My experience with the Starfire was not that positive really. I was very loud when shot, it had a lot of vibration, and I mean a LOT! I tell people it reminded me of hitting a flag pole with a aluminum baseball bat, in December!

So I had a few criteria when I decided to try and shoot a crossbow again. First, I wanted a reliable unit. I didn't plan on breaking the bank, but I felt like I should be able to buy a reliable unit for a fair price. I certainly wasn't going to buy a piece of junk! I wanted a crossbow that had accessories and a good availability of parts should I need them.

Second, the crossbow had to be very accurate. Col. Townsend Whelen once said that only accurate guns are interesting and that's the way I feel about bows. If a crossbow isn't accurate, I have no need for it.

Third, I wanted one with the reputation as being a reliable crossbow from a reputable company.

I had looked over a bunch of outdoor catalogs, read all I could about crossbows at the online hunting forums as well as finding other literature on crossbows. My choices came down to 4 crossbows. They were from Barnett, Ten Point, Parker and Excalibur. After shooting each of my choices, I happily bought the Excalibur Axiom Crossbow and I couldn't be happier! To say the least, this is a smooth shooting, hard hitting crossbow that is pure joy to shoot!

For those that do not know a lot about Crossbows, the Excalibur Axiom crossbow is a recurve crossbow pulling 175 pounds. From what I'm told on the Excalibur forums, it's basically a Excalibur Phoenix without the dissipator bars on the front of the limbs and has a different Camo job.

What was even better was the price! The Axiom kit comes with a scope that is calibrated to the speed that the Axiom shoots (Excalibur says 305 fps with a 350 grain arrow and a Flemish Dyna Flight String), Excel String, Scope Mounts and Rings , Excalibur 4 Arrow Quiver, Quiver bracket, 4 Firebolts and 150 grain field points.

When my Axiom crossbow arrived in the mail, it took maybe 30 minutes to put the limbs on the stock, install the scope mounts and rings on the Scope and then onto the rail. It took longer to watch the included DVD than it did to get the Axiom put together and be ready to shoot!

When I went to sight it in, I was in for another surprise. My first arrow hit about 8 inches high and about 6 inches to the left. I adjusted the scope and fired another arrow. It hit about 1 1/2" to the right of the aiming point. Another adjustment and I shot another arrow. Bullseye!

3 arrows shot to sight this shooting machine in at 20 yards!

Next, I collected my arrows and shot a 4 arrow group at 20 yards. This proved my inexperience with Excalibur crossbows. You don't shoot groups with them unless you're willing to lose a few crossbow arrows because they are accurate!

Once I knew it was sighted in at 20 yards, I backed up to 30 yards. The Axiom scope is compensated out to 50 yards for the speed that the Axiom shoots. It has small chevrons below the crosshairs for the ranges of 30, 40 and 50 yards.

Another thing besides the accuracy of this Crossbow is how accurate the scope was! I backed all the way out to 50 yards and using the 50 yard chevron (which is right where the crosshairs go from thin to thick), I not only hit the target, I had about a 3" group! This is from someone who hadn't shot a crossbow in about 15 years!

I eventually started damaging the nocks of my crossbow arrows when shooting for groups so I had to stop and just started choosing other aiming points on the bag. I now have about 7 damaged arrows including one Robin Hood (splitting one arrow in the target with another arrow) that happened when shooting at 40 yards!

Needless to say, my experience with the Axiom is day and night difference from shooting the old PSE Starfire. Of course, it was a pretty big difference from shooting the other crossbows, that's why I ended up with it!

One thing that I wasn't totally happy with the Axiom is that the top of the stock is a little low for me. I ended up buying one of the Excalibur add-on cheek pieces and it has solved the problem. Now shooting through the scope is more fun!

I also added the Simms silencing package for Crossbows. This includes 2 limb silencers, a silencer for the arrow retainer and string leeches. I tried several times to keep the string leeches on but it wasn't meant to be. After about 5 shots the Axiom would throw them off. This package from Simms really quieted the bow down. I later bought the Simms wrap and wrapped it around the stirrup to remove any sound it made during the shot. This also helped! Before hunting season, I'll add cat whiskers to the string. It's a little different technique than putting cat whiskers on a compound bow, so you need to watch the proper way. Here's an YouTube video showing you how.

With the Axiom's 175 pound pull and speeds up to 305 fps, I honestly don't think there is an animal Walking on the North American continent you couldn't put down at ranges under 40 yards. The bow shoots that hard and it shoots fast!

I enjoy shooting the Axiom so much, that I plan on buying another one next year! Probably go up in weight a little, but then again my Wife, who is a non-hunter, even enjoys shooting my Axiom so I might just buy her one of those Pink Vixen II's!

If you're looking for a hunting crossbow that is reliable and one you can work on in the field, like replacing the string should you cut it with a broadhead, then look at Excalibur crossbows. Give the Excalibur Axiom Crossbow a look over if you wanting to buy a kit that has everything you need to get into the fun of crossbow hunting! See the Pictures below for some pics from my casual shooting with the Axiom.

This is my first 40 yard group

This is my first group at 50 yards!

This is looking through the Excalibur Axiom Scope. The chevrons for 30, 40 and 50 yards are hard to see in this picture, but they show up nicely when looking through it in person.

Needless to say, I don't aim at the same dots any longer. It will get expensive really quick when you start replacing crossbow arrows!

To find the Axiom online, click here >> Excalibur Axiom Crossbow.

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They're also running a special on their other products. Anymore, this is about the only way I shop. I look for coupons and I sign up for their newsletters so I get notices when they're running specials. Sportsmans Warehouse is great. I've bought truck loads of stuff off of them over the years. This Sale also ends soon, so don't miss out on the good deals!

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I've had these bibs for about 4 years. I believe I bought them from Cabela's and to be honest, I loved them. They were great for late season bowhunting or catfishing.

I tried taking them to several alteration places, but they said they could not get the metal zippers. Finally, after thinking about it, I Googled Arctic Shield and found they were located in Tulsa. So I gave them a call and talked to a woman (I believe her name was Bridgett).

I told Bridgett what my problem was. I had a pair of Arctic Shield Bibs with a broken leg zipper.

I was a little more than surprised that she wasn't as helpful as I thought she should have been. In fact, I felt she was only be "nice" because she had to be (I could here a man's voice in the background). In all honestly, I did call right before closing, but that shouldn't have mattered. I also didn't tell her that I own a Deer Hunting blog that gets visited by 20 to 30 thousands Sportsmen every month, but again, that shouldn't have mattered.

Basically she told me that there wasn't nothing they would do. I thought perhaps she didn't understand me, so I made 3 attempts to get her to help me. I even offered to pay for the fix to my bibs.

Still no help from Bridgett. About all she could say is "Sorry, we don't do that". I asked if she knew an alteration company locally who could fix them. "No, I'm sorry, that's not something we do".

So finally I said, "So I have a pair of Arctic Shield Bibs with a busted zipper and you can't help me get them fixed?"

"Sorry, we just can't help with that" she said

If these had been some cheap old bibs I found at a flea market or bought at a discount store, I wouldn't be so upset.

If you've bought Arctic Shield clothes lately, you know they're not cheap. Obviously I don't mind paying for good equipment.

My problem is that if I buy supposedly top of the line equipment, I expect the company to stand behind their products. It seems from my experience that Arctic Shield feels their commitment ends when the warranty ends. I have a feeling that if I'd called Cabela's, they would have bent over backwards to help me. That's just the kind of folks they are. Cabela's has always stood behind what they sell.

So just be aware that they probably will not fix or help you get your Arctic Shield clothing fixed if it breaks after the warranty runs out (and I honestly don't remember how long the warrnty is, if any, so you'd probably better check that also).  I personally will not buy another piece. This just really sucks because I have some other Arctic Shield clothes and now I know that if something happens to my jacket or or other piece of their clothing, they're not going to help me. Even if I offer to pay for the repairs! Fortunately, there are other companies that make excellent cold weather hunting gear.

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So, here are 10 gift ideas for the Deer Hunter on your Christmas list. They vary in price range so that anyone can afford at least one of them. You Guys and Gals can thank me later!

Hunter's Specialties Butt Out Big Game Dressing Tool

Cost: $9.99

Some of you may remember back last year when I did a review of the Butt Out Tool. Every time I use this, I can't believe I didn't invent it. It's so darn easy to do and makes a crappy job (pun intended) easier and cleaner. Get this for your Deer Hunter, they will thank you the next time they field dress a Deer.

Razor Edge Sharpening System

Cost: Kits - $22.95 to $229.95 - individual hones less

If it's one thing I love more than a great gun (okay, maybe I should have said 'as much'), it's a great knife. I don't know why, but I just feel a special connection when I'm handling a good knife. So it only stands to reason that I have used nearly every sharpening system known to a Hunter. Diamond hones, Arkansas Hones, etc. You name it, I've tried it. Nothing has ever given me a great edge like the hones I bought nearly 20 years ago from Razor Edge Systems. If you have trouble maintaining a correct edge on your knife while sharpening, then get the Guides. I'd recommend reading the book and/or watching the video if you're not skilled in bringing a knife to a razor sharp point. Click here to visit Razors Edge Systems. They also make hones for fish hooks and broadheads. I'd recommend getting your Deer Hunter one of their kits.

Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License

Cost: Varies from State to State

I'm not sure if every State has a Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License. I do know that Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas do. These make excellent...and I mean EXCELLENT gifts for your kids. They're also not too shabby for other Deer Hunters in the Family if they do not already have one. My Dad bought my Oklahoma Combo Hunting and Fishing license for my 16th birthday. Back then, they were $225. I can't tell you how many times these have paid for their self. I've lived in different states for about 15 years of my adult life and it was always a great feeling to know I could come back to Oklahoma and hunt or fish without having to buy those expensive Non-Resident license! Contact your States Wildlife Department to see if they issue Lifetime License and the procedure for obtaining them.

Brownell's NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Screwdriver Set

Cost: $49.99

I hate working on a gun or scope mounts with regular screwdrivers. In fact, I won't unless it's an emergency. Regular screwdrivers are not designed to work with the screws that hold your gun together. They're tapered and do not grab the screw properly. Few things in life are as ugly as damaged gun finishes caused by someone using a regular screwdriver on a gun. Get yourself, or the Deer Hunter in your life, a Magna-Tip screwdriver set from Brownell's. These are the nicest and most durable set of screwdrivers I've used. I've had a set for over 10 years and it has saved me from screaming curse words many times over while working on my guns. The set I'd recommend is the NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Kit. You can see a video of all of the Magna Tip sets by clicking here.

Magellan Triton 300 Handheld GPS Unit

Cost: $149.99

Even if your Deer Hunter goes hunting behind your house, they should always have a compass or GPS unit with them. Nowadays many hunters are carrying these little handheld GPS units with them hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. Many more are using them for navigation while driving. I prefer the basic GPS units. I just want to know where I started from, my waypoints(stand locations or fishing spots) and where I've been. I don't need all the bells and whistles that come with many of the GPS units on the market today. The Magellan 300 has all these features and a few more, but not so many useless features as to leave you needing a 300 page manual to figure it out.

Custom Hunting Knife

Cost: Varies

Recently I went shopping for a hunting knife. Since I recently move and I'm in the middle of a renovation, all of mine somewhere in a storage building and I had no intentions of digging through the building and finding them. I have to say, I was more than disappointed with the current crop of mass produced "hunting knives" on the market today. Too many come with crappy plastic handles. What's even more disheartening is the designs? Who is designing our hunting knifes? Klingons? These things look like something out of a Science Fiction movie! They're crap! I did finally locate one of my fixed blade Case hunting knives (by accident). I've had this particular knife nearly 20 years. If you're like me and love a good hunting knife, try buying a custom one. There are many good knife makers out there who know how to design and build a hunting knife. I personally like a blade between 3 and 4 inches long with a drop point. The Loveless designed knives are just right in my opinion and Beretta makes one that Mr. Loveless designed. Dozier Knives makes several excellent hunting knives. Consider them an investment you can hand down to your children. You can also shop on ebay and find hunting knives by up and coming knife makers. The only thing is about ebay is you'll have to sort through a lot of junk but there are some jewels there! There are many fine knives for you to choose from once you get past those. We no longer have to choose from the crap that mass producers push on us.

NRA Membership

Cost: $35 per year

I think every Hunter and Gun Owner should belong to the NRA. If not, don't whine when you guns or ammo are taxed or legislated away. Although other organizations are out there to help Hunters and Gun Owners, only the NRA is large enough to actually help us. I don't agree with them 100% of the time, but at least they have the muscle to do something. By the way, if you don't know about The American Hunters and Shooters Association, stay away from them. They're actually an anti-hunting, anti-gun group formed by the Democrats to try and divide NRA members to lessen their impact on elections. For a political party to go to this extreme in starting and organizing an association to try and trick Sportsmen and Gun Owners, should show you in easy to understand terms, what they have in mind. By the way, the link above is not to their site, it's to the NRA's Fact Sheet on The American Hunters and Shooters Association. You'll learn a lot more at that site.

Gift Cards

Cost: $10 and up

I use to think Gift Cards were cheesy. I still do in a lot of ways. But I understand us Deer Hunters can be a hard lot to buy presents for. So if you have a Deer Hunter on your Christmas list and you don't know what to get him or her, go to one of the online retailers and purchase a gift card for them. There are many to choose from. Some of my favorites are Campmor, Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, Midway USA, Brownell's and Amazon (for hunting books). This way, they can get what they've been wanting and you come out smelling like a Rose!

Magazine Subscriptions

Cost: $15 and up depending on the Magazine

Magazine subscriptions are gifts that keep on giving. When I was a kid, one of my favorite birthday or Christmas presents were magazine subscriptions to Outdoor Magazines. Back then, my favorite were the "Big Three". Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Field and Stream. This was back in a time when they still wrote excellent articles about hunting and fishing. Back before they went Yuppiefied and starting writing crap like kayaking on Alaskan Bays or Biking down a Yosemite trail. I haven't picked one of those magazines up in ages. They have forgotten who their readers are in my opinion. Instead, the magazines I tend to pick up now are ones like Fur-Fish-Game, Deer and Deer Hunting, North American Whitetail (not real crazy about this one either), Bowhunter, Muzzleloader Magazine and Traditional Bowhunter. Two others that I highly recommend are Backwoods Home and The Backwoodsman. Both are excellent magazines although they're not entirely hunting related.

Books about Shooting and Deer Hunting

Cost: $10 and up

Just as with my magazine choices, the books I read on Hunting and Shooting tend to be older. It seems the older I get, the less I can stomach most of the commercialized junk that gets passed off as Deer Hunting literature. Some of my favorite authors are Charles Alsheimer, Peter Fiduccia, John Weiss, Leonard Lee Rue III, Gene and Barry Wensel and a few others. If you're Deer Hunter is really into Shooting and Hunting, try getting them some books that are out of print. You'll pay dearly for them, but they'll be a unique and original gift! Some of my favorites are any book by Jack O'Connor, One Man's Whitetail by Gene Wensel, BowHunting Rutting Whitetails by Gene and Barry Wensel, Bowhunting Alaska's Wild Rivers by Jay Massey. Actually, any book by the late jay Massey is an excellent gift. I have several signed books of his and hold them dearly. I also like "How To Bag The Biggest Buck Of Your Life" by Larry Benoit. The original has long been out of print and is quite pricey. There was a new printing of the Paperback a few years ago and they're in the normal price range of books. You can find any of the books I listed here by searching Amazon.

Okay, so there you have it. 10 gift ideas for the deer hunter on your Christmas list. Yes, I wrote "Christmas!". I hope you have a Merry one at that! There's no need for you to get another blaze orange tie with Deer on it or a Sweatshirt with a Big Buck on the front. Now you have an idea what your Deer hunter really wants! If you have some unique or unusual Christmas gift ideas, please leave a comment and share them with everyone else.

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It's been said that the 30-30 Winchester has killed more Deer than any other cartridge. I'd have to agree with that statement. Even today, I'm betting more Deer fall every Deer season to this 103 year old round than any other.

History of the Winchester 30-30

The 30-30 Winchester started life as the 30 WCF in 1895. Shortly after, Marlin chambered the round in its lever action rifle but didn't want the name "Winchester" on its rifles, so they called it the 30-30. The name stuck.

It was first chambered in the Winchester model 1894.

The 30-30 was the first small bore centerfire round to use smokeless powder. History tells us some guy named Teddy Roosevelt was an avid hunter and owned one of the first 30-30's to come out of the factory.

Teddy use the "thutty thutty" to down an Antelope buck at 220 yards with a 160 grain bullet.

"In the fall of 1896 I spent a fortnight on the range with the ranch wagon. I was using for the first time one of the then new small-caliber, smokeless-powder rifles, a .30-30-160 Winchester. I had a half-jacketed bullet, the butt being cased in hard metal, while the nose was of pure lead."

"They were starting as I raised my rifle, but the trajectory is very flat with the small-bore smokeless-powder weapons, and taking a coarse front sight I fired at a young buck which stood broadside to me. There was no smoke, and as the band raced away I saw him sag backward, the ball having broken his hip."

"As we stood over him, Joe shook his head, and said, 'I guess that little .30-30 is the ace' and I told him I guess so too."

Isn't it ironic that Teddy and the people of that day considered the 30-30 Winchester a flat shooting rifle? I guess compared to a 45-75 with black powder, it would be! (Teddy's favorite 'American' rifle was a Winchester 1876 chambered for the 45-75)

The Modern 30-30 Winchester Rifle

Why has the 30-30 become the most popular round in America? In my opinion, there are a few reasons.

For one thing, the rifles that are chambered for the 30-30 are inexpensive when compared to other rifles chambered for other rounds. It's not uncommon to find a Model 94 Winchester or Marlin 336 in good shape at a Pawn Shop for under $200. These guns are capable of producing acceptable accuracy for deer hunting out to 100 yards or more with a little practice.

My longest shot with a 30-30 was right at 150 yards and I've know a couple others who taken deer past that range. Not that this would be my first choice for those ranges, nearly all the deer I've killed with the 30-30 have been under 100 yards, but in the right hands, it can be an effective round.

Ammo for the 30-30 is generally a few bucks (no pun intended) cheaper than other ammo as well.

The light recoil of rifles chambered for the 30-30 Winchester make them desirable for new Hunters, Women and those who only shoot a rifle a few times a year not to mention those Hunters that are sensitive to recoil.
Finally, the round itself is a solid round. I think it's safe to say the 30-30 Winchester has probably taken everything that walks North America.

The Marlin 336

For my money, I love the feel and handling of the Marlin 336's. My Dad actually bought a Glennfield Model 30A (basically the same as a Marlin 336 but with a shortened magazine) in 1967 to hunt Mule Deer in New Mexico around Chalma. The pictures that he and my Uncle have of the Mulies they killed out there make me drool even today. I'm in most of those pictures, a little two year old cowboy sitting on his knee beaming as if I'd shot those bucks myself! You'll see the Glennfield in those pictures as well.

Today, I own that same rifle. It was the rifle I took my first deer with, a Doe that field dressed 94 lbs. Since then, I've put more than a few deer on the ground with that rifle. Most with open sights. It has only been the last 5 years or so that I mounted a scope on it. The scope does take away some of the rifles quick handling, but it more than makes up for it in improved accuracy.

My Winchester Model 94 Experiences

I have a confession to make about the Model 94 Winchester Rifle. I don't particularly care for them! I much prefer the Marlins over the 94.

My experience with the Model 94 is limited. I've only owned two of the rifles and found both lacking for my needs.

For starters, you couldn't put a scope over the receiver on older Models and the new ones still need the see through mounts to function properly.

Second, I hated the straight stock. It's not nearly as comfortable in my hands as the pistol gripped Marlin.

Next, I hated those freakin' buckhorn sights!

Last but not least, I hated the way the action opens up at the top. There were times when I've be in the tree stand and it would be raining and I'd see drops dripping down on top of the receiver. It used to drive me nuts! I'd then be twisting and turning trying to keep that rifle from getting water in the receiver.

I doubt it would have affected the performance of the rifle, but it drove me crazy thinking about it. All I had to do with the Marlins were turn it right side down on my lap and I didn't have to worry about water getting into the receiver. At least, not where I could see it.

The great gun writer Sam Fadala actually has an entire book on the Winchester Model 94 and the 30-30 Winchester. I recommend anyone thinking about buying a rifle to read it. It's called Winchester's 30-30: Model 94, The Rifle America Loves

Is the 30-30 Winchester Adequate for Deer?

Well, millions of dead Deer are proof that the 30-30 is more than adequate for any Deer that walks this planet.

The 150 and 170 Grain bullets carry enough punch to do a Deer in at ranges out to around 200 yards. But generally accuracy suffers from most lever action rifles when shooting that far. But there's good news for us Lever Action hunters. It's called Hornady LeveRevolution ammo and it's going to change the way a lot of us lever action folks hunt deer!

Speaking of the new Hornady Leverevolution ammo, this ammo is simply awesome. This has made my old Glennfield 30-30 into a 200 yard plus deer rifle. Not only are they accurate out to 200 yards plus, they hit like a freight train. On our Special Antlerless day several years ago, I took a large Doe at 188 steps. At the shot, she took off and ran 20 yards and did a cartwheel and it was over that quick!

For those of you who haven't heard about the LeveRevolution, they are a polymer spire pointed bullet designed to be used in tubular magazines. The tip is soft and collapses. Hornady and a few Gun Writers have been reporting exceptional accuracy out to 250 yards with these new rounds, but I haven't shot my old 30-30 out that far yet.

I would never classify the Thutty-Thutty as an Elk or Grizzly Bear round, but they have fallen to the 30-30. I've read stories about some Black Bear guides in Canada who prefer the 30-30 over a shotgun because of the quick handling characteristics and short range stopping energy of the 170 grain bullet.

Hunters using the Winchester 30-30 have several choices when it comes to ammo.

Remington offers the 125 grain Accelerator and most ammo manufacturers offer both the 150 and 170 grain factory loads. Until I started using the Hornady LeveRevolution ammo, I'd always preferred the Remington 30-30 170 grain bullets over the 150 grain ones. I experimented with both early on and found the 170 grain bullets to be more accurate plus they hit with a lot more kinetic energy than the 150 grain bullets. This means deeper penetration and more knock down power.

For several years, I used the Remington 170 grain hollow points. These were deadly Deer takers! I stopped using them when I shot a large 8 point at about 80 yards. I later found the fragmented bullet on the far front leg, a few inches above the "elbow", where it had broken the bone. I wasn't crazy about finding pieces of my bullet even if it had went through the buck and busted his leg on the far side. I went back to the 170 grain soft nosed bullets.

Many so called "Professional Gun Writers" over the years have put down the little Thutty Thutty, saying things like it wasn't adequate out past 75 yards, that it wasn't accurate enough for deer hunting, etc. It was obvious that they had never shot a 30-30 or had just borrowed one in order to write an article.

I have a theory of why blunt tipped bullets in rounds like the 30-30 Winchester kill deer better than what many Gun Writers would like.

I believe that a blunt tipped bullet, be it a round nose or flat nose, delivers more of its kinetic energy upon impact than spire tipped bullets. Even the poly tipped bullets have to penetrate a certain depth before the start expanding and delivering their load of kinetic energy. Truth be known, many of spire pointed bullets use up the majority of their kinetic energy in the dirt on the other side of the animal.

Blunt tipped bullets are also known to penetrate deep. Couple this with the shock due to the sudden impact of a blunt tipped bullet and you have a recipe for a quick kill on a game animal.

Whether you contemplating buying a rifle for a first time hunter, or buying a rifle for yourself, don't count out the Winchester 30-30 and the Rifles it is chambered for. They're perfect for the first time hunter or the Old Fart who just wants a lighter hunting rifle. Put a quality scope on the top of the rifle and you'll have a life long rifle that will bring home the Venison if the shooter does their job!

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To be honest, we weren't all that worried. You know how forecasters lie!

Anyway, I saw it as an excuse to run down to Bass Pro and see if I could find a few portable propane heaters...you know...just in case the power did go out.

Before I left, I visited Bass Pro's website looking for heaters. I saw one that I was interested in right away because it had a small blower on it. It was the
Mr. Heater "Big Buddy" Propane Heater. I also noticed it was on sale for $129, regularly $149.

So I get to Bass Pro and find the Mr. Heater heaters and grab one of the "Big Buddy" heaters and 4 -1lb cans of propane.

When I went to check out, the lady rang it up for $149. I said "Whoa, Bass Pro's website has it on Sale for $129." She called someone over and the lady said in fact, it was $129 but that they didn't have it marked yet. She said next time, it'd be a good idea for me to print out any Online sales and bring them into the store with me.

Let that be a lesson to you, always print out and bring in Online sales if you're heading to Bass Pro! LOL (i'm not sure why I have to do this, I mean all they have to do is communicate with Springfield...right?)

The Great Oklahoma Ice Storm of 2007

That was Saturday night.

Monday morning at 5 a.m. the power went out due to downed power lines and stayed off for a week!

Luckily, we had the Mr. Heater heater. We put a quilt over the hallway to block the heat from going down the bedrooms. We only heated the Living Room (which is a large open room) and the Kitchen. Needless to say, bathroom trips were few and far between and when you did go, you went quickly!

Well, the 1lb cans of propane won't last long in the Mr. Heater "Big Buddy".I think the paperwork says about 1 to 3 hours on High. I'm guessing more like 1 to 1 1/2!

On Low, the 1lb cans seem to last for several hours.

What I failed to do was buy the hose and adapter so I could use the big 20lb propane tanks. Luckily, I found an adapter hose and filter at a Hardware store and was able to use these instead of the 1lb cans (which all the stores were sold out of after the ice storm). Apparently the filter is very important, so if you get the Big Buddy heater and plan on using it with 20lb propane tanks, make sure you have the filter! I'd also recommend the A/C adapter for the fan blower.

Once we got the big tank hooked up to the Mr. Heater "Big Buddy", things were much better. It warmed our area up to 70 degrees. In fact, at night we would turn it down on "Low" or it would get too warm.

Now that I'm back home, I'm still using the Mr. Heater "Big Buddy" heater. The room back here in my Office get's a little chilly on cold mornings. I've set the "Big Buddy" heater near my desk and turn it on "Low" in the mornings until the Office warms up. It has worked great and will raise the temp by 10 degrees in the Office in a matter of minutes (probably around 10 minutes to be exact).

I love this heater! I can see getting a lot of use out of it in the future, especially if I start Duck hunting again. I can see this heater being great for Ice Fishing inside a hut or Deer hunting inside a blind. This thing puts out a lot of heat!

On a side note, I went back to Bass Pro a few days later and it didn't have power. But they had the lobby open and you stood in line and told an associate what you needed and they'd go get it. I needed the hose adapter but they were out. However, I did see a big stack of Mr. Heater "Big Buddy" propane heaters and they were still marked at $149, even though they were still on sale for $129 at the Bass Pro website...hmmmm

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For some reason, my buddy bought The Claw from Cabela's this year. My opinion is that he saw it in the catalog, ordered it and hated to admit he had been drinking when he'd bought it.

Anyway, we used this tool to skin 6 bucks this year.

I have to say, The Claw works as advertised. As you can see from the picture above, it has long pointed teeth that grip the deer hide as you pull down. The large loop handles are easy to grip.

The thing that I didn't like about The Claw is that it's big and bulky and hard to handle with one hand. There are times when you need to pull while you cut.

You also need some loose hide for The Claw to grip well. Trying to grip tight skin will result in a poor grip and one that is likely to slip.

In the past when I skinned deer by hand, I would take the hide and roll it up and then stick my fist behind the roll and push down. On a warm deer, this is pretty quick. On a deer that has been hanging for a few days, it may take a while longer.

We had a few Deer that we hung for a few days and getting the hide off was a little more work than I like.

The YouTube video below is the technique I've used for nearly 25 years to get the hide off of my deer. I'm still scratching my head over why my buddy thought The Claw would be quicker, easier and less messy than using a pickup.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nneTTeoPDYU][/youtube]

If the YouTube video doesn't work, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nneTTeoPDYU

Can you figure out why my buddy thought The Claw would be easier and quicker? Me either. I'm chalking it up to some kind of previous head injury he must have received! The pickup method is just too quick and easy.

I went along with it this year, but not next year! I'm getting to old and lazy to skin a deer by hand. Especially when there is a perfectly good pickup around!

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I'll be the first to admit this, but I didn't purchase the Butt Out tool. My friend did. When he told me about this tool, I thought, "Another sucker is born." He purchased it at the local Wal-Mart store and showed it too me. I still wasn't impressed. It looked like a gimmick.

He was so anxious to use this tool. The subject of this tool came up several times. It wasn't until I killed the first deer of the year during the Oklahoma Primitive Firearms Season that we had an opportunity to use it.

I have to eat Crow on this one. This tool makes what is normally a messy job of removing the anal canal a snap. No more cutting around the rectum.

This is one of those tools that when you see it used, you slap your head and say "Why didn't I think of that!"

The only thing that I would change is making the handle longer. I think it would be easier to use for people with large hands.

To see this tool from Hunters Specialties in use, click here to see the product video.

Here's Hunter Specialties product description page.

If you've always hated this part of the field dressing, I feel your pain! The Butt Out tool will make this chore easy and pain free and for about $10. If you field dress a lot of deer each year, I bet you'll agree it's the best $10 you ever spent!

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It then struck me that many Deer hunters do not give a Survival kit serious thought.

That's understandable seeing that a majority of us hunt land that is fairly close to a road. On the other hand, there are also many Deer hunters who head off into vast tracks of National Forest, BLM or Timber Company land every year who get lost. Some make it out alive while a few others don't.

Wilderness Survival Is No Accident

There's no excuse for a Wilderness Hunter coming out of the woods in a body bag. All it takes for a hunter to survive in a Wilderness setting is a plan and a few basic tools and skills.

I was reading the Suburban's Bushwacker's blog a while back and he had an excellent post about firestarters.

The first thing in your Survival kit should be some type of firestarter. While I've carried several different versions of the firestarters outlined in the Bushwacker's article, I've also created my own from cotton balls stuffed into 35mm canisters and soaked with lighter fluid.

I also carry a waterproof match case with matches and a BIC lighter. I also carry a magnesium fire starter. You can't have enough fire starters in my opinion!

Other Items To Include In Your Survival Kit

Here are other things you should include in your Wilderness Hunter's Survival Kit.

• 2 Compasses
• Pen & Paper
• Floss, String and Parachute Chord
• Flashlight
• Survival Candle
• Leatherman Tool
• Aspirin and/or Advil
• Small First Aid Kit
• Batteries for flashlight and GPS device
• Signaling Mirror
• Rescue Whistle
• In really remote areas, I include a tiny fishing kit with line, hooks and split shot

I've found a kit like this is easy to stash in a fanny pack. It's there and does not hinder my hunting. I forget all about it unless I need it! A small Survival kit like this would have saved many Outdoorsmen over the years if they would have taken time to assemble such a Survival Kit.

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I've looked forward to this store opening ever since Bass Pro announced they were going to build it. Currently, the nearest Bass Pro Store to me is in Katy Texas. It's about an hour and half, sometimes two to get to the Katy store. You have to drive through Houston stop and go traffic, navigate a mess of road construction and short tempered drivers to get there.

The Pearland Bass Pro Store is about 45 minutes away and usually the drive is very easy.

So you can see why I was really excited they were going to put one in.

The Pearland Bass Pro had their grand opening last week. I fought the urge to go knowing I would be in the area this week. So I waited patiently, imagining all the neat things I was going to buy when I got there.

First Impressions

As soon as I walked in, I felt like I had been in there before. This store is the two story design, not the 1 story design like the one in Katy. This is the same design as the Bass Pro in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. My Mom lives about 10 miles away from the Bass Pro in Broken Arrow so I visit that store when I go and see her.

These stores seem cramped to me. They seem never to have the space that the larger stores like the one in Katy have. The store in Katy has ample room to browse and shop.

Not so with the Pearland Bass Pro.

The decor is wonderful, but Game mounts and suspended birds can only go so far. I don't go into these stores for the decor, I go to buy equipment and supplies that I can't find elsewhere.

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep But Ugly Goes All The Way To The Bone

I'm a Big Ole Boy as the saying goes. I wear a 3x shirt. Many times I'll buy some 4x camo to layer over my 3x. In the Houston area, the only outdoor store I've found who regularly carries 3x and 4x clothing is the Bass Pro in Katy.

Academy Sports and Outdoors stores do not carry them, Gander Mountain does not carry these. Heck, Wal-Mart carries more Big Man's outdoor clothing than Gander Mountain and Academy stores combined.

Now you can add the Bass Pro store in Pearland Texas to the list of local Outdoor stores who do not carry Big Man's clothes! I can't believe two stores from the same company can be so different! The Pearland store and the one in Katy are only about 35 miles apart, but these two stores are different in the products they carry.

I then went to find some Hunting boots in size 13. Didn't have any. So, I went to find some Hornady SST .45 caliber Muzzleloading bullets. Since I had bought some at the Katy store last year, I was sure they'd at least carry these. Nope. Nadda. In fact, I saw no .45 caliber Muzzleloader bullets hanging on the pegboard!

This is what happens when you let Pencil Pushers design, build and stock a store. They only carry products that appeal to the masses.

For example, last year I went looking for some 7mm-08 ammo. No Academy or Gander Mountain stores in the area had these and didn't stock them. Wal-Mart had one box of 140 grain Remington's. I already had those, I wanted something different. I ended up at the local Outdoor store called Carter's Country. When I asked the lady behind the counter if they carried any 7mm-08 ammo, she said "What flavor? We have 5 different types."

Now THAT is what an Outdoor Store is suppose to do! I ended up buying 4 different brands to test.

Yeah, But How's The Hired Help?

I wasn't too impressed with the Associates at the Bass Pro in Pearland either. Maybe I caught them at a bad time, but many were just lounging around shooting the Bull and not being very helpful. A couple were friendly and seemed to want to help, but none really went out of their way. I saw quite a few customers looking around for someone to help.

Compare this to the store in Katy where the Shoe Associate brought out 6 pairs of boots last month when I was looking at Snake Boots. I'm hard to fit so she had taken the time to bring out all the Snake Boots that she thought would be close. She then went back and got a few more. It's like those folks at the Katy store are working on commission! The people at the Katy store have always been very helpful.

Basically this new Bass Pro in Pearland is just another Academy or Gander Mountain. Nothing you can't find at this store that you can't find at Academy or Gander Mountain, well, except maybe the RedHead brand! There's very little reason for me to go back, just the hope that after everything settles down after the Grand Opening, they'll come to their senses and start stocking a lot of the same Hard-To-Find products that the Katy store does.

Overall Experience?

I couldn't be more disappointed in a store if I'd tried. Since I buy most of my Casual clothes and work clothes at the store in Katy, I was really hoping this Bass Pro in Pearland would be the same, but tis not to be.

I told my Wife it was like meeting a girl online, falling head over heals at the sight of her Glamour Shot's picture and meeting her only to find out that the picture was taken 10 years and 50 pounds ago!

Since I refuse to put myself through the ordeal of driving to the Katy Bass Pro, I'll wrap this up and go fill the order for my Oklahoma Muzzleloading trip online at Cabela's. If Cabela's was to open a store on the North East side of Houston, I'd never see the inside of a Houston area Gander Mountain, Bass Pro or Academy's store again!

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