As a fuzz-cheeked sports reporter many years ago in Martinsville, I asked the sports editor if I might write about outdoors events in Bulletin Country.

Anxious to keep me around because of a paltry salary, he agreed (and I needed the writing experience). That fall and winter I was stunned by the wall-hanger bucks local deer hunters brought to the office on Broad Street.

Because Commonwealth whitetails weren’t publicized and almost none lived where I was raised in central North Carolina (the Dixie Deer Classic wouldn’t appear for eight years), southern Virginia’s Blue Ridge bucks looked like they’d stepped out of Midwest hunting magazines.

The lack of trophy-deer publicity may have held back its reputation, but it’s been rising each year, currently rated 20th to 27th by national hunting magazines.

With 1 million deer and just 75,000 hunters, Virginia today leads the Southeast in impressive whitetails.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries helps by wisely managing the state’s herd for quality rather than quantity, with two distinct regulations areas (east and west) and different bag limits at each region.

Challenges remain, from deer diseases (chronic wasting disease has crept into a few northwest counties and EHD outbreaks that periodically occur) to decreasing habitat and coyote predation. But three monster bucks from 2016 show the overall state of deer affairs is healthy in the Old Dominion.

BEAUTY OF A BEAST

Brent Boney, 42, works for Greensville County Water and Sewer near Emporia and belongs to the Round Hill Hunting Club of Skipper.

“We’ve got 15 members and 20 Walker hounds,” he said. “We lease 600 acres where we still- and dog-hunt. We take more deer while dog-hunting, but still-hunters kill bigger bucks.”

He should have added “usually” because that didn’t happen Nov. 16, 2016, when Boney dropped a 210 6/8-inch 25-pointer, the top-scoring southern rack at the 2017 Dixie Deer Classic and a Boone & Crockett qualifier.

“We use dogs exclusively during the two big winter holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Boney said.

The club has an agreement with an adjoining landowner, who only allows still-hunting.

“The deer know they’d be safe if they can make it to his land,” Boney said. “The ones we jumped always went to a certain section near the back of our lease (to enter the de facto sanctuary).”

Club members draw for stand sites. In 2015 Boney picked a zone near the sanctuary because he’d seen a handful of small trees destroyed by a big buck’s rubs. During November 2016 the hounds jumped a rocking-chair rack deer, and it ran within 40 yards of him, but Boney couldn’t get a clear shot in the thick 6- to 7-year-old cutover. Unluckily, a holly bush absorbed most of the 00 buckshot.

“I told the other club members what happened, and they laughed,” he said. “I don’t know if they believed me. No one had seen a deer like that.”

In February 2016, Boney returned to the area and brought a machete. He used it to clear several shooting lanes off a main trail he walked to reach his spot.

“I was gonna be ready if I got a chance at him again,” he said.

Opening day of 2016 gun season Boney once again pulled a number that allowed him to hunt the same region. His 18-year-old daughter, McKaley Boney, was one of several designated dog handlers.

“I sat and listened to dogs for two hours and was about to give up when she called me (with a cell phone),” he said. “She told me to sit tight because she’d just caught four hounds crossing a road onto someone else’s property. She planned to drive near me and release the dogs.”

A minute or two later, Boney heard the hounds open up on a deer that seemed headed straight for him.

“He was about 100 yards in front of the dogs when he came through one of the shooting lanes,” the hunter said.

Boney put his Remington 870 Magnum Wingmaster shotgun, loaded with 00 buckshot, to his shoulder and fired when the buck trotted into a shooting lane. The deer stumbled, fell, and didn’t get up.

“When I walked to him and saw his antlers, I said, ‘Oh, my Lord,'” Boney said. “I had never seen anything like this deer.”

Its 5×5 mainframe rack had 25 scoreable tines and points, including nine abnormals on the right main beam and six on the left beam. Officially scored after 60 days, it had a right main beam of 26 6/8 inches and the left taped 26 3/8 inches. Brow tines were 5 3/8 and 7 0/8 while G2s were 11 6/8 and 11 7/8. G3s were 10 4/8 and 11 7/8 inches with G4s at 2 5/8 and 6 4/8 inches. The circumference numbers ranged from 5 0/8 (H1) to 3 1/8 (H4) inches. The inside spread totaled 18 1/8 inches while the outside spread was 21 4/8 inches.

The Virginia record non-typical buck, a 31-pointer killed by muzzle-loader hunter Jim Smith of Chilhowie in Warren County during 1992, taped 257 4/8 inches.

BATTERY-POWERED BUCK

Rodney Wingfield barely contained his excitement Oct. 1, 2016, the first day of archery season in Virginia.

“A trail camera I had put up near a Franklin County field got some pictures of a big buck before the season opened,” said the 42-year-old Martinsville resident, who put a crossbow bolt through a B&C qualifier (177 7/8 net typical inches) that day.

Henry County, with Martinsville at the center, borders Franklin County on its northern boundary.

Wingfield, 42, and a self-employed IT technician for a Greensboro (N.C.) company, had secured a Leaner Deluxe two-person 18-foot ladder tree stand against an oak beside a 10-acre field.

“It’s a big grassy field out in the middle of nowhere and is too big to hunt with a regular bow, which is how my dad, Raymond, and my brother, Elan, hunt,” he said. “But the field, ringed by some hardwoods and pines, is considered a high-traffic (deer) area.”

Wingfield admitted he’s not a hard-core hunter, but he was confident in his ability to shoot a Barnett Quad 400 crossbow he’d purchased from a friend seven or eight years earlier.

“I can hit a (dinner) plate (target) at 50 yards pretty regular,” he said. “The crossbow shoots flat, out to 50 yards. It has a red-dot scope on top. But I didn’t get up early on opening day to hunt in the morning and that afternoon I wore blue jeans, a camouflage t-shirt and didn’t use an scent-blocker or face paint.”

Wingfield, who had two crossbow whitetails to his credit, had hunted from the tree stand in the past and knew where deer likely would enter the field.

“They always seemed to come from off my right shoulder, so that’s where I was watching,” he said.

But he discovered when he picked up the crossbow that its battery-powered scope had been left in the “on” position and might lack power.

“I wasn’t too worried because I got into the stand about 4:45 p.m., and there should be plenty of daylight,” Wingfield said. “But if deer didn’t move until available light got low, I turned the scope off and hoped I could put it on high power and maybe make the dot glow when I needed it. Otherwise I’d guess about an aim point.”

Farms surrounding the Wingfields’ land had been leased and planted in soybeans, so the field was a crossing area for whitetails.

He’d already decided he wouldn’t take a chancy shot because he’d learned during preseason practice that 50 yards was his accuracy limit.

After a few minutes passed, a small six-pointer walked into the field and began sniffing the ground about 40 yards from Wingfield’s stand.

“He came from behind me,” he said. “No deer ever had come from that direction. Then I heard something else back there and figured it was a coyote.”

But the sound wasn’t a coyote. Instead the buck with 189 4/8 gross antler inches appeared 20 yards to Wingfield’s right. He put the faint red dot on the deer’s left shoulder and squeezed the crossbow’s trigger.

The deer never knew what hit it as the broadhead, pushed at 345 feet per second, sizzled through both lungs.

“He took five steps and fell over,” said Wingfield, who waited until dark before climbing down from his stand.

“I got my truck and drove to him, but I couldn’t lift him into the bed,” he said. “I had to drive home and get my brother and his girlfriend. They helped load the deer.”

The buck only weighed 120 pounds, but the experience — and seeing the massive headgear — drained Wingfield.

“My dad said he’d never seen a buck like this one in 40 years,” the hunter said. “All my brother could do was shake his head.”

Virginia’s non-typical deer archery record is shared by Clifton Forge’s John Feazell, who downed a 22-point Botetourt County trophy in 2009 that totaled 221 2/8 Pope&Young inches while Jimmy “Bo” Sturgill of Pound shot a 27-point, 221 2/8 buck in Wise County during November 2011.

BROOMSTRAW BOOMER

Jason Hazelwood, who drives a cement truck for Felton Brothers Transit Mixes of South Hill, put his fingerprints in Old Dominion hunting records Nov. 6, 2016.

That’s when his .50-caliber CVA in-line muzzleloader rifle dropped a Mecklenburg County buck with a nearly perfect rack that totaled 165 net Boone & Crockett inches, 5 inches shy of qualifying as an all-time B&C buck. It earned entry into the organization’s Awards category and its gross score totaled 172 6/8 inches.

It was likely Virginia’s top typical muzzleloader buck of 2016.

“We were hunting a farm with 270 acres that had a 3-acre broomstraw field,” he said.

“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing (to hunt for the field). It had a stand that had been there a couple of years before, a 12-foot-tall buddy stand.”

Although Hazelwood hadn’t seen the big whitetail and had no trail-cam photos, he was confident through second-hand information a large buck lived in the area.

“Some other people had photographs of him,” he said. “I knew there was a possibility he was there.”

The 37-year-old had hunted unsuccessfully during archery season, but those excursions gave him confidence he wasn’t wasting his time.

“I didn’t see him during bow season, but I did find scrapes along the edge of the field and some nice (tree) rubs.”

Virginia allowed Sunday hunting in 2014 when Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill that gave property-owners the right to hunt big game, including deer, on their own land. It also gave visitors the right to hunt with a landowner’s permission.

Certainly that ruling helped Hazelwood bag his trophy Oct. 1, 2016, which was a Sunday.

“I got into the stand about 4:15 p.m.,” he said. “It was on the edge of the broomstraw field.”

After he waited a few minutes, three does came into view.

“A little while later, another doe ran into the field, chased by the buck,” Hazelwood said. “The rut was on, and he had his neck stretched out and his nose down. Then he must have scented one of the other does and started to chase her.”

When the hunter saw the buck’s rack, he admitted he caught a case of buck fever.

It helped to settle his muzzle-loader’s barrel, holding 100 grains of black powder and seated underneath a 280-grain Sabot bullet, on a rail around the stand.

“I watched him chase that doe for 3 minutes and felt like he was going to run her out of the field, so I took the shot at about 75 yards,” he said. “I was looking through a 3x9x50 scope, aimed at his front shoulder but hit him a little farther back.”

When the buck left the field, the hunter burned the spot in his memory. Hazelwood couldn’t find any blood sign but walked to his last sighting of the wall-hanger and found the beautiful deer piled up a few steps into the woods.

The rack’s main beams were 24 3/8 and 25 3/8 inches, with G2s of 10 3/8 and 10 6/8 and G3s of 9 4/8 and 10 4/8 inches. Only one 2-inch abnormal point, 3 inches of total asymmetrical tine length and 5/8 inch of circumference difference marred its 5×5 main frame antlers.

2017 Southern Deer Forecast

About a dozen years ago, I began to feel guilty about leaving gut piles behind in the woods after field dressing a whitetail. I was uncomfortable knowing my wife Elaine and I might be wasting edible items after butchering an animal. We first tried cooking the heart, which we found to be delicious. Then we tried liver, which smelled great when it was being cooked, but the taste was, well, not very appealing.

Our next experiment involved the tongue – rather I should say “my” experiment, as Elaine just couldn’t bring herself to try this organ. My reasoning was that in the 1800s, Americans regarded buffalo tongue as a delicacy, and it became a high dollar entrée in the country’s best restaurants. So, why wouldn’t a deer’s tongue prove to be equally scrumptious?

Several years ago, I crock-potted my first deer tongue and found it to be tough and unappetizing – thus ending the research on that potential menu item. But this past year, while reading about cooking animal organs, I discovered that mammal tongues are covered by a sheath that must be peeled off, which I had not done on my initial kitchen test.

Intrigued about trying tongue again, I again crock-potted this organ, removed the sheath, sliced it into small pieces, and ate it on brown bread with sharp cheddar cheese and mustard – the same way I prefer heart. The tongue was quite tasty, possessing a milder flavor than heart but nevertheless very appealing and featuring a somewhat light, delicate taste.

Experimenting again, I found that deer tongue, as the prime player, makes an excellent salad. I’ve included a recipe below.

First, for those deer hunters who like to experiment with the organs and various uncommon cuts of a whitetail, I have a few questions. If you can help, please comment below.

Ribs: Have you ever cooked venison ribs? How do you remove the ribs from the deer, and how do you prepare them?

Lungs: I’ve heard that deer lungs can be made as part of a haggis recipe. Has anyone tried this?

Bone marrow: Native Americans ate deer bone marrow. Does anyone still do that?

Kidneys: Thoughts?

Intestines: Many folks relish chitlins, which are fried hog intestines. Anyone ever tried doing that with a deer’s intestines?

Mystery Meat: Once, a widow who let me hunt on her land asked me to bring her a deer liver if I was successful, so I did. Later, she called to thank me for including the gall bladder because it also “cooked up nicely” as part of her meal of fried liver and onions. The problem is, deer don’t possess gall bladders. To this day I wonder, what was the organ this lady ate?

Thanks for any ideas you can offer, and here’s that recipe.

Deer Tongue Salad

In a crock pot, cook the tongue on high for three hours. I’ve removed the sheath immediately after cooking and also after refrigeration. I’ve found it works better to cook and then chill the tongue before removing the sheath.

On top of a bed of spinach, thinly slice the chilled tongue and add sharp cheddar cheese, black walnuts, cranberries, and slices of avocado – my favorite add-ons. Feel free to experiment with your favorite vegetables and cheeses, and let me know the results.

What is the difference between a deer, elk, and moose?

Many people are not sure, especially since they all look similar.

They are all classified under the cervid family, but there are some distinct differences between them.

When you are out hunting, it is important to be able to identify the difference between deer, elk, and moose.

This will help you determine what animal you are hunting and what type of weapon you should use.

In this blog post, we will discuss the key differences between these animals. We will also provide photos so that you can better familiarize yourself with them.

After reading this blog post, you will be able to accurately identify deer, elk, and moose when you see them in the wild.

Are they all deer?

The deer, elk, and moose all fall under the family of animals called cervids.

This family includes many animals that have antlers or horns, as well as four-legged mammals.

You may be familiar with other members of this family such as the reindeer, caribou, or mule deer.

All cervids are herbivores and eat mostly plants.

All deer are hoofed ruminant animals that fall into two categories: Cervinae and Capreolinae.

Cervinae:

This subfamily includes Tufted deer,  muntjac, Chital, and elk.

Capreolinae: This subfamily includes reindeer, roe deer, and moose.

Now that we know a little bit more about where these animals come from, let’s discuss the key differences between them.

Deer:

The easiest way to identify a deer is by its size.

Deer are the smallest of the three animals and can range from 2.5 feet to 3.5 feet at the shoulder.

Another way to identify a deer is by its antlers.

Both male and female deer have antlers, but the antlers on a male deer are much larger.

(What is a 10-point buck? See this post for more)

Male deer also have a large neck and chest, which makes them look heavier than they actually are. 

Mule deer are found in and around Estes Park and weigh between 120-330 pounds on average.

Where you’ll find deer:  Search for them feeding in open, shrub-filled areas between dusk and dawn.

What they eat: Deer are herbivores and their diet consists of plants, fruits, and nuts.

They will also eat acorns and other nuts that fall from trees.

(What Meat Is Venison? Find out here)

Elk:

Elk are larger than deer and can weigh up to 1000 pounds.

They have a long body and short legs, which makes them appear lanky.

Elk also have large antlers, but they are not as large as the antlers on a male moose.

Both male and female elk have antlers, but the antlers on a male elk are much larger.

Male elk also have a large neck and chest, which makes them look heavier than they actually are. 

They can range from 4 feet to 6 feet at the shoulder.

Elk also have antlers, but they are shorter and thinner than those of a deer.

Male elk also have a large neck and chest, but their body is not as bulky as a moose.

They are averaging between 710-730 pounds. 

Where you’ll find elk: Look for them in open areas such as meadows, valleys, and mountainsides. They are most active at dawn and dusk.

What they eat: Elk are herbivores and their diet consists of grasses, leaves, and twigs. They will also eat fruits and nuts when they are available.

Moose:

Moose are the largest of the three animals and can range from 6.5 feet to 7.5 feet at the shoulder.

They are weighing in at 840-1500 pounds on average.

Moose also have antlers, but they are longer and wider than those of a deer or elk.

In addition to their antlers, moose have a large hump on their back near their shoulders.

This hump is where they store fat for the winter months.

Male moose also have a large neck and chest, which makes them look even larger than they actually are.

Where you’ll find moose: Look for them in wet areas such as lakes, marshes, and swamps. They are most active at dawn and dusk.

What they eat: Moose are herbivores and their diet consists of aquatic plants, grasses, and leaves. They will also eat twigs, berries, and bark when they are available.

This video gives you a good idea of the size difference between Elk and Deer:

Tracks:

Deer:

The deer has small, delicate hooves that leave a dainty print.

The front prints are almost heart-shaped, while the back prints are more oval.

You will often see pairs of deer tracks together because they walk single file. Deer tracks typically measure between 1 and 3 inches long.

(Can Deer Swim? See this post for more)

Elk:

The elk has large, round hooves that leave a distinct print.

The front prints are larger than the back prints and are usually wider than they are long. Elk tracks typically measure between 4 and 6 inches long.

Moose:

The moose has large, wide hooves that leave a distinct print.

The front prints are larger than the back prints and are usually wider than they are long. Moose tracks typically measure between 6 and 8 inches long.

FAQs

Do all three animals have antlers?

Yes, all three animals have antlers. However, the size and shape of the antlers vary among the different species.

What is the best time of day to see deer, elk, or moose?

The best time of day to see deer, elk, or moose is at dawn or dusk. This is when they are most active.

What do deer, elk, and moose eat?

Deer, elk, and moose are all herbivores. Their diet consists of plants, fruits, nuts, and leaves.

(What Is A Baby Deer Called? See this post for more)

Where can I find deer, elk, and moose?

Deer can be found in open areas such as meadows, woods, and fields. Elk are typically found in open areas such as meadows and valleys. Moose are usually found in wet areas such as lakes, swamps, and marshes.

How are killer whales and Greenland sharks predators of moose?

Killer whales and Greenland sharks are both predators of moose. They hunt them for their meat. Killer whales will attack a moose from below and drag it underwater where they will drown it. Greenland sharks will eat a moose alive, starting with its head. It’s because moose frequently swim between the islands off the northwest coast of America.

Are moose and elk endangered?

No, moose and elk are not endangered. In fact, they are doing quite well. The population of moose has been increasing in recent years, and the population of elk is stable.

Conclusion

Now that you know the difference between deer, elk, and moose, you can be sure to identify them correctly when you see them in the wild.

Remember, deer are the smallest of the three animals and have the smallest antlers.

Elk are the second largest animal and have antlers that can span up to 6 feet wide.

Moose are the largest animal and have antlers that can span up to 8 feet wide. If you ever have any questions about these animals, be sure to ask a ranger or other expert. Thanks for reading!

Light is in. Crazy, obscenely light. In the production-rifle realm, Howa’s svelte little rifle built on its “reduced” short action is the lightest of the light. It follows that it’s also extraordinarily nimble and lively in the hands. Built with a compact 20-inch barrel, the Super Lite is easy to strap to a backpack or stow behind the truck seat. It’s particularly appealing to small-framed shooters and kids, who may lack the strength to hold up traditional-weight centerfire hunting rifles.

The Super Lite is built on a slenderized version of Howa’s proven turn-bolt rifle action. The receiver is machined with an integral recoil lug, and it houses a forged bolt featuring dual, opposing locking lugs up front. A backup lug is machined where the rear-swept bolt handle merges with the bolt body. A robust M16-type extractor hauls cases out of the chamber, and a plunger-type ejector hurls them out the port. The bolt release button and the safety are both of stamped sheet steel. Although the safety doesn’t appeal to me visually, I like it because it’s a three-position version that allows the shooter to lock the bolt closed when on Safe if desired.

Action Time

Up top, the action is fit with a one-piece, bridge-style optic rail. Such rails are currently popular, but I’m not a fan of them on stocks without adjustable cheekpieces because they invariably place the scope way too high above the action. More on that in a bit. The Howa’s action is built with a polymer magazine well and trigger guard, which keeps weight to a minimum. The bottom “metal” works well with the provided single-stack magazine, but the fit to the stock around it isn’t exemplary. Edges of the bottom metal are about 0.1 inch proud in the middle area, and at the front end the magazine itself protrudes nearly 0.1 inch below the bottom metal. On the plus side, the profile and shaping of the trigger bow are sleek and attractive.

Howa opted to use its Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger (H.A.C.T.) two-stage trigger on the Super Lite. Its first stage is smooth and light; the second stage is crisp. It’s factory-adjustable only. My test sample’s trigger tripped nice and clean at three pounds, three ounces. The action and barrel are blued chrome-moly steel. Up front, the muzzle of the ultra-slender barrel is threaded and is billed as “suppressor ready.” However, even though the Super Lite is chambered to 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win., the barrel is threaded 1/2×28 due to its tiny diameter.

That’s a thread pitch commonly reserved for rimfires and .22 caliber centerfire rifles rather than the 5/8×24 pitch standard on centerfires of 6mm and up. Have no fear, though. Adapters are available from Silencer Central, Brownells and other sources, so if you own or are considering owning an appropriate-caliber suppressor that’s threaded 5/8×24, you can make it work on the Super Lite.

Howa’s barreled action is mated with a carbon-fiber stock by Stocky’s. Said stock is nicely finished with multicolored paint in Kryptek Altitude or Kryptek Obskura Transitional camo. My sample featured the latter. It’s a good-looking, good-feeling stock. It’s fitted with a LimbSaver pad, and sling swivel studs are installed fore and aft. Inside the fore-end, the barrel is free-floated except for a pressure point at the fore-end tip.

Great Stock

Many modern stocks have completely lost touch with the fundamentals of aesthetic stock design. Thankfully, Howa’s Super Lite isn’t one of them. It’s easy on the eyes and in the hands. I pulled the action from the stock and examined it. The action inlet is nicely cut, although it’s not what I’d call a snug fit because it’s not glass-bedded. I think spot-bedding the front recoil lug, an easy DIY task, would undoubtedly benefit accuracy. I installed a 4.5-14×40 Leupold VX-3i scope in super-low profile aluminum rings in an effort to get the scope as close to the action as the too-tall scope rail allowed. The setup looked good, mounted naturally and felt great at the shoulder.

Recoil of a 6.5 Creedmoor is never heavy, but in such a light rifle, it’s sprightly. To my surprise, the scope migrated in the rings—something I’d never seen in a 6.5 Creedmoor before. Suspecting the inexpensive rings were the culprit, I switched to heavy-duty steel Leupold Mark 4 rings. That solved the problem, although in this case it detracted from the looks and placed the scope too high above the action for my taste. At least the Mark 4 rings held the scope securely. With a Harris bipod attached to the front sling swivel stud, I rested the toe of the stock on a leather bunny-ear sandbag and took my time in 85-degree temperatures, allowing the barrel to cool completely between three-shot groups for the accuracy results shown in the accompanying table.

Nearly all noodle-barreled, ultralight rifles are quite picky about ammunition, and the Howa is no exception. I tried four different loads that usually provide excellent accuracy, but they did not meet Howa’s sub-m.o.a. guarantee. What with the rifle’s extremely light weight, I’d have questioned whether the issue was me that day, but at that same range session I also test-fired another rifle, and it regularly produced sub-m.o.a. groups. The last load I tested through the Howa—Hornady’s American Gunner 140-grain hollowpoint—hit paydirt. Three consecutive three-shot groups averaged exactly 0.90 inch and validated Howa’s accuracy claim.

Now, the Super Lite is a hunting rifle and American Gunner is a target load. However, it just goes to show that with ammo the rifle likes, it will shoot. Of the rest of the factory loads I tested, Fusion’s 140-grain bonded softpoint produced a 1.22-inch average and certainly would be adequate for most hunting purposes. Besides, Fusion bullets provide outstanding terminal performance. As I mentioned, glass-bedding the action into the carbon-fiber stock would increase accuracy and improve consistency. Aside from one failure to feed, the Super Lite functioned perfectly. The way I run the bolt, I feel a slight hesitation just before the Howa’s bolt reaches its rearmost travel, and I suspect I short-stroked the action that one time it didn’t feed.

Light Weight Range Time

Balance is great, and predictably, the little Super Lite is super-responsive. My favorite characteristic is the way it carries in one hand. The stock is slender and easy to grasp, weight is nothing, and length and size are so small it feels sleeker than many modern .22 rimfires. However, it’s worth pointing out that the light weight that is such a selling point inevitably is also a detriment to accurate field shooting. Why? Heavier rifles are naturally more stable because their weight dampens muzzle movement caused by excitement, stress and physical exertion.

Light rifles unfortunately exacerbate this muzzle movement, and that can induce errors during shot execution. It’s something to consider if you’re not familiar with super-light rifles or are considering it for a young or small-statured hunter. Suggested retail is right at $1,400, and real-world cost will be less than that. The carbon-fiber stock is a huge benefit: rigid, light, strong and impervious to extremes in moisture and temperature. If I were to list one primary gripe, it would be the lack of refined fit around the bottom metal and the rear of the action tang. Were I to purchase one for myself, I’d pull off the one-piece Picatinny rail and replace it with high-quality, lightweight, low rings. I’d glass-bed the action. Then I’d tune a handload with a good hunting bullet to shoot as well as Hornady’s American Gunner factory load did, and I’d hunt happy.

Howa’s Super Lite is the lightest factory-production centerfire hunting rifle I’m aware of. It looks good, feels good and is capable of shooting well. Kids and small-framed shooters “ooh” and “aah” when they handle it. While it’s not of the same quality as some high-end competing production rifles, it’s lighter and available at half the price.

Howa Super Lite Specs

• Type: Bolt-action, centerfire
• Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), .308 Win.
• Capacity: 3-rds., single-stack detachable polymer magazine
• Barrel: Blued steel, 20 in., threaded 1/2×28
• Overall Length: 39 in.
• Sight: 4 lbs., 7 oz.
• Stock: Stocky’s carbon fiber, Kryptek Obskura finish
• Finish: Matte blue
• Trigger: H.A.C.T. two-stage, 3 lbs., 3 oz. (measured)
• Sights: None; Picatinny
• MSRP: $1,399
• Manufacturer: Howa

If a rooster pheasant were one of Batman’s archenemies, he’d be the Joker. The common denominator of both bird and Bad Guy? Neither of them plays fair, especially Mister Ringneck.

So how do you pin down such a slippery character? Well, for starters, you find out where he lives. Where he spends his time. And why he’s there. Next, you research his weaknesses — those habits than make him less than perfectly elusive. And finally, you develop tactics to exploit those weaknesses, using his shortcomings to your advantage.

It’s October, so let’s look closely at two of the ringneck’s preferred early season haunts — corn and cattails — and how best to attack this pair of perennial favorites.

CORN

In many areas where corn is planted as a large-scale crop, 95 percent or more of it will still be standing come the first week of October. And standing corn offers, at best, terrible hunting conditions.

Why? First, modern agricultural practices ensure little to no row-to-row cover in today’s 21st Century cornfields. No foxtail. No goldenrod. No reed canary grass. Just dirt sidewalks devoid of any weeds. Yields are maximized, but that doesn’t do much for pheasants and pheasant hunters.

Roosters do love standing corn, mainly for the overhead protection it provides; but again, overhead protection does little for the human predator. Second, standing corn is almost impossible for one or two hunters to work effectively. It’s noisy, and because it’s “clean” of weedy plants it allows pheasants to see us long before we see them.

Meanwhile, it can be difficult for hunting dogs and hunters to keep track of each other in standing corn. And finally, and with little exception, few farmers are going to grant permission to six guys asking to bulldoze through his corn. It’s simple economics there.

That’s the bad news about pheasants, October, and standing corn. The good news is corn is still an asset to the pheasant hunter; however, his approach to the crop needs to focus not on the crop itself, but whatever might be around it — that is, the more “huntable” cover immediately adjacent to it.

Even the largest cornfield has an edge, and as simple as it sounds, that’s where you want to focus your efforts. This will be a bit more challenging than merely walking through knee-high brome grass with standing corn off your left shoulder, and tagging a three-bird limit of roosters. Successfully hunting the edges along standing corn requires some strategy. And that means both tactics designed for you and, if you have one, your bird dog.

Gunning roosters along standing corn involves first understanding two variables — where, and when. Typically, pheasants won’t roost or spend the night in modern cornfields for the simple fact there’s no cover there. They will roost in adjoining cover, and will typically, as morning progresses, migrate toward the edge between corn and cover. Here, they have everything they need — the corn’s nearby overhead cover, bare dirt with grit, the ability to see predators, access to seeds and insects, and some 360-degree protection in the adjacent heavy grass.

What this means to the pheasant hunter is a return to the concept of strategy. If you hunt with a dog — ours were Labrador retrievers, both pointing and non-pointers — absolute control and obedience is paramount now. Pheasants are notoriously skittish; a dog that doesn’t stay extremely close, one that doesn’t obey non-verbal direction (i.e., low-volume whistle commands), won’t necessarily flush birds wild, but will send birds scurrying into the protection of the standing corn, where they will be almost impossible to roust.

The key here is to let the dogs hunt — let them to do their job — but keep them close and always under control.

Second, be quiet. Stealth certainly does play a role in successfully hunting standing corn. Quiet means no shouted commands to the dog. No yelling “Over here! Over here! Seeing anything!!??” back and forth to your hunting partner or partners.

No slamming car doors, shotgun actions, or thinking you can silently slip down to the end of the field between cornrows three and four. Pheasants, like the majority of wild game birds, can hear extremely well. And once they hear you, it’s off to the races — and they run faster than you can.

Finally, keep your numbers small and have a plan. Unless you’re in a group of 15 guns or more — which, granted, can at times be effective, albeit quite the logistical undertaking — a pair of hunters is plenty to work corn edges.

As for a plan, we’ll assume two guns here. Typically, rousted roosters will try to fly toward cover that is heavier than where they were originally flushed. Knowing this, one gun walks quietly at the edge of the standing corn; the second, and the one with the well-mannered and close-working dog, exacts a slow zigzag pattern parallel to and perhaps 30 to 50 yards off the shoulder of the first.

Ideally, birds that don’t go straight away from the man/dog team will make a beeline for the standing corn, and that’s where the silent solo gun waits. One-man pushes can also be tried. Ideally, the man/dog duo works into the wind toward a corner of the standing corn where an earlier quietly positioned hunter stands.

One last trick to try while hunting standing corn. Everywhere Daylight Savings Time takes effect in late October, dusk comes earlier in the day. And approaching dark means time for birds to come out of the corn where they’ve spent the day and head for overnight cover.

As close to the end of legal shooting time as possible watch for cockbirds that fly out of the corn, and mark their landing accurately. A quick but quiet approach just might put you into position for a flush and shot.

CATTAILS

Cattails are another phenomenal pheasant cover; however, like standing corn, they’re not without their challenges. One of the most significant is the water commonly associated with cattails. Pheasants don’t like to be wet. And second, cattails are tough enough to hunt when dry; add the water element, and cattails become almost impossible to work efficiently.

That said, pheasants love cattails for the protection they provide, so to ignore the cover is to ignore a good number of birds.

But how to hunt this impenetrable mass of vegetation? You could wait until the water freezes. This makes the cover much more accessible to both hunter and hunted; however, this is in many places a late-season tactic.

In the early season cattails still present a couple of different strategic options. Hunting the edges, as one does with standing corn, is one; the other is to search out those sections of marsh that are still dry following summer’s heat. As mentioned, pheasants dearly love these thick hideouts, and will pull out all the stops when it comes to self-preservation — running and burrowing into the mats, either before or after taking flight.

Cattails lend themselves perfectly to big, strong dogs. Our Labs liked nothing more than rooting roosters out of right-of-way stands of cattails. Still, such dogs need to be controlled and close-working — qualities which are often not a problem, thanks to the twisted web of broad-leafed marsh vegetation.

October, November, or January. Standing corn or cattail marsh. The calendar or the cover mean little to ringneck pheasants, who practice the art of evasion 365 days each year, and who will use either type of cover to full advantage. A quiet, stealthy, and well-thought plan of attack, however, can swing the odds a bit more in the hunter’s favor once opening day rolls ’round.

Need a salmon fishing primer (or refresher)? Here’s the short take on the types of salmon you can pursue and the various methods that are used to target each species.

King SalmonSilver SalmonRed Salmon

King Salmon

Probably the most prized fish in Alaska, Kings are also one of the most difficult to catch. King salmon tend to swim in the deepest part of the river, which is typically right down the center. In places like the Kenai River, this makes it very difficult for shore anglers to catch them. However, for the patient and experimental shoreline angler, there are many opportunities to catch kings. Fish for kings a couple hours before and after a tidal change. Often, flies are used on low tides, and bait/lures are used on high tide. Before fishing for kings, make sure to get a king tag! This is the only species which requires an additional tag for legal fishing.

Flies: Use large, bright flies. Let these flow down the river at the same pace as the current (adjust weight as necessary). Kings are notoriously light biters, so if your fly stops, set the hook and hold on!

Spinning/Casting: Use large, bright lures (Vibrax size 5-6, Pixies, in pink, orange, chartreuse, blue, etc). For bait, you can use herring (near salt water) or salmon roe (all situations). This can be fished under a bobber, or from the bottom up. If you’re fishing from the bottom up, put your weight about 24” above the hook. Use any weight you’re comfortable with, but you want enough on there to either hold the bait in place under the water, or to bounce along at the same pace of the current. Use a “double mooch” (two hooks, one tied a couple inches above the other. You can buy them as premade rigs or set them up yourself. Put a golfball-sized piece of bait on the TOP hook, using the egg knot line to secure it down. Let the second hook dangle empty. Just cast this setup at your 10 o’clock position, and drift through your 2 o’clock position. Repeat.

Silver Salmon/Pink Salmon/Chum Salmon

The technique here is pretty much exactly the same as it was for King Salmon. The difference is where these fish swim. These salmon species tend to sit either in clear water or just on the edge of clear water. Clear water occurs when a small stream flows into a murky-colored stream. If there is no clear spots (or they are all clear), look for deep holes where the water slows down. This occurs around bends, behind big rocks, near trees, etc. Keep in mind that the reason fish will sit right outside of clear water is that they can be spooky. If there is a lot of bright sunlight, try using dark fly/lure patterns. These spooky fish will be less scared, and more inclined to bite.

Red Salmon

Red salmon (Sockeye) are one of Alaska’s most popular salmon. The best locations are typically the Kenai River, Russian River, and Kasilof River. These fish swim very close to the shore in medium swift currents. Don’t be the unaware fisherman who wades out 20ft only to block everyone else from catching the fish that are swimming behind you! Reds are not aggressive biters, so the common method of catching them is called “flossing”. The idea is that if you lay your line low in the water, the salmon will pick up the line in their mouth. At this point you “set the hook,” which draws the hook into the corner of the fish’s mouth. This requires using the right amount of weight so that the line and hook move along the bottom of the river at the same pace of the current (This is important***). You can use any type of weight you feel comfortable with. Splitshot, slinkies, and sinklines are all common types. Leader lengths (the line between your weight and your fly) will vary based on water conditions. On the Russian River, where the stream is narrow and quick, typical leader lengths are between 18” and 24”. On the Kenai River, where the water is deep and wide, leader length is more often between 3’ and 5’. Adjust the leader length when needed. The goal is to ensure that the line and fly lay flat along the bottom. The standard fly to use is called the Russian River Fly (~.35 cents), but more effective alternatives are the #4 sockeye special and polar shrimp. These are more effective because they have a shorter shank. In the lower/middle Kenai River you can use larger hooks (a popular option is the 2/0 Octopus hook). You can use any sort of fly, as long as you can visibly see it in the water (this helps target fish and drift speed of the fly) and is legal (see the current regulations) – this usually means smaller than size 2 or 4).

The technique is fairly simple, and if you follow it, you have a great chance to land lots of fish. First, determine where you want to fish. Pull out enough line that you can “flip” your fly out about 15-20 ft (adjust this based on where fish are). Flip your line as far as it will go to your “10 o’clock position”, which should be past and upstream of your fish. Keeping your line taught, drift the line through the water at the same pace of the current until your line points to your “2 o’clock position”. Repeat. Remember, adjust your weight if your line is moving too quickly or slowly. This will be the difference between catching and not catching fish.

Same same…but different.

We’d love for a clear winner to emerge, but often, the reality is our subjective personal preferences are really the only sticks we have with which to measure competing options.

In many ways, this is the case with scope reticles and turrets measured in minutes-of-angle versus milliradians.

In fact, the last grudge match I mentioned above — between metric and imperial units — is apropos here, because MOA versus mil or mrad boils down to just that: a difference in how we format degrees of angular measure.

I know this can be confusing, but we’re going to break everything down and try to demystify the topic for those of us who just want to know what we should choose.

We’ll look at the differences between MOA and mil measurements, figure out what’s relevant to you as a shooter, and see if we can find any strong or even weak reasons to prefer one over the other.

What’s an MOA?

Minute-of-angle is just an angular measurement. It’s based off the number of degrees in a circle — 360 — and the number of minutes in a degree — 60. This is an arbitrary arrangement going all the way back to the Egyptians and Mesopotamians that is used simply to provide a standard of measurement.

They divided a circle into 360 degrees, basically because they used a base-60 numerical system (we use a base-10 system). So we do too. Because history.

OK, some of you might be saying … What does that even mean though? Think of it this way. Let’s say you’re looking at a target that’s 100 yards away. Now, imagine there’s nothing around or under you, and a circle appears around you, where you are at the center of the circle, and the outside edge of the circle passes through the direct center of the target.

If you divide that imaginary circle into 360 degrees or 360 pie slices, and you walk out and measure the distance between those degrees or slices, that distance would be 62.83 inches. This means that at 100 yards, 1 degree of angle measures 62.83 inches. Does that make sense?

Good. Now, if we were to further divide that degree by minutes, we’d get the number 1.047 inches, because there are 60 minutes in a degree.

By the way, isn’t it interesting that our measure of one minute-of-angle is very close to 1 inch at 100 yards? That’s partially why, when we’re sighting in a rifle using an MOA-based scope, we often shoot at targets with 1-inch grids on them. At 100 yards, if all of our shots hit within a single square, we can be sure we’re shooting a sub-MOA grouping.

Though this is purely coincidental, for our purposes as shooters, it’s extremely convenient, because this relationship between distance and minute-of-angle holds mostly true as we move out by 100-yard intervals. At 200 yards, one MOA equal 2.094 inches. Out to 1,000 yards, 1 MOA equals 10.47 inches.

You can find your MOA measurement by multiplying the distance in yards by 1.047, then dividing by 100. And at each increase of 100 yards, you’ll find that you’ve added roughly 1 inch to your MOA measurement. You’re basically just adjusting your measurement to “shooter’s MOA,” which is just your MOA rounded down to the nearest inch measurement.

What’s a Milliradian?

So, like MOA, a mil or mrad is just an angular measurement. The difference is, while there are 21,600 minutes in a circle, there are 6.2832 radians in a circle, and each radian has 1,000 milliradians in it, so there are 6,283.2 milliradians per circle.

Incidentally, a milliradian is a measurement derived from the International Standard of Measurements, which is the same system that gave us the metric system. So if you hate the metric system, you might want to stick with MOA.

Jokes aside, the only practical difference between MOA and mil is that the unit of measure is different. There’s nothing magical or mysterious going on here. We’re just talking about the same difference between inches and centimeters.

At 100 yards, a mil subtends — or measures, for our purposes — 3.6 inches. Just like 1 MOA measures roughly 1 inch at 100 yards. At 200 yards, 1 mil is 7.2 inches. At 1,000 yards, 1 mil is 36 inches.

To find your mil, just multiple your distance in yards by 3.6, and divide again by 100. That’s it. It’s that simple.

But Wait … Is It That Simple?

Let’s get into what the differences amount to. You probably immediately noticed that 21,600 minutes is a lot more than 6,283.2 milliradians. But you also know that scope adjustments are almost never done in one-MOA increments.

Instead, MOA scopes are generally adjusted on the ratio of one-quarter MOA per click (some shorter range or CQB scopes are in 1/2 MOA, check your user manual to be sure). That means for any MOA scope, 1 click will equal 0.25 inches at 100 yards (assuming your scope is in 1/4 MOA clicks).

Milliradians are also divided on most mil scopes by tenths. That means that each click on a mil scope is 0.36 inches at 100 yards.

In both cases, these finer adjustment intervals give us more precise control of where our reticle is pointing. Also, MOA-based scopes are a little more precise — 0.25 inches versus 0.36 inches at 100 yards.

That said, the difference isn’t substantial. At 1,000 yards, for instance, one-quarter MOA subtends to roughly 2.6 inches. At that same distance, one-tenth of a mil subtends to 3.6 inches.

There are confounding factors, of course. It’s possible to have a mil-dot reticle and a turret that adjusts using MOA. Also, to further complicate the issue, we need to consider whether the scope you’re using places the reticle on the first or second focal plane.

But how to actually make an adjustment at range, or what the difference between a first- and second-focal plane reticle is, are topics for another article.

Practical issues aside, there are so many factors to long-range shooting that this relatively miniscule difference in precision isn’t going to make or break your ability to hit your target. So, we’re left with personal preference to make our decision.

Let’s go over why we might choose one style over the other for our shooting pleasure.

Your Application Matters

Neither system is inherently superior to the other. In almost all situations, both systems of measurement will serve adequately for your shooting needs.

If you grew up hunting using MOA, and you’re familiar with that system, my suggestion is to stick with it if that’s your intended application. This is especially true for me, because I don’t advocate taking shots at game beyond 400 yards, in almost all circumstances. But that ethical question is for you to decide.

For the average shooter, I do think the practical relationship between 1 MOA at 100 yards and 10 MOA at 1,000 yards is somewhat easier to understand and use effectively.

If, however, you’re getting into long-range shooting as a sport, you’ll have a few more issues to consider, and you’ll very likely want to go with a mil-based scope. It’s safe to say that in tactical situations — and, by extension, sport-based long-range shooting applications — mil scopes have superseded MOA scopes.

Basically, because the mil system is popular with the military and law enforcement, the civilian market has adopted it as well. But this isn’t purely an aesthetic decision, in my opinion.

There are several reasons mil systems are popular, but it essentially boils down to two facts. Using mil turret adjustments is much simpler when ranging with mil-dot reticles because you don’t have to make an MOA-to-mil conversion, and you will have to make fewer clicks with a mil-based turret to make a correction (because MOA turrets are more precise, and thus require more adjustment clicks for a correction).

If you’re used to making that MOA-to-mil conversion, however, you might not think making the adjustment is difficult at all. Ultimately, you can train and become proficient with either system.

Now, all of this takes practice. When you’re shooting at long-range, you’ll inevitably be doing various mathematical calculations. When it comes to the difference between hitting a target or not, the simplest method is probably best.

This is a big part of the reason why the mil system has essentially taken over tactical and long-range shooting applications. At greater distances, many shooters basically just find it easier to use.

If that isn’t enough for you to choose mil for sport long-range shooting, consider this: it’s the system most other long-range sport shooters are migrating to, if they haven’t already. It makes sense to be on the same page for the sake of simplicity, in my opinion.

And I prefer to use an MOA scope, so I’m not just a mil fanboy.

Try Something New

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, and tinker around with each system if you can. Give both a try, or if you’re new to one of them, focus on that for a while. Make your own investigation, and figure out what works best for you.

Neither system is cooler than the other. Don’t just pick one or the other because of what the military uses, or because your grandfather refuses to try something new. We’re literally just talking about a standard of measurement, after all, and you can learn to become an excellent shooter with either one.

Do you use MOA or MIL? Have you switched from one system to the other? Tell us all about it in the comments! Looking for a badass scope? Take a look at the 9 Best Long Range Scopes!

A freakishly huge bull elk that was killed on a high-fence ranch in southeastern Idaho could potentially set a new world record in Safari Club International’s Record Book. Brian Dhooghe harvested the bull from Broadmouth Canyon Ranch, and he brought the meat from the animal into Bay City Sausage in Aberdeen, Washington, to be processed last week.

The local game processor shared photos of the massive bull’s rack on Facebook, where they’ve generated upwards of a thousand comments. The majority of those comments are negative, as many took the opportunity to criticize the idea of shooting elk on a game preserve.

Outdoor Life, the Boone & Crockett Club, Pope & Young Club, National Deer Association, and other hunting organizations do not believe that taking animals behind a high fence qualifies as traditional fair chase. But still, high-fence hunts are a multi-million dollar business in the U.S., and simply turning a blind eye, or leaving negative comments on a Facebook post, won’t change that. So, it’s worth taking a closer look at these types of hunts—or shoots—and some of the animals they produce.

Some commenters on the Facebook post questioned if the animal was even real, and a few claimed the pictures were Photoshopped. But according to Kyle Strode, who works at Bay City Sausage and saw the rack in person, it’s real, alright.

“Yeah, it was pretty wild. I took a picture of the rack,” Strode tells Outdoor Life, adding that he knew Dhooghe from processing some of his other animals over the years. “Brian has been bringing stuff in forever. So, yeah. It’s a legit animal.”

Outdoor Life was also able to catch up with Dhooghe, who shared the story behind the giant bull.

“What the hell is that thing?”

Brian Dhooghe never claimed his bull was wild or that he killed it “way out in the boon-toolies.” He says he didn’t travel to Idaho just to shoot a record-sized bull that he could brag about. His trip to Broadmouth Canyon Ranch was a 50th birthday present from his wife. The trip was initially booked in 2020, and after a two-year pandemic delay, Dhooghe went out to the ranch last Monday.

He says he had originally paid to shoot a 500-inch bull (for context, the Boone & Crockett Club world-record nontypical elk, known as the famous Spider Bull, scored 478 5/8 inches), but then the head guide made him a deal he couldn’t pass up. The guide mentioned a record-class bull they had walking around the 10,000-acre ranch. He told Dhooghe if they could find it, he could shoot that elk in addition to a mid-500’s bull, and he threw out a price that Dhooghe was willing to pay.

In most high-fence operations, the client chooses which species and size of animal they would like to shoot and then is charged accordingly. For example, Bull Basin, a high-fence operation in Colorado charges $15,900 for a 381- to 399-class bull. Most of these operations guarantee success.

“They had told us this potential record was walking around, but I wanted a nice, big, sexy-looking bull to mount on the wall. And this thing is definitely not that,” Dhooghe says. “He’s ugly. I mean he’s awesome, but kind of freaky lookin’. It looks like something prehistoric, like, what the hell is that thing?”

Dhooghe shot his first bull (which scored 571 inches) during one of his first mornings on the ranch. The next day, he joined a group of four other folks for an afternoon elk drive, where the shooters lined up at the end of a patch of timber and the guides walked through the trees pushing the animals out. The others were looking for 300- to 400-class bulls, so when they saw the record-sized bull step out, there was no question as to who would take the shot.

“We’re all sitting there when up comes this thing,” Dhooghe says. “We saw him close to 400 yards, so I put him in my scope and the damn thing didn’t even fit in there!”

Dhooghe shouldered his .300 Weatherby and waited for the bull to reach 150 yards. With the bull quartering to him, he aimed in front of its shoulder and fired. The hand-loaded, 180-grain Nolser Accubond bullet took out the bull’s heart, and after trotting about 15 feet, the massive animal cartwheeled over and died.

A High-Fence World Record?

Two of the guides at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch are certified as scorers by SCI. Dhooghe says that when they put a tape to the bull’s rack, they conservatively scored it at 648 and 4/8 inches.

Unlike Boone and Crockett and the Pope and Young Club, which don’t allow animals harvested on high-fence ranches into their record books, SCI recognizes these trophies as potential records. The organization simply categorizes them as “estate animals.”

Read Next: The Biggest Nontypical Whitetails of All Time

Dhooghe still has to wait until the mandatory 60-day drying period is up. At that point, he plans to bring the rack to an SCI-certifed master scorer in Washington State. If the master scorer concurs with the original green score, the rack will then be judged by a panel of five or six master scorers, who would make the ultimate call as to whether Dhooghe’s bull replaces SCI’s current world record for the biggest bull ever killed with a rifle.

To clarify, bigger bulls have been killed at Broadmouth Canyon Ranch. This September, a hunter named Brian Bailey shot an elk there with a pistol that scored 689 and 6/8 inches, according to the ranch’s Facebook page.

Outdoor Life reached out to SCI, but their Record Book Committee was unwilling to comment on Dhooghe’s bull until they see it officially. SCI’s Online Record Book has two separate books for non-typical Rocky Mountain Elk—one for elk harvested on high-fence ranches and the other for free-range animals. Looking at the high-fence record book, the biggest bull killed with a rifle was harvested from Bull Basin Ranch in Gunnison, Colorado, in 2020. It scored 648 and 2/8. The high-fence record book also includes two larger bulls: a 649-and-2/8-inch bull taken with a crossbow from a ranch in Utah, and a 671-inch bull killed with a muzzleloader from an undisclosed location in Saskatchewan.

High-Fence Controversy and Ethics

The overwhelming number of negative reactions to Bay City’s original Facebook post are proof that a lot of people (hunters included) have strong opinions about high-fence hunting. Many hunters bristle at the notion of killing an animal inside a fenced enclosure—no matter how large the enclosure may be. They make a distinction between “hunting” and “shooting”, saying that high-fence operations violate the most basic fair chase principles and create unnaturally large specimens that are more akin to livestock than wild animals. To many hunters, these outsized antlers and breeding programs designed to grow the largest racks possible degrade the importance of truly wild animals which earn every inch they grow and season they survive.

Plus, high-fence whitetail operations are under extra scrutiny these days as they’ve been connected to the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.

“Bought bull, high fence pet,” one commenter wrote. “Basically an animal raised like a beef cow that rich dudes pay to shoot. Would be no different or challenging than running down to your local dairy and shooting a Holstein cow with its head in a feed trough.”

It’s important to note that Dhooghe never violated any laws and never did anything to bring this heat upon himself. He didn’t brag about the elk or lie about where it was shot (the way some high-fence hunters have with trophy animals). In fact, Dhooghe isn’t even on social media. If it wasn’t for Bay City’s post, hardly anyone would know about the bull he harvested in Idaho.

“I don’t have Facebook, but my wife does,” he says. “I was looking at some of those comments and I had to quit looking because all it did was piss me off. All these people on there…can’t you just be happy for a guy to kill an animal like that?”

Dhooghe admits that he understands all the controversy around what SCI calls “estate animals.” At the same time, though, he says that regardless of what most people think, not all high-fence operations are created equal.

Read Next: Our Favorite Cartridges and Rifles for Hunting Elk

“I think there are places out there that give this kind of hunt a bad name. Where they keep them in a pen and you basically go out and pick one, so they can kick it across the field and you shoot it,” he says. “This place isn’t like that at all. They bring these elk in and then they turn them loose on 10,000 acres. My bull had been on that ranch for four years. He’s not a tame elk like everyone wants to think he is.”

No matter how much the hunting community decries high-fence hunting, there are clients willing to fork over tens of thousands of dollars in return for a guaranteed opportunity at trophy-class animals that they won’t get otherwise. And, there are plenty who say these hunting estates have their place. The North American Elk Breeders Association lists several reasons for why game preserves exist, including the opportunities they provide for physically challenged hunters, and the incentive they give landowners to turn a profit while maintaining large, undeveloped open spaces as wildlife habitat.

“I just can’t let it bother me, and it really doesn’t,” Dhooghe says about the vitriol over his giant bull. “I think I was 12 years old when I started hunting, and I never dreamed I would shoot an animal like that, or even have the opportunity to. I’m ecstatic about it.”

What is so special about 300 blackout? It seems that this caliber has really just taken off as a lot of companies talk about it and sell guns and parts especially for this round. We wanted to come out with a guide to our comprehensive coverage on the topic of why 300 BLK is so awesome and popular. We compare different calibers, review ballistic data and talk about all the cool builds that are viable with this cartridge.

However, we should preface that how and what the .300 AAC Blackout is good for will rely on what kind of gun the round is being shot out of. How long is the barrel? What kind of load does the .300 BLK you’re using have? Is the 300 BLK ammo that you’re using flying out supersonic or subsonic speeds? Is there perhaps another caliber that might be able to do the same job better if not at a cheaper price? These are just some of the factors for considerations when discerning what this cartridge is “good for.” Check out all of our past blogs to learn more about this .30 caliber round here:

Intro to 300 Blackout

When indulging in gun nerd stuff, especially when it’s about a particular caliber, it’s best to start at the beginning. Learn about where the .300 Blackout came from, its origins, what it was designed for and what it’s most optimal applications are here in our .300 blackout guide for best barrel length, build tips & more.

.300 Blackout, Supersonic vs Subsonic

As you’ll soon learn about the flexibility of .300 BLK ability to serve in multiple roles between its supersonic and subsonic rounds — In this blog, we compare 300 BLK in supersonic and subsonic so that you can decide for yourself what type of loads would work best for you if at all.

300 Blackout for Home Defense

As a caliber that can be shot very effectively and quietly while suppressed, this caliber was designed with our special forces in mind and their need to do close quarter battle. Well in our case as civilians, why not use it for home defense too? See why 300 AAC Blackout for home defense just makes sense as it’s a fantastic round for defending your property and family at home.

.300 Blackout vs 5.56mm NATO

If you’ve ever wondered which is better — 556 or 300 Blackout, you came to the right place.

Between .223 and 5.56mm NATO, these are the most commonly used calibers for the AR-15. But what about .300 BLK? How does this .30 caliber cartridge match up to the NATO round that still isn’t going anywhere any time soon? We dive into that in this blog by comparing the 300 blackout vs 556 NATO.

300 Blackout vs. 9mm Parabellum

After 5.56 NATO, 9mm is one of the most popular calibers that are commonly used and actively sought after (especially during the pandemic). With regard to building a new AR-style rifle one could pursue an AR-9 which would be incredibly fun and rewarding but could also choose an alternative caliber to the NATO round for an AR15 that you might already have in your safe at home. Which should you choose between the 300 blackout vs 9mm parabellum? Find out here.

.300 Blackout vs .300 Whisper

At this point you might be like, “Wait. Can’t the .300 BLK be shot suppressed really well in subsonic rounds already? What’s the deal with the .300 Whisper then?” Well, not to worry it’s not as complicated as it seems. See our explanation as we explain the minutiae of 300 blackout vs 300 whisper in this blog.

6.8 SPC vs 300 Blackout

https://www.80percentarms.com/blog/-68-spc-vs-300-blackout-which-is-better-for-ar15-/

The 6.8mm cartridge is a rising star in the sphere of calibers right now as Sig Sauer recently scored a military contract with the US Army to start phasing out the 5.56mm NATO round and to use Sig’s new round instead. So how does the 6.8 SPC match up against the 300 Blackout? Find out in this blog.

300 Blackout for Hunting Deer

It’s a fair question, one that we often use to gauge how effective any caliber really is — can you kill a deer with 300 aac blackout? Explore whether 300 BLK works for hunting deer with us in this blog here.

Start your next 300 BLK Build With 80 Percent Arms

Convinced yet? Got the building itch? Check out our complete AR-15 300 Blackout build kit which will get you set up real quick to build a rifle from the ground up. But if you are already an AR-15 owner and prefer a conversion kit instead we have complete uppers chambered in 300BLK as well. If you need any help, let our legendary customer service team know so they can assist you in your build.