake the hand of this decorated Devil Dog and thank him for his service to our country.

The banquet, held at Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha, Wisconsin was a good opportunity to meet other bowhunters from Wisconsin.

Pictured left right are dustyvarmint, Super Slam archer Gary Martin, Martin Archery representative Laura Francese and Dale Oleson (think O&H Kringle, mmmm….  A favorite deer camp starter.)

I felt pretty silly standing in line with all the children to get Laura’s autograph, but after pushing a few aside and trampling a few more the wait was shorter (juuuuust kidding…). 

happy hunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:

• Burlington Boss Tom’s 9th Annual Banquet
• Support Our Outdoor Service Members 

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How To – Prepare a European Skull Mount 

For the hunter (like dustyvarmint) on a modest income the European skull mount, done tastefully, can preserve your trophy and memories in a low cost, classy manner.  Whether you have the fortitude to do this in the house (both preparing and displaying) or not is between you and your significant other… 

1)  After harvest care – I usually bring my harvested critter’s head back and put it in the freezer in a trash bag until I get time to deal with it.  Antler and horn size can be a problem and may dictate that you deal with the skull sooner rather than later.  Letting it lay out is not good.  Natural decomposition can begin to break down structures such as the bones surrounding the nose.  When I know I’ll have time I lay it out to thaw and then get to work.

dv’s Time Out Corner:  Label your bag!  While cleaning some carp from my freezer I accidentally threw out my very first boar harvest skull.  Every time I look at the sow skull that eventually replaced it I look down in disappointment. 

2)  Remove skin and excess tissue – Using a sharp knife get as much of the tissue off as you can.  If the skull is rather odiferous I’ll use a paper respirator with a few drops of vanilla or perfume to manage the gag reflex.  I also like to wear rubber gloves while handling the skull.

3)  Wrap antlers or horns – The water can change antler color and soften horns so use plastic bags and tape to wrap them.  A stick tied across antlers and horns in the right location and rested against the pot rim will keep them out of the water. 

3)  Simmer the skull – Add one cup +or- of sal soda to a large pot of water.  Sal soda is also known as Borax and available in the laundry soap section of your local everything store.  Heat until the water is just at a simmer.  I do this over a camp stove in the garage.  Judicious use of heat is important.  It is possible to boil the fat into the skull.  This yellowish off-color can be nearly impossible to remove.  After one hour of simmering remove the skull from the water and let cool.  Then use a thin blade knife to remove as much of the remaining tissue as possible and to “scramble” the contents of the cranial cavity.  A hook made from a coat hanger helps clean the cranial cavity.  Use pliers to remove as much as possible inside the nasal cavity.  Separate the jaws from the skull. 

Change the water and be sure to add another cup +or- of sal soda.  Simmer the skull for one hour longer.  Remove and let cool.  The majority of all remaining tissue should come off and out at this point.  Some will require a little more elbow grease than others.  If something really persists a hosing off with a high pressure hose at your local car wash will do the trick.  However, I recommend timing your visit for their “off” hours.  Also, be careful not to lose any teeth from the skull. 

Alternate method 1, “maceration” – Rather than boiling the skull you may want to use the maceration method which involves soaking the skull in water for a long period of time allowing bacteria to break down the bond between the tissues.  The advantage of this method is that it is unlikely to cook the fat into the bone.  The disadvantage is that it can be quite smelly and disgusting.  Visit the Skulls and Skeletons forum at Taxidermy.net for more information. 

Alternate method 2, “bugs” – Dermestid beetles do a great job cleaning skulls and are what museums typically use, but maintenance of a colony may be beyond the casual home skull processor.

4)  Degrease the skull – Put the skull in a plastic bucket or pan and cover with a sufficient quantity of household ammonia.  As an alternative use a heavy mixture of dish detergent (Dawn) and water.  Let soak at least 48 hours or longer for trouble-some grease spots.  Sometimes, unfortunately, they just won’t come out, but in my experience this is more common with fatty critters like swine than leaner ones like deer.  When ready rinse clean and allow the skull to dry thoroughly.    

5)  Bleaching the skull – Obtain 40 volume peroxide and (product name Basic White) from your local beauty supply (aka Sally).  The smallest quantities for sale are enough to do multiple deer sized skulls.  Some will say the 3% peroxide available at your local everything store is sufficient.  I disagree and usually have too many irons in the fire to do something more than once.  Note that the use of chlorine bleach will lead to later regret as it breaks down bone structure and eventually yellows.  I remember a savvy lady lecturing me in my youth that I had, “killed the spirit,” of a particular batch of coyote skulls with bleach. 

Mixing the 40 volume peroxide and fixer according to the package directions will result in a thick paste that can be applied with an old paint brush.  Apply heavily in a location with sufficient ventilation.  Allow to dry 24-48 hours.  Rinse off.  Once again, allow the skull to dry in the sun for at least 72 hours.

6)  Remove any hair around antlers and horns – Sometimes there will be hair left at the base of antlers and horns.  I use a small torch, moving quickly, to “trim” this hair off.

7)  Seal – If desired, seal the skull.  Currently I like to leave my skulls unfinished or unsealed.  Just my preference.  It can be dipped in a fifty-fifty mix of white glue (Elmer’s) or sprayed with a clear acrylic available in spray cans from your local everything store.

At this point you should have a beautiful, blindingly white skull ready to be displayed on a pedestal or plaque or displayed on a table.  I’ve experimented with different woods for pedestal mounts and very much prefer the contrast of darker woods such as walnut over that of lighter options such as cherry or gum.

A recently completed javelina skull. 

This whitetail skull was one of the first I did after really learning how to do it right.  I think it turned out well.

This pronghorn skull also turned out well.

I inadvertentnly boiled the fat into this sow skull.  I have yet to attempt degreasing it with ammonia.

happy hunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:

• How To – Make Your Own Turkey Friction Call
• How To – Make Your Own Turkey Friction Call – Part 2
• How To – Make Your Own Turkey Friction Call – Part 3 

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