Odocoileus virginianus

Maine is near the northern extent of the white-tailed deer range, and they live in many habitats here, from deep woods to farmland to suburban backyards.

Habitat

Major habitats that provide food and cover for white-tailed deer in Maine are forest lands, wetlands, reverting farmlands, and active farmlands. Forest stands containing little or no canopy closure, wetlands, and reverting and active farmland yield the largest and best forage within reach of deer. However, stands made up of mature conifers with tree height greater than 30 feet, crown closure of greater than 60%, and interspersed or adjacent hardwoods for browsing provide critical winter habitat for deer. Ideal deer wintering habitat is connected by other usable habitat to aid deer in moving between them. Currently, 94% of Maine is considered deer habitat; this excludes developed parts of the state. In practice, even a portion of Maine’s developed land is currently occupied by deer. Wintering habitat is more limited in availability, comprising only 2 to 25% of the land base in various parts of the state.

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Diet

Deer are highly selective herbivores, concentrating on whatever plants or plant parts are currently most nutritious. Finicky eaters, deer opt for variety over quantity, when feeding along in the woods and fields. Deer consume grasses, sedges, ferns, lichens, mushrooms, weeds, aquatics, leaves (green and fallen), fruits, hard mast (acorns, beech nuts, etc.), grains, and twigs and buds of woody plants. Contrary to popular belief, deer consume twigs and buds of dormant trees and shrubs only when more nutritious foods are unavailable. When restricted to woody browse, deer inevitably lose weight. During the course of the year, deer may browse several hundred species of plants. A few are highly preferred; many others are consumed only when the best forages have been depleted. Overabundant deer populations can reduce the abundance of preferred forages, while causing less-desirable plants to become more common. Extremely abundant deer can literally eat themselves out of house and home. At these times, hungry deer are underweight, prone to starvation and disease, produce fewer fawns, grow smaller antlers, and create increased conflicts with homeowners, gardeners, farmers, forest landowners, and motorists.

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Distinctive Characteristics

Maine is home to one of the largest of the 30 recognized subspecies of white-tailed deer. After attaining maturity at age five, our bucks can reach record live weights of nearly 400 lbs. Most adult bucks, however will range from 200 to 300 pounds live weight and will stand 36 to 40″ at the shoulder. Does are considerably smaller; they normally weigh 120 to 175 pounds live weight. Newborn fawns begin life at 4 to 10 pounds but grow to approximately 85 pounds live weight in their first six months of life.

Whitetails have reddish brown fur in the summer switching to a grayish brown in winter. Their trademark white tail, when erected, flashes a danger signal to other deer in the vicinity. Whitetails have keen hearing, made possible by large ears that can rotate toward suspicious sounds. They have wide-set eyes, enabling them to focus on subtle movements while maintaining an excellent sense of depth perception. Whitetails have a very keen sense of smell enabling them to sense danger, even when visibility is poor. They have long graceful legs, enabling them to cover ground quickly by leaping, bounding, turning and outright running at speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

White-tailed deer communicate using a variety of sounds, ranging from explosive “whooshes” when startled, to the barely audible mews and grunts a doe uses to tend to her fawns. Deer are very expressive; they employ a large repertoire of signals using facial expressions and body language. These postures help to maintain the dominance hierarchy within all deer groups. Deer also communicate using odors, which emanate from a number of scent glands.

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Nocturnal/Diurnal

White-tailed deer are crepuscular animals, meaning they are typically most active around dawn and dusk. This does not mean that deer are not at all active during the day. Deer activity may also be influenced by weather, seasonality, and human activity. During hot summer days, for example, deer are less active during the daytime and more active at night when it’s cooler. Conversely, deer may be more active than usual during cooler weather. Deer activity may increase throughout the day during the breeding season while bucks are actively searching for does that are receptive to breeding. Areas with a lot of daytime human activity – which may include in the woods during the hunting season if hunter densities are high- may see little daytime deer activity and increased nocturnality of resident deer.

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Seasonal Changes

Summer home ranges (area that an animal lives within) for deer in Maine are generally 500-600 acres but can vary from 150 to more than 2,000 acres. Movement by deer from summer to winter range can vary from less than a mile to more than 25 miles depending on availability and suitability of the winter range. Deer are not generally territorial (defend their home range against intrusion of other deer). However, pregnant does will defend a small birthing area (less than 20 acres) against intrusion by all other deer, for about a month.

Bucks annually produce antlers, which are made of bone. Triggered by day length and maintained by hormone production, antlers begin growing in April, and are nurtured by a velvety outer network of skin tissue and blood vessels. Velvet is shed when growth is complete in late August and September. The hardened, polished antlers remain until they are shed in late December to early March. In whitetails, antlers allow bucks to advertise and demonstrate their dominance; hence they play a role in reproduction. A buck’s first true set of antlers normally is grown by age one. Buck fawns, however, begin growing the antler base at one month of age. This base develops into two or three-inch velvet-covered “nubbins” by early winter. White-tailed does sometimes produce antlers, but this is rare. Does that do sprout antlers typically are older (5 to 15 years old); their antlers are usually velvet-covered spikes. Most antlered does remain fertile.

Each year, deer produce two coats of hair, each adapted to seasonal climate. In late spring, deer grow a coat of fine, short reddish hair. This pelage allows ample air circulation and helps the deer to stay cool in summer’s heat. During September, deer molt to a highly insulative coat which consists of a dense layer of fine woolly hair under a layer of long hollow brown, gray, and white guard hairs. The guard hairs can be erected to form a very thick insulative coat, which protects against the cold winds of winter. Fawns are born with a reddish-brown coat dappled with white spots. This affords excellent camouflage against detection by predators in the summer. By early autumn, fawns grow the typical winter coat.

Another adaptation for survival is the deer’s habit of storing fat for the winter. In autumn, deer accumulate fat under the skin, in the viscera, between the muscles, and in the hollow bones of the legs. This fat layer can comprise 10 to 25% of a deer’s body weight by late fall. In winter, fat is reabsorbed to provide much-needed energy to supplement inadequate diets of woody browse.

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Reproduction & Family Structure

The peak breeding season for deer in Maine occurs during mid-November, although some breeding may occur in October and as late as January. The onset of the rut in bucks and estrus in does is controlled primarily by decreasing day length. Does in estrus are receptive to breeding for roughly 24 hours, and if not successfully bred, they will come into heat every 28 days, until early winter. Bucks establish and maintain a dominance hierarchy; typically the majority of does in an area are bred by the most dominant bucks. Gestation period for deer is roughly 200 days, after which well-nourished adult does give birth to twins, triplets, and rarely, quadruplets. Fawn and yearling does typically produce one fawn, if they conceive at all. The peak fawning season in Maine is mid-June. In a typical year, each 100 Maine does will give birth to about 130 fawns. However, early fawn losses tend to be high; only 60 to 80 of these young deer typically survive their first five months of life.

What to do if you find a deer fawn all alone

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Survival & Threats

White-tailed deer can live to 18 years, but few deer in the wild live that long. Does typically live longer than bucks presumably because rutting behavior predisposes bucks to higher losses due to hunting, motor vehicle collisions, physical injuries, and depletion of fat reserves going into the winter. Deer populations subjected to high hunting mortality are comprised of predominantly young deer. Conversely, a greater proportion of deer annually survives to older age classes within lightly hunted herds.

Causes of mortality of while tailed deer vary throughout the state. In more developed areas, deer are commonly struck by vehicles, harvested by hunters, and killed by predators. In less developed areas, human-related deaths are relatively few, and adult deer are more commonly taken by predators, particularly coyotes, lynx, and bobcats. Young fawns may also be preyed upon by black bear, fisher, and fox. Deer of any age may succumb to malnourishment of other natural causes, particularly at the end of harsh winters and in the following spring. Presently, Maine’s deer are relatively disease-free, and there are no diseases with significant negative impacts on our deer populations at this time.

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Management & Conservation

Population and Distribution Trends

Maine’s white-tailed deer population has experienced periods of boom and bust, and circumstantial information suggests that the state’s deer population likely did not exist in high abundance prior to the arrival of European colonists in the early 1600’s. With a combination of harsh winters, a higher predator population, and perhaps a lack of young vegetative growth for forage, white tailed deer may have been restricted to the southern coast until the European colonization. With colonization, settlers began clearing the landscape through small-scale logging operations, triggering an increase in the growth of undergrowth, providing white tailed deer with an optimum mix of forage and cover. From then, deer expanded their range and became more common in central and northern Maine. After the extirpation of cougars and wolves from Maine, deer were able to farther expand and increase in numbers with virtually no predation. Still, deer numbers continued to fluctuate with winter severity and large-scale events that caused significant habitat changes such as fires or spruce bud worm outbreaks.

Historical Management

MDIFW began estimating deer populations in the mid-1950’s, enabling the state to better understand the status of the populations and create a more informed management decision process. Between the mid-1950’s and early 1960’s, MDIFW estimated Maine’s deer population at 250,000. Eventually, habitat changes, severe winters, coyote colonization, and increased hunting pressure led to declining deer populations, and Maine’s deer population reached an estimated 141,000 deer in the 1960’s. Following this time and continuing through the late-1980’s, Maine’s deer population expressed slow growth, eventually causing a series of new management strategies and laws that attempted to expedite the growth of Maine’s deer population. Finally, Maine’s deer population grew prolifically through the 1990’s as a result of the regulatory system that limited doe harvest, plus a series of mild winters. During this time, Maine’s deer population grew to an estimated all time high of 331,000, however, much of the growth occurred within the southern tier of the state. Generally speaking, the Department has been successful in achieving deer population objectives in central and southern Maine, where wintering habitat and other factors were more favorable. Achieving meaningful herd increases has been less successful in eastern and northern Maine. Today, deer abundance ranges from one to five deer per square mile in the north, to 15 to 35 deer per square mile in central and southern areas. Some locations, in which access to recreational deer hunters has been limited or denied entirely, support higher deer populations that are above socially acceptable levels. These latter areas are above desired population levels, and they are the focus of most deer/people conflicts in Maine today.

Current Management

Prior to 1975, MDIFW did not set specific goals or quantified objectives for the deer population, harvest, or hunter success rates. Most regulatory actions were made by the Legislature and they were reactions to severe winters, or perceived regional declines in deer abundance. Between 1975 and 1985, MDIFW initiated strategic planning for deer, part of which involved setting publicly-supported goals and objectives. In some areas, this meant attempting to manage deer populations to specific deer densities.

With the more recent implementation of a new Big Game Management Plan, the Department no longer attempts to manage deer to specific deer densities. That approach did not adequately account for many other important aspects of deer population management such as maintaining animal health and social acceptance of deer levels and limiting negative impacts of overabundant deer. Deer management in Maine currently strives to maintain deer levels that are socially acceptable and in balance with available habitat. In areas where deer numbers are not socially acceptable or where deer are causing significant damage to habitat, the Department employs a variety of small-scale management options to try and alleviate the problems.

Each year, MDIFW staff and contractors examine roughly 6,000-8,000 hunter-killed white-tailed deer to collect data on population sex ratios, age structure, estimated mortality and recruitment rates, and body and antler size to provide a clearer picture of the size and health of both the population and habitat. From these examined deer, we also collect samples from roughly 500 deer annually to test for Chronic Wasting Disease, one of the greatest threats facing deer in this country. For more information on data collected in support of Maine deer management, please visit our Research & Management Report (PDF).

Improving deer populations in Maine’s northern and eastern forestlands depends on protecting and increasing amounts of deer wintering habitat. Protection of deer wintering habitat has historically been dependent on landowner cooperation and has not always been possible. Beginning in 2021, MDIFW gained access to funding allowing for the purchase and management of deer wintering habitat, and efforts are underway to identify candidate parcels with willing sellers.

Many Mainers in areas of low deer density have begun artificially feeding whitetails, especially in the winter, which adds an important and relatively new dynamic to the deer wintering landscape in Maine. In Maine’s heavily developed southern and coastal regions, MDIFW staff will continue to develop innovative approaches to safely manage deer harvests in order to maintain deer populations at levels that provide hunting and viewing opportunity while alleviating negative impacts from deer. In all of Maine, we will need to improve access to huntable land through proactive landowner relations programs in order to keep deer populations at tolerable levels.

Current Research in Maine

Maine Deer Winter Mortality Study

Since the early 1970’s, Maine has used a metric called the winter severity index (WSI) to describe how Maine winters impact winter mortality rates (WMR) in deer. WSI is one of the cornerstones of deer management in Maine and impacts the number of antlerless deer permits allocated for hunters each year. Because ecological relationships change over time, this metric needs to be periodically re-evaluated.

For that reason, in 2015, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) began a study to reassess the relationship between WSI and WMR. Doing so requires data on winter temperatures and snow conditions, which are used to determine WSI, and data on the survival rates of deer in the winter. Temperature data are provided by temperature loggers placed at 26 WSI monitoring stations throughout the state. Snow condition data are also recorded by biologists and volunteers at these monitoring stations. At the end of winter, in early April, data from temperature loggers and snow measurements are used to calculate a WSI value, which will inform permit allocations for the upcoming deer season.

From 2015 to 2021, MDIFW captured white-tailed deer and fixed GPS collars to them to monitor their movements and survival rates. D eer were captured in wildlife management districts (WMDs) 1, 5, 6, and 17.

The fates of these deer in conjunction with data on the severity of the winters they encounter will help to re-evaluate the relationship between WSI and WMR and help shape deer management in Maine in the future.

The major goals of this study are to:

1. Reevaluate the correlation between WSI and WMR for white-tailed deer
2. Assess seasonal survival rates for the adult deer population
3. Assess cause-specific mortality of our adult deer population
4. Reassess the current winter severity index and try to identify a new and more simplistic metric

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Living with Wildlife

How to Prevent or Resolve Conflicts with Deer

White-tailed deer are one of the most recognized mammals in Maine, with frequent sightings throughout the state. However, deer are known for entering and consuming vegetation around the home or in gardens. Learn more about how to prevent and resolve conflicts with deer

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The world of air pistols is as diverse as any other precision sport out there. And there are many factors that need to be considered when selecting your first air pistol. Rather than simply picking out any old air pistol or the most expensive one on the market.

In this article, you will learn all about the best air pistols, Co2 pistols, and other pellet pistols that are currently on the market. Not only that, but you’ll learn about the differences between them. So you can find exactly what you are looking for when entering the world of air pistols.

The following reviews will cover the best air pistols that are currently available. With an easy-to-read format and a breakdown of pros and cons. With this knowledge, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the perfect air pistol for your needs.

So, let’s get going with a quick comparison table of the models covered in this review.

Best Air Pistols Comparison Table

Top 9 Best Air Pistols To Buy In 2024 Reviews

1.Crosman Benjamin Marauder .22

Founded in 1924, Crosman Corporation manufactures and supplies all types of shooting products for sports such as archery, as well as, CO2 guns, airsoft guns, and pellet guns.

Product Description

The Crosman Benjamin Marauder is a pre-charged air pistol that shoots.22 caliber pellets. At full charge, the pellets reach speeds up to 700 fps (feet per second). It is made from synthetic plastic, keeping it light. The barrel is rifled and is made from steel with a matte coating to keep it from scratching.

The magazine holds up to 8 pellets and sits in a rotary-style magazine on top of the pistol. To reload, you use the bolt action on the back (like that of a sniper rifle), and it will reload a new pellet into the barrel.

Safety first…

For safety, the Crosman Benjamin Marauder has cross-bolt safety, which is very important for all shooting sports.

There are no iron sights included with the product, but there are rails on the top of the pistols for you attach any preferred optic, whether it be a red dot or a scope. However, you would have to use air pistol mounts to attach a scope as they are smaller than standard Picatinny rails.

Product Specification

For its size, it looks like it would be quite heavy, but in fact, it is surprisingly light weighing only 2.70 pounds unloaded. The weight reduction is mostly due to the synthetic material used, which allows the air pistol to be both lightweight and also durable.

For some, trigger pull can a big issue, so you’ll be pleased to know that the trigger on the Crosman Benjamin Marauder is very light at only 1.7 pounds.

2.Daisy Powerline 415 Pistol Air Gun Kit

Next up, we have a CO2 (Carbon dioxide) powered air pistol. This operates by compression, which comes from a cylinder that is inserted at the bottom of the grip and screwed in place.

Product Description

The Powerline 415 has a familiar-looking shape and build. The grip is comfortable, and firing accurately will take little practice, as will getting used to the functions of the pistol.

To insert the CO2 capsule, you remove the lower half of the pistol grip. Inserting the capsule is very easy, and screwing it in doesn’t take much effort either. The pressure from the Co2 is capable of firing the BBs at 500 fps and claims to reach a max distance of 240 yards.

An unusual design…

However, the magazine isn’t where you normally find it in the pistol grip but is on the top slide of the pistol. Reloading is, therefore, a little slow as you can only insert a single bullet at a time. The slide holds 21 round bullets.

There are iron sights that are built into the slide. These are plain black, so they might be hard to see if you are shooting in low-light situations.

As in the name, this is a kit, so you will get more than just a pistol. You will also get some .177 caliber or 4.5mm BBs, a pair of eye protection glasses, three Co2 capsules, and some oil to keep the O-rings from drying out.

Product Specification

Built mostly from polymer, the pistol is light and durable enough to handle the pressure of the CO2. However, using the pistol in rough situations will probably reduce its longevity. The only metal on the pistol is the trigger and the magazine spring.

The barrel measures around 8 inches and is a smoothbore, which means there is no rifling and no hop-up to create backspin on the BBs. Backspin is important for range and accuracy, but it seems to be lacking on the Powerline 415.

Measuring 8.6 inches, the pistol fits comfortably in your palm, and it feels like you’re firing a regular pistol. However, the biggest difference is in weight. The Powerline is made mostly out of plastic, so weighs only 0.98 pounds, which is very light.

3.Beeman P3 Air Pistol

The Beeman P3 is a pump-action air pistol. This means that you have to pump the air into the compression tube before you can fire a shot. It does not have a reservoir like others that use a tank or a capsule to propel the pellet.

Product Description

As mentioned, the P3 needs to be pre-charged before firing. To pump the air, you will have to unlatch the “hammer” on the rear of the slide. In this case, the slide is not functional and is used as a lever instead. Once unlatched, the top half of the slide will open up, revealing the piston and the air tube. By lifting the lever forward and pushing it back into place, you pump the air into the compression tank.

The P3 doesn’t use a magazine to hold the pellets, so every time you pump the pistol, you have to insert the pellet into the barrel before snapping it shut.

Great for low light conditions…

Not only does the slide act as the air pump, but it also supports the iron sights. On the P3, you have the luxury of bright hi-vis fiber optic iron sights. The front sight is a single red dot, whereas the back is two yellow dots. High visibility iron-rights are good for shooting in low-light or dark backgrounds. They also aid in lining up the pistol to a target as your eye catches the sight a lot faster.

One thing worth mentioning is that the P3 has an automatic safety feature. This safety will lock the trigger as soon as you pump the pistol, which should avoid any injuries.

The barrel on the P3 is rifled, so you should get accurate shots. Other than that, the pistol is pretty simple. The grip allows you to comfortably hold the pistol, and the trigger is light and easy to pull. If you wish, you could also adjust the trigger pull, but the factory settings are already very good.

Product Specification

Made mostly from plastic, the P3 is very lightweight and easy to hold for long periods. However, all the moving parts, i.e., the piston, compression tube, trigger, and hammer latch, are made of metal to ensure longevity.

With a single pump, the pistol will fire a 0.177 caliber pellet at a max speed of 410 Fps. As there is no blowback from the slide, the shots are nearly silent when the trigger is pulled.

The P3 uses a charging system, so most of the effort goes into pushing the lever back into the locked position. It takes around 22 pounds of force to push the lever back so you will tire after shooting multiple shots.

4.Umarex TDP 45

Umarex is a popular German outdoor brand that supplies air pistols and recreation shooting products.

Product Description

The TDP 45 is a C02-powered semi-automatic air pistol. Like most C02-powered air pistols, the capsule is inserted in the pistol grip. For the TDP 45, there is a flip-up lever on the backstrap of the grip. Once opened, the Co2 can be placed in the slot and screwed in place.

The magazine holds 19 steel 0.177 or 4.5mm BBs and is shaped more like a stick mag than the regular full mags. To release the magazine, there is a magazine release located on the right thumb rest. Underneath the slide, there is also some rail space for accessories like red dot sight mounts or flashlights and lasers.

Dead on target…

The CO2-powered air pistol has no blowback and no functioning slide, but that is to be expected. On top of the slide, there are reflective iron sights. The white dots on both the front and rear sights aid in acquiring the sights and lining them up with the target.

Other than that, the trigger is standard and has a smooth and light pull. The safety is not located on the left side as standard pistols, so you’ll have to use your right index finger to access it rather than your thumb.

Product Specification

The TDP 45 is made mostly of a polymer. Not only does this reduce the cost but also keeps the pistol light, weighing only 0.80 pounds. All the moving parts of the TDP 45 are made of metal, such as the trigger, barrel, CO2 screw, nozzle, and magazine.

The barrel on the TDP 45 is a smoothbore allowing it to guide the BBs with as much accuracy as possible. However, most BB guns have a hop-up for backspin, but there is none on the TDP 45.

The C02 capsules that come with the pistol are 12 grams, and it is not recommended to use higher power capsules as they may damage the pistol. The 12-gram capsules propel the BBs at a maximum velocity of 410 fps measured with 4.5mm bbs.

5.Gamo 611138054 P-25 Blowback CO2

Gamo is a Spanish brand that manufactures in Japan and is well-known for its quality products. With over 60 years of experience in manufacturing, they provide excellence in their bullets, rifles, and BB guns. Over the years, they have had significant growth and now supply and distribute in more than 90 countries.

Product Description

The Gamo P-25 is a C02-powered air pistol with a blowback feature as well as a single and double action trigger. By cocking the slide, you set the hammer into position, but the pellet isn’t loaded into the barrel. This happens when you pull the trigger, about halfway, and then the pellet is loaded into the rifled barrel.

With the final stroke, you release the gas and send the pellet to its target. The slide will then cock the hammer again and can keep firing.

Easy capsule install…

The P-25 has its CO2 capsule hidden in the pistol grip. To load the capsule, you’ll have to pull half of the grip off. This is a well-designed pistol and separates so cleanly that it is hard to tell where the two pieces meet. Once removed, you can insert the capsule into the slot. Before putting the pistol grip together, you screw the CO2 capsule in from the bottom and then put the grip back together.

The magazine is a double-sided, rotary magazine that holds eight pellets per side. Once one side is empty, you hit the magazine release and flip the magazine around, and the other eight pellets are ready to go. The magazine is well constructed and is made from alloy material and will stand the pressure of the CO2.

The safety can be found on the right side of the frame and is easy enough to access single-handedly but isn’t so easy that you can accidentally flip the safety into firing mode. On the top, you have reflective fixed iron sights that are easy to use to acquire targets.

Product Specification

The P-25 has a working slide made of metal, which gives it a very realistic feeling. The frame is made of plastic but also has metal moving parts. It weighs around 2 pounds.

The P-25 is said to be able to shoot 0.177 pellets as well as 4.5 BBs, but with the rifling, it is better to use pellets instead of round BBs. As usual, the CO2 is 12 grams and will propel the ammunition of choice at max speeds of 410 fps in warmer climates.

For one CO2 capsule, you will get around three full magazines used before having to change it. It is possible to get four magazines to use, but you will have to wait for the CO2 capsule to warm up a bit before shooting.

6.Umarex Legends M712 Blowback Automatic

Umarex Legends line features some of the finest craftsmanship of any replica. The Umarex Legends M712 is a replica of the C96 Mouser and looks and feels exactly like the ones used and made popular during WW1.

Product Description

The M712 is a blowback semi and automatic C02 air pistol that stores its CO2 capsule in the magazine along with 18 single-stacked BBs. To insert the capsule, you first press the magazine release that is on the right side of the frame. Once the magazine is removed, you unscrew the lid. Once open, you just pop the CO2 capsule in and screw the lid back on to puncture the CO2.

Most of the controls are on the left side, such as the safety and the selector switch. The selector switch is the lever on the left side, which you access with your right thumb. There are two modes; single fire and rapid fire. To switch modes, you’ll have to press the button and then slide it up or down to select your firing option.

The safety is on the back next to the hammer and is pulled in the same way as the hammer to lock the trigger.

Take aim…

The trigger is smooth and doesn’t have a long trigger pull. On the top, there is no slide but, instead, a working bolt. This is where you’ll find the aiming post, which looks like that of an AK rifle, and a reflective dot on the front iron sight. The rear sight can be adjusted for elevation and range but not for windage. This isn’t a big deal, though, as it is a pistol, so most shots will be fired at close range.

The grip is one of the most iconic features of the pistol and is easily recognizable. The broomstick pistol grip swells out like a light bulb and fits comfortably in the hand. This, however, puts most of the weight on top of the hand, and compared to modern-day pistols, this is considered as a bad design. However, in its time, it was a masterpiece.

Product Specification

The pistol is a replica, so it is almost identical to its real firearm counterpart. The M712 is made entirely out of metal, and the only plastic part is the imitation wood on the pistol grip. This does make it fairly heavy, but that’s understandable, as its goal is to be as close to the real C96 as possible.

The barrel is a 6-inch smoothbore barrel and will fire all 4.5-gram bbs. The maximum fps with the 12-gram CO2 capsule is around 390 to 410 fps depending on temperature and BB weight. This pistol will, however, consume a lot of CO2 as the blowback needs to be powerful enough to cock the hammer back.

7.Crosman Vigilante CO2 Caliber .177 Pellet & BB Revolver

Next up, we have another great Crosman product, the Vigilante. This air pistol is very versatile and can be used with both pellets and BBs. You might notice that it looks fairly similar to the Colt Python 357, that’s because the Vigilante is a replica of that exact model.

Product Description

The Crosman Vigilante is a CO2-powered 10-round/pellet single and double-action revolver. Starting with the magazine, the rotary magazine fits ten rounds or pellets, but it does not pop out.

To load the magazine, there is a pressure point on the top that you push down to unlock the barrel assembly. Once that is unlocked, the barrel will flip down, revealing the circular magazine. From there, you simply take it out and load it then reverse the steps.

The CO2 capsule is placed inside the pistol grip and is fairly simple to install. All you have to do is remove the plastic caps that make up the pistol grip, and you’ll find the metal housing for the CO2. A simple install and screw twist will puncture the capsule, and you’ll be ready to go.

Never forget about safety…

The safety on the Vigilante is a cross-bolt style safety. This means it is a simple bar that crosses the bolt preventing the hammer from contacting the gas valve. On the top, you have blacked-out fixed iron sights, but they perform well under daylight firing. There is also a rail space for all duck tail attachments like red dots or optics.

The 6-inch inner barrel is metal and rifled for improved accuracy, but it does protrude the outer barrel. This is good for both accuracy and max fps, but many shooters will not like the look.

Product Specification

The Vigilante is part metal and part plastic and has a fair bit of weight to it. The pistol weighs around 1.70 pounds (without pellets). The metal parts are where they matter most like the frame, trigger, CO2 screw, barrel lock, safety, and hammer. The plastic parts are the outer barrel, the magazine, and the pistol grip.

For the best performance, Crosman recommends using 0.177 lead pellets or 4.5mm BBs. The CO2 capsule is 12 grams and will result in 435 maximum fps. There is no blowback on this pistol, so it will lack realism, but it will save on CO2 consumption as well as improve on accuracy.

8.Colt Defender

The Colt Defender is another Umarex product. However, this model is unlike any other in this top air pistol review.

Product Description

The Colt Defender is a replica of the actual Colt Defender 45 auto and is a single-piece pistol. This means that there are no removable parts, and everything is built into the pistol. It is a Co2 powered, and it is installed in the pistol grip. To install the CO2, you push the button where the magazine release would be. Instead, it opens the pistol grip caps and exposes the Co2 slot, where there is a screw at the bottom to puncture the capsule.

On the opposite side of the CO2 capsule, is the BB slot. To load the built-in magazine, you simply slide the spring down and feed the BBs into the slot. The magazine fits 18 rounds and shoots in single fire or semi-auto.

Lots of realistic details…

There are nice markings on the slide and some authentic warnings and serial numbers. On the top, you have fixed iron sights with a white reflective dot on the front sight and blacked-out iron sights on the rear. However, the slide will not move as the Colt Defender is non-blowback.

Underneath the barrel, there is a handy rail for your accessories. The pistol looks identical to the Colt Defender 45 auto, but there are no actual moving parts. The hammer, thumb safety, and slide catch are all part of the frame and don’t actually move.

There is working safety on the right side of the frame, and it is easy to operate single-handedly. To put the pistol into firing mode, you simply press the button and slide it back to the fire and push again and slide forward to put it in safe mode.

Product Specification

Made in Taiwan, the Colt Defender is made mostly of metal, apart from the plastic pistol grip. There is a 4-inch barrel installed and a double-action-only trigger. The pistol weighs around 1.70 pounds and shoots 4.5mm BBs and max speeds of 440 fps with 12-gram CO2 capsules.

9. Crosman American Classic Pump Pellet Pistol

And now, it’s time for yet another Crosman product. Most of the best air pistols in this review have been pre-charged or CO2, but this pistol uses a pumping action to compress the air.

Product Description

The Crosman American Classic is a single-shot, bolt action pistol with a pneumatic pump. This means that there is no magazine or compartment for you to store air. Much like the Beeman P3, it is slow to reload but has good fps.

The pistol can be pumped up to 10 times to get maximum fps and has enough power for close-range, small-game hunting. On the top, you have an adjustable rear sight for windage and elevation, and on the front, you have a fixed post. Both sights, however, are blacked out but still do a decent job.

The Crosman American Classic features a cross-bolt safety that will unlock the trigger whenever you wish to fire. The trigger has a fairly short and light trigger pull, but that is due to the high fps.

Product Specification

Made in the USA, the pistol is made of metal with only the pistol grip and handguard being made of plastic. However, if you get the buttstock accessory, that will also be made of plastic. You can pump the pistol up to ten times to get a maximum fps of 460 with .22 caliber pellets.

The inner barrel is also made of metal and measures around 8-inches with rifling making it fairly decent for accuracy and range. The pumping action is quite heavy and uses around 22 pounds of force to get the maximum fps, but you can pump the pistol as little as three times for target shooting and backyard plinking.

Best Air Pistols Buyers Guide

There are a few important considerations when it comes to choosing an air pistol. In this buyer’s guide, you will learn about them and why they are important.

First is the propellant, there are three popular types used in most of the best air pistols currently available. CO2 is one of the most popular because it is simple to install, and CO2 capsules are relatively cheap.

Next is the pre-charged air type. This type of propellant requires an external tank filled will compressed air. This can be pricy, but the temperature doesn’t affect the PCA types as much as it does the CO2-powered pistols.

The final less popular option are the pump-action pistols. These don’t require any external propellant, and you get higher fps. However, you will only get to shoot one shot at a time, and it takes longer to prepare for the next round.

The second factor to be considered is the type of ammunition. First, we have pellets, which are good for hunting and have higher accuracy as they benefit from a rifled barrel. The second are BBs, which are good for plinking and target practice as you get more realism.

Best Air Pistols Accessory Guide

Most pistols that come out of the box are fairly decent, but there are still a few things that you can add to your pistol to improve your shooting experience.

The first option is an optic or a scope, depending on your configuration. This will help you improve your accuracy. Secondly, you’ll want to modify your trigger to get a smooth and light trigger pull. This also improves accuracy. Thirdly, you might want to get some illumination, maybe a flashlight or a laser, to help you shoot in different situations.

Another great accessory would be a holster for your pistol or a strap if you have a buttstock configured on to your pistol. This helps in carrying the pistol around more comfortably.

If possible, try to buy some extra magazines so you can shoot without having to stop and reload. More magazines mean more fun!

So, What Are The Best Air Pistols?

There are many reasons to buy an air pistol, perhaps you enjoy small game hunting or have a pest problem. Or maybe you are someone that enjoys realism and likes to practice drills. Or maybe you just like to enjoy the afternoon shooting at cans and bottles. Whatever the reason, there is an air pistol that is excellent for each purpose.

The first up is for the hunting category. For this, the obvious winner is the…

Crosman Benjamin Marauder

This air pistol has the power and accuracy to take down small games. And it can be easily modified for stability and to add a scope. It is true that the Crosman American classic can indeed do the same, but it doesn’t have the magazine capacity and follow up shot speed that the Marauder has.

Next up is for how accurate the air pistol is in terms of realism and replication. This one is pretty tough, as many of the pistols that are replicas are pretty accurate. However the Umarex Legend M712 wins in this category. The realism is unmistakable, and the controls and pistol manipulation are mirrored to that of the C96 Mouser.

You should now know more than enough to make a great decision about which is the perfect air pistol for your needs. So stay safe and happy shooting with whichever one you choose!

Draw weight is the necessary force, in pounds, needed to bring the compound bow to full draw. Shooting the proper poundage is very important so that required kinetic energy needed is met without sacrificing proper shooting form.

Before adjusting your poundage, the limbs may be “locked” into their current position by locking bolts. These would be located just below the top limb or above the bottom limb and are screwed into the riser. To adjust the limb bolts, these bolts must be loosened first. After adjustment, they can then once again be tightened.

To adjust the draw weight, we have to unload or load more stress (flex) on the limbs; we do that by tightening or loosening the limb bolts.

To raise draw weight to maximum poundage, tighten the limb bolts (clockwise) until both limbs are tight against the riser.

To lower the draw weight we unscrew the limb bolts equally on each limb (counterclockwise).

Safety Precaution: Be careful that you do not unscrew the limb bolts passed the bow’s lowest weight setting. If the limb bolts are unscrewed too much, the limb bolt’s threads can come out of the riser and cause damage to the bow and injure the mechanic.

Every bow’s limbs have a specific draw weight rating: 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, etc. To check to see if a bow is in “spec” (at its specified manufacturer’s measurements) tighten (clockwise) the limb bolts until the limbs are against the riser. The bow will now be at the maximum poundage and maximum draw weight, ATA measurement, and brace height measurement can be verified.

To raise draw weight

Tighten the limb bolts until the limbs are tight to the riser.

To lower draw weight

First, raise the drawing weight to its max. Next, unscrew both limb bolts one revolution (360°) and check the poundage on a bow scale. Repeat this process until you reach your desired draw weight. Only attempt to shoot draw weights in the limb’s specified range (50-60 lbs, 60-70 lbs). If they are not marked, max out the draw weight and your lowest draw weight will be 10 lbs lighter in most cases. When using a bow scale, hook the string to the scale’s hook at the nocking point and pull down on your bow’s riser until your bow is at it’s “roll over” spot on the cams and look at the scale for its draw weight. Try not to roll the cam(s) over, but if you do, make sure you keep a good grip when raising the bow back up to take it off the scale… it’ll try to take you for a ride!

How To Find Your Ideal Draw Weight

To find your ideal poundage, sit down on a chair or tailgate of a truck and pull your bow back with your feet off the ground. If you are comfortable with the poundage and can hold full draw comfortably, the poundage is where you need it. If the poundage seems high (it was tough to pull back and hold) lower the draw weight in 2 lb increments until you have found a comfortable draw weight.

Average draw weights

• Smaller children (45-65 lbs) = 10-20lbs
• Children (65-95 lbs) = 20-35lbs
• Women and boys (95-125 lbs) = 35-45 lbs
• Larger women and boys (125-145 lbs) = 45-55 lbs
• Men (145-175 lbs) = 55-65 lbs
• Muscular men = 60-70 lbs
• Muscular barbarians = 70-100 lbs

Although these are average drawing weights, it is important to shoot what is comfortable for you. Any attempt to draw more weight than you should will result in improper archery form and affect accuracy.

Are you looking for the best rimfire scopes for your 22LR? This post will cover my top picks for rimfire scopes if you want to dress up your rifle with some optics.

If you are hunting small game or just target shooting, a scope on a 22LR will come in handy.

The good thing is that many good options are on the market, even for .22 caliber rifles.

This article will cover the best rimfire scopes for your 22LR rifle.

Rimfire Scope Criteria

Below are the categories that need to be considered when choosing a scope. Magnification, reticle selection, and cost are the three main factors.

Magnification

Magnification is the primary feature to consider in the scope and is the main purpose of a scope. First, determine what distance you are going to shoot at commonly.

For 22LR, the most common distance is usually 50 yards. Most rimfire scopes will be at the 2x magnification and can be dialed up to 7x magnification.

A lot of scopes are also 3x to 9x magnification. Anything more powerful than this is not necessary on a 22LR rifle.

Reticle

Most people get too concerned and confused with different reticles and which is the best one. A simple crosshairs reticle is often the best choice, especially for a rimfire rifle.

Complicated reticles with bullet drop are designed for extreme long-range shooting. For 22LR rifles, you do not need any BDC or special reticles.

Because the distance is usually between 0-100 yards, a standard reticle will work fine, and try not to overthink it.

Price

Most people don’t like spending money on 22 rifles; they consider them more of a gun just to mess around with and have fun at the range.

I never recommend buying cheap stuff and always try to have good quality parts and optics on all my rifles. It doesn’t mean you need to spend enormous money on a scope for a 22, but you should still get something decent.

You should expect to spend about $100 to $400 on a scope and a little extra on scope rings and a mounting rail if needed.

Best Rimfire Scopes

1. Simmons 22 MAG 3-9x32mm

One of the cheapest and simplest rimfire scopes is the Simmons 22 Mag 3-9x32mm. This isn’t fancy, but if you just want something to slap on your rifle and have some fun at the range, it will get the job done.

This is pretty much a standard scope that is good enough for shooting at 50 yards. It comes with a set of scope rings, and this scope is available in black or silver to match your rifle.

It is a 3x to 9x magnification, and the zeroing is standard with your windage and elevation turrets.

When looking through the scope, it is dim and not very bright, but you can’t expect too much for the price.

Again, this scope will work if you just want something to plink around with and have fun. Great for teaching kids on and even hunting.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Simmons 22 Mag 3-9x32mm

2. Primary Arms 3-9x44mm

A huge jump in quality and features, but not the jump in price, is the Primary Arms 3-9x44mm.

This scope has a 30mm tube bigger than a 1″. A bigger tube gathers more light and looks brighter when looking through the scope.

This is also a 44mm objective lens, which means that you will have a wider field of view when you are looking through the scope.

For the money, this is the best rimfire scope you can buy. It has features you usually find on scopes in the $300 to $400 range but can be purchased for a fraction of the price.

It feels like a well-built scope. The glass looks good. The turrets adjust nicely. It has a crisp, clear sight picture even on the highest magnification and comes with lens caps.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Primary Arms 3-9x44mm

3. Bushnell Banner 3-9x50mm

One of the best rimfire scopes for the money, with the widest field of view, is the Bushnell Banner 3-9x50mm.

This is a great all-around scope and is very rugged. You will have no issues mounting this on a 22LR rifle.

The wide field of view is great for tracking targets if you are hunting and for transitioning targets if you are plinking.

I was initially very impressed with the clarity of the glass and how well built it was. The turrets and magnification adjustment know are firm and tactile. It just feels very robust and durable.

This is one of the best 50mm budget scopes on the market, and you will not be disappointed.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Bushnell Banner 3-9x50mm

4. Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm

Setting up into a little more of a premium rimfire scope is the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm.

The 2-7x magnification is enough for the 22LR caliber at medium ranges. This has a V-Plex reticle which works great and isn’t busy or confusing.

Vortex scopes are well made and have the best warranty I have seen by any company. If there are any problems at all you send the scope back to them, and they replace it, no questions asked.

The eye relief on the Crossfire II is very generous and is built like a tank. All metal components and no plastic.

This is the perfect scope for a 22LR rifle and my favorite out of all the scopes on my list.

If you have never owned a Vortex scope, now is the perfect time to pick one up.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm

5. Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 3-9x50mm

The Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 3-9x50mm is more of a tactical scope, which I recommend for anyone with a .22 caliber AR rifle.

This scope is unique because it is offered with an illuminated reticle. This is designed for low light or nighttime shooting.

The brightness and clarity are superb, and you normally find optics of this quality for double the price.

Sig did an excellent job with the Whiskey 3. They offer it in three different reticles, but if you want the illuminated version, it will cost more and is sold with the Hellfire Quadplex reticle.

If you are looking for more of a tactical scope, this is one of the best rimfire scopes for that.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 3-9x0mm

6. Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm

Another one of the best rimfire scopes is the Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm. This upgraded version of the Crossfire II is of higher quality.

For the price, you are getting a lot of scopes. Vortex makes some great products, and the warranty they have is world-class.

Everything about this scope might be a little overkill on a 22LR rifle, but you can’t beat it for the price.

The glass is crystal clear, the construction is rock solid, and the price is right. They also sell this model with weaver-style rings, which will save you a little bit of money when mounting it onto your rifle.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm

7. Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm

If you are looking for a high-end competition scope for your 22LR rifle, I recommend getting the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm.

They make this model with a specific rimfire reticle which is great. The reticle is custom designed for the 22LR caliber.

Leupold has long been known for making some of the best scopes in the firearms industry; this scope is no exception. The glass is very clear, and the construction is very durable.

Very clear and bright glass compared to lesser quality scopes. Edges remain clear and focused. Maintains focus at very long distances. The rimfire reticle is excellent. Fine crosshairs are perfect width. Using the rimfire MOA reticle, holdovers perform as intended.

The reticle alone is worth the purchase. Scope holds zero and was easy to dial in. Extremely light. The scope is aesthetically pleasing as well.

Click Here to check the current prices of the Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm

Best 22LR Ammo

You will always need more ammo, and with prices at a high, the best idea is to better it whenever you see a sale or buy in bulk.

22LR Ammo is pretty common, so it’s normally easy to find.

Be sure to click the links and check the current prices and availability of the ammo because prices always change.

• 22LR Ammo

Best Rimfire Scopes FAQ

Are rimfire scopes worth it?

Rimfire scopes are a great addition to any small caliber or 22LR rifle. They will increase the accuracy and distance you will be able to shoot. They are most commonly used on hunting rifles.

What makes a rimfire scope different?

Generally, rimfire scopes are parallax free and have reduced eye relief. This is because they are often used at shorter ranges, and parallax-free is desired.

What is parallax in a scope?

Parallax occurs when the target and reticle are on different planes within the scope. It is detectable when you move your head or eye around while looking through the scope, and the reticle appears to move or swim around the object at which you are aiming.

Complete List of Items Mentioned

(Click the links for the most up-to-date prices)

• Simmons 22 Mag 3-9x32mm
• Primary Arms 3-9x44mm
• Bushnell Banner 3-9x50mm
• Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32mm
• Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 3-9x50mm
• Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40mm
• Leupold VX-Freedom 3-9x40mm
• 22LR Ammo

Have you added a scope to your 22LR rifle?

Which one did you go with?

Let me know in the comments below.

Further reading on Firstworldcrusader.com: Are you interested in learning more about guns and gear?

This list of the Best Red Dot Sights can help you choose the best optic for your rifle.

In addition, here are the Best AR-15 Upgrades & Accessories that can help you get more out of your primary battle rifle.

Poaching in Michigan is a serious offense in Michigan with serious penalties if convicted.

Did you know Michigan has elk? Most people think of these animals as belonging in the Western states or Canada. However, Michigan is home to a population of these beautiful, wild creatures. Michigan is also home to many avid hunters.

Unlike deer, who run rampant throughout the state and suffer from overpopulation, elk are more protected by the law. You could get in big trouble for hunting them without a special license.

Elk hunting licenses are only available by drawing, and there are a limited number available each year. If you don’t get a special permit, that’s it. You will have to try again next year.

Illegal hunting is called poaching, and poaching could cost you your ability to hunt in this state – potentially for the rest of your life.

Elk Poaching in Michigan

Two Michigan men were charged for poaching a cow elk in Wolverine, Michigan in 1998. It was through the DNR poaching hotline that DNR officers investigated Jakob Gagnon and Logan Turbin.

An anonymous tip about the pair led to a search warrant, which led to investigators finding elk meat and cocaine in Gagnon’s residence.

Turbin was charged with assisting Gagnon in processing the elk and illegal possession of elk meat.

Gagnon initially fled the state after authorities searched his home, but turned himself in to law enforcement. He was arraigned August 28, 2020 for taking an elk without a license, possession of stolen property, and cocaine possession.

Penalties for Poaching in Michigan

While Gagnon’s poaching crime was a misdemeanor, his actions attracted law enforcement who went on to find evidence to charge him with a felony crime.

That’s just one way in which breaking hunting laws can backfire on you.

New Deer Hunting Regulations in Michigan

It’s also good to be aware of some of the new bag limits on deer hunting as we get closer to deer hunting season. A mistake or a crime of opportunity could result in a massive fine.

In 2014, Public Act 175 of 2013 went into effect, making it more expensive to break the hunting laws. Rather than a flat $1,000 restitution fee, the fine increases with the number of points on the deer’s antlers, to discourage hunters from taking more trophy bucks than they are legally allowed to bag.

According to Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt) Act of 1994:

A Michigan hunter was fined $15,000 for bagging an 18-point buck in 2015. It was his third of the season. Apparently, it was a “crime of opportunity.” He had the right to hunt, and the buck just walked in front of him.

Michigan Poaching Defense Attorney

Poaching may not be one of the top crimes leading to jail time or felonies on your record. However, if it doesn’t lead to those things, it can undoubtedly bleed your wallet dry.

For a hunter, losing your license potentially for 15 years isn’t worth the bagging that one animal. Don’t assume no one will tip-off investigators either.

If you’re facing jail time or hefty fines related to poaching in Michigan, call my office and get us working for you.

Call now

“It’s a number’s game.” Lance said. “It’s not the way most guys do it. It’s not the way I used to do it. But if you just do the math, it makes sense and when you look in my livewell at the end of the day, the numbers in there show fishing with the odds in your favor wins out most of the time.”

That’s what walleye pro, turned walleye educator, turned walleye guide—just call him a walleye entrepreneur—Lance Valentine told me last July.

I fished Saginaw Bay with Lance to experience big water fishing on a pontoon boat. Valentine fishes Sag Bay on a Angler Qwest 824 Pro Troll.

As eye opening as the pontoon boat experience was, his “numbers game” fishing was equally revealing. It involves finding the part of the water column where the lures being trolled are getting the most hits, putting the maximum number of lures in that zone, then upping those odds by speeding up the troll to make sure those lures swim by more walleyes.

Valentine puts all the lures on one side of his boat at the same depth.

Key number one, lure speed.

Everyone knows (or assumes or has been taught) walleyes will only bite a “lazy” lure. How many times have you heard the importance of having a boat which will slow down to walleye speed—walleye speed normally being something under two miles per hour and often half that.

How about twice that? “I troll a couple tenths of a mile per hour either side of four miles per hour.” Valentine explained.

“It’s easy math,” he continued. “Here on Saginaw Bay, most places on Lake Erie or at other lakes where walleyes suspend over vast reaches of open lake with little if any structure, fishermen use trolling tactics primarily to just cover a lot of water.

However you prefer to visualize it, whether it’s so many walleye per mile or so many walleye per acre of water, it doesn’t matter. When I’m going twice as fast, I’m covering twice as many miles or cutting a swath through twice as many acres of water than the guy trolling at half my speed—at what is considered to be a normal trolling speed. When I show my lures to twice as many active walleyes, it makes sense I catch more of them.”

How fast is your walleye speed? If it’s not close to or over 4 mph you are missing out.

Will they bite a lure going that fast? Of course they will. Anyone who has ever trolled much with planer boards has undoubtedly caught fish when the boat is turning and the outside lures are pulling through the water much faster than when trolling straight ahead.

How much faster?

The exact speed doesn’t matter or if it does, you do the math.

I’m sure there’s a complicated mathematical formula involving pi and other numbers you can use to calculate the MPH of those lures. What does matter is a common rule of thumb trollers often follow. If bites are coming when the boat is turning either speed up or slow down when going back to a straight course. Boost the trolling speed if the bites are coming on the outside lines, slow down if the bites are coming on the inside lines.

Realistically, the difference isn’t so much attributable to speed as it is lure action and depth. The fish aren’t swimming around looking for a meal going 1.8 mph to the point they will shun anything swimming at 2.2. They are just looking for something that looks good to eat and they can catch.

Don’t worry about them being able to catch it. Walleyes aren’t speedsters, but neither are 260 pound line backers on a football team. The big guys, given an angle, regularly bowl over 170 pound halfbacks in the open field. Walleyes can catch your fast moving lure if they think it looks good to eat.

I’m sure one of the reasons the term “walleye speed” was coined had to do with lure action rather than walleye preference. Many of the baits and plenty of lures that look good-to-eat at slow speeds don’t look (or sound) like walleye fodder when trolled above a certain speed.

Valentine’s go to lure for trolling that fast is Flicker Shads. He used a variety of colors the day I fished with him, but all the same #7 size (size may vary with the time of year). “Flicker Shads are great lures,” Valentine said. “And they troll perfectly straight at four miles per hour. Sure, there are other lures that will work at fast speeds and most lures can be tuned to run that fast. That’s not why I use all the same baits. All I’m doing is simplifying.”

The author’s wife Peg is the beneficiary of Valentines speed walleye tactics.

Fishermen tend to over think what’s going on under the waves and there are dozens of variables, big and small, to consider. Does it make a difference if the fishing line is monofilament or fluorocarbon? Is a 2 1/2-inch lure better than a 2 3/4-incher? Should the leader behind a Jet Diver or Dipsey Diver be 40 inches or 50? Does the color of the diver make a difference? Should the lure color be matched to the diver color? Does the lure color even matter? Is the color of the underwear I’m wearing make a difference?

The answer to all these questions (except for the underwear thing) is “sometimes.” More to the point, “sometimes” is a continuum going from almost never to quite frequently.

Many anglers head out trying to find the perfect lure, the perfect depth, the perfect speed and the perfect color or pattern to make the fish bite—all at the same time. I’ll admit to fishing that way, at times.

I try to cover as many of the variables as possible by positioning lures high, medium and low in the water column by mixing ‘riggers, divers, weighted line, lead core and copper wire at times. I may have spoons, flies and plugs out. It’s called covering the bases or the shotgun approach.

When a shotgunner catches a fish, which of the variables was it that coaxed the fish on the line?

Was it the particular lure?

Was it the speed?

Was is the color or depth?

If that fire-tiger lure that caught the fish was swimming 12 feet deep, would that fish have mistaken it for an edible baitfish if the lure had been swimming at 18 feet? Would it have even seen the lure? If a the first fish came on a spoon on a downrigger, should you put spoons on the divers? It’s trial and error and besides being confusing, it’s time consuming.

Will the trip be over before you figure it out?

Not Valentine. Lance further simplifies his already simplified lure selection process. Besides years of experience telling him likely areas and depths to fish, Valentine watches his sonar to make sure there are fish in the area he’s fishing. He’s much more interested in the marks showing suspended fish in the water column than the ones belly to bottom.

“Those suspended walleye are active fish, they are the ones most likely to bite trolled lures. And though a walleye will swim up to bite a lure passing overhead six or eight feet, undoubtedly more; I know I’ll get more bites by putting my lures in the narrow, three or four foot zone where the most active fish are suspended and feeding.”

“Covering the bases” anglers agree and will stagger the depths they are presenting their lures at the beginning of the day to let the fish “tell them” the perfect depth. So they use one lure that will troll 8 feet deep, another that will go 15 and use other tactics to put lures at other likely depths.

How long does it take to learn the 15 foot level is best? If there’s only one lure in the spread or on each side of the boat running at 15 feet it may take a long time. A walleye will certainly swim horizontally one way or another to chase a lure, but how far? If it will swim six feet but the lure is 10 feet away, you won’t catch it, you’ll never know the lure is at the perfect depth.

So what Valentine does on Sag Bay is match his sonar readings with experience and select the two most likely productive depths to sample first. This is more the “rifle” approach, than the shotgun. He puts all the lures trolling on one side of his boat at the one distinct depth and all the lures on the other side at different depth. He does this by using line counter reels and letting out specific amounts of monofilament before attaching his in-line planer to the line.

His simplified lure selection method described earlier makes this easy. Sure, he could consult tables and run lure X which will troll at 12 feet deep on 50 feet of line and deploy lure Y which the tables show will troll at 12 feet with 65 feet of line and so on.

“That introduces another whole level of complexity in setting the lures and then, when a fish does bite, was it the depth or was it the lure?” Valentine said. “By using identical lures, except color, I can zero in on the best depth and be certain the results aren’t being confused by other factors.”

Valentine varies the color of his lures, but uses all the same model and size to help keep things simple.

By putting all the lures on one side of the boat at the same depth, if that’s the “active-fish” zone, Valentine will know quickly.

No bites? Adjust them all higher or lower.

There’s a far greater chance of a fish spotting and striking three or four or five lures covering a wide swath of water than the chance of fish spotting just a single lure. If, in a short period, Valentine gets more bites on the lures trolling on lines set 40 feet behind the planers on one side than on the ones set 60 feet behind the boards on the other, he will adjust the lead-length on all of the lures on the less active side.

Once he gets all the lures in the active layer of water, he can then, need be, zero in on specific colors. “Most of the time, once I get all the lures into the strike zone, I’m getting enough action on all or most of them, I don’t even have to worry about switching from golds, to silvers, to painted,” he said.

That’s a good thing.

– written by Capt. Mike Schoonveld

SPEED TUNING

If you find your normal hard bodied baits won’t tolerate zipping through the water at “Valentine-speeds” and you don’t want to buy to lures that will troll fast and faster, just tune up your existing lures. Here’s how.

First, speed the boat up to the speed you want to troll, tie on the lure and let out five or six feet of line. Troll the lure along side the boat, out of any wake or turbulence, and watch the action. If the lure tries to swim on its side or even rolls over you will need to adjust the eye of the lure where the line, split ring or snap connects.

The rule to remember is: Bend the eye ring towards the bottom of the lake. If the lure swims or rolls starboard side up, bend the eye to the port side. Usually, just a tiny, often just a millimeter tweak or two, will put it right.

Optics have become standard equipment for most hunting applications with one exception—wingshooting. It’s still relatively rare to see a waterfowl or upland gun that’s equipped with an optic, but that’s changing thanks in part to sights like the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1’s miniaturized dimensions and light weight make it an ideal optic for use on a shotgun. With a length of 2.5 inches, a height of 1.6 inches and a weight (with battery) of just 3.5 ounces, the Micro S-1 doesn’t take up a great deal of space on the rib of a shotgun. With a high-strength aluminum housing featuring a semi-matte anodized finish and an integrated carbon fiber-reinforced polymer base, it doesn’t significantly change the balance point of the gun, either.

Unlike traditional shotgun optics that require shooters to purchase aftermarket bases and attach them to the gun’s receiver the Micro S-1’s integrated base fits onto the rib of virtually any gun. By measuring the height and width of your shotgun rib you can determine which base/plate combination is required, and Aimpoint offers an easy-to-follow diagram that helps you determine the right combo for your firearm.

The base secures to the sides and bottom of the rib and, when it’s tightened in place, holds zero even while firing magnum loads. It’s a simple installation process and, unlike traditional shotgun optics, you can quickly and easily install or remove the optic as desired. The Micro S-1 can be positioned at any point along the rib of the shotgun, and the low (.55 inches) optical axis makes it easy to view the 6 MOA red dot from a natural shooting position without having to lift your head from the gun. Eye relief is unlimited and there’s no parallax error with these sights.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot operates using a reflex collimator with LED display. This offers shooters the ability to adjust point of impact, a major advantage for shotgun shooters. Traditionally, shotguns ribs were designed with different points of impact (POI) based on the application. Trap guns, for instance, have a higher point of impact, from 70/30 (where 70% of the pattern rises above the rib) and up. Skeet, sporting clays, and field guns usually shoot “flat” with a 50/50 POI. Some high-end competition shotguns offer interchangeable ribs to adjust POI, but swapping ribs is a hassle. The Micro S-1 allows shooters to adjust POI quickly in the field using the provided tool and you can also adjust windage — something that’s difficult on guns without an optic. The ability to change POI is a major benefit for shooters and this feature increases the versatility of your shotgun.

Using a reflex sight on a shotgun has traditionally been a challenge because a bright sky can wash out the dot. To compensate for this, Aimpoint offers additional brightness settings. Illuminance is measured in lux (lx), and the Micro S-1’s red dot is visible from .1 lx (the equivalent of a moonlit night) to 55,000 lx (full sun). With 12 separate brightness settings, you can match the intensity of the dot to the light conditions regardless and you won’t lose sight of the dot even when you’re shooting clay targets or birds in full, bright sunlight.

Aimpoint Micro S-1 reflex optics are powered by a single CR2032 3V lithium battery that lasts for 50,000 hours of continuous use. Operating temperatures range from -20 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and the unit is submersible to 15 meters which means if you drop your gun in shallow water while duck hunting your optic will still function properly. The durable Aimpoint sight is also resistant to shock, humidity, vibration and is resistant to occasional chemical exposure from gun cleaners, lubricants, fuel and insect repellents.

Aimpoint Micro S-1 Red Dot Sight Applications

I mounted the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot on the rib of a CZ 1012 12-gauge semiauto shotgun and zeroed the unit for a flat POI at 20 yards. The polymer base holds firmly onto the gun’s rib and even after multiple rounds of skeet and five stand there was no shift in point of impact. Despite having used shotguns with traditional beads throughout my shooting career I found that transitioning to the Micro S-1 was seamless. The aluminum housing is compact enough that it doesn’t distract the shooter and the 6 MOA dot offers a reference point regarding muzzle position even when the shooter is focused on the target. When I transitioned to trap targets, I had the option of adjusting POI to 70/30 in seconds. Additionally, I fired a full box of 3-inch magnum turkey loads through the CZ 1012 and the Micro S-1 withstood the heavy recoil without shaking loose or shifting POI.

The Aimpoint Micro S-1 improved my accuracy when shooting moving targets, especially on very bright days, and science shows that I’m not alone. Research conducted in Sweden in 2018 indicates that shooters who used Micro S-1-equipped shotguns performed markedly better than shooters who used guns with traditional bead sights on the country’s mandatory hunter exam. Two separate trials demonstrated that hunters using Micro S-1 optics hit a combined average of 24% more targets on the portions of the exam that simulates running hare and flying upland birds that shooters who didn’t use an optic. That’s an impressive jump in accuracy and lends credit to Aimpoint’s claim that shotgun performance improves with a reflex sight in place.

The unit’s innovative base design makes it the most versatile shotgun optic available. You can attach it to your upland shotgun while hunting birds or braking clays and then quickly transition the Micro S-1 to a waterfowl or turkey gun. It also improves the accuracy potential when shooting smoothbore slugs and its low-light capabilities make the Aimpoint Micro S-1 red dot a superb option for home defense scatterguns. Never before has a single optic offered this level of versatility for shotgun shooters in such a compact, durable platform. MSRP: $820

Product Description

Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli) is an annual grass weed most commonly found in newly established turf. Barnyard grass tends to be more prevalent when turf is newly seeded during the hot conditions of summer. It grows faster than the desirable grasses that need cooler temperatures to germinate.

Barnyard grass is a coarse annual grass reaching 1 to 4 feet tall, if not mowed. Stems are thick, coarse, mostly upright branching at the base with a purplish-green color. Flower head or seed head is reddish, purplish or greenish color.

Fortunately, coarse Barnyard grass will be killed by the first frost in Fall. The coarse brown grass decomposes in the Spring and the desirable thin bladed grasses fill in the areas with Spring rains and an application of slow release fertilizer.

Planting Rate: 25 lbs/acre

Barnyard Grass Seeds

Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crus-galii) is the wild millet that ducks have been eating since the beginning of time. It is easy to grow and ducks love it. It does great in wetlands. Other names it is called are Wild Millet, Barnyard Millet, and Common Barnyard Grass.

Barnyard Grass Planting Guide

Barnyard Grass is a prolific seeder. It makes a small seed that ducks love. It will volunteer several years after the initial planting with proper management. It grows 1’-3’ tall. In wetlands, it performs best with late-growing season water drawdowns. The combination of heat, wet soil, and day length getting shorter puts the plant into high gear! When planting Barnyard Grass seed, it is best to plant it late in the growing season to mimic nature. Plus, it has a short maturity, often 45-60 days. When planted too early in the growing season the first crop may grow and produce seed too early for the ducks to use. You want the seed available for when the ducks show up.

The seeding rate is 12 lbs. – 15 lbs. per acre. There are approximately 175,000 seeds per pound. It does not take much seed per acre to get a good stand of Barnyard Grass.

Barnyard Grass can be planted with a seed drill or by broadcasting. The most common method is broadcasting onto a well-prepared seed bed and covering the seed lightly. Do not cover the seed too deep as it is a small seed. ½” deep is plenty.

There are a few herbicides that can be used to control broad leaves in Barnyard Grass. 2,4-D, Aim and Blazer work well on millets. It is important to spray the weeds when they are young (<4” tall) and actively growing. In drought situations, weeds may not be actively growing and will not uptake the herbicides as well as when they are actively growing. Be sure to follow the herbicide’s label.

Does Barnyard Grass need fertilizer? Barnyard Grass does not require a lot of fertilizer. Waterfowl impoundments are naturally rich due to them being in low-lying areas. They can be high in organic material creating natural fertilizer. It is recommended to pull a soil sample and amend the soil with lime and fertilize per the soil test recommendations. Without a soil sample, a rule of thumb would be to fertilize with 20 units of Nitrogen. So for a fertilizer like 13-13-13 that has 13 units of nitrogen per 100 lbs., the rate would be 154 lbs of 13-13-13 per acre.

Barnyard Grass for Waterfowl

When Barnyard Grass is planted, it cannot be manipulated and hunted over or near for ducks and geese. If a volunteer crop is produced in subsequent years, it can be manipulated and hunted over per Federal rule. It is recommended to contact your state wildlife agency to be sure management actions do not violate any hunting regulations.

Barnyard Grass seed has a high percentage of “hard” seed. This hard seed characteristic is what preserves the seed, keeping it from deteriorating. The seed will persist for a long time under water which is good for feeding ducks. It will also last a long time in the seed bank which will allow it to grow for many years after the initial planting with proper management.

In the following years after the initial planting of Barnyard Grass, keep the water on the impoundment late into the growing season. For example, in the southeast United States holding water until August can produce good stands of wild barnyard grass. In August, if your impoundment is at full pool, you would want to release the water slowly. This may be 4″ per week. A lot of times evaporation can do this for you if you have kept all the boards in. You may need to disk the impoundment once every 3rd year to set back succession. Barnyard grass is a great moist soil plant for ducks.

Barnyard Grass Seeds for Sale

If you’re looking to add Barnyard Grass to an impoundment or food plot for waterfowl or other game, check out our selection at Specialty Seeds Inc. We have everything you’ll need for successful Barnyard Grass planting.

Learning how to skin a raccoon is not a difficult task.

With a few simple tools and a little patience anyone can learn how to skin, flesh, stretch and dry a raccoon pelt.

One of the biggest mistakes made during the fur harvesting process occurs during the skinning or fleshing of the furbearer.

Why is this stage so important?

Improperly skinning the animal can decrease its value or even worse, make it worth nothing at all.

Proper fur handling is an important step that everyone should understand.

Not only will you feel a sense of pride or satisfaction from a job well done, you’ll also get a better price from the fur buyer for all your hard work.

There are two basic ways to skin a furbearer……open and cased.

“Open” describes a method used to skin beaver or badger where a cut is made down the belly and the pelt is tacked out flat.

“Cased” is the most common method of skinning a furbearer.

Muskrats, mink, coyotes, fox, raccoons and many other animals are skinned this way.

Cased furs are processed by cutting a slit in the animals hide from one hind foot pad to the other.

A small slit is made in the tail and the tailbone is removed leaving the tail fur attached to the pelt.

Then, the pelt is removed from the animal in a process that’s similar to taking off your shirt or socks.

Once the hide is removed it’s then fleshed, stretched and allowed to dry.

How To Skin A Raccoon

Although it’s pretty easy to remove the skin from a raccoon, they contain a lot of fat which sometimes makes the fleshing process a little time consuming and messy.

Before you begin, I recommend wearing a pair of latex surgical gloves during the entire process.

The rubber or latex gloves not only keep your hands clean, but they also protect you from various diseases that raccoons have been known to carry.

I’ve also found using a thin bladed skinning knife or pocket knife, like a Buck or Old Timer knife, with a sharp blade works the best.

How To Skin A Raccoon Step-By-Step Process

To begin cut around the front and rear ankles where the fur meets the top of the foot.

Next, starting at the hind foot pad, on the inside of the foot just above the heal, cut straight across the body just above the vent or anus.

Cut all the way across in a straight line to the opposite foot pad.

In a “V” shape cut around the vent on both sides and then cut about a 3-4 inch slit along the underside of the tail.

Using your knife and hand pressure, remove the skin from around the legs far enough so you can attach a skinning gambrel or other similar device around its rear legs so the raccoon can be hung upside down.

Using your knife to remove any connective tissue, work the hide off the legs, around the cuts near the vent and around the cut on the tailbone.

Expose a couple inches of the tailbone and remove the tailbone using a tail stripper.

For best results use a push/pull motion with your hands and the tail stripper.

At this point you can pretty much grab the hide and pull it down like a sock, using your knife to cut away any connective tissue that gets in the way.

When you reach the front arms, work the hide around the elbow and stick your fingers between elbow/armpit area until you can pull the hide down off the front wrists.

Do this on both front legs.

While pulling down on the fur, remove the fur from around the head until you reach the ears.

Cut off the ears leaving them attached to your “cased” skin.

Using the ear holes for leverage, continue to pull the pelt down and cut around the eyes, lips and finally cut the pelt off at the nose.

That’s it!

The skinning process is now done and you’re ready to flesh.

How To Skin A Raccoon – Flesh Removal

Place the cased raccoon skin over your fleshing beam, flesh side out.

Using a small clamp to clamp the nose area will keep the pelt from slipping over the end of the fleshing beam.

Position the pelt evenly on the beam and begin to slowly remove the flesh and fat with the sharp part of your fleshing knife.

Start at the base of the ears and slowly work your way down the pelt using a slight slicing motion with your knife.

Necker Fleshing Knife

Once the fat starts coming off you can turn your knife over to the dull edge and push away from your body, removing the fat from the hide.

Flesh about half way down the pelt and then rotate the pelt on the fleshing beam.

Continue fleshing the pelt until all flesh and muscle has been removed.

Once the hide has been fleshed the final step is to stretch and dry the fur over either a board or wire stretcher.

Overall – How To Skin A Raccoon

Learning how to skin a raccoon the proper way will ensure the you get the maximum amount of money when you take your furs to a buyer.

Take your time, do a good clean job, and your hard work will be rewarded.