Randy Wallace
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Hunting & Shooting Info

Click to go directly to information on:    
Best Deer Rifles    
Rifle Scopes    
Keeping Warm
How about UnderArmor's Coldgear?    
Best Time to Hunt in West Tennessee    
Is a Spike Always a Spike?
Should the State of Tennessee go to a Managed Deer Program?
General Deer Information
Hunting Tidbits    
Best Automatic Handguns    
Best Defensive Handgun Cartridge     
 

Disagree with anything below?  Send me an email Randy@RandyWallaceCPA.com and I will post your opinion on my site.   Maybe you will convince me to change my opinion too.... Yeah, right. 

Best Deer Rifles

Everyone's opinion is different, but I have done a lot of research, studying and asked a lot of questions of a lot of people about deer rifles before purchasing my newest addition to my gun collection.  I ended up purchasing a  Winchester Model 70 Black Shadow .270 caliber.

The 1st deer rifle I ever purchased was a Marlin 30-30.  It was purchased when I was in college and is still a great gun that I still hunt with occasionally.  It has served me well over the years.  If you are hunting mostly in thick woods and never over open fields, the 30-30 is an excellent choice.  Another pro of the Marlin 30-30 is it is fairly inexpensive, lightweight and the ammo is cheap.  If you are only hunting where you will get shots at less than 100 yards, it is a great rifle.  However, if you will get a shot over 100 yards, you should look at stepping up to a flatter shooting caliber such as the .270.  Although in the last several years, cartridge manufacturers have been making 30-30 cartridges that shoot much flatter.  This could bring the 30-30 back as the best deer rifle.

Why a .270 over a 30-06, .308, 7mm Mag or other calibers?  First the .270 shoots flatter or at least as flat as any of the other calibers.  Second the kick of a .270 is milder and therefore you are less likely to flinch when pulling the trigger.  Flinching when shooting at a deer is usually not a problem as the adrenalin kicks in and keeping the shaking down is more of a problem than flinching.  But flinching at the range when repeatedly shooting your rifle to get it sighted in is a problem.  Also the milder kick is easier on your shoulder. 

Another thought on selecting a caliber is the ease of finding ammo.  the 30-06 is the most popular and therefore easier to find.  I have know hunters who have forgotten their ammo and finding another hunter to share some of his ammo with you is easier if you have a common caliber like the 30-06.  The .270 is probably one of the next most often used calibers.

Another reason for selecting the .270 is that if I ever get the chance (and can afford it!!) the caliber is large enough for mule deer or even elk.

Why a Winchester Model 70?  Winchester  invented the bolt action rifle and the other gun makers have not improved on it.  The Remington Model 700, Browning A-Bolt, Ruger and others all make good guns.  But the Winchester Model 70 beats the competition and is the best choice in my opinion.  It may just barely beat out the competition, but I want that extra edge when I finally get that 8 pointer in my crosshairs!

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Rifle Scopes

You should spend as much, or more on your scope as you do on your rifle.  I have hunted with an inferior scope and missed a shot on a deer at dusk because the scope did not gather enough light and I could not see the deer through the scope.  Any scope will do fine during the bright daylight, but on overcast days, or at dawn or dusk, you need a scope that will gather as much light as possible so you can see the deer through the scope.  There are lots of great scopes out there.  Just remember, you get what you pay for to a large degree with scopes.  You can go overboard with some of the really higher priced scopes, but don't skimp and get a "$99.95 special" scope either.  I ended up purchasing a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10X40 for my Winchester .270.  The VX-I or VX-II probably would have been fine, but I knew this would be the only scope I ever buy for my gun, so went ahead and spent a little extra to make sure I got a really good scope. 

I still have the same scope on my 30-30 that was on it when I purchased it, but am looking at replacing it.  I may get a fixed power scope, as I only plan on using the gun in heavy woods and will therefore not need to sight anything over 100 yards.

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Keeping Warm

If you want to keep warm in your deer stand, check out the chart below.  Thermal Conductivity is how fast a material will allow body heat to conduct away from your body.  So the lower the number, the warmer you will be.

                                       Thermal

     Fiber                      Conductivity
     Polypropylene                6                Warmest material
     PVC                              6.4               Not the plumbing pipe.
     Silk                                  7                Yea, it sounds sissy, but the stuff is pretty warm.
     Polyester                      7.3                But not that leisure suit still hanging in your closet from the 70's!
     Wool                               8                 Try merino wool, it is not as itchy.
     Acrylic                             8
     Nylon                             10
     Viscose                        11
     Cotton                         17.5                Your last choice.  In fact, if you are going to wear cotton... stay home.

Polypropylene is at the top of the chart.  Other benefits are that it does not absorb moisture and has a unique vapor transfer ability that moves moisture away from you skin and helps keep you dry.   You should also note that the polypropylene's thermal qualities are only of value when there is trapped air space, such as when it is worn beneath regular clothing.  So if you are sleeping in your polypropylene long johns and have to crawl out of your sleeping bag when nature calls.... you are gonna get cold, so you better make if fast. 

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How about UnderArmor's Coldgear?
I emailed UnderArmor to see if their Coldgear was warmer than polypropylene, silk or wool.  Here is the response I got:
     "Hi Randy,    
       Thank you for your email.  It is difficult to compare our Coldgear material to polypropylene, silk, 
       or wool.  Our Coldgear is specifically designed to trap in body heat, while wicking away moisture
       from the body and shirt.  Because the material is technologically driven, it is difficult to compare
       it to any other material. 
      Thanks again and have a great day!!"

"Technologically driven" - give me a break - sounds like buzz words to me.  I think I'll stick with polypropylene.  If they don't know how their material compares with other fabrics, I'm not going to pay their exorbitant prices.  But who am I to criticize.  They are selling the stuff like hotcakes and are all millionaires now.  It's all in the marketing.   

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Best Time to Hunt in West Tennessee

The rut occurs at various times, but generally in West Tennessee is around mid November.  The best time to hunt is probably in early to mid November.  This is because deer tend to move more immediately prior to the peak breeding times. 

Speaking of times to hunt - here is a great website that gives sunrise, sunset, moon phases, civil twilight, etc. Sunrise/Sunset,etc.Calendar.   (Civil twilight is earliest/latest that there is enough light for you to see well enough to shoot.)

The best time of day to hunt depends on from whom you get your information.  Long time hunters and friends Phil Bell and Jim Dennision claim that the morning from daylight until 10:00am or so is the best time.  They claim that mid-day hunts and afternoon hunts more than an hour or two before sunset are a waste of time. 

However,  per an article by Rob Somerville with the Conservation Buck Society - More trophy bucks are harvested between the hours of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM than at any other time period. The reason is two-fold. For one, the bucks are not opposed to traveling in complete daylight at the chance that their trolling might catch them a doe. The second reason is that they didn't get to live 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years by being completely stupid. These mature bucks have patterned hunters throughout their lives. They know that most hunters hunt from daylight to about 9:00AM, and in the afternoon from around 3:00PM to dark. So they hit the trails mid-day in search of a hot doe.
 

See the chart below.  Maybe there is some validity to Rob's claims.  Looks like Noon to 1:00 pm could be a good time to be in your stand.
 

Deer Movement Chart as reported in Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine. 
The chart is from a 5 year study based on 33,000 hours and 10,000 deer sightings.

Speaking of times to hunt - here is a great website that gives sunrise, sunset, moon phases, civil twilight, etc. Location Selection for Sunrise Sunset Calendar.   (Civil twilight is earliest/latest that there is enough light for you to see well enough to shoot.)

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Is a Spike Always a Spike?

I have heard 2 trains of thought on spikes.  (1) It is genetic and that the deer will always be a spike.  (2) A spike this year, may be a normal 4-6 pointer next year.  The genetic side also says that the spike will breed other spikes so it should be killed to avoid more spikes.  I'm not sure who is right.  The most recent theory I have heard is that a young spike may  have a normal rack next year, but a older spike (2 & 1/2 yrs old or older) will always be a spike.  I would tend to agree with that theory.  I don't know which theory about spikes breeding spikes is right.  I would like some input, thoughts and observations on these theories.  Email me if you have any. 

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Should Tennessee go to a Managed Deer Program?

Should Tennessee go to a managed deer program and set a minimum size before you could shoot a buck?  And if so what size, 6 points of better, 8 points, etc?  And also should hunters be required to shoot a doe first to help hold the populating down in years when there is an over population of deer?  I tend to agree that the State should set up a managed deer program.  If you agree you should contact members of the TWRA board and let them know your opinion.  Some hunting clubs and land owners require their hunters to only shoot a 8 point or better.  The down side to this rule, is when the 6 pointer that you passed on wanders to the neighboring property, it will be shot. 

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General Deer Information

Deer Life History:
White-tailed deer’s peek breeding occurs in mid November.  Deer can breed from mid-September through late February.  Fawns are born in the spring after 200 days gestation with most fawns born around June 1.  Does (and occasionally fawns) usually produce a single fawn during their first pregnancy.  Twins are typically born in subsequent years in areas with adequate food resources.  Triplets may also occur.  Female fawns may stay with their mother for two years, males usually leave after a year.  Deer have the potential to double their population about every 2.5 years if no mortality takes place.  Unhunted deer life spans are from 8 – 12 years.

Antlers:
Bucks grow antlers annually, which are used as weapons and in social displays, particularly in relation to reproduction.  Bucks begin antler development in April or May.  Antlers grow slow at first and then faster near the end of the growing cycle.  Antlers are the fastest growing bone and can grow up to 1/2 inch per day.  Antler size depends on both age and nutrition.  The growing bone is covered with soft velvety material, which nourishes the antler.  By August or September antlers are usually fully grown.  The bone hardens and the velvet is rubbed off in August to September.  Bucks shed their antlers between January and March.

Rubs:

Rubs are caused by deer 'rubbing' their antlers on a tree trunk.  This strips the bark off the tree and also leaves the deer's scent on the tree.  They do this to 'mark' their territory and let does know they are in the area.  All bucks occasionally rub saplings less than two inches in diameter, but only older bucks regularly rub trees six or more inches in diameter.  Young bucks seldom re-rub the same tree.  So, if you happen upon a large-diameter tree that shows signs of frequent rubbing, you can be sure that at least one older, rut-experienced buck is in the area.  Mature dominant bucks begin marking their territory soon after losing velvet (around mid September) and continue marking until they cast their antlers in January-March.  Yearlings make only about half as many total rubs as prime-age whitetails.  Consequently, serious signpost rubbing in September is almost always evidence of a big buck's presence.

Commonly Eaten Foods:
Deer consume a variety of vegetative foods and show considerable preferences for individual plants and plant parts.  Commonly eaten foods include grasses, fruits, nuts, herbs and mushrooms, as well as leaves and stems from trees and shrubs.  Deer concentrate their feeding on woody materials when herbaceous plants are unavailable (leaves and plants with soft, non woody stems). Deer follow well-used trails to their feeding areas. They usually feed in the early morning hours and in the late afternoon.  A deer's diet will vary according to its habitat and the season.  They commonly eat green plants in the summer, corn, acorns and other nuts in the fall, and the buds and twigs of woody plants in the winter.  Deer are ruminants.  Their stomachs have four chambers for digesting their food.  This allows them to eat plants that other animals can't digest. 

Size & Coloration:
Adult white-tailed bucks (males) are 3' to 3.5' tall at the shoulder and typically weigh 125 to 200 lbs.  Does (females) are generally smaller and lighter than the males.  Deer are red-brown during summer and grow brown-grey winter coats each fall. Their most conspicuous feature is their tail, which they raise during flight to expose its white underside.  Fawns, deer less than one year old, are typically born weighing four to eight lbs. and have red-brown hair covered with numerous white spots.  They lose these spots as they grow their first winter coat.

Scent Glands:
White-tailed deer have scent glands on the hooves of all four feet. They also have scent glands on the inside of their rear legs.  The scent from these glands are used for identification and during mating season.

Range:
A deer's home range is usually less than 1 square mile.  Deer collect in family groups of a mother and her fawns.  When a doe has no fawns, she is usually solitary.   Bucks will sometimes run together in groups of 2 or 3, but usually are alone during the rut.

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Hunting Tidbits

Safety Harnesses:

Hunters who don't wear their safety harness when climbing or when in their deer stand are just being foolish.  Every year you hear about someone falling out of their stand and getting hurt (often seriously), but we all think it won't happen to us.  Wear your safety harness.  It's not that difficult.  If you won't do it for you self, do it for you wife, or kids or parents.   Think about how you will feel if they have to care for you for the rest of you life if you fall and become paralyzed.

Deer Droppings:

Minimum number of pellets in a pile indicating that the deer producing the droppings was probably a buck is 75.  Not, that I would ever count deer turds.

Wind Direction:

During deer season the wind usually blows out of the northwest, north or northeast in that order.  So take this into consideration when setting up your stand.  However, always remember that the wind changes directions constantly and often so you should be high in your stand and do your best to keep scent free.

Wind Speed:

Deer don't seem to move around as much when the wind gets over 10mph. 

Bright Nights:
Deer move more at night during full moons, and bright cloudless nights.

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Best Automatic Handguns

The first debate before purchasing an automatic handgun is the best caliber.  If you can only own 1 handgun, the best caliber is probably the 9mm (9X19).  The 9mm has plenty of stopping power in a personal defense situation.  It also has less recoil than a .40 or .45.  The last reason that a 9mm may be a best choice for a single handgun owner, is the price of the ammo.  It is the least expensive of most handgun ammo in a personal defense size.

Because of the price (and other factors) my latest addition to my handgun arsenal is a Glock 17 9mm.  This is Glocks basic pistol.  The Glock 17 is the most widely used law enforcement pistol worldwide. Because of its great reliability, above-average magazine capacity of 17 cartridges in the standard magazine and its low weight, it is an excellent choice if you can only own one pistol. 

I also own a Sig Sauer .380 model P232 and a Heckler and Koch (H&K) model USP .40S&W. 

The first handgun I purchased was the Sig Sauer .380.  I selected the gun based on it's size and grip.  I was looking for a smaller gun that would fit my hands.   The .380 has good stopping power if you have the right load in a personal defense situation.

However, the .380 does not qualify for IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) competitions.  When I got involved with the IDPA, I had to get a larger caliber handgun.  I was vacillating between the 9mm and the .40 S&W.  Given the information above on why the 9mm is the best overall caliber, you may be wondering why I was considering a .40S&W?  The reasoning behind the debate is that the 9mm is just slightly larger than the .380 that I already own.  In fact, the .380 caliber is technically called a 9mm Kurtz or 9mm short.  The diameter of the .380 is the same size as the 9mm, but the shell is shorter.  Therefore, if I was going to get another auto, I wanted to consider the .40 S&W so I would be stepping up more in caliber than the 9mm.

As I was debating the issue, it was solved for me when the Jackson Police Department switched form H&K's to Glocks.  I was able to get a H&K for way below retail and it just happened to be in the .40 S&W caliber, so I ended up with the .40 S&W.  It is a great gun.  It was brand new, had night sites and came with 3 high capacity (13 rounds) magazines and a leather holster.  All in all it was worth around $950 and I got it for $300.  I couldn't pass up that deal! 

Regarding gun makes, there are quite a few choices.  Sig, H&K, Beretta, Glock, S&W, Springfield, and Kimber are all good handguns.  The Glock is the gun of choice at most of the IDPA competitions.  The reason the Glock is the gun of choice is threefold.  First, it is less expensive than the other guns mentioned.  Secondly, it is a very dependable gun and rarely jams.  Lastly, it has the same trigger pull for the first as well as the last shot.  This makes it easier to shoot.  However, more and more gun makers are starting to add the same type trigger pull to their gun line-up and this may change.

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Comments?

Disagree with anything above?  Email me at Randy@RandyWallaceCPA.com to express your opinion.  I'll add your comments to my site.  Maybe you will convince me to change my mind also!