Almost as important as tea processing is tea harvesting. As you may know, simply growing the tea plants can be a major challenge for the farmers, and it can take years to perfect.

Finally, after all the work the farmers have put into growing the tea, it comes time to pick the leaves. The tea harvest is something that comes a few times a year and it can actually determine the quality of a tea in many cases. The quality of a tea is not just determined by how the tea is grown and processed, but also how it is picked.

This said, let’s go into the detail to understand the tea harvesting process 🍃🍵

What is tea harvesting?

Harvesting tea leaves is an important stage in the tea production process. As you may know by now, a farmer can greatly change the flavor of a tea by harvesting tea leaves from different parts of the tea plant or at different times. This is one of the many calculations a farmer needs to make, in order to improve the flavor of the tea he produces, and to maximize the yield of his tea field.

How to Harvest Camellia sinensis

Harvesting tea leaves is just like harvesting the leaves of any other plant. You want to ideally pick the leaves at the stem, so it doesn’t interfere with the integrity of the leaf itself. Tea harvesting can require a lot of skill and it can be a full time job. For a tea like gyokuro for example, one of the most prized leaf teas in Japan, you need to pick the top three leaves of the tea plant. These are the sweetest in flavor and highest in nutrients.

You first need to identify the top three leaves of the tea plant and then you need to grasp the stem of the tea plant a few millimeters below the third leaf. Then you can gently pull up until you hear a small pop sound, and the leaf should be separated. This method of harvesting tea leaves is extremely time consuming but it can yield great quality green tea.

How many times can you harvest tea in a year?

Harvesting tea leaves is something that can happen up to 4 times per year. After the tea is harvested for the first time in early spring, it can then be harvested a second time in June or July. Tea from the second harvest is the second highest in nutrients and flavor, so it is often used for more inexpensive teas. Farmers may also combine leaves from the first and second harvest to lower the price of the tea, while still providing plenty of flavor. During the summer, the temperatures in much of Japan can get quite hot, so it is a lot of work to harvest during this time.

The tea plant can be harvested a third time in late summer, but this is really more common in southern Japan. The third harvest of the plant will produce very low quality tea that is lower in nutrients. The tea plant needs sufficient time to pull nutrients from the soil and when it is harvested in such a short amount of time, it is unable to produce as strong of a flavor.

In mid October or mid November, some tea plants will be harvested for a fourth and final time. This is known to some as Aki Bancha, or fall harvest. Some farmers choose to sell this tea to customers, but farmers like Mr. Watanabe in Yakushima have a different plan for the leaves. He harvests the leaves in fall and then actually uses them as a fertilizer for the plant. His thought behind this is that the tea plant has absorbed nutrients from the soil all year, so now it must return some at the end of the year.

How are the best leaves selected?

If you are producing a premium quality Japanese green tea, it has to come from the first harvest. The tea plant is harvested up to 4 times from April, all the way to November and the quality declines with each harvest. After the last tea harvest in November, the tea plant has all winter to build up nutrients and it releases those nutrients in the first sprouts of the spring time. These fresh spring leaves are the most flavorful, and therefore they command the highest price.

Tea picked during the first harvest is called ‘Shincha‘ and it is one of the highest regarded teas in Japan. Serious tea drinkers will wait around all year to be among the first to purchase the new Shincha harvest in springtime. This practice used to be more common decades ago, but now with the widespread use of refrigeration, the tea can be kept fresh all throughout the year. Shincha tea, like the Shincha from Mr. Nuruki can be quite flavorful, with a light sweet and savory flavor.

Once fall comes around in Japan, it becomes especially important for farmers to fertilize their tea crop. The soil must be set up for the long winter ahead, so the tea plant can rest and absorb nutrients ahead of the spring harvest. A lot of farmers will use a type of straw on the base of the tea plants. This serves a few important purposes. First, it allows the tea plant to retain moisture by locking in water. It also fertilizes the tea plant and keeps the roots warm through the winter.

After a long winter, the sprouts of the tea plant will begin to come up in the spring and soon they are able to be harvested. The most common way to harvest the tea plant in Japan is with this motorized tea harvesting machine. This is the most efficient way to harvest tea, and it’s one of the reasons why the tea plants are organized in these neat rows. The harvester will trim these like hedges and overtime they will develop a neatly carved shape.

Tea Harvester

The tea harvester is one of the more common tools used in tea harvesting. This tool is operated by two people, as they hold each side of the machine and walk along each side of the tea rows to trim the top leaves.

After being cut, these leaves are kept inside a net and collected afterwards. This tea harvester combines the precision of hand picking with the speed of the mechanical tea harvester, which we will mention next.

Mechanical Tea Harvester

The mechanical tea harvester is an innovative invention when it comes to harvesting tea leaves. This machine is essentially a combine that can be drive between the rows of the tea plant and automatically harvest them. The advantage of the mechanical tea harvester is that it is much faster than the hand held tea harvester. It simply skims the top of the tea bush to trim the top leaves of the tea plant and collect them into a net.

The downside of the mechanical tea harvester is that it is not as accurate as the hand held tea harvester. Because the mechanical tea harvester is so large, it is very difficult to control and you can be as precise with the harvesting as you can be with the hand held version. The results will show up in the leaves. You want larger leaves in the case of gyokuro and sencha and as long as the leaves look good, the tea harvester must work just fine!

Is a Tea Harvester better than a Mechanical Tea Harvester?

Technically the regular hand held tea harvester is better than the mechanical tea harvester, but there are a few different variables. The mechanical tea harvester is large and less maneuverable, but as long as all the tea rows are the same height, it should be able to get the job done. For this reason tea harvested with the mechanical tea harvester is not necessarily worse, it just comes down to what the final leaves end up looking like.

Handpicked tea leaves

Occasionally, tea like ceremonial matcha and Gyokuro will be made with hand picked leaves. This method of tea harvesting extremely expensive in Japan, but the benefit is that the leaves are picked perfectly. On one day out of the year, people from all around the town will gather on this field to pick the fresh sprouts of the tea plant. There is a precise method to their picking. They want to select the top 3 leaves of the tea plant, so they will pick slightly underneath the third leaf. Once the leaf has been picked, they will drop it into their basket and then look for the next one.

If a farmer wants to produce a more inexpensive tea like Bancha, they will select leaves lower down on the tea plant, along with some stems as well. This method of tea harvesting can give the farmer a much higher yield. The leaves are more mature, and not quite as flavorful. The more mature leaves of a Bancha are lower in caffeine and they can produce a quite pleasant citrusy flavor, with notes of cereal, popcorn and wood.

As you can see, the harvest can be an important factor in determining how prized a tea is. Depending on when it is picked, how it is picked and where on the tea plant it is picked, the tea can be in a completely different category. If you are interested in trying some first harvest teas with larger leaf pickings, we highly suggest you checkout our selection of gyokuro teas. These teas are designed to have an incredibly sweet flavor and a savory finish. They are known as being the most sought after leaf teas in Japan and a lot of work goes into their harvest. Try them out for yourself and let us know what you think!

There are two potential reasons why you may be hunting public land deer this season. First, you may find public land deer hunting challenging and enjoy the freedom the big woods offer. More likely, however, the real reason you are hunting on public land is you have no other choice such as a private lease or your own land to hunt. Hunting deer on public land is the great equalizer. Each hunter has to search for a place to hunt, develop a sound strategy and compete with other hunters all seeking a whitetail buck.

The one advantage hunters have in Pennsylvania when looking for the best public land hunting is that there is plenty of it. Public lands open to hunting can be found in almost every county of the state accounting for more than 4 million acres. All that land, however, comes with a lot of competition and challenges when it comes to deer hunting season.

Finding Public Land Deer Hunting Opportunities in Pennsylvania

The best public land deer hunting opportunities are not as hard to come by as many think. The key is to put the time in and focus on quality areas with minimal pressure and good habitat. Finding these suitable areas is not difficult with the amount of area open to the public.

One place to start your search is with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) Deer Hunter Focus Areas. This site provides information and an interactive map of recent and current habitat management projects on State Game Lands across the state. These projects are known to attract deer and typically have hunter access areas associated with them. Although these Deer Hunter Focus Areas are a great place to start, remember a lot of other hunters will also be hunting these areas. Ideally, you want to use these locations as a starting point and expand to adjacent areas to hunt whitetails where hunting pressure will be less.

Another starting point for finding public land deer hunting opportunities is the PGC State Game Lands website. This website provides information about the 1.5 million acres of public lands opening for hunting. Here, again, you can use an interactive map to search for areas to scout and download individual maps to take with you on the ground. Both are helpful when planning your public land hunting strategy.

Finally, Pennsylvania State Forests and the Allegheny National Forest also both have vast amounts of land open to public hunting. How to find a good hunting spot on public land starts with doing your research and exploring these opportunities well before deer season starts.

Best Game Lands to Hunt in Southeastern Pennsylvania

State Game Land 145 sits off of State Route 117 in southern Lebanon County. It is approximately 2,800 acres of mixed hardwoods forest. This SGL has many one- and two-acre food plots established to supplement native forage. Hunt thick bedding areas near these food plots to ambush a buck coming or going to feed.

SGL 145 – Lebanon County

Nearby, SGL 156 has over 4,500 acres open to hunting in Lebanon and Lancaster counties. Both mixed hardwood and mixed oak forests exist in SGL 156. Timber management is very active across this area and provides plenty of quality browse and cover for whitetails to enjoy. Hunting public land deer here can be tough as it tends to get pressured, especially during firearms season. Hunt more remote areas and stay away from main trails if possible to increase your chances.

SGL 156 – Lebanon/Lancaster Counties

Another prime public land hunting location in Lebanon and Lancaster counties is SGL 46. Accessible from State Route 897, SGL 46 covers approximately 6,000 acres surrounding the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Focus your public land hunting strategy on hardwood ridges and adjacent to agricultural fields on this public tract.

SGL 46 – Lebanon/Lancaster Counties

Overlooked Public Land Hunting Places

Among all the public land open to hunting across the Commonwealth, hunters frequently overlook state parks as a place to hunt. There is usually a state park within a 20- to 30-minute drive of almost every resident in the state and many have public land deer hunting opportunities.

Two particular state parks in southern Pennsylvania where public land monster bucks roam are Gifford Pinchot State Park and Caledonia State Park. Both of these parks allowing deer hunting, but they have special regulations hunters need to comply with. Gifford Pinchot is located in northern York County just outside of Harrisburg. The hunting grounds surround the lake and are in turn surrounded by a mix of residential and agricultural lands. No centerfire rifles can be used for hunting in the park but you can use bows, shotguns, and muzzleloaders. Caledonia State Park has a smaller amount of huntable land but it is surrounded by the 85,000 acre Michaux State Forest, which offers its own public hunting opportunities. Similarly, this park has special hunting regulations so be sure to check them out before planning to hunt in either of these state parks.

5 Public Land Hunting Tips for Deer Season

Hunting big bucks on public land does not come easy. Make sure these five public land hunting tips are part of your deer season strategy.

1. Scout All Year Long – You have to put in the time on public lands. This means not only hunting but also scouting. Scouting with trail cameras preseason but also scouting throughout the year to find new spots and plan tree stand set ups is a must. The more time you spend scouting the more likely you will beat out all the other unprepared hunters for that buck spot.
2. Get a GPS and Learn to Use It – Having a GPS unit is critical to public land deer hunting. It allows you to store hunting spots as waypoints and tracks as trails to your tree stands. Without one, it makes it hard to explore new hunting areas and keep your existing spots as secret as possible.
3. Use Hunting Pressure to Your Advantage – Almost everywhere in Pennsylvania on public land, there will be hunting pressure. One tip is to use that to your advantage. Position tree stands around highly pressured areas and hunt the pressured deer. This works well in gun season when a high percentage of hunters are in the woods for the first time walking around and spooking up bucks.
4. Don’t Hunt History – Hunters on public land often hunt the same areas year after year. These places are either familiar or they have had recent past deer hunting success here. With public land, however, things change constantly. Either habitat is changing from management activities or consistent pressure from recreation change deer patterns. Assume nothing each year and instead scout each year to determine if other areas are a better choice to hunt.
5. Be Able to Adapt Mid-Season – Along with not hunting history, you also need to be able to adapt during the season. Public means anyone can hunt right next to you. You have to have secondary options and be able to adapt your public land hunting strategy on a daily basis based on changing deer patterns or unexpected hunting pressure.

Must-Have Deer Hunting Gear for Public Land

Arguably the two most important pieces of deer hunting gear for public land hunting are a lightweight tree stand and a quality hunting pack. The theme of these two pieces of gear is mobility and being able to adapt.

• Lightweight Tree Stand Setup – Hanging a tree stand on public land has to not damage the tree. This means you have to either choose a lightweight climbing tree stand like the Summit Open Shot Climber or go with a hang on stand and use lightweight climbing sticks.

• Quality Hunting Pack – You will need a hunting pack for public land deer hunting that holds plenty of gear. Large main pockets, accessory pockets, and a comfortable fit as the Badlands Dash Backpack which is ideal for any day hunting public land during firearms season.

Maybe you know this, but –

Rem Oil’s been getting a bad rep lately.

More specifically, some people are complaining about:

• The oil being too thin
• Evaporating easily
• Not lubing properly
• Etc.

So, I decided to take a closer look.

• What is is that people are complaining about?
• And is Rem Oil really as bad as people say?

Ready? Let’s jump right in…

What is Rem Oil?

Rem Oil is a superior lubricant for firearms. You use it to lubricate your guns, as well as to protect them from corrosion.

I underlined the word lubricant because people keep comparing Rem Oil to different products:

• Hoppe’s #9 (a solvent)
• Ballistol (a CLP)
• Froglube (lubricant)
• Rmcoil (lubricant)

Rem oil is not a solvent. Rem Oil is not a CLP.

It’s a lubricant – and it works differently from CLP’s and solvents.

But most importantly…

Rem Oil Gets The Job Done

Here’s a fact:

Most gun oils work fine if you use them according to instructions. Including Rem Oil.

Every top brand will be 99% good enough for your needs. Unless you are a competition shooter, or you have unusual weather conditions.

And while Rem Oil may not be the best gun oil on the market…

It gets the job done.

Now you’re probably wondering:

If Rem Oil’s so good then why does it have such a bad reputation?

Look.

I’m certain that the people complaining about Rem Oil are simply using it wrong. There’s no other explanation.

How To Use Rem Oil

Here’s how you use Rem Oil properly:

1. Apply the oil
2. Let it sit for a bit
3. Wipe the oil off completely (Don’t leave a single drop hanging there)

You need to wipe everything off because Rem Oil is a surface treatment.

What this means, is that the only useful part of the oil is the one that sticks to the surface of your gun. Any Rem Oil NOT stuck to the surface is useless.

After proper application, the surface should appear dry. It shouldn’t have a “wax coating”. This may seem unnatural, but that’s the proper way to use this product. You’re basically seasoning the surface as you would do on an iron skillet.

By now you can probably guess that –

The problem that most people have with Rem Oil is that they put TOO MUCH OIL on their gun.

The oil that doesn’t soak in runs off the gun. That’s where the bad rep comes from – that Rem Oil is “runny”.

Rem Oil needs to soak because of how it’s made.

What’s Rem Oil Made Of: The Ingredients

Rem Oil has a mineral oil base. Same as most other gun oils.

What makes it different from some is the added Teflon. Teflon transforms into a super-thin film on your gun’s surfaces. The thin film decreases friction and acts as a barrier against corrosion.

The Teflon membrane sticks to the gun and can’t be wiped away.

It’s the protection factor of Rem Oil. You won’t see it, but it’s there after treatment.

Rem Oil Performance

The real question is:

Is Rem Oil worth the money when compared to other gun oils?

Well, let’s start with the good.

Rust Protection

One thing that Rem’s good for is Rust Protection. There was a comparison I read a few years ago.

Rem Oil received superior ratings for rust inhibition in comparison to Hoppes’s and Breakfree CLP.

Extreme Temperatures

The same test also ranked Rem Oil as #1 gun oil for extreme cold.

I’m talking about minus 20-30 degrees kind of cold. All other oils would gum up and slow the action down.

You’ll probably never shoot your gun under those conditions, but it’s still good to know.

Rem Oil Alternatives

Crosman RMCoil vs Rem Oil

From the specs alone, these two should be equally good.

Both are lubricants, and both are quite thin and runny. Rmcoil doesn’t have Teflon in its formula, so I would pick Rem Oil over it.

Couldn’t find any proper comparison video, so let me know in the comments if you have anything.

Rem Oil vs. Hoppe’s #9

You can see that Hoppe’s No. 9 performs significantly better than Rem Oil when it comes to solvent capability.

Click the play button and see the comparison for yourself.

Side note: I’ve always liked the precision tip bottle of Hoppe’s 9. It makes the oil easy to use. You don’t get that with REM oil.

Rem Oil vs. Froglube

According to the video below, Rem Oil and Froglube perform about the same.

Get whichever is cheapest.

Rem Oil vs. Ballistol

Ballistol is generally regarded as better than Rem Oil.

They’re both mineral oils. But the difference is that:

• Rem Oil doesn’t emulsify in water. It acts like a normal oil – you put it in the water and sticks to the surface.
• Ballistol emulsifies in water. It will spread out in the water, and won’t rise back out on the surface. It becomes a part of the water.

So, Ballistol has an advantage.

It remains on your gun after you clean out the water. Protecting your barrel from corrosion.

Bottom Line: Performance

Rem Oil performs best you use it to wipe down the outside surface of the gun. Even though there are better all-rounder gun oils out there, Rem Oil is one of the best for rust protection.

It’s not that good for lubing the moving parts inside the gun that get heated. For the insides of your gun, you’re better off sticking with a proper CLP (such as Ballistol) or solvent (Hoppe’s #9).

Now, the next bit might be just me, but…

As I’ve mentioned above, it’s normal for Rem Oil to ‘dry’ inside your gun.

I don’t know about you but… I want to know that there is a layer of something inside my gun when I’m shooting.

And that’s just not the case with Rem Oil.

Sorry, Rem.

In a nutshell, here’s what you’re getting with Rem Oil:

• Great friction coefficient score
• Dries on the surface (less dirt and debris on your gun)
• Corrosion protection – passes salt spray test according to Govt. requirements
• Helps remove powder carbon and fouling
• Low viscosity – soaks into small areas and metal pores
• Cheap
• Long-lasting

Frequently Asked Questions

Rem Oil On Wood

Can you use Rem Oil on wood?

No, you can’t use Rem Oil on wood. Be careful around the stock of your gun. What happens is that the oil will soak in and ruin the wood where it meets metal.

Gun oil will ruin the wood. Not at once. But over the years it will soak in and make the wood soft and punky.

It usually happens where the stock meets the receiver. First, the wood gets a dark stain, and then it starts getting soft.

You have to be really careful to keep gun oil off your stock. It’s a common recommendation to store your firearm muzzle-down for that exact reason.

It keeps the gun oil from running into the stock.

Side note: Storing your firearms muzzle-down is a precaution. If your gun oil runs at all, then you’re using too much of it.

Rem Oil Aerosol vs. Wipes vs. Liquid

You can buy Rem Oil in the form of:

• • Rem Oil Aerosol spray
  • Liquid
  • Wipes

All 3 contain the same Teflon formula. The only difference is the form.

Rem Oil Spray

Aerosol spray is the most common.

It’s also the one that I used to spray the outside of my gun.

In my opinion, the spray is the easiest to use.

Rem Oil Liquid

The liquid is the cheapest of the three. Straightforward to use – just put some drops on your gun and you’re set.

Be careful not to put too much.

Rem Oil Wipes

Rem Oil Pop Up Wipes are more convenient for field use. If you’re out hunting and need something to clean your firearms, these are great to keep in your shooting bag.

They’re easy to use – just wipe down your firearm with it. Down the barrel or on the surface – wherever it’s needed.

One pack comes with a dozen wipes or so. One wipe can clean more than one firearm. A common trick is to cut them in half to save money.

Note that the wipes are more expensive than the liquid and the spray.

Which ones should you get? It’s really a matter of preference. If you ask me, I’d say that the spray is the most versatile of the three. Can’t go wrong with the spray.

The Final Word

Rem Oil is alright. It’s not too bad, not too good either.

It gets the job done, but it’s too thin for:

• Any serious firing (say AR-15)
• Performance in hotter temperatures

Most importantly –

Rem Oil is inferior to other gun oils on the market.

So why settle for less?

I’ve used Hoppe’s #9 for years. It’s tried and proven for gun cleaning, removing powder and small amounts of copper residue.

I prefer to use Break-Free CLP for gun cleaning. It’s cheap and a large can will last you a long time.

For heavy-duty stuff, Hoppe’s #9 has never failed me.

Now…

And only after the treatment, that’s when I wipe everything down with Rem Oil.

Let me know in the comments if I missed anything, or if anything needs to be added to the article.

Sincerely Yours, Bud

Vacation days are put in at the beginning of each year with anticipation building for the next cup of Grandpa’s “Joe” and maybe a shot at the big one Uncle Scott missed last year. Small towns close school the day before opener and sales for HotHands and propane soar. Gas stations staff up for the big push and supermarket delis are fully stocked to supply the masses. Step outside the eve before opening day and draw a deep breath, the smell of burning log fires infuse the air from chimneys of nearby deer camps around each bend, over the next hill, and across the way.

The crew from Schumacher’s deer camp

Deer camp is more than a “place”, it’s a tradition with generations of history in the making. The story of Uncle Jack shooting a doe from the hip never gets old, that dusty bottle of Peach Schnapps hasn’t moved since he took his last pull. Big John’s triple extra-large orange parka has hugged the same bedpost since the season before his heart attack, no one moves it, and no one complains. A broken aluminum arrow shaft with a two-blade broadhead rests across the rack of small buck Cousin Nick took years ago when tree bark camo looked like tree bark and big bucks meant big bodies.

Submitted by Lucas Karls. The cabin was built from the trees on the property over 30 years ago. Each log was handled 14 times before the project was complete.

Cousin Tommy always shows up early to sweep out the ladybugs and stack the wood stove for heat before the rest of the party arrives. It will be cold beers and highballs over ice while the night is young, and fingertips will trace the property map, pausing over who’s sitting where and rekindle stories of what went down in years past.

Keep Deer Camp Alive

The tradition of Deer Camp has grown roots across much of the upper Midwest, but a tree only grows if it gets water and light is cast upon it. As generations come and go, the legacies they leave behind influence new stories and inherited tradition. If you let the tradition die with the loss of members who carried them, the leaves will fall from the tree and its roots will dry up and wither away.

My Grandpa, Tony Ubl, made the finest corned beef. He’d make a couple roasts before opening weekend, slice them against the grain a quarter-inch thick and serve it cold every opening day after the morning sit. As the family would return to “the shack”, the corned beef would be gone before the air had time to touch it.

Mitch Goeck’s Wisconsin Deer Camp

Tony slipped on a snow-covered log and hurt his shoulder while still-hunting his way back to the shack one morning. The fall reminded him of his age and Tony decided it would be his last weekend of Deer Camp. It wasn’t a decision he let be heard, he just didn’t show up the following year. The corned beef everyone loved so much was sorely missed, but not as much as Tony.

Deer Camp is something to look forward to, it’s something everyone can count on. Friends and family come together for more than the hunt, they do it for the comradery of doing something different than the everyday norm. It’s the stories re-told year after year, moms chili and Grandma’s cookies. It’s the pile of ladybugs swept outside next to the shoe rug, and the stinky outhouse that accounts for more jokes than anyone can keep track of.

We know that Uncle Kenny takes hunting less seriously than the rest of us, but he still comes up and sits opening morning. Dad and the twins always get the back room because they snore so loud, but without the hum keeping everyone up at night it would be too quiet. Henry always has the latest gadgets he likes to show off, and it’s always a conversation to have on the drive into camp – what will Henry bring this time?

Garrett Meilinger’s family deer camp

Encourage the Next Generation

Don’t let Deer Camp become a thing of the past. Introduce your children to Deer Camp and influence them with traditions of your own. Modern-day deer registration has already taken away a cornerstone from the structure Deer Camp was founded upon, where visiting the local registration stations was always a place to see deer taken over the weekend, shake hands, and tell stories. Keyboard cowboys have taken their toll on the principles of hunting, creating a false perception of standards for what is worthy and what isn’t – hunting and competition have no relevance. As a hunting community, I hope we can resuscitate traditional Deer Camp and introduce future generations to these topics we continue to write about.

Long live Deer Camp!

Nathaniel Melton’s family deer camp

Vintage Deer Camp Photos: A Blast From the Past

Hamm Camp, Loretta, WI

Hamm Camp

The women of the Hamm Camp, Loretta, WI

By GunSpot

There is nothing more frustrating that having a really great gun on hand and no way to shoot it. That’s been the case for us with the Model 2020 Waypoint rifle we’ve been using (see GunSpot’s pieces on taking the Waypoint out on a hunt and also running the rifle through the NRL Hunter Match), as it has been very difficult to acquire ammo — something we know all of you are facing as well.

Recently, we were fortunate to be able to acquire some Deer Season XP 125-gr. 6.5 Creedmoor rounds from Winchester Ammunition, and could not wait to get it and the Waypoint rifle out to the range. We wanted to know if this was a legitimate long-range hunting round.

Fuel for the Fire

The Deer Season XP loading has been specifically designed for deer hunting, to take down an animal as quickly and humanely as possible. The loading is offered in a variety of chamberings, ranging from .223 to .30-06 to 7mm Magnum. Bullet weights range anywhere from 64 to 250 grains.

The projectile itself features an “Extreme Point” with an oversized impact diameter. The means more energy transfers to the target which is better for taking down deer. The round has a large diameter polymer tip as well as a tapered jacket for the flat-based projectile.

In 6.5 Creedmoor as tested, it has a muzzle velocity of 2,850 feet per second, while the energy is 2,254 ft-lbs. When we went out and shot our first groups at 100 yards, we hooked a Magnetospeeed to our rifle and only had a 7.4 feet per second standard deviation, which is very, very impressive.

Palpable Performance

This round is clearly built to deliver energy on target and put down an animal, but the real question is, how does it fly? Is it accurate? We started zeroing our Model 2020 Waypoint with this bullet and we ended up with a very tight group at 100 yards. Was it as tight as match ammo would produce? No, but it’s still a very accurate round. And remember, this is a round designed to take down an animal first and foremost.

But how accurate is it? To really wring it out, we decided to test it out over some long-range distances. Frankly, most hunters on average probably never shoot farther than maybe 250 yards on a deer. You can shoot farther for sure, but I’d imagine most hunters in the country don’t feel confident past 300 yards. So, we figured this round has probably never been tested by reviewers at 1,000 yards. We decided to give it a shot.

Now, we did have some doubts about this bullet and the reason being that it has a flat base. Flat-based bullets will deliver plenty of impact, but they don’t fly as well as boat-tailed bullets. As a result, we went in with relatively low expectations, expectations that were soon proven wrong.

After we got the rifle zeroed, we first decided to try a target at 405 yards. Grant hit this with no problem. Then we moved on and hit targets at 617, 760 and 1082 yards. Once we moved on from the 1082 yard mark, we noticed the bullet was harder to predict.

For a flat-based hunting round to be accurate out to nearly 1,100 yards is no small feat. We were pleasantly surprised by how well this round performed at distance. Grant felt comfortable enough that as long as the shot was well-placed, he could definitely hit a deer-sized target consistently at 600 yards and put it down.

Conclusion

All in all, we were excited to get the chance to test some ammunition during this ammo crisis. The 6.5 Creedmoor Deer Season XP is an awesome cartridge that any hunter would be lucky to use. And now we know as long as the hunter is skilled enough for the shot, it could be used to take down deer effectively out to 600 yards. Is it the best long-range hunting round? We hope to find out this fall!

Just remember to get out and practice shooting long distance as much as you can. Even though the round is capable, you might not be. It is unethical to take a shot at an animal that you are not confident in. So, practice, shoot smart and be a good steward of conservation. And pick up some of this ammo as we can assure you it will do its part!

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!

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WILKES-BARRE — The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners this week approved a host of changes that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Agricultural Deer Control Program — better known as the Red Tag Program — which helps farmers address crop-damage issues through the hunting of antlerless deer.

“The Agricultural Deer Control Program is designed to allow farmers to manage the deer populations on their property,” said Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management Director Matthew Schnupp. “The changes adopted today make it easier for landowners to enroll in the program, while making it more convenient for hunters to participate through an expanded season and increased number of tags.”

The changes, which were recommended to the Game Commission by those who use the program, will become effective in November 2022.

Changes include:

• An individual hunter no longer would be limited to obtaining one permit for a Red Tag property; they could get up to four. The higher limit is consistent with that used in the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), which also helps landowners meet deer-management goals through antlerless deer hunting. Hunters would be able to keep all deer they harvest.

• The summer period during which Red Tag hunting is closed (currently May 16 – June 30) would be expanded to April 16 – July 31. Permits would be valid from Aug. 1 through Sept. 15, then from Feb. 1 through April 15. Permits would be issued for the license year that begins July 1 and runs through June 30.

• Landowners no longer would be required to report Red Tag harvests. Instead, similar to DMAP, hunters would report for each permit regardless of harvest success.

• All licensed hunters, not just hunters who are Pennsylvania residents, would qualify for Red Tag permits.

• The red snap tags that are the namesake of the Red Tag Program, would be replaced with standard harvest tags issued through HuntFishPA.

• Landowners no longer would need to enroll in the Game Commission’s Hunter Access program before using the Red Tag program, and Red Tag properties no longer would need to be posted with signs.

Antlerless deer, elk licenses

The board voted to allocate 948,000 antlerless deer licenses statewide, which is up from the 925,000 licenses allocated for 2021-21.

Hunting licenses for 2022-23 go on sale in mid-June and become effective July 1. After hunters purchase a general hunting license, they may apply for antlerless deer licenses based on staggered timelines, which will be outlined in the 2022-23 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, to be given free to all license buyers.

The board also voted to issue 178 elk licenses (60 antlered, 118 antlerless) across three 2022-23 seasons. For the one-week general season to run Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 31 antlered and 70 antlerless tags have been allocated. In the archery season open only in select Elk Hunt Zones, to run from Sept. 10-24, 14 antlered and 15 antlerless licenses are available. And there are 15 antlered and 33 antlerless licenses available for the Dec. 31-Jan. 7 late season.

All elk licenses will be awarded by lottery, and hunters must apply separately for all seasons they wish to be eligible to hunt. Each application costs $11.97, meaning a hunter can enter all three drawings for $35.91. Individuals can be drawn for a maximum of one elk license per license year.

More turkey firearms restrictions considered

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a measure that would provide the Game Commission yet another tool to respond to below-goal turkey populations.

In years past, reducing the length of the fall turkey season was the primary method to increase turkey populations. But last year, the Game Commission eliminated the use of centerfire and rimfire rifles in fall turkey season, noting that relatively few hunters used rifles, but rifles were responsible for about one-third of the fall turkey harvest. That provides an additional means to protect turkey populations without reducing season length.

The measure the board preliminary approved would eliminate the use of other single-projectile firearms — muzzle-loading rifles and handguns, and slug guns — in the fall turkey season. It will be brought back to the July meeting for a final vote.

When eliminating the use of rifles in the fall turkey season, the Game Commission noted that relatively few fall turkey hunters used rifles. Survey data suggested only 14% of fall turkey hunters statewide primarily used rifles, but rifles were responsible for 33% of the harvest.

Eliminating the use of other single-projectile firearms in fall turkey season would seem to impact even fewer hunters. The Game Commission has observed very few fall turkey hunters afield with single-projectile muzzle-loaders or shotguns. At the same time, eliminating the use of those firearms in the fall turkey season works toward the Game Commission’s goal of finding methods other than season-length reductions to stabilize fall turkey harvest numbers.

“Season length adjustments are a part of managing wild turkey populations, and reducing season length sometimes is a necessity,” said Commissioner Scott Foradora, who represents District 3 in north-central Pennsylvania. “But through alternative methods such as restricting the firearms that can be used in the season, season length reductions might be avoided, giving all hunters the opportunity to spend more time in the woods.”

DMAP might be available on leased hunting lands

Lands where hunting rights have been leased and where a fee has been charged for hunting might soon be eligible to enroll in the Deer Management Assistance Program, commonly known as DMAP.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a measure that would change the regulation that excludes leased hunting land from the program. The measure will be brought back to the July meeting for a final vote.

DMAP enables public and private landowners to better address their own deer-management goals for properties. Lands enrolled in DMAP are allotted a number of antlerless deer permits that can be purchased by hunters.

Landowners can make the permits available directly from license-issuing agents, or they can choose to issue coupons that then are redeemed for permits. In either case, DMAP permits cost $10.97 each. Hunters can obtain no more than four permits each for properties where coupons are issued, and no more than two permits each for other properties. Each DMAP permit can be used to hunt and harvest an antlerless deer during any established deer season.

The change preliminary approved by the board wouldn’t have major impacts on the DMAP program, but would make a significant difference for landowners who now are excluded.

The Game Commission has determined only about 5% of hunting lands are leased. On those properties, however, the only tool landowners and lessees presently have to address deer-population concerns is WMU-based antlerless licenses allocations, which might not be enough.

Applying the same rules to leased lands and private lands enrolled in DMAP makes sense because public access isn’t required to enroll in the program. Additionally, restricting DMAP to certain lands to encourage public access historically did not lead to significantly more public access or the prevention of leased lands. Leased lands still exist and are part of the Pennsylvania landscape.

Measure could allow for new road-killed deer disposal option

Permitted professionals hired by those wishing to address nuisance-wildlife problems might soon receive authority to pick up and dispose of road-killed deer.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners gave preliminary approval to a measure that would allow nuisance wildlife control operators, who already are regulated by the Game Commission, to offer road-killed deer pick-up from roadways and private property.

Presently, the responsibility for picking up and removing deer carcasses from roadways is split between the state Department of Transportation and the Game Commission, which sometimes hires contractors to collect and dispose of deer.

Each year, the Game Commission receives thousands of calls from the public concerning deer carcasses along roadways and on private property. The agency often will assign its wardens to collect and properly dispose of these carcasses as their schedules and work duties permit, which in some cases doesn’t meet residents’ expectations.

Nuisance wildlife control operators could provide the public an additional resource for road-killed deer removal.

The measure will be brought back to the July meeting for a final vote.

More than 1,000 acres added to game lands

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today and recently approved of acquisitions that would add more than 974 acres to state game lands. Among them are:

• A 278-acre tract in Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County. This land, which adjoins State Game Lands 91, was offered by Natural Lands for the option price of $42,000 lump sum. Natural Lands can acquire the property through partnership grants provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Open Space Institute.

• A 4.59-acre tract in Bell Township, Clearfield County. This parcel within State Game Lands 87 is being donated by Diversified Production LLC.

• A 158-acre parcel in South Londonderry and West Cornwall townships, Lebanon County, and Rapho Township, Lancaster County. This land, which adjoins State Game Lands 145, is being offered for donation by Natural Lands, which can acquire the property through partnership grants provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

• A 54-acre tract in Miller Township, Perry County.

• Two tracts totaling 192 acres in Greene and Whiteley townships, Greene County.

• A 288-acre tract in North Bethlehem and West Bethlehem townships, Washington County.

Additionally, the Game Commission acquired one-ninth interest in the 39.76-acre Lola L. Woodring estate property adjoining State Game Lands 311 in Benezette Township, Elk County.

The Game Commission also has acquired a portfolio of oil, gas and mineral rights in Erie Crawford, Venango, Forest, Warren, McKean and Elk counties. These interests, which were donated by Payday Holdings LLC, of Frisco, Texas, are not surveyed and have not had exhaustive title searches conducted. The commissioners accepted the donation by notational vote in December 2021.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.

What is the AuthentX Craze? It’s a new sensation sweeping fish nation…walleye and sauger love plastic! And B Fish N Tackle AuthentX Moxi’s, Pulse-R’s, Ribb-Finn’s, Ringworms, Paddletails and K-Grubs are what you need to drive them sauger and walleye CRA-ZEE! In our opinion these are the best plastics for walleye. But don’t take our word for it, try our five best tips.

Are you fishing where the walleyes are?

But Walt, I bought a bag of your miracle AuthentX soft plastics and can’t catch a fish on them. What am I doing wrong?

First off, you need to go fishing right now on a river with a known population of walleye and sauger. All major rivers of the Great Lakes plus, the Mississippi, Illinois, Missouri, Rock, Fox, St’ Croix, Rainy, Flambeau, Cedar, Iowa…you get the idea…look on a map, find a walleye river and go fishing!

If you want to learn how to catch fish…you need to go to where the fish are, in abundance. Right now the best walleye fishing is where there is an abundance of fish. That’s in the rivers.

How do I find the right spot?

Those river fish are going to be in pre-spawn, spawn or post-spawn right now…they are going to travel right up to the dam and are stacked up like cordwood or they are staging downriver to about five miles. If you want to learn how to catch them quickly…hire a guide!

If you want to figure it out yourself, watch other walleye anglers and see at what depths and areas they are fishing without getting on top of them and messing with their spot. Then find another area just like it and give it a try!

Then try my TOP FIVE ways to fish a jig rigged with AuthentX plastic baits, get the net ready!

Here are the Top Five AuthentX Plastic Techniques, in No Particular Order

Rippin’ Ribb-Finn’s

Some call it Rippin’, others it’s snap jigging and some even call it getting radical. Whatever you call it…it works. It works on aggressive fish, it works on negative fish, but why? Gettin’ radical triggers the walleye’s innate response to it’s natural phenomenon! Actually, I just made that up to see if you were paying attention, I really don’t know why, I am not a scientist.

Gettin’ radical calls for a reaction strike on the part of the fish. It sees Ribb-Finn, it eats Ribb-Finn and rod bends. Speaking of rods I prefer a St. Croix 6’8″ Eyecon Snap Jig rod for all my jig fishing…especially when I’m getting radical. The extra fast rod tip lets me make a good snapping motion and the sensitivity gets the nod for a quick hook set.

To rip a Ribb-Finn or any jig and plastic for that matter, make a cast, let it hit bottom and give it a quick wrist flick of about 6″ to 12,” hold your rod until the jig settles back down and then reel in the slack. Repeat a few more casts with this action. Then, if you don’t get any takers, make a bigger sweep of the rod up to two feet, reel in slack, big sweep…etc.

The key to rippin Ribb-Finn’s is to vary your cadence, try different ripping motions and then repeating what works. This is pretty much how you fish any lure. Once you figure out the action that attracts a fish to snatch your lure, you will have success on the day!

Swingin’ Moxi’s

Some call it swingin’, some call it working the shift. Call it what you want, you can use this technique from boat or shore.

Cast slightly upstream and let your H20 Jig/Moxi combo slide downstream in a controlled drift ticking bottom once in a while. If you use too heavy of a jig, you will snag up. Too light of a jig moves too fast and is out of the attack zone.

When your jig gets to the back of the boat or end of your cast and starts to swing around is usually when a strike occurs. If you don’t get a strike then slowly begin reeling back in. Pause every so often as a fish will often follow it back to the boat or right up to you near shore. I’ve had fish strike in inches of water from shore in the Spring…so be ready to set the !!broken!!

Having the right “feel” is when you go from a guy fishing to a guy catching. Look around at the other anglers on shore or in boats around you. Catching walleye requires skill.

There is always one guy in a boat that catches most of the fish or in a group of shore fisherman, there is always a guy. The key is to gather enough time on the water catching fish to be that guy.

Draggin’ Pulse-R’s

Power dragging involves use of the B Fish N Draggin’ Jig. James Holst and Dave Coons of In- Depth Outdoors TV perfected this technique on the Mississippi River, but it works everywhere. You can pick up a Draggin’ Jig kit with a FREE DVD on how to do it right here.

And here is a quick clip from In-Depth Outdoors to check out on Mississippi River Draggin’

Dubuque Rigging Ringworms

Dubuque rigging rules! Dubuque rigging offers endless possibilities. You can double rig ringworms, use different styles of AuthentX plastic, use plastic on one jig and live bait on the other, you get the idea!

Running your main line to rod to a three-way swivel to a short line to your jig gets to bottom. Then by running a longer line off the 3rd end or the three-way to a lighter jig or a plain hook allows you to run a different type of bait of plastic so you can determine what the hot color and bait is for the day. It’s a great way to figure out an area quickly.

Getting Vertical with AuthentX

Vertical jigging is by far one of the best ways devised by man to catch a walleye or sauger. The late great walleye pros Gary Gray and Tommy Skarlis were two of the best vertical jiggers I’ve personally ever fished next to.

A great vertical jig fisherman can use the absolute lightest jig imaginable that will still remain in contact with the bottom. I’d be jigging with a 1/4 ounce jig in the Illinois River barely feeling bottom and Tommy would be in the boat next to me catching fish with a 1/16th ounce jig, Tommy was a jigging machine!

The key to vertical jigging is matching boat speed to jig speed to current speed. The river speed changes constantly, your jig speed needs to match the current speed and you then adjust your boat speed to match your jig speed.

This is easier with a heavy jig. You can use a 1 to 2 ounce jig and pull upstream or if the current is really fast, over 3 mph you may need to jig slowly downstream. But a larger jig might be too heavy for light biters. In this case you lighten your jig and slide faster downstream while trying to keep you jig vertical and in pace with the current.

AuthentX plastic is great for getting vertical. Moxi’s, Pulse-R’s, Ribb-Finn’s Ringworms and Paddletails all produce! Each has its own unique action. Sometimes a walleye will want it a little slower, sometimes a little quicker, sometimes big and bulky attraction is best, other times sleek and shiny!

You might have a plan in your head on what to do as you are driving to your spot, but be prepared to switch it up and figure what the fish want on a given day.

Word from the Captain

Finally, Here is veteran Rainy River Guide, Captain Chris Granrud of Chris Granrud Fishing with a quick tip for anglers seeking to catch more fish on plastics:

“Our favorite B fish N tackle plastics vary from the Pulse-R, Moxi and Ringworm. All have specific applications we rely upon. A wide variety of shapes and colors serve the angler well.

A quick guide tip involves nipping down the overall size of the plastic by simply cutting away a small portion of the lead edge of the plastic when encountering either a finicky bite or short strikes.”

How to select the right jig

A common question we receive is what weight jig and/or jig weight should anglers plan on bringing up with them. We prefer to utilize the H20 Precision jigs from B fish N Tackle as it offers an important plastic keeper in the form of a wire that sticks through the plastic and holds the plastic in proper position. This jig also is void of a molded collar that can cause damage to the plastic when lacing it up.

Matching jig head colors with color schematics of the plastic can offer those big walleyes a very nice finished offering. As per proper jig weight this is dependent on the flow of the river, technique being employed and the areas of the river anglers are targeting.

As a rule of thumb an angler wants to have a slight contact with the bottom when working a jig back against the current upon a slight drop of the tip.”

(As a special note this same H20 Precision jig head doubles as a fantastic crawler jig with that same wire keeper holding a piece of crawler in perfect position.)

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