Many hunters each season harvest a deer and pay a processing facility to butcher the animal. One of the comments we saw a lot when we made our video on butchering a deer at home was the amount of meat that many processors waste. That’s exactly why we wanted to put this guide together.

There is a special relationship you will find knowing that you harvested your venison, dressed, skinned, and butchered the meat, and made a meal that your friends and family will talk about for years. You can butcher a deer at home and know that you wasted nothing, plus you’ll save money. Once you know the best way to butcher a deer, you can do it quickly, often finishing the major steps in less than half an hour.

Skinning Your Deer the Right Way

A properly harvested deer begins with good shot placement and field dressing the animal quickly. We have put together guides for you to properly field dress a deer in print and on our Youtube channel.

For this process, we are going to use the Outdoor Edge RazorMax. This knife has interchangeable blades, so you can quickly switch from a 5” boning knife to a 3.5” drop point. You can purchase our favorite knives right from our website.

Begin skinning your deer by making a cut down the back of the hind legs. Be careful not to cut the Achilles tendon, as you will hang the deer from that at a later stage. After you have made the incision, you can start to pull the skin down the leg, like removing a sock. Keep the meat as clean as possible. Disposable gloves are a good idea, and you should change them when they are contaminated.

As you pull the skin down, you will find a joint. You can make an incision with your knife around and into the joint and snap the lower leg off. Continue pulling the hide down and rolling it so that the hair does not touch the meat and expose the tendon. Do this for both back legs.

You can go to the front and do the same thing as with the back legs. Simply find the joint, make an incision, and snap the lower leg off. Now you are ready to finish skinning your deer.

Hanging Your Deer

The easiest way to skin a deer is by hanging it. We are lucky to have an overhead hoist in our butcher shop. If you don’t have access to a hoist, there are a number of ways to hang a deer. You can use a chain fall and gambrel from the rafters in your garage. You can even use a sturdy tree. Placing a waterproof tarp underneath will help with cleanup.

If hanging a deer to skin is not possible, it can be done on the ground, but it is much more difficult and you should plan on making sure your carcass stays clean. Use tarps.

You will fit the gambrel through the tendons of the back legs and lift the carcass up to about chest level. This will give you good leverage to push the hide down. You’ll hardly use your knife as you skin the haunches. You can finish your cut through the groin and pull the skin back to the haunches.

When you start to work along the front of the legs, be careful not to cut the flap meat. You will find a membrane that holds the flap, and you want to make sure not to cut into it. You want the flap meat to stay on the carcass, because it will make pulling the hide off much easier.

At this point, you can pull the hide down and cut through the tail. Continue to grasp the hide and push down with your hand or fist. Be careful to avoid contaminating your deer. Change your gloves regularly. When you have gotten down to the chest area, you should raise your deer up again if possible.

Finishing the Skinning Process

The hide will be more difficult to remove in the neck, particularly with a buck. If you’re not cutting the cape for a shoulder mount, you can cut the hide down the throat to the jaw. This will make it easier to pull the hide off. Use your knife to cut through the spine at the base of the skull. Cut through the esophagus and pull the hide off the rest of the way.

Pull the esophagus through. Now you will have an opening through the neck. Your carcass should be pretty clean without any hair on it. You can rinse the cavity out to get rid of any blood. If your deer was gut shot, you should not rinse it. All you are doing is spreading contamination around. You will need to cut the contaminated parts out and discard them.

Skinning an animal is a skill that takes practice to get good at doing. When you first start out skinning, it will take you a long time to do the job, and that’s fine. You should be patient and be careful to make sure you remove the hide cleanly without damaging your meat.

A few tips that can help a lot:

Start with a Sharp Knife

This may seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many times we have seen mangled, hacked up deer because someone tried to use a dull knife. You should become skilled at sharpening a knife and you should have a basic knife sharpener with you on your hunt. Regularly ensuring the blade of your hunting knife is kept sharp will speed up your skinning process. Even the best knife in the world will not hold an edge forever. One of the reasons we recommend the Outdoor Edge RazorMax is the quick-change blades. This way, you don’t have to stop halfway through the process to sharpen a blade.

Use Correct Knife Technique

A sharp knife makes it easy to cut, but you still must be cautious about the way you use your knife. Always be aware of where your hands, or a helper’s hands are when working with a knife. It’s unbelievably easy to accidentally cut someone or yourself when skinning. Make short, precise cuts away from yourself. Keep your knife handle clean. A non-slip handle is very beneficial.

Wear Gloves

Gloves will significantly help your cleanup process, but most importantly, they help prevent spreading contaminants around while you are skinning and butchering. It is particularly important to prevent spreading hair around on the meat. Changing your gloves periodically while skinning will help to keep the hair on the hide and off your dinner.

Use the Buddy System

Skinning any large animal is a chore to do by yourself. Once you have plenty of experience, it won’t be as difficult, but an extra set of hands and eyeballs can really come in handy for balancing the carcass while skinning and butchering.

With these tips and our guide, you should be able to start skinning like the professionals. Practice makes perfect, so keep at it. Offer to help others who are skinning, just so you have the opportunity to see and experience the process. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. For a visual breakdown of the process, make sure you check out or video below.

Next, we will show you how we butcher a deer so that you can learn to do it at home, save money on processing charges, and get the cuts of venison you really want. Later, we’ll show you some of our favorite ways to prepare venison and share some family favorite recipes and techniques.

So you field dressed and skinned your deer, but what’s next? In this article, we’re going to explain the process and techniques we use at home to butcher a deer and prepare the meat for final cuts. A lot of the information here can also be found on our Youtube channel if you would like to see the process we use.

It’s key to make sure your deer is completely clean and free of hair and dirt before butchering. Cleanliness is essential. You do not want to accidentally ruin your venison because of carelessness.

Butcher a Deer

We are going to go through and show you how to break the carcass down into the different muscle groups, then we will come back and show you how to further process those parts. We are using the Outdoor Edge Butcher’s Knife Kit. It comes with all of the essential tools you need. We’re going to use the bone saw, the boning knife, and a larger butcher blade that is similar to a Bowie knife. This is a great set of tools to pick up, we highly recommend them for your at home butchering. Let’s get started!

Tenderloins or Fish Tenders

The first thing you will do is reach inside the carcass and find the tenderloins. We call them fish tenders because, well, they are about the size of a fish fillet. Once you get them started, they pull out easily. A lot of people miss these or cut into them when field dressing their deer, which is really a waste of one of the best parts.

Rear Quartering

We are going to use the Outdoor Edge bone saw to quickly remove the hind quarters. This just makes the next steps easier. First, trim the flap meat, then cut through above the hip joints.

Switching back to the boning knife, you will use some downward pressure to separate the hip joints and slice the haunch off. You can use the edge of the table as you cut to get leverage. This will help separate the joint. Set the rear haunches aside for now. Later, we will break those down into the sirloin, top, bottom, and eye of round roasts and tell you how to make some jerky.

Front Quartering

Most of the time as you are butchering an animal, you will see visual cues where to cut. As you work along the front legs, you will find a membrane between the muscles. Just follow that with your knife, and the shoulder will come apart easily. Use short strokes with your knife and apply pressure with your other hand. The muscle groups will usually come apart. Set the shoulders aside. Later, we will clean these up and describe how to cut a venison flat iron steak.

Ribs and Backstrap

Use your knife and make an incision down the spine. Cut along the carcass to the rib, and work the knife back toward your first cut. Like filleting a fish, if you make these cuts right, your backstrap will come right off. The backstrap is one of the most prized parts of a deer. You will make these cuts on both sides to remove the backstraps. Later, we will tell you how to finish processing these and make them into chops.

This is where the heavier bladed butcher knife comes in handy. You will need to cut through the sternum to separate the ribs. There is a piece of cartilage that makes cutting easier. You can also use the bone saw to quickly hack through the sternum.

Use the heavier knife and a sawing motion to cut the ribs from the spine and remove them. These are great on the smoker as is, but if they are too big, you can cut the bottom portion off. Find the cartilage and cut through it to remove. You can process that part later to add to ground venison. Now, you have St. Louis style ribs.

Use the bone saw to remove the remainder of the ribs. An extra set of hands comes in very handy on this step. A pro tip is to use your knife to cut through the muscle to the bone before starting to cut with the saw. This way, you are not wasting energy cutting muscle with the saw.

Waste Not, Want Not

Carefully go over the remaining spine and neck portion to remove any usable bits of muscle. These can be ground up with other trimmings and make amazing sausage. Most of the bones can be boiled down and used to make stock. Venison bone stock makes out-of-this-world gravy, and is an excellent natural immune system booster. The only bones you should not use are the skull, brain, and spinal cord. Some animals can carry diseases that may be transferable to humans and can withstand industrial heat sanitation temperatures. It’s just not safe to use these parts.

Many people have very strong opinions on using deer fat, and there are some serious things you should consider before embarking on rendering your fat.

Probably the most important thing to consider is the diet of the animal you harvested. Deer feeding on grasses, grains, or acorns are likely to have fat similar to that of grass-fed beef and will be pleasant. Deer eating scrub brush and such should be avoided. These deer are likely to have little fat, and what they do have will not taste good.

Fat you find inside the carcass and surrounding the liver is called suet. This is used to make tallow for candles and can be saved, but is usually discarded when field dressing a deer. If you want to embark on a candle-making adventure, or if you know someone who is interested in buying suet to make tallow, you can save these parts.

If you do render deer fat for cooking, remember a little goes a long way. Too much, and it will coat your mouth in an unpleasant way. Deer fat does not keep and will go rancid within three to four months even in the freezer.

Getting Ready for the Next Step

Your deer has been broken down into the major groups now, so it is time to move on to the types of cuts you can get from your deer. We have videos on our Youtube channel that show the best way how to skin and butcher the deer you have harvested.

In Part Three, we will discuss how to get the best cuts and share with you some of our favorite ways to make venison at home using The Bearded Butcher Blend spices and seasonings.

Once you have finished the basic butchering steps outlined in part two of this guide to butchering at home, it is time to process your quarters into proper cuts of meat.

As we go along here, we will explain the different cuts and give you some tips about the way we like to prepare and season venison using our Bearded Butcher Blend Spices. We are going to continue using the Outdoor Edge Butchering Kit. The knives in this set are excellent for making great cuts of venison at home.

Back to the Venison Backstrap

The first thing you want to do when trimming your backstrap is to find the seam in the muscle. You can open this up by hand, and then give it just a little help with the knife to expose the edge. Trim the long edge off and save it for trimmings.

Next, find the thick spinal sinew that runs all the way down the backstrap and cut that out. This is often used to make traditional bowstrings. Now, we need to remove the silver skin.

Use the fish fillet method by starting at the thick end of the backstrap and cutting down to, but not through the silver skin. Then carefully press the knife away from you while gently pulling the edge of the silver skin and the silver skin will come off. If some parts are missed, you can flip the backstrap over and angle your knife blade against the skin and gently cut away from yourself. This way, you can catch the skin and lift it off without destroying the backstrap.

With the silver skin and sinews removed, you can cut the backstrap into 1 ¼” slices for chops. These are some of the most desirable cuts of venison.

Dressing up a Deer Backstrap

A way to cut and prepare a backstrap that is sure to impress is to butterfly the backstrap. To do this, you will cut the backstrap into thirds. Using the thickest portions, place your hand on top of the backstrap and use your knife to cut as close to the table as possible without cutting through the backstrap. Using your other hand, gently unroll the backstrap as you cut. You can continue to cut and unroll the backstrap until you have one uniform, thin layer.

You can season this with Bearded Butchers Spices. The Original is a personal favorite on a backstrap like this. Next, you will layer whatever filling you would like. Feta cheese, spinach, and onions is a good choice. So is cream cheese and jalapenos for a creamy spicy kick. All you have to do is roll the butterflied backstrap up and tie it off. Smoker, grill, or the oven, this is a great way to make a backstrap.

Breaking Down the Deer Hind Quarter

Next, we are going to separate the hind quarters. These parts can be used for many great dishes. The major portions are the round steaks. These are the ideal cuts for jerky. We are also going to detail how to get a great sirloin roast from a hind quarter.

Get started by applying a little downward force with your knife at the knee joint. When you are in the right spot, you will cut the shank off cleanly. Alternatively, you can use the bone saw to cut through the joint, but be sure to start with your knife. Bone saws don’t work well on muscle.

Using your boning knife, follow the femur bone down until it is separated from the meat. Cut around the bone and lift it out of the muscle. Now you will have a 100 percent boneless piece of venison.

There are four muscle groups we are going to deal with in the haunch. The first is the round point. The round point, also called a sirloin when it is properly dressed, has a membrane that holds it in place. You can start working it free by hand and use your knife sparingly to trim it out. This is the best piece to make roast venison, but you can also cut it up into cubes for stew meat. If you remove the connective tissue, you can also slice this into jerky.

From here, you are going to separate the other three muscle groups. These muscles will pull apart pretty easy when you find the seam in the membrane. This will take experience to learn to do quickly. A trick is

I wanted to share something with you guys that has really changed the way my family and I have been running trotlines. However, before I lay out the design for you… let me say that I realize we all have our preferences on how to do things (especially fishing). Saying that one method is the “absolute best” is like saying one muscle car is better than all the others, or that one type of truck model is the best ever built. You’re never going to get everyone on the same page agreeing on this… and I’m okay with that.

If you have a different method that you think is better; please feel free to share it in the comment section below. The more discussion the better….

Ok, back to the post.

For as long as I can recall my family and I have been running trotlines on Lake Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend (more recently). We have used the traditional design (see image below) which involves tying the trotline off at both ends (usually to a stump), and then sinking the line to the bottom in the middle. We’ve used this method the majority of my life and have done really well with it.

This is an “old-school” design that was probably used by your great great grandfather if he ran lines. It has literally been around forever, and it works great. However, this design is based off the old assumption that catfish are simply “bottom dwelling scavengers” and not much else. We know this isn’t true (see my last post about the Best Catfish Bait), but we still set our lines out in the same old fashioned way.

I want to encourage you to try this “new” (it’s not really new… just different) method if you haven’t. It has literally changed the way my stepdad and I fish, and I don’t see going back to the traditional method of running lines anytime soon. This has consistently produced more and LARGER catfish for us. Pretty much all the large catfish pictures you may have seen on our site, Facebook Page, or Instagram have been caught using this method.

Ok, so here’s how to set the line. First check out this basic diagram – I’m obviously no artist, but you’ll get the point.

The obvious difference between this method and the old method is that you will now be floating the hooks and bait. This will have the wind and wave action moving your bait around and helping you to catch more fish. Cool huh?

As for actually setting up your line, you can go as cheap or heavy duty/expensive as you’d like. However, I would strongly recommend that you do the work up front and create a solid-stout line that you can catch those large cats on… because you will be hooking them and nothing is more frustrating than losing those huge fish.

Here are a few tips for setting up your line:

• Used HEAVY Line – I recommend using 96 Tarred Nylon which is about 600 lb test. Pro-Tip… the larger line is thicker and WAY EASIER on your hands when running lines all day. You’ll thank me later.

• Circle Hooks are a MUST – an instant way to catch a minimum of 20% more fish per run (even if you don’t use the new trotline model) is to switch to circle hooks. A 6/0 straight hook won’t give you half the holding power that a 6/0 circle hook will provide. They’re that good… and definitely worth the extra cost.

• Swivels, Swivels, Swivels – Those cheap trotline clips are great for smaller fish and setting quick lines; however if you’re going after large catfish then you need to be using swivels. These will help to prevent a large fish from getting off the hook by keeping them from tangling the staging line into the main line. I recommend using the 3/0 to 6/0 Swivels as they’re super heavy duty and will last you at least 2-3 years in the water.

• Tight Lines – Get your line as tight as possible before setting the hooks. You can use about 50lbs of cinder (or whatever) on each end and this will do the trick to keep it still. In all honesty, you likely don’t need this much weight as they will sink into the mud and get covered… I just tend to overdo things. = )

• Use Clear Bottles – You don’t need a lot to float your lines. I recommend using clear Gatorade type bottles every 10-20 feet (whatever you prefer) to keep your lines afloat. Using the clear bottles will help to “hide” your line at a distance from folks you don’t want to find it.

• Fish Shallow – Keep your main line about 4 feet below the surface. This will allow boats to pass over the top, but still keep your bait in the hot-zone. This works great for summer months when the water is hot.

I think that’s about it. I feel confident that if you take the time to set your lines up using this method that you will find yourself catching more and larger fish. It’s worked for me, and pretty much everyone I know now uses this method over the traditional one of sinking your lines.

One final thought, and a bit of a selfish plug… you’re going to need good bait to catch fish. If you haven’t checked out our different bait fish traps yet, then please take a minute to check them out here:

Click Image For Info

I sincerely hope that you’ve enjoyed this article and have found at least something useful. If you have, please don’t hesitate to share it on Facebook with your fishing buddies. Thanks for reading, and God bless!

What is a 8.6 Creedmoor?

First off, it is now officially called the 8.6 BLK or 8.6 Blackout, dubbed such by the very creator Kevin Brittingham. Kevin, owner of Q and inventor of the .300 Blackout cartridge first came up the with idea of a .338 caliber cartridge like the .338 Federal, but better because it has a shorter 6.5 Creedmoor based case, so it could accommodate larger and longer bullets than the .338 Federal in normal magazines, which would mean it could provide for a cartridge that could be effective at both subsonic and supersonic muzzle velocities. Not only does this owe for interesting low-noise subsonic rifles, but also for short barrel, high-punch rifles and even a cartridge being able to feed in a semi-auto configuration.

Back in 2018 when Kevin initially developed the cartridge and worked with the idea, trying to get Hornady to start manufacturing the cartridge, he intended to call it the 8.6 Creedmoor, but in June 2021 when Q made the official announcement of the cartridge on their Instagram account, they dubbed it the more appropriate 8.6 BLK or 8.6 Blackout, owing to their own unique .300 Blackout, but necked up to accommodate the 8.6 caliber bullet, and also uniquely identifying it as separate from the Creedmoor sports developed cartridges like the 6.5mm Creedmoor and the 6mm Creedmoor.

The reason why Q and Hornady are only now officially bringing it to market in 2021, is mainly because of the ammo crisis that hit since early 2019, which meant that they could not even keep up with demand of current cartridge ammo, let alone start manufacturing or marketing a new cartridge.

Brass

Why a New Cartridge

Yes, it feels like every week someone is just necking some other cartridge up or down and “bringing out a whole new cartridge”, but this time, it is really a game-changer. The 8.6 BLK is not just an improvement on previous designs or a wildcat, it changes what was thought best for hunting cartridges and tactical military cartridges all together. It shows that large long bullets can work out of small cases, and even better, high energy effective hunt kills can be made out of short barrels, even at what would be considered long range distances for hunting.

Create Your Own

There aren’t really any large scale manufacturers making a 8.6 BLK Factory Rifle yet, however, if you jump on the waiting list now, you may be able to snag one of the early ones when they become available soon from Q and Faxon firearms, or you can even just buy a barrel conversion from them if you already have a Fix by Q.

The other manufacturers should jump on the band wagon offering 8.6 BLK chambered barrel pretty soon after Hornady starts making the brass available, and you can even have your own build on a .308 bolt face, standard-length action, by chambering a .338 / 8.6mm barrel in it once reamers become available (just remember the tight twist rate needed to make the most of this cartridge).

8.6 BLK Twist Rate

Very fast twist rates like 1:4 and even 1:3 are used for the 8.6 BLK, as this provides greater energy at supersonic velocities, and greater accuracy at subsonic velocities, thus enabling the use and stabilization of such long and large bullets out of such short barrels. The fast twist rate, also ensures good bullet expansion even at slower velocities.

8.6 BLK Ballistics

When loaded with a 210gr Barnes TTSX bullet at a conservative 2000fps from the short 16″ barrel, you still have over a 1000 ft/lb energy on target at 375 yards, although this round is not really made for such long distances. The designers also claim that the normal energy on target figure is not applicable as the incredible rotational energy of the projectile spun at such a high speed because of the 1:3″ twist rate, multiplies the energy on target, see this video to show that.

EDIT: Ballistic figures, chart and graph was updated in June 2022 to get closer to actual achieved muzzle velocity figures now that the round has been tested more, and showing that the initial muzzle velocity figures claimed by Q were a little overstated.

8.6 BLK for Hunting

Although very practical as a new do-all military cartridge, hunting is where the 8.6 BLK really shines. It redefines the general purpose hunting and utility rifle genre. Even during testing and R&D hunts, Kevin Brittingham and the guys from Q have been making waves online with their small Fix 8.6 BLK taking down everything from smaller CXP1 sized animals like a Black Backed Jackal, CXP2 sized game like deer, CXP3 sized animals like a large Kudu bull, all the way through to the very large and thick-skinned CXP4 sized African Cape Buffalo. Proving the versatility of the cartridge and rifle platform for a single, compact, do-it-all hunting rifle.

8.6 BLK Barrel Length

8.6 BLK vs .338 Federal

Most people that first read or heard about the 8.6 BLK, quickly asked why, given the similarity or superiority (as they thought) of the already available .338 Federal cartridge. Well, the 8.6 BLK is the quieter and more efficient version of a .338 Federal, basically with a trimmed back case and improved shoulder so you can get longer heavier subsonic bullets than you can with the .338 Federal. Overall it’s a more efficient and versatile design than the .338 Federal.

Whilst the case length of the .338 Federal is 2.015”, the 8.6 BLK case is 1.685” in length, allowing the ability to run heavy subsonic loads, 280 to 360 grains or more, whilst the longer 338 Federal case will put the ogive of those long projectiles back inside the case, which will perform badly.

Although having a smaller case capacity, the 8.6 BLK offers more consistent ignition of the powder thanks to more case fill, which gives you more consistent performance, especially with those heavy subsonic loads. Another big upside due to the shorter case and cartridge length, the 8.6 BLK will feed out of .308 Winchester length magazines, allowing greater compatibility. Even the fact that the 8.6 BLK uses the same bolt face as the .308 Win, means you can change your barrel on your Fix or other current rifle and have your own 8.6 BLK.

Lastly, when looking a long bullets like the Berger 300gr Hybrid with a nose length of 0.955 inches, but the case to OAL length of the .338 Federal is only 0.785 inches, meaning that those bullets or similar cannot be reliably fed from a magazine, whereas it can in the 8.6 BLK.

“Unleash your precision with the 22 cal air rifle 1400 fps: Experience unparalleled accuracy and power with our cutting-edge air rifle. Achieve incredible velocities of up to 1400 feet per second, ensuring superior performance for your shooting needs. Discover the perfect balance between control and force, making this rifle a must-have for any shooting enthusiast.”

22 cal air rifle 1400 fps

When it comes to power and precision, the 22 caliber air rifle with a velocity of 1400 feet per second (fps) stands out from the rest. This high-powered air rifle is designed to deliver exceptional accuracy and efficiency for shooting enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned hunter or a target shooter, this rifle offers the perfect combination of speed and accuracy to enhance your shooting experience.

The 22 cal air rifle with a velocity of 1400 fps is ideal for small game hunting and pest control. With its impressive muzzle energy, it can take down varmints and pests swiftly and humanely. Additionally, its high velocity allows for an extended effective range, making it suitable for longer distance shots. The precision-engineered rifling ensures consistent shot placement, allowing you to make accurate shots even at challenging distances.

Moreover, this air rifle is equipped with advanced features that enhance its performance. It may include features such as adjustable triggers, noise reduction technology, ergonomic stocks, and easy-to-use safety mechanisms. These features not only improve your shooting experience but also contribute to the overall comfort and convenience while handling the rifle.

In conclusion, the 22 cal air rifle with a velocity of 1400 fps offers superior accuracy and power for various shooting applications. Its high velocity ensures precise shots and efficient target penetration. With its compact design and ease of use, this air rifle proves to be a reliable choice for both beginners and experienced shooters alike.

The giant bull dolphin struck the skirted ballyhoo rig with a vengeance, catching the fishermen by surprise. They were already locked in battle with two other large dolphins. Half an hour later, the big bull lay on the bloody deck of Salty Intentions, a 25-foot Contender owned and captained by Michael Bell. His friend James Roberts caught the fish using a Star Rods Aerial Stand-Up Rod paired with a Penn Squall 16VS reel.

Angler James Roberts (L) and Michael Cahoon (R) with new Georgia state record Mahi-Mahi.

Bell and Roberts had been fishing with Michael Cahoon, Shaun Bragg and James Bashlor approximately 90 miles off the Georgia coast when they landed the prize mahi-mahi on April 26. The Georgia DNR officially certified the fish to weigh 68-pounds, 1.6-ounces—a new state record.

Mahi-mahi, also known as dolphinfish, dolphin and dorado, typically range from 10 pounds to 30 pounds when boated. The world record mahi-mahi, caught off the coast of Costa Rica in 1976, tipped the scales at 87 pounds. The previous Georgia state record for mahi-mahi was 67-pounds, 9.6-ounces, caught by fisherman Will Owens in 2019.

Run to the Gulf Stream

St. Catherines Sound is located on Midway River, between St. Catherines Island and Ossabow Island, approximately 28 miles south of Savannah, Georgia. For more than 20 years, Captain Michael Bell has been making the 80-plus-mile trip from the sound to the Gulf Stream, where he chases tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi and other bluewater gamefish.

The long distance requires an extra early start, so on April 26, the group of anglers met at Captain Bell’s house at 2:00 am. They left the Georgia DNR Demere Creek Ramp onboard Salty Intentions around 3:30 am, heading east toward the Triple Ledge in the darkness.

“We’ll go to the Triple Ledge and try to catch a wahoo and a blackfin tuna to start out. They normally hang out on that ledge, so we’ll put out some wahoo and tuna gear,” Bell says.

Trolling Triple Ledge

Breezy conditions that day limited the Contender, which is powered by twin 200-hp Yamaha outboard motors, to a top speed of 30 miles per hour. The sun had just started to rise when the group reached the Triple Ledge. They began trolling along the structure and soon caught a pair of amberjacks down deep using a planer. After catching a few mahi near the ledge, they decided to run further offshore. Captain Bell scanned the horizon, looking for a temperature break, weed line, feeding birds—anything that would hold fish or indicate feeding fish.

At around 400-feet deep, the fishermen crossed a long weed line that a couple of boats were already working. After scanning the area, they continued on until they reached a depth of 1,800 feet. Despite a thorough search, they couldn’t find any fish, so Bell decided to head toward the Deli Ledge. On the way, they again crossed a weed line in about 400- to 450-feet of water, approximately 85 to 90 miles offshore.

“I’m assuming it was the same rip that I had seen south of there, so we stopped on that rip and then we set out a spread,” Bell recalls. “We didn’t do anything for the first few minutes, and then the next thing you know, the bite was on.”

The Salty Intentions crew had found a Mahi motherlode.

Fish box aboard Salty Intentions filled with the days catch, including the new state record dolphin fish.

“They just started tearing it up. I had a Squid Nation bucket dredge out and it got to where we were catching so many fish that I couldn’t even run it, so I put that in the boat,” Bell says. “We started tearing the dolphin up. We caught dolphin nonstop, all day. We loaded the boat with dolphin.”

Monster Mahi-Mahi

Shortly after 2:30 that afternoon, a double-header of dolphin hit the starboard long and short riggers. Bell slowed the boat in order to manage the spread while they fought the two fish. On the opposite side of the boat, James Roberts grabbed a rod and began to reel in line in order to free up room for the other anglers. That’s when a large bull dolphin hit the skirted ballyhoo—and then dropped it.

“When I picked the rod up, I snatched it out of the outrigger. It fell back probably two seconds before the boat’s momentum caught up with that lure and started snatching it again. That activated that fish. I don’t know where he came from—but he came from hell, buddy. He came out of the water and knocked the bait out of the water twice,” Roberts says. “Each time he’s doing it, Captain Bell kept hollering, “Drop it back! Drop it back!” I would hit the free spool, drop 30 to 50 feet back, lock it back down and it snatched it again.”

Similar to sailfish and other gamefish, mahi-mahi will often initially strike a bait and drop it. They will then circle back and, if the bait appears to be dead, proceed to try to eat it.

Captain. Michael Bell with state record fish.

“The fish hit it, struck out and commenced to peeling drag,” Bell remembers. “At this point, we got a triple hookup. We’ve got two mid-20s dolphins on the right side of the boat and him on the left side of the boat and it’s burning out. I see the fish charging away and it was a huge bull dolphin. I had no earthly clue that it was that big. I just knew it was a nice one. I’m thinking an upper 40s fish, just a really nice bull dolphin.”

As Roberts continued to fight the monster Mahi, the rest of the crew cleared the remaining empty rods and finally landed the other two fish. Everyone then focused on the Mahi that Roberts was tangling with.

“We reeled him in and he burned the drag out. We finally got him in sight. We got off the braid and onto the mono. I usually run about 60 yards of mono on there,” Bell said. “You could see him out there. He was like a giant planer board. You couldn’t make up ground with him when he turned sideways in that current, so I had to start easing in his direction and we’d reel up to him.”

Bell handed the wheel over to James Bashlor, another seasoned fishing boat captain who was fishing onboard Salty Intentions that day. Bell then grabbed a gaff and continued to coach Roberts who had been fighting the big fish for nearly 30 minutes.

“It was straight battle. It wasn’t no playing alongside the boat. His ass was back there tailing and walking and hauling ass,” Roberts says. “He kept taking line. I just kept fighting him back in until he finally wore out.”

Captain Bell gaffed the mahi, but the tip of the gaff accidentally lodged in the boat’s rub rail, leaving the fish hanging precariously over the water. Roberts grabbed a second gaff and hooked the fish in the tail. At the same time, Bell finally cleared the boat’s rub rail with his gaff and slung the mahi into the boat. That’s when the fishermen realized that they possibly had a record mahi on their hands. They stowed their gear and Bell set a course for St. Catherines Sound sea buoy, which was 94 miles away at that point.

“It was literally the best fishing trip I think anybody on that boat had ever had in their life,” Bell says. “We caught 44 dolphin that day, and we had some monsters. We had that state record, but we had several fish in the 40s and a ton of fish in the 30s. It was epic. We had five 60-quart coolers full of fillets.”

After returning to shore, the fishermen had the mahi officially weighed at the Georgia DNR Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery. Although James Roberts will go into the record book, he credits everyone on board for making the catch possible, especially Captain Michael Bell.

“I attribute this entire day to Captain Bell and his crew because he’s got his shit together. He knows what he’s doing. I’ve been fishing offshore off and on for over 20 years, and I’ve never had the pleasure of fishing with people as good as Captain Bell,” Roberts says. “We caught 44 fish that day. Ninety percent of the dolphin we caught tail-walked across the water, so it was a thrill all day long.”

Star Rods Continues to Set Records

Michael Bell began using Star Rods exclusively onboard Salty Intentions after fishing with the rods on James Bashlor’s boat.

“Honestly, I love them. They’re a fantastic rod for the money in comparison to other rods,” Bell says. “My rods are three years old now and I haven’t missed a beat with them. I troll the Gulf Stream with them. I also bottom fish with them. I’ve caught a truckload of fish on those rods—big sharks. I got videos and pictures of 200- to 300-pound sharks that we caught while we were bottom fishing with those rods. Not to mention huge red snapper, grouper and 30- to 40-plus pound amberjacks. I mean I’ve worked them.”

Both Bell and Roberts are quick to praise the Star Rods Aerial Stand-Up Rod that landed the new Georgia state-record mahi. The six-foot Star Rods EX1530C6 features a medium action and a line rating of 15-30 lbs.

“It didn’t let me down at all. That’s all that he’s got on his boat is Star Stand-Up with Penn 16VS’s and I was impressed,” Roberts says. “I had no problem at all fighting that fish. I believe that rod could have handled something twice that size.”

Learn more about Star Rods and find an Official Star Rods Dealer at StarFishingTackle.com

There’s nothing quite like hunting whitetails during the rut. Georgia deer hunters are fortunate in that with a little travel, we can hunt the rut from mid-October through the end of the year — that’s two and a half months of rut hunting action!

To give you an idea of the 2024 rut dates, I’ve included a map below that breaks the peak of breeding into two week intervals. If you’d like more specific dates, check out the table below that narrows it down even further to the best week for each county.

Georgia Rut Map

The map and table were created based on research done by the University of Georgia (UGA) and Georgia DNR wildlife biologists that found a strong correlation between deer-vehicle collisions and rutting activity. By looking at deer-vehicle collision reports across the state, UGA and the Georgia DNR were able to pin down the peak of rutting activity for each county.

Keep in mind, these are just guidelines for Georgia’s peak breeding dates. There will always be does that come into estrus early or late, which can result in a flurry of buck activity outside of these “typical” rut dates. More on that below.

2024 Rut Dates by County

October 13-19

Ben Hill, Camden, Candler, Glynn, Jenkins, McIntosh, and Telfair counties.

October 20-26

Atkinson, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Columbia, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Jefferson, Liberty, Long, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, and Ware counties.

October 27 – November 2

Bacon, Baldwin, Echols, Hart, Jasper, Lanier, Lincoln, Monroe, Putnam, Schley, Taylor, Warren, Washington, and Wilkinson counties.

November 3-9

Appling, Bartow, Barrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Chattooga, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, Dekalb, Dodge, Dooly, Elbert, Floyd, Gordon, Greene, Hancock, Haralson, Henry, Houston, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pierce, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Rockdale, Spalding, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Twiggs, Upson, Walker, Walton, Wayne, Wheeler, and Wilkes counties.

November 10-16

Barrow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clarke, Coweta, Dade, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Hall, Harris, Heard, Jackson, Madison, Muscogee, Murray, Oconee, Pickens, Sumter, Talbot, Troup, Turner, Whitfield, and Wilcox counties.

November 17-23

Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Dawson, Fannin, Lee, Randolph, Stewart, Tift, Towns, Union, and Worth counties.

November 24-30

Baker, Banks, Calhoun, Dougherty, Habersham, Irwin, Lumpkin, Mitchell, Rabun, Stephens, Terrell, Thomas, Webster, and White counties.

December 1-7

Quitman

December 8-14

Decatur and Grady counties

December 15-21

Early and Miller counties

December 22-28

Seminole County

What About Weather or the Moon Phase?

You may wonder how we know that these dates will apply to the 2024-2024 Georgia deer season. We know because the whitetail rut occurs the same time every year for any given location. It doesn’t change based on weather factors, moon phase, or anything else. That has been documented in study after study over the years.

What can change from year to year is how much rutting activity you witness where you hunt. Keep in mind that while the dates listed on this page are peak rut activity, there are always outliers that fall outside of that peak. Some does may come into estrus a little earlier and some will come in later.

When you see rutting activity where you hunt will be determined by the timing of does coming into estrus in that specific area. And since there appears to be a genetic aspect to a doe’s estrus timing, you may see that pattern repeated year after year. If the rut dates listed above don’t correlate with when you typically see rut activity, it’s probably because you have a doe or two that are going into estrus outside of the typical date range.

How to Hunt the Georgia Rut

In my mind, there are two keys to taking advantage of the whitetail rut. The first one is to spend as much time in the stand as possible during the peak dates. Bucks are on the feet and moving more than ever during this time, so you never know when a great buck you’ve never seen before may walk into your shooting lane.

The second key is knowing where the does are and using that information when developing a strategy to catch a cruising buck looking for a receptive doe. If you can find some type of funnel on the downwind side of a doe bedding area, then it’s only a matter of time before you get a shot opportunity.

Final Thoughts

There’s no better time to be in a treestand than during the rut, and we have over two months to chase it here in Georgia. I hope you’re taking advantage of that opportunity! Hopefully the Georgia rut map above, along with the table of 2022 Georgia rut dates by county will help you schedule your hunts this year so you can extend the rut-hunting action.

If you disagree with any of the dates listed in this article, we’d love to hear about it. Let us know what county you hunt, and what dates you think best fit the county based on your observations.

Introduction

Have you ever seen a moose in person? If not, you might not realize just how HUGE these creatures are! Moose make humans look tiny in comparison. In this article, we’ll explore how moose size stacks up to the average person.

Moose Height vs. Human Height

First, let’s talk about moose height versus human height. Bull moose, which are the males, stand a whopping 6 to 7 feet tall at the shoulders. That’s before you even count their antlers! Cow moose, the females, are just slightly shorter at around 5 to 6 feet tall.

Now let’s compare that to the size of a typical human. The average adult man is about 5 feet 9 inches tall. That means a bull moose can be over 2 feet taller than a man! If an average man walked up to a bull moose, he would just reach the moose’s shoulder. A cow moose is still at least several inches taller than a man.

Already from the height alone you can tell that moose are huge compared to us. But it gets even crazier when you look at their weight.

The Immense Weight of Moose

Bull moose tip the scales at 800 to 1,600 pounds on average. Cow moose weigh between 600 to 800 pounds usually. How much does a typical grown man weigh? Around 180 pounds.

So if you did the math, you’d find that one bull moose outweighs an average adult male human by 8 times! Picture 8 grown men standing on a scale. Then picture one moose on the other side. The moose side would drop way down with all that weight!

The Incredible Length of a Moose

The moose’s giant body isn’t just tall and heavy either. They also have an incredible length. From their nose to their tail, moose measure between 6 to 8 feet without the tail included. Add another 1 to 2 feet with the tail, and you get a moose length of 7 to 10 feet. How long is the average man? Around 5 feet 9 inches tall.

So a moose is longer than a full grown man is tall! If a man lay down head to toe next to a moose, the moose would be spilling over extra on both ends. These creatures are absolute giants!

Visualizing the Size Difference

Now that you know the basic height, weight and length of moose, let’s imagine what it would look like if a moose and human stood side by side. Picture it: a 6-foot-tall moose shoulder towering above the man’s head. The massive moose weighs 8 times more than the human. And the moose’s body is so long it’s spilling over the man by several feet in both directions.

When you visualize the size difference, it really paints a picture of how small we are next to these giant animals. If you ever saw a moose in the wild, you would have to crane your neck back just to see to the top of its back. And you could stand between its legs with plenty of room to spare.

Comparing Measurements

Another way to get a sense of scale is to think about specific measurements. For example, a bull moose can have an antler spread of up to 6 feet wide. That’s wider than some bedrooms! Their huge antlers alone could cover an entire person underneath.

Or consider that a moose’s shoulder is often 6 to 7 feet high. That’s the same height or taller than a basketball hoop! Imagine a creature the height of a basketball hoop but much, much bigger. That’s a massive moose!

Respecting the Size Difference

Now I know some of you might think, who cares how big moose are? Why does it matter if they’re so much larger than us? Well, the size difference has some important impacts on how we interact with moose.

For one thing, the immense size of moose means they need to be respected. Because they are so giant and powerful, moose can be very dangerous if they feel threatened. They do not run away from humans like deer often do. Instead, their size makes them confident enough to stand their ground if they perceive a confrontation.

There have been instances where moose have seriously injured or even killed people when they felt cornered or provoked. Given their gigantic stature, it’s easy for a moose to view a human as a pest rather than a threat. So people must be mindful to keep their distance and never purposefully approach or chase moose.

The huge size of moose also determines how we have to hunt them. Special rifles and ammo are required to successfully and ethically hunt such enormous game. And once they’re harvested, the meat and antlers are so bulky that machinery is needed to transport them. It takes serious manpower and equipment to hunt an animal as big as a moose!

Conclusion

So in summary, moose are massive creatures, especially in comparison to us humans. A bull moose can stand over 7 feet tall, weigh up to 1,600 pounds, and span almost 10 feet long. That makes them taller, bulkier, and longer than any person.

The next time you see a picture or video of a moose, take a moment to appreciate their immense size. It takes seeing one in person to fully grasp just how much they dwarf us humans. We must respect the incredible stature of these giants whenever we share their wilderness habitat. So think how tiny and fragile we are relative to these mammoth mammals roaming the northern forests!

FAQs

How tall is a moose compared to a human?

An adult bull moose can stand 6-7 feet tall at the shoulders, not including antlers. Cow moose are slightly smaller at 5-6 feet tall. The average adult human male is around 5 feet 9 inches tall. So a bull moose can be over 2 feet taller than a man.

How much does a moose weigh versus a human?

Bull moose weigh 800-1,600 lbs on average. Cow moose weigh 600-800 lbs. The average adult human male weighs around 180 lbs. A bull moose can weigh over 8 times more than a man.

How wide are moose antlers compared to humans?

Bull moose antlers can span 5-6 feet from tip to tip. That’s wider than some door frames and bedrooms! Moose antlers alone can cover an entire human underneath them.

For an initial review, we like to drive a new UTV at least 100 miles and get through a feel for it. For a full evaluation, and the confidence to give it a recommendation, that requires over 1000-miles of seat time. Well for this Volcon first drive we were only teased with a 6.5 mile drive and 11 minutes of seat time. That’s not to say we weren’t impressed with our findings however.

WHAT IS THE STAG

This vehicle is set to be the first electric side by side in the recreational segment. The unit is still in the prototype phase. However, production units are said to be rolling off the assembly line as soon as September with a starting MSRP of $39,999. Size and capability wise, we would compare this unit to a 4-door Polaris General and it is 64 inches wide. The Stag is only available as a four seater for now but other models, sizes and styles are in the works.

WHAT POWERS IT

Volcon sourced the powertrain for the Stag directly from GM. In fact, the 42KW battery pack and 125HP-140 HP, electric motor are very similar to what you would find in a Chevrolet Bolt. The front and rear differentials both come from the Chevrolet Blazer and feature, electronic lockers and un lockers.

IS IT FAST

It’s quick. Although our test drive was brief, we would compare the power to a good working Turbo powered 4-seat RZR or X3. Unfortunately, the two prototype Stags we drove didn’t have front differentials in them, so, getting the power to the ground on a dry hard-packed track was tough. The highest top speed we saw was 58 MPH but the claimed top speed is 80. On more than one occasion, our drivers head was pinned back to the seat when the Stag found traction. It is quick, we just cant say for certain that its quicker than other cars out there until we get it head to head.

WHAT SUSPENSION DOES IT HAVE

All four corners use beefy, dual A-arms controlling 14-inches of wheel travel. Big front and rear swaybars do a great job controlling body roll. As for bump absorption, 2.5 inch, fully adjustable Elka shocks with remote reservoirs do an excellent job considering the vehicle weighs a claimed 2600 pounds. Most of that weight is battery and is situated along the bottom of the frame rails contributing to a very low center of gravity. The A-arms appear to be bigger and stronger than what you would find on a Polaris General or the new XPEDITION. Volcon uses automotive style unitized hubs on all four corners. These are the exact same 5-lug hubs as are found on the Polaris RZR Pro R.

HOW DOES IT HANDLE

The vehicle has very little body roll. It never felt tippy, wanted to two-wheel or have too much front end dive under braking. Volcon and Elka engineers did an excellent job tuning the shocks to handle the weight of the machine. We were able to hit a few small table top jumps and the vehicle flew straight and landed pillow smooth. It’s interesting to note, that they did design the steering system with the tie rods connecting forward of the spindles. This is similar to how Arctic Cat builds the Wild Cat and Robby Gordon does it in the Speed UTV. It translates to a very flickable vehicle. Electronic power steering is handled by an EZ steer set up. It was light and offered very little feedback but again, we were only driving in 2WD. With lots of power on tap, it was very easy to slide the rear end around and make tight turns quickly.

WHAT ABOUT RANGE AND CHARGE TIME

Since our ride time was brief we did not get to confirm any of the Volcon claims on battery life or charge times. However, the claims do not seam too far fetched. Of course milage can vary dramatically depending on how heavy your foot is, terrain and temperatures. Volcon states you can likely get anywhere from 40 miles flat-footed to 160 at a creeping pace so to be safe, they say it will go 100 miles between charges. Furthermore, if you do get down to a 20-percent charge, power output is limited to make sure you get back to where you need to plug in.

You can charge the Stag using any standard Level 1 (household 110v outlet), Level 2 (240v) or Level 3 (Super Charger) methods through the onboard, automotive style, J1772 plug. A full Level 1 charge could take up to 42 hours, Level 2 charging will top you off in 4-6 hours and a super charger can get you going in about 15 minutes. To test this for ourselves, we have already mapped out a 2-day test loop in the Mojave Desert complete with Level 2 and 3 chargers that are accessible by OHV’s. Stay tuned for that test when the production models are released in the Fall.

IS AN ELECTRIC UTV IN YOUR FUTURE?

There are five good reasons to own any electric UTV. One, your driving experience will be relatively quieter. Sure if you ride fast, wind noise will be there, but if you ride slow, your journey could be in near silence or better yet, you will be able to hold a conversation with your passenger. The Volcon had very little rattling from bodywork or gear noise. Two: Maintenance will be cut in half. There will be no more oil changes, air filter cleanings or servicing the transmission. In the Stag, you would still need to change the oil in the differentials and keep a close eye on wheel bearings, ball joints and A-arm bushings. Three: No more gas or exhaust smell. Trips to the gas station or hauling jugs of gas to the ride area will be a thing of the past. This also might come in handy depending on where you store your vehicle as some storage units don’t allow gas powered vehicles to be stored.. Four: It’s conceivable that you would able to power a circuit of your house or motorhome with your Stag. Imagine being in a black out, tornado or hurricane and the whole town looses power. If you keep your machine charged and ready, power is still available and better yet, it’s portable, incase your neighbor needs it more than you do. Imagine that!

Five: The thrill and power of driving an electric vehicle is something everyone wants to experience whether they will buy one or not. You will be the talk of the town, riding park or race track at least until a few more guys purchase them or other top manufacturers come out with one. For now, the Volcon Stag is it.

SPECS

2024 VOLCON STAG

Motor: 100+ KW

Battery:42kWH

Horsepower: 125hp

Torque: 265lb-ft

Range 100 mile + or –

Final Drive: Shaft

Suspension/wheel travel: Dual A-arms 14” / 2.5” Elka

Tires/wheels: 30×10-15 BFG KM3/Raceline

Brakes: 4 wheel disc with Regen braking

Overall Length/Width/Height: 155”/64”/78”

Wheelbase: 121”

Ground clearance: 14”

Payload capacity: 1200lb

Cargo capacity: 650lb

Tow rating: 2000lb

Drive modes: Sport, Explore, Stroll

Navigation: Garmin (optional)

Price: $39,999

Contact: www.volcon.com