Gear Review: Pathfinder LED Hat

     I bought my first light hat a few years ago for those nighttime bathroom trips at deer camp. This particular hat I got for Christmas and have already taken it out rabbit hunting and on several evening strolls. So far I've been very impressed, the LED lights on this hat are the brightest that I've ever had on a ball cap. There even brighter than my mag-light. I got this hat in blaze orange, but it also comes in khaki, mossy oak break up and navy. For only 25 bucks this is a great investment and will likely last through years of wear and tear. Another bonus is the batteries can be changed, something rarely seen on a light hat. Feel free to share your opinions below.

 http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63736?page=pathfinder-led-cap

Oregon Cougar Population Out of Control

From ODFW:   Cougars are an Oregon success story. After being nearly eliminated by the mid-1960s, today they have a healthy population. The current cougar population in Oregon is estimated to be more than 5,700.


     I think that almost every hunter in Oregon knows that something needs to be done about Oregon's exploding cougar population. The desired amount of cougars is 3,000, the actual amount is almost twice that. Predation is mainly to blame for Oregon's declining deer and elk herds, so of course ODFW is introducing another predator, the wolf. But that's a story for another day. If I were ODFW I would get to work right away trying to repeal measure 34. Measure 34 was passed in 1994 and banned the use of dogs to hunt cougars and black bears. An attempt to repeal the bill failed in 1996. Now this November another attempt to repeal measure 34 will take place. I don't know about y'all but I sure will be voting yes. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.   

Trail Cams: A waste of money or an advantage?

     I'll be honest with you, I have never used a trail cam in my life and have never really had any urge to. Until I discovered cougar tracks at my favorite hunting spot, which also happens to be only five miles from my house. Wondering if I could catch this cat on camera I took a drive down to Wal-Mart and picked out a $75 trail cam. As far as my understanding goes 75 bucks is pretty cheap for a trail cam. I affixed the camera to a tree that was overlooking a meadow and came back a week later, only to discovered to my disappointment that I failed to catch the cat on camera. I'm still trying though.

     On the camera I managed to capture a couple pics of deer, coyotes and a couple fat raccoon's. One of the deer photos was of a nice four point buck. I was surprised by this photo as I didn't really expect to catch any pictures of a buck, mainly because I've only taken a spike out of the area who also happens to be the only buck I've seen over there. This photo got me thinking about whether trail cams give you a clear advantage, or are just another hunting toy. I thought long and hard about this and couldn't come up with a reasonable conclusion. So you the reader decide, are trail cams a waste of money, or an advantage? Please share your opinion in the comments section.

30-06 vs. .300 Win Mag: Which will be crowned the champion elk hunting caliber?

30-06:

Specifications
Parent case	.30-03 Springfield
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	.308 in (7.8 mm)
Neck diameter	.340 in (8.6 mm)
Shoulder diameter	.441 in (11.2 mm)
Base diameter	.471 in (12.0 mm)
Rim diameter	.473 in (12.0 mm)
Rim thickness	.049 in (1.2 mm)
Case length	2.494 in (63.3 mm)
Overall length	3.34 in (85 mm)
Case capacity	68 gr H2O (4.42 cm³)
Rifling twist	1-10 in.
Primer type	Large Rifle
Maximum pressure	60,200 psi
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
150 gr (9.7 g) Nosler Ballistic Tip	2,910 ft/s (890 m/s)	2,820 ft·lbf (3,820 J)
165 gr (10.7 g) BTSP	2,800 ft/s (850 m/s)	2,872 ft·lbf (3,894 J)
180 gr (12 g) Core-Lokt Soft Point	2,700 ft/s (820 m/s)	2,913 ft·lbf (3,949 J)
200 gr (13 g) Partition	2,569 ft/s (783 m/s)	2,932 ft·lbf (3,975 J)
220 gr (14 g) RN	2,500 ft/s (760 m/s)	2,981 ft·lbf (4,042 J)

.300 Win Mag:

Specifications
Parent case	.375 H&H Magnum
Case type	Belted, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	.308 in (7.8 mm)
Neck diameter	.339 in (8.6 mm)
Shoulder diameter	.489 in (12.4 mm)
Base diameter	.513 in (13.0 mm)
Rim diameter	.532 in (13.5 mm)
Rim thickness	.049 in (1.2 mm)
Case length	2.62 in (67 mm)
Overall length	3.34 in (85 mm)
Rifling twist	1:10
Primer type	Large rifle magnum
Maximum pressure	64,000 psi (440 MPa)
Maximum CUP	54,000 CUP
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
165 gr (10.7 g) GMX	3,260 ft/s (990 m/s)	3,893 ft·lbf (5,278 J)
180 gr (12 g) BT	3,146 ft/s (959 m/s)	3,972 ft·lbf (5,385 J)
190 gr (12 g) BTSP	3,083 ft/s (940 m/s)	4,027 ft·lbf (5,460 J)
200 gr (13 g) Partion	3,029 ft/s (923 m/s)	4,092 ft·lbf (5,548 J)
220 gr (14 g) Sierra MatchKing (HPBT)	2,850 ft/s (870 m/s)	3,908 ft·lbf (5,299 J)

Winner: 300 Win Mag. The 300 Winchester Magnum delivers quite a punch, but has a recoil that most veteran hunters can withstand. Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section below.

.30-06 versus .270: Which is the premier deer hunting caliber?

     This is a question that I have been asking myself for many years. After extensive research on what is the best deer hunting caliber I've narrowed it down to the popular 30-06 and .270. Here's my spiel on each one.

30-06:

Specifications
Parent case	.30-03 Springfield
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	.308 in (7.8 mm)
Neck diameter	.340 in (8.6 mm)
Shoulder diameter	.441 in (11.2 mm)
Base diameter	.471 in (12.0 mm)
Rim diameter	.473 in (12.0 mm)
Rim thickness	.049 in (1.2 mm)
Case length	2.494 in (63.3 mm)
Overall length	3.34 in (85 mm)
Case capacity	68 gr H2O (4.42 cm³)
Rifling twist	1-10 in.
Primer type	Large Rifle
Maximum pressure	60,200 psi
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
150 gr (9.7 g) Nosler Ballistic Tip	2,910 ft/s (890 m/s)	2,820 ft·lbf (3,820 J)
165 gr (10.7 g) BTSP	2,800 ft/s (850 m/s)	2,872 ft·lbf (3,894 J)
180 gr (12 g) Core-Lokt Soft Point	2,700 ft/s (820 m/s)	2,913 ft·lbf (3,949 J)
200 gr (13 g) Partition	2,569 ft/s (783 m/s)	2,932 ft·lbf (3,975 J)
220 gr (14 g) RN	2,500 ft/s (760 m/s)	2,981 ft·lbf (4,042 J)

     The 30-06 Springfield is at the upper end of power and still has a tolerable recoil for most shooters. The 30-06 has a lower velocity than the .270 but packs much more of a punch, easily capable of taking both deer and elk. Plus its kind of cool to say "aught-6."

.270:

Specifications
Parent case	.30-03 Springfield
Bullet diameter	.277 in (7.0 mm)
Neck diameter	.308 in (7.8 mm)
Shoulder diameter	.441 in (11.2 mm)
Base diameter	.470 in (11.9 mm)
Rim diameter	.473 in (12.0 mm)
Case length	2.540 in (64.5 mm)
Overall length	3.340 in (84.8 mm)
Case capacity	67 gr H2O (4.355 cm³)
Rifling twist	1 in 10 in (250 mm)
Primer type	Large rifle
Maximum pressure	65,000 psi (450 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
90 gr (5.8 g) HP	3,603 ft/s (1,098 m/s)	2,595 ft·lbf (3,518 J)
130 gr (8.4 g) SP	3,060 ft/s (930 m/s)	2,702 ft·lbf (3,663 J)
140 gr (9.1 g) SP	2,916 ft/s (889 m/s)	2,644 ft·lbf (3,585 J)
150 gr (9.7 g) SP	2,850 ft/s (870 m/s)	2,706 ft·lbf (3,669 J)
130 gr (8.4 g) SST	3,200 ft/s (980 m/s)	2,955 ft·lbf (4,006 J)

     The .270 is a great all around rifle cartridge. Capable of taking down both deer and elk. It has a higher velocity than the 30-06 but doesn't pack as much of a punch.

     The Winner: 30-06.

     Don't get me wrong the .270 is a great cartridge. But when you put 'em head to head the 30-06 wins, every time. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comment section.

Are The Woods Becoming Too Dangerous?

From The Oregonian:     In most of the family photographs stacked on his widow's coffee table, Frank Means is either on the water fishing, or out in the woods hunting. 

     The avid sportsman was equally passionate about his family, his wife Jackie said, and pleased and excited about his yet to-be-born, seventh grandchild: A boy due in December. 

     But a week after he died in a remote hunting camp along the John Day River of multiple gunshot wounds, family and friends are confounded by a maze of unanswered questions. 

     This much is known: The 61-year-old father of four and grandfather of six left his Northeast Portland home on Oct. 2 for a weeklong deer hunting trip in Wheeler County, where he camped at an area known as Priest Hole. It's about 10 miles west of the Twickenham Bridge. 

     Tony Means,  Frank's 38-year-old son, said he visited his dad's camp on Monday, Oct. 5, and showed him where the deer were located. Tony and a friend then returned to their camp about an hour away. Two days later, Frank Means bagged his buck. 

View full sizeFamily photoFranks Means shows off a salmon that he caught a few years ago. Means, who was shot to death last week, was a passionate outdoorsman.     "The last picture on his camera was taken at about 12:30 Wednesday afternoon," Tony Means  said. "It was a picture of his buck." 

     That night, Frank Means apparently packed his small trailer with most of his gear before a planned return to Portland the next morning. 

     He never made it. At around 7 p.m., Means was shot and killed in his camp during what Wheeler County Sheriff Robert Hudspeth  has characterized as a confrontation with several other people from the Portland area.

     There is no doubt in my mind that the woods are becoming increasingly dangerous. Only the other day a Wisconsin deer hunter and his son were shot at by a masked gunman. Thankfully they were not hurt. The gunman was not caught but the reality of how unsafe the woods are becoming is securely installed in many sportsman's minds. The threat of stumbling into a marijuana grow and getting gunned down by a drug cartel member with a AK-47 is always present, and it has happened. 

     Remember the good old days when friendly hunters would stop and talk to other hunters, swapping stories about what they've seen that day. I'm afraid that idea doesn't exist in some places anymore. This year while heading up on the mountain to do a little weekend deer hunting I was nearly ran off the road by a bunch of rowdy @%#holes. I later passed them target shooting off the side of the road, I could see beer cans strewn about and they were obviously drunk. Now I try to avoid weekend hunting whenever I can. Be careful next time you head out into the woods, and don't be afraid to take Mr. .357 magnum with you. Feel free to share your opinion and comment below.

Hunter Orange: Unconstitutional or a Life Saver?

     One hundred forty-eight feet away from Walt, another hunter watched from the cover of another snowy hemlock. Something was moving in the trees up ahead. There was a patch of fur. It had to be a buck. For 15 minutes, the hunter watched. Then, in the early-afternoon hours of Dec. 14, 1974, the crack of his rifle split the quiet, dreadful woods.
     Walter Witt died that day, mistaken for a deer. He would have most likely not been killed that day if he had been wearing blaze orange, commonly called hunter orange. Pennsylvania does currently have a requirement that you wear 250 square inches of blaze orange. This year Oregon enacted its first hunter orange law requiring hunters under 18 to wear a blaze orange "hat or upper body garment".  No hunter orange law was enacted for hunters over 18. Just requiring our kids to wear orange is a big mistake. What kind of example are we setting for our kids by us adults not wearing orange? If a state is going to have a hunter orange law it needs to be mandatory for hunters of all ages. Hopefully somebody up at ODFW will have enough sense to enact a orange law for all hunters, but don't hold your breath, ODFW has history of taking years to get anything done. What are your opinions on hunter orange laws? Feel free to share in the comments section. And remember, next time you head into the woods put on some orange, it could save your life.