Here is a nice view of a whitetails anatomy that will help with determining shot placement.

Firearm hunters and bowhunters have a responsibility to make quick kills and recover all game. One complaint that members of the public who do not hunt have about hunters is “slow deaths, wounded and unrecovered animals.” Accurate shot placement is the key to a quick kill and game recovery. Necessary ingredients of good shot placement are knowledge of how a hunting arm harvests game, shooting only within one’s ability, and knowing the game animal’s internal anatomy. The future of hunting and a hunter’s self-respect depend on his ability to efficiently harvest game.

How an Arrow Works

Arrows tipped with razor sharp broadheads are designed to cut. Arrows harvest game by cutting arteries and veins resulting in blood loss. In addition to severe bleeding, arrows shot through both lungs cause the lungs to collapse, causing rapid death through suffocation. Arrows can cut through softer bones like ribs, but arrows shot from even a very heavy bow will rarely penetrate heavy bones found in the shoulder, hips, head and neck. Thus, both razor sham broadheads and careful shot placement are crucial to game recovery.

How a Bullet Works

Bullets harvest game by massive shock and tissue destruction. Bullets have more energy than arrows, and if fired from firearms adequate for the game being hunted, can smash even heavy bone and enter the vital organs.

Where to Aim - Broadside

Bow: Broadside game represents the best bow shot because it requires the least amount of penetration to reach the vital organs, which is especially important in large big game animals. The broadside shot is also the best single angle for accomplishing a double-lung hit, resulting in the collapse of both lungs. Find the best aiming point on a deer or other hooved big game by picking a spot halfway up the side of the animal and about a hand’s width behind the hollow of the shoulder. Or, in your mind’s eye, eliminate the head, neck and tail. Then, divide the animal equally both vertically and horizontally. Hold on the spot where these imaginary lines cross, then aim about six inches forward. This is called the “cross hairs” method of picking a spot. Both methods will help you put an arrow in the center of the vital area by enabling you to pick a spot rather than shooting at the whole animal. Remember, an arrow will penetrate the ribs, but be careful to avoid the shoulder bone. Wait until the near leg is forward and concentrate on a spot behind the shoulder. Avoid head and neck shots when bowhunting. The brain and spine are small targets protected by heavy bone. The only artery of any size in the neck is the carotid artery (which in a deer is only the size of your bowstring). Wait for the chest shot behind the shoulder!

Gun: The broadside position offers several excellent shots for a firearm hunter. The best target is the shoulder and chest area. A bullet of the correct weight and fired from a firearm adequate for the game being hunted will break the shoulder and enter the lungs or heart. A head or neck shot will drop an animal instantly with no meat damage, but should only be used if you are proficient enough with your firearm.

Where to Aim - Quartering Toward

Bow: This is one of the poorest bow shots and should not be taken. Picking a spot behind the shoulder will result in the arrow barely missing the vital organs and angling back into the stomach and intestines. Heavy shoulder bones shield the majority of the vital organs from penetration by arrow. An error of only on inch or two will result in a miss or a non-fatal hit in the shoulder. Another disadvantage of this angle is the possibility that the animal will sec the hunter drawing his bow. Wait for the animal to pass by and take a broadside or quartering-away shot.

Gun: The quartering-toward angle is fine for a firearm. Aim at the head, neck or front of the shoulder for an effective hit. A light bullet may deflect off the shoulder bones of large big game such as elk, moose or large bears. Be certain you use a firearm and ammunition adequate for the game you hunt and type of shot you select.

Where to Aim - Elevated Stands

Elevated stands, particularly tree stands, are commonly used by both firearms hunters and bowhunters. The change in the shot angle makes little difference to a hunter using firearms, but results in a smaller portion of the vital area being exposed to a bowhunter. Position of bones in relation to the vital organs changes more and more as you climb higher. The back bone and shoulder blade shield more and more of the chest cavity as the angle gets steeper. This causes the vital area to become narrower. To avoid the shoulder blade on a broadside animal when shooting from an elevated stand, aim farther behind the shoulder than you would from the ground. Many experienced bowhunters suggest that you wait for the animal to travel a few more feet and take a quartering-away shot. Complete penetration will result in a good blood trail, so avoid bones that could prevent the arrow from exiting low in the animal. Elevated stands also make it more difficult to make a double-lung hit. Consider the angle of the shot when deciding how high your stand should be. (See NBEF Tree Stand Guide.) Bowhunters should be sure to practice from elevated stands before hunting. Shooting down at narrower targets is very different than shooting horizontally at targets on the ground. Always wear a safety belt when practicing and hunting from elevated stands so that you can concentrate on making a good shot without fear of falling.

This information that I found came from the International Bowhunter Education Program which I find to be very accurate and helpful. To learn more about the IBEP just click the link.

We owe this to the game we hunt and to ourselves to harvest game in as much of a humane way as possible.

The Connecticut River Valley Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association has scheduled their first Annual Sportsmens Banquet for August 25, 2007

About QDMA

The QDMA promotes:

• Safe and ethical hunting.
• Adherence to wildlife and trespass laws.
• Adequate harvests of adult does.
• Restraint in harvesting young bucks.
• Hunter involvement in education and management.
• Cooperation with wildlife biologists and enforcement officers.
• Education of hunters and non-hunters toward a better understanding of wildlife management.
• Stewardship and appreciation of all wildlife.

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is a non-profit wildlife conservation organization dedicated to ensuring a high-quality and sustainable future for white-tailed deer and white-tailed deer hunting. Founded in 1988, the QDMA currently has more than 40,000 members in all 50 states and several foreign countries including over 800 deer management professionals - more than any other white-tailed deer organization. The QDMA has developed numerous partnerships with state wildlife agencies, timber companies, hunting groups, and product manufacturers. These partnerships have increased both the awareness of the QDMA and participation in the Association’s management philosophy, Quality Deer Management (QDM). Without question, the QDMA is rapidly becoming the most respected and influential white-tailed deer organization in the United States.

This fundraiser/banquet is a very good idea for we as hunters need to do everything we can to promote hunting and the preservation of our deer herds for generations to come. The banquet is not just a dinner,
Why attend – here’s why and what’s included with your ticket:

An excellent Dinner Menu

1 year membership to QDMA which includes a great bi-monthly magazine subscription

Free entry to future QDMA seminars and workshops

Admission to a live auction and raffle of great items the night of the banquet

An opportunity to meet and talk with important contacts / members from other outdoor organizations – State D.E.P., United Bowhunters of CT, Cabela’s, etc…

An opportunity to meet land owners who can give you access to private land for hunting purposes

A network of ethical hunters who care about deer management

If you are interested in going just contact Ronnie Reaves for more info:

Now here is a club that anyone would be interested in especially if you are from the northeast.

The Northeast Big Buck Club was founded in 1996 and they are a non-profit all volunteer organization of hunters who provide scoring and record keeping services for all legally harvested whitetails. The club is also dedicated to deer preservation through local efforts of conservation, education, safety and community service.

As stated on the website their mission and goals are very clear,

They have created a record book that can be purchased at a small price. The book itself is in it’s fifth edition and has done quite well for itself, which can be purchased online and you do not need to be a member to buy one.

If you join as a member you receive six issues of what they call The Northeast Big Buck News Magazine which is packed with all the up to date and information about the biggest bucks in the northeast.

Measuring and scoring is their specialty. They measure and score ONLY WHITETAILS so all their scorers are very well trained. They use the Boone and Crockett system and register only the gross score before deductions, they believe in giving the buck full credit for everything it grew.

If you wanted to become an official scorer for the NBBC just contact them through their website. Because the score Whitetails only they provide the most intensive and complete measuring training available.

Every Year they hold an Annual Banquet which I hear is quite the event, I will be going to my first one this year. The 2007 Awards Banquet is scheduled for Juy 21st. from 1 p.m. - 8 p.m., why so long you ask. Well that is because they are going to have 100 of the best trophy mounts on hand for viewing, a multi course sit down dinner, state of the art computer generated slide show, auctioned and raffled hunts and door prizes.

Here are just a few trophies that have been placed in their books,

This week tip is about camoflauge while on stand or while still hunting.

Whether your in a tree stand on on the ground try to utilize whatever cover you can to breakup your outline.

I know that sometimes using a climbing tree stand you need to not have limbs around but what you can do is cut some limbs and tie them to the base of your stand and will cover at least part of your body.

If you use a fixed position stand you can utilize some of the existing limbs by placing your stand amongst the limbs.

If you are using a ground blind you can use whatever foliage that is near by or even a downed tree like I used this past fall, I set up behind a very large tree that had fallen which was close to a active deer trail and with the wind going in the proper direction I was able to not be seen os my scent to be picked up.

While still hunting it is essential you keep hidden while stalking because this is when you are on their level of sight. Try using creek beds and streams to go through or try stalking just below a ridge line. Keep yourself as close to thick cover as possible and remember to keep the wind in your face.

Not being seen is important and also not being smelled as well. One thing you can do is to find some rich dirt to wipe on your clothes. This will help to cover your scent, especially if you are still hunting.

So remember the best camoflauge to use is what nature supplies you with.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting

Something that we should all be aware of is Lyme Disease and it is not just for those who hunt.

Lyme disease is actually a bacterial infection from the bite of an infected deer tick. The deer tick is sometimes mistaken for a dog tick or also known as a wood tick.

A deer ticks range is mostly in the Northeast and Southeast with a smaller amount concentrated out and around the West coast.

The disease can be quite painful if not treated with antibiotics and can show up as a rash with flu like symptoms at first.

If not treated it could effect the musculoskeletal , arthritic, cardiac problems. Even treated with antibiotics in the beginning some people like myself for instance will still have symptoms for months and sometimes years to come. These symptoms could be muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiff neck, neurological complaints and also fatigue. Why the effects last even after the infection has been cleared up is not really know but, it is believed to have something to do with the person’s immune system.

If not treated properly and quickly it could progress to late stage Lyme disease.

Physical:

• fatigue
• muscle pain (myalgia)
• joint pain with or without frank arthritis
• radiculitis
• rash
• cardiac arrhythmias
• tachycardia (too-rapid heartbeat)
• adrenal disorders
• immune suppression
• urinary disorder

Neurological (can effect central or peripheral components):

• muscle twitching
• polyneuropathy or paresthesia
• Bell’s palsy
• encephalitis or encephalomyelitis
• vision problems (eg. nystagmus, double vision or intermediate uveitis), sensitivity to light, or keratitis
• hyperacusis (severe sensitivity to sound & vibration)
• vestibular symptoms (balance disorder may be mediated by CNS or inner/middle ear) and other Otolaryngologic symptoms
• seizures
• myoclonus
• ataxia

Neuropsychiatric:

• panic attacks, anxiety
• depression
• short-term memory loss
• sleep disturbance
• hallucinations
• depersonalization
• neurocognitive impairment (brain fog)
• psychosis (rare) including diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Prognosis

For early cases, prompt treatment is usually curative. However, the severity and treatment of Lyme disease may be complicated due to late diagnosis, failure of antibiotic treatment, simultaneous infection with other tick-borne diseases including ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and bartonella, and immune suppression in the patient (sometimes resulting from inappropriate treatment with steroids).

A meta-analysis published in 2005 found that some patients with Lyme disease have fatigue, joint and/or muscle pain, and neurocognitive symptoms persisting for years despite antibiotic treatment. Patients with Late Stage Lyme disease have been shown to experience a level of physical disability equivalent to that seen in congestive heart failure. The disease can be fatal in and of itself; deaths have been reported. The first CDC recognized death from Lyme disease was Amanda Schmidt, age 11

As I stated before I have Lyme disease which I assume I got from being in the woods as much as I am. My wife has it as well and we believe she got it by handling my hunting clothes when doing the laundry. For me it was noticed kind of late and so I have had some of the late stage symptoms for quite a while and probably still will. Fortunately for my wife it was noticed early. You could even get it cutting your grass and working out in your yard, so be aware and check yourself for ticks before entering your house.

When your driving down the road and you happen to see a deer I would suggest slowing down because you never know if there is more or just that one.

As an example I was driving home from work not  to long ago and I saw one standing on the side of the road and as i slowed down to look at it four more ran across in front of me. Luckily I was going slow because, I missed three and just slightly got side swiped by the fourth. Fortunately there was no damage but I did end up with some unwanted fur on my truck bed.

So remember when you see one there is probably more not to far away.

This is a little odd but, I work at Eastern Connecticut State University as Custodial Maintenance. Tonight after my supper break I was heading to my next building and in between Occum Hall and Residential Village Building walking up the sidewalk was a very large adult doe.

Now this is quite rare because the university rests on the edge of a major city with plenty of rural housing about. I had heard of a deer that got hit by a car and died in the middle of the campus one year but I did not pay to much attention to it, until tonight when I saw the doe.

There is small areas of wooded terrain around but it is the kind of area you would not expect to see a deer. This only proves to me that they are heavily populated this year and I think it is partly to do with the mild winter.

It was nice to see because the campus is quiet right now because of summer break. I only wish I had a camera to take a picture to share with you all.

Then on the way home from work I saw three doe’s in three different areas. I have been seeing a lot of deer all over the place at any time of day. So if you are looking for a place to go deer hunting this fall I would recommend Northeast Connecticut, the deer population is definately on the rise.

Muzzleloaders, they are rapidly growing in admiration do to the fact it brings you back to olden times and they also expand your hunting time on the deer woods. There are a lot of brands out there which given the right powder and bullet combination they will work really sufficient but, I am a little biest and I’m going to talk about my favorite brand CVA.

I recently purchased a new modern inline which is called a break action rifle which has got to be in my opinion the easiest loading and easiest cleaning muzzleloader I have ever used. The rifle I purchased is a CVA Wolf 209.

• 24″ Barrel .50 Caliber Only
• Extendable Aluminum Loading Rod
• Stainless Steel Removable 209 Breech Plug
• Fiber Optic Sights
• Available in Camo or Black Stock
• Drilled and Tapped for Scope Mounts
• Ventilated Recoil Pad
• 14.43” Length of Pull
• 7.0 lbs. Total Weight
• Lifetime Warranty

CVA’s newest break-action muzzleloader is built to run at the head of the pack. The Wolf’s 24″ barrel is both light and quick to aim making it an ideal brush gun. And don’t think you’ll have to give up performance features because of its great price. The Wolf comes standard with fiber optic sights, stainless steel breech plug, ventilated recoil pad and an all-aluminum extendable loading rod.

The muzzleloader has changed so much you almost can’t keep track of all the new improvements. I bought this rifle for four reasons,

1.) I liked the break action option because it make it easy to tear down and clean.

2.) It comes with a 24″ barrel which makes it a good brush gun.

3.) It has synthetic stocks which makes it a light rifle to hold onto and easy to manuever.

4.) It has a stainless 209 breech plug so it is capable of using a shotgun primer.

This old fella one time told me you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a good gun. The cost of this rifle is very respectable and easy on the pocket.

CVA also offers a scope kit that is made for it which I also purchased because if some of you are like me, your eyes don’t work quite like they used to.

CVA packages our acclaimed Universal Scope Mounts and Rings with a Bushnell SharpShooter 3-9×32 scope allowing easy mounting and greater accuracy to most brands of muzzleloading rifles.

AA2002	Scope Kit w/Low Mounts	$78.00
AA2001	Scope Kit w/See-Thru Mounts	$80.00

With all that I use Triple Seven powder in 50 grain pellets which are sulfur free and makes corrosin almost non existant and water only clean up very possible.

So in my opinion if you want a good muzzleloader that will not empty your pockets and fill your freezer at the same time then CVA Wolf is the way to go.

It has occurred to me that as I drive around in my daily routine that the deer population in my neck of the woods which is the northeast corner of Connecticut that there appears to be quite a few deer this year. I believe that is due in part to a mild winter.

For more information on the deer population you could visit the CT Department of Environmental Protection

Just this morning as I was taking my son to work, I watched a group of six, there was a spike buck with a four point buck and six doe’s. I have noticed them at all times of the day and/or night.

As I was doing some research I found these two scales, figure 1 is the growth rate of the deer population in the northeast and figure 2 is a scale of the harvest of antlered bucks. Granted the figures are a little old but it does show that the northeast is expanding every year.

This information was compiled from a article by Gerald L. Storm from the National Biologic Service

The main reason for this information was to make you all aware that in high expanding population areas we all need to be alert and pay attention while driving. We all need to see what is off the road as well as on the road. So when you see a sign that looks like this,

it was put there for a reason. The reason is this if you are not paying attention,

and I speak from experience. Just this last November while on my way to work I was driving in a highly populated area of deer and with the sun in my eyes I had to concentrate on just the road and nothing else. To make a long story short it cost me $2200.00 in damage and a few soar muscles for awhile.

So be aware with the growing numbers on the deer populations in and around your area’s and the ever increasing numbers of automobiles there is always the potential for disaster.

Father’s day is right around the corner and if anyone is looking for idea’s to tell your wife or husband than try these on for size. My top three pick’s are,

1.) For those who like the European look on your favorite mounts than try doing it yourself, they are getting very popular. A skull bleaching kit is not that expensive and from what I have read it is fairly easy to do. Try looking at Cabela’s. 

2.) Needing for a good quality scope for those last minute low light conditions. Then try a Bushnell.

3.) Your wife might not want to buy this but, she might let you order it. Still Steaming from Scent shield is suppose to be one of the best scents on the market and I for one am going to try it this season. I got a lot of good reports from about it.

One last bit of advise is to keep this page on the computer and leave the room and then send your wife or husband in to get something for you.

Good Luck and Happy Father’s Day.