hunntingtips-blog

[hunntingtips-blog]

Fixed Blade or Mechanical Broadheads: which is better?

Mechanical broadheads have long been a point of contention between bow hunters, land owners, and government agencies because some hunters feel that they are an answer to a prayer while others feel that they are detrimental to a clean kill and thus, some people would like to see their use banned altogether. However, there is also a significant amount of misinformation concerning mechanical broadheads flying around out there that has led to a misconception that all mechanical broadheads are bad and this propaganda has skewed people’s opinions of them. The truth is that in most cases, mechanical broadheads work just as well as fixed-blade broadheads but, they do each have advantages and disadvantages.

Fixed Blade or Mechanical

Unfortunately, mechanical broadheads have such a bad reputation that some landowners and government agencies have banned their use because they claim that they contribute significantly to wounding loss and the reason that they make this claim is that mechanical broadheads depend on the inertia of the arrow/broadhead combination to cause the blades to open upon impact and this action subtracts a minute amount of kinetic energy from the total inertia of the projectile and thus, this very small loss of kinetic energy allegedly causes the arrow to penetrate less deeply than it would with a fixed-blade broadhead. And yet, the real point of contention seems to hinge on the fact that mechanical broadheads have blades that pivot open upon impact as opposed to blades that are fixed in the open position while the arrow is in flight. Also, they are available in two different types which consist of “front-opening” designs on which the blades pivot at the front and “rear-opening” designs on which the blades pivot at the rear and then open upon impact with the target. When using mechanical broadheads to make sharply angled quartering shots, (a highly marginal shot to begin with; even with fixed blade broadheads!), the pivoting blades of the mechanical broadhead can cause it to deflect from the intended point of impact and thus, cause a wound instead of a clean kill. In addition, when the archer makes a poor shot and hits the shoulder blade instead the soft tissue behind it, mechanical broadheads are deemed not to penetrate as well.

A mere 15 years ago, there were no mechanical broadheads and even the compound bows of the day were more like recurve bows compared to today’s highly advanced compound bows. Therefore, not only were mechanical broadheads unavailable back then, the significantly slower arrow speeds made tuning fixed-blade broadheads a relatively simple process and thus, there was no need for mechanical broadheads. But bow technology has made considerable advancements since those early days and thus, arrow velocities have drastically increased as well. Modern, super fast, reflexed, compound bows are far less forgiving of minor misalignments between the broadhead, the nock, the feathers, and/or the shaft. Plus, any minor mistakes the shooter makes are greatly magnified by the bows themselves. Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult for modern archers to tune their fixed-blade broadheads so that their arrows fly true which, in itself, contributes to wounding loss. With the introduction of mechanical broadheads, hunters with fast, modern, bows now find it much easier to tune both their bows and their arrows to make their shots more accurate because, by folding the blades in against, or even into, the ferrule, mechanical broadheads eliminate the “wings” that fixed-blade broadheads exhibit which can cause them to plane off of their intended flight path; especially at arrow speeds above 300 fps.

Mechanical broadheads are inherently more accurate than fixed-blade broadheads, but fixed-blade broadheads are often less expensive and more durable than mechanical broadheads. Also, because fixed blade broadheads have blades that are supported by trusses resting against the ferrule, they are inherently stronger than mechanical broadhead blades which have to be able to bear the pressure of impact and penetration unsupported. The blades of fixed-blade broadheads are easier to sharpen than those on mechanical broadheads simply because they are fixed and there are many different high quality broadhead sharpeners on the market made specifically for that purpose. In addition, the blades of fixed-blade broadheads are much easier and significantly cheaper to replace than those on mechanical broadheads. Thus, if your arrow strikes a bone upon impact with the target or inadvertently strikes a rock after exiting an animal’s body cavity, it is a relatively simple process to either repair the edge or replace the damaged blade or blades on a fixed-blade broadhead. So, if you stop and think about it, there are actually quite a few pros and very few cons to using fixed blade broadheads instead of mechanical broadheads.

In conclusion, as long as you are not having trouble tuning your bow and arrows with fixed-blade broadheads attached, there is really no need to go to the extra expense of purchasing fancy mechanical broadheads. But if you are one of those shooters who simply cannot get your arrows to fly straight despite your best efforts, then switching to either rear-opening or front-opening mechanical broadheads may be the very answer you have been looking for. Either way, provided that your blades are sharp, you will be adequately armed. So, the choice is ultimately up to you!

[hunntingtips-blog]

50 EXPERT TIPS FOR HUNTING THE WHITETAIL RUT

Phase One: Late Pre-Rut

The Lowdown Does aren’t yet ready to breed, but bucks are feeling increasingly amorous, moving more within their home range, rubbing and scraping. It’s a great time to kill a giant, before he finds that first willing doe and abandons any patterns in his core area.

hunting axis tips

Expert Tips1. Hunt the Bullies

“It’s time to go after the most aggressive deer. Identify them either by direct observation or via trail camera. Bully bucks will posture at other bucks, won’t give up prime feeding spots to them, and often move during daylight. I’ll set up on the edge of thick cover that I know an aggressive buck is using. Then I work a grunt call that sounds like a young buck tending a doe. I’ve killed several dandies that came charging to this call.” —Grant Woods, whitetail biologist, GrowingDeer.TV

A buck at first light.

Lance Krueger

2. Reap the Harvest

“Our corn harvest often coincides with this period, and when the combines come out, bucks that have been living in cornfields are forced to use other cover. We hunt woodlots, creekbottoms, and other thick cover close to the corn. And we sit all day. This works well during the pheasant opener too.” —Tim Clark, Kansas outfitter, Reddog Outfitters

3. Get the Big Picture

As bucks seek does, their entry points into fields become less predictable. To keep closer tabs, back your cameras off specific trails, and instead watch the whole field or plot in time-lapse mode. —S.B.

4. Go Mobile

“The late pre-rut is when a mostly nocturnal buck will start moving in daylight, but you have only a handful of days to kill him in his core area. So I place cellular trail cams, like the Moul­trie Mobile, on active scrapes, and when I start getting daytime pics, I move in immediately and hunt.” —Steve Stoltz, pro staffer, ­Mossy Oak

Feeling It: Pre-rut bucks start making sign and moving more.

Lance Krueger

5. Sneak a Scrape

“Scout to find primary scrapes near buck bedding areas. Then pick a stand tree and get out. Don’t hang a stand or leave a camera. Come back on a day when the wind is perfect. When you return, you’re there to kill him, not hunt him. Sneak in, and quietly hang your stand, because the buck is likely bedded within earshot. I’ve seen 19 different bucks in a five-day period using this tactic. I’ve also killed one in 20 minutes. It can go that fast.” —Harry Pozniak, Kentucky outfitter, ­River Valley Farms

6. Take Some Licks

Field and food-plot edges are often lined with licking branches now, all vying for a buck’s attention. Force a shooter to work the one closest to your stand by first walking the field edge and cutting off every competing licking branch. —S.B.

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7. Plant a Tree

“Small food plots are awesome right now, as bucks check them for does. To pull those deer into bow range, cut a small cedar tree, use a posthole digger to dig a hole within 20 yards of your stand, and then drop the tree in and make a mock scrape underneath it. Every buck coming to that plot will go straight to your scraping tree, and you’ll have a shot.” —Kevin Harris, Missouri outfitter, Honey Creek Outfitters

Planting a cedar in your food plot can draw bucks into bow range.

Mike Sudal

THE SEVEN BEST DAYS OF RUT

8. Day One: October 25

This day should kick-start heavy pre-rut activity across much of the Midwest and Northeast. Look for a major uptick in scraping activity, and be ready to set up overlooking the freshest spoor, or on trails leading to it. With a late-afternoon moonrise, also focus on field edges or oak stands, as deer will be hitting the grub with plenty of daylight to spare. Expect aggressive behavior, with bucks trolling hard for that first hot doe. Rattling, calling, and decoys should all be in play today. Farther south, bucks should be moving more during daylight within their core areas.

THE SEEKER: A MATURE WISCONSIN BUCK TROLLS FOR DOES AFTER DAWN.

Phase Two: Seeking

The Lowdown Ever watched a great bird dog working cover to find a hunkered-down pheasant or quail? That’s your whitetail buck right now, only he’s looking for does. With testosterone levels surging, bucks start patrolling like crazy, checking food sources, doe bedding sites, and transition areas for that first bit of action.

Expert Tips9. Read the Body

“The key to calling in bucks is reading body language. When bucks are seeking, I look for an animal that’s traveling with intent and seemingly unaware of his surroundings. Any slow-moving buck is no good; I leave him alone. But if he’s moving right along, I know he’s looking for something to chase or harass. Bonus points for any buck with his ears laid back and hair erect. He’s telling me he’s feeling aggressive, and he’ll come to the first call he hears.” —Mark Drury, TV host, ­Drury Outdoors

10. Get a Good View

“For much of the year, bucks stick to thick cover, but that changes now. They really start using their eyes to find other deer, and they seek out open areas to do so. I copy them by choosing stands in areas where I can see well, especially on an afternoon hunt.” —Dan Perez, land manager and TV host, ­Whitetail Properties

11. Go It a Lone

“Any time I hunt open or broken cover, I look for a large lone tree or brushpile. Bucks crossing between patches of cover will go to that lone tree like a magnet, pausing to assess their surroundings before moving on. These spots are especially deadly when bucks are covering lots of ground to find does.” —Mark Clifford, ­Kentucky outfitter, ­Premier Outfitters

12. Spy on the Girls

“Lots of guys delete doe pictures from their trail cameras, but right now the does tell you where the bucks will be. I keep close tabs on my cameras and scan cards for the spots with the best doe activity—and then I immediately put my hunters in those spots.” —T.C.

13. Talk Like a Lady

“Up until this phase in the rut, I stick mainly to grunting and rattling for pulling a buck into range. But now’s the time to switch to doe bleats. By this point a buck might be tired of fighting or just had his butt kicked. But he is most definitely in the mood for a doe.” —Joe Gizdic, land manager and Illinois guide, ­Whitetail Properties

14. Kill a Frost Giant

“I love to hunt the first hard frost of the year, which often occurs during the seeking phase. The early-morning cold puts deer off food sources before daylight, and they go back in the timber to bed. When the sun warms things up—usually eight or nine o’clock—they move back out to feed for a while. So I get in a stand before first light and catch bucks moving out to feed at midmorning, then back to bed again in late morning. Bucks are both feeding and harassing does the whole time. The action can be ­incredible.” —M.D.

15. Throw a Bomb

“Every time I walk to a stand I grab some hedge apples. When I get in my spot, I put doe-in-heat scent gel around an apple, and then toss it so it rolls across the game trail and into a shooting lane. When a buck comes through, he’ll stop and sniff that scent trail—which leads away from my stand—giving me a broadside shot at a standing deer that’s looking the other way.” —Barry Wensel, bowhunting legend, Brothers of the Bow

A hedge apple laced with doe-in-heat gel can stop a buck in its tracks.

Mike Sudal

THE SEVEN BEST DAYS OF RUT

16. Day Two November 3

The first few days of November always seem to bring a noticeable surge in activity as the first does start to come into estrus. On this Friday, bucks will be frantically seeking and running those initial mates across the Northeast, North-Central, and Great Plains regions. Even immature bucks will finally realize what all that testosterone flushing through them is about, adding to the overall action. Southern bucks are starting to lay down sign and flex muscle within their home range.

EARLY NOVEMBER BRINGS FIGHTS, CHASES, AND SUPERB HUNTING: A GREAT TIME TO TRY A DECOY.

Phase Three: Chasing

The Lowdown The lid has popped off the pressure cooker. The first few does are being bred, the scent of estrus is in the air, and every buck in the herd is a heat-seeking missile. When most hunters describe “peak rut,” this is the phase they mean. Biologically speaking, the apex of breeding activity is yet to come. But for hunters, the main event is now.

Expert Tips17. Pick a Fight

“The best buck call now is one you can make with your mouth. A snort-wheeze is the equivalent of walking into a biker bar and poking the biggest guy right in the chest. When I see a lone, mature buck cruising during the rut, I don’t bother with grunts, bleats, or antlers. I go straight to a snort-wheeze. Eighty or 90 percent of the time, that buck is coming.” —B.W.

A mature buck bird-dogs a doe.

Donald M. Jones

18. Go Nuts

“It’s easy to forget the importance of food right now. My favorite setup is an oak stand after a ­really windy day. A bunch of fresh acorns will be scattered over the ground, and the does will be all over them. I use a bleat call a ton in this setup. When a buck hears that doe talking, he’s going to come looking, and I’ve usually got a bunch of live doe ­decoys in front of me, too.” —Tevis McCauley, Kentucky outfitter, ­Whitetail Heaven Outfitters

Early November is a great time to try a decoy.

Lance Krueger

19. Set a Double Deke

“I like a buck-and-doe decoy combo during the chase. I set them up on the edge of a big ag field and put estrous scent in a 360-​­degree circle around the ­dekes. Once I’m in my stand, I grunt and bleat every 20 to 30 minutes, and call to any buck I see.” —T.M.

20. Make an Interception

“I’m convinced that chasing-phase bucks try to intercept does as they move back to bedding areas in the morning. So I look for a funnel off a good food source that connects multiple doe bedding areas, and I get there well before daylight. Bucks will show up early, waiting for those does to come off the feed.” —D.P.

Big Drinker: Chasing does works up a thirst.

Donald M. Jones

21. Hit the Water

If ever you’re not sure where to set up during the chasing phase, head for ­water, scout for the best sign nearby, and hang a stand. Hard-­running bucks need to drink, so any pond in the timber can be on fire now. Creeks and rivers can be even better, as they offer both a water source and a prime travel corridor. —S.B.

22. Get a Head

“My success at decoying bucks into bow range went up dramatically when I took the plastic head off my decoy and mounted a piece of plywood in the opening, with a hook attached. Now I can take any one of my taxidermy mounts, hang it on that hook, and I have the most realistic decoy any buck has ever seen. I’ve watched some big whitetails come from a long way to check that thing out.” —M.D.

Adding realism to your buck decoy can be a game changer.

Mike Sudal

THE SEVEN BESTS DAYS OF RUT

23. Day Three: November 6

Across much of whitetail range, the first does have popped and the scent of estrus is wafting through the woods, making bucks crazy. The activity will get a serious boost by the moon, which rises early and sets late. In the South and West, expect bucks to start making doe-seeking forays outside of their core areas.

The Best Day of the Rut24. Day Four: November 10

We’re teetering close to peak breeding across much of the nation, and buck activity will be stellar today. Sure, some giants will be tending does, but firearms season has opened in many states, and that surge of hunting pressure will put locked-down deer on their feet, and maybe right in front of your stand. Expect some of the year’s hottest pre-rut action in the West, across much of the South, and in several areas of Texas. If you can manage a dawn-to-dusk sit, today is the day.