New Hampshire Hunters should be scouting now for your next hunting area. Below is the link to NH topo maps that you can print out. These maps are an essential piece of good hunting and scouting. Combine this with deer harvest data and this could be your next ticket to your next NH deer. Get back to basics and scout! This link has maps for most towns in NH. Study Study Study!
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/topo.html
Here is great news for folks that have rifles for dangerous game or really big game rifles like my .375 Ruger. Now there is a reduced load powder is available from Accurate Powder called 5744 and it has been used in the .375 Ruger with excellent success. See this site for load data.. http://www.chuckhawks.com/reduced_big_bore_loads.htm
I had to wildcat my way starting very low with lots of research. Here you can use published data. I just love my finished low power loads in particular because they are very accurate and easy to shoot for deer and black bear size game. I have not tested 5744 powder but will purchase some and write about it in a future article. My reduced loads with two different powders that are 350 fps apart from one another are only 2.5 inches apart at 100 yards. I have stated in other articles, I have killed a 700 lb Bison and a New Hampshire bull Moose with my .375 Ruger in the Ruger African M77 with full power loads. The Bison fell “dead as a door-nail” with one shot that fully exited, taking out heart, lungs and the far shoulder. But full power is not needed for deer, accordingly, I began using reduced charges borrowing starting loads from the .375 H & H and .375 Dakota in several handloading books, again starting with very low charge weights of SR 4759 and working up. I have had no issues at all with my load work-ups grain by grain. Energies are excellent in my finished low power loads and are in the 1700 ft-lb range at 100 yards. When the 235 grain heads are loaded with other powders upwards of 2400 to 2500 fps accuracy at 100 yards for either powder given the 300-400 fps differences are within 2.5 inches of each other at 100 yards. Wow! Such versatility! Plenty for deer and bear at those ranges with Speer’s 235 grain .375 in semi-spitzer which will quickly mushroom and exit with much of its weight intact.
There is a company that makes reduced intermediate load cartridges for the .375 Ruger it is known as Nyati, Inc. and you can find them on the web. See Below.
https://nyatiinc.com/index.php?
route=product/product&manufacturer_id=12&product_id=50
Full Power Testing? The .375 Ruger when fully loaded with 260 grain spitzer’s like the Nosler AccuBond and it has a max point blank range of 300 yards when zeroed at 250 yards with a 4 inch kill zone radius delivering 2750 ft-lbs to big game like Brown Bear, 2000 lb Bison or a Moose. At 400 yards it still delivers over 2000 fps and 2340 ft lbs to your game. I have demonstrate its accuracy at 600 yards with 3 1/4 inch vertical height groups using 260 grain AccuBonds under full power shooting prone position from sand bags. At 100 yards on a good day it shoots 1/2 inch groups. © 2014
Perhaps one of the toughest animals to hunt with Bow and Arrow is the Whitetail Deer. Here in New Hampshire it is even harder as the deer population density is lower than in many other states. Deer per square mile ranges from 4/sq mile in the North Country up to more than 20 per square mile along the seacoast. Much of the seacoast land is posted but you can ask permission. All they can say is no! Of course you are hunting in and around homes and woodlots. The deer I show on the cover was taken not far from my home in Plaistow, NH.
The season begins September 15th and Closes December 15th according to NHFG at http://nhfg.net/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm
Special Permits are still being taken (see the website above.
I have scouted in the North Country and finding deer sign regularly but here we are talking about 4-7 deer per square mile. The reason to hunt here however is that there are few houses and lots of land. Further, there is a mystery to hunting wild places. Today there is a movement to hunt with ATV’s of all sizes up north. http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/new_hampshire_list.htm
These ATV’s are big kids toys for those that can afford it. A good 4WD vehicle can get you mostly to where these ATV’s go. The big plus for ATV’s is to be able to get your deer out of the woods too.
Back to Bowhunting; Today’s successful Bowhunter’s rely on scouting and knowledge of deer movement patterns and deer densities.
Reading deer sign is still the most sought after skill and is a work in progress as the season progresses toward the rut. The rut here in NH peaks around mid November and begins in September. As each day passes the bucks will gather in small groups in September. Some sparring will begin and in October the bucks increase aggression toward one another knowing that mating season is almost upon them.
By mid October scrapes and tree rubbing are evident and the first doe is in estrous and can be mated. This is perhaps the best time to bow-hunt when the rut is not yet in full swing. Bucks during this time frame are vulnerable because they are eager to mate and come to calls and smells and remain out on the trails during the daylight.
If you are tree-stand hunting your scent is above the ground and chances are better that you will see game that is not spooked by human scent. Most bowhunter’s spend many hours in tree stands so be safe and be harnessed in to prevent falls.
Smell is the most important of all senses that a deer has in its defense. Hearing is second and Seeing is third. So if you don’t smell and have good woods skills, to keep walking sounds to a minimum, your chances increase greatly in seeing game.
I was in my tree stand for just minutes when I called that buck in with a doe bleat call. At 20 yards it was a good shot with a fixed blade Muzzy head.
Today you need to be aware that coyotes can smell blood and body gases from your dead deer so retrieval ASAP is key. New England Coyotes Canis Latrans Var. are one third wolf and are larger than their southern and western cousins and have larger jaws and muscles to eat deer.
For Hunter Education please see NHFG site below.
http://nhfg.net/Hunting/hunter_ed.htm
Good Hunting! © 2014