GotBowAz

I am getting jest of the Schwacker leaving an entrance hole, I believe I said this. This is why I am asking these questions. I would prefer if it was a little bigger that is all. I can see by looks of the design it is going to leave a hole as the trip wing blades have to stretch the hide initially as they are being flipped open. It’s design ofthe wing blades being ahead of the pivot point makes that obvious to me. Also my bad, I was actually thinking about the hyper shock heads with the curved blades that the wing blades pivot at the screw not above it like the Sanoran. They only leave a pencil like entrance hole but otherwise the design concept is very much the same. Thanks for the info on this head though. I will be taking a serious look at them. Many times I have asked this same question on other forums about this head and nobody would tell me what kind of entrance hole they had, just the exit and it performance otherwise. This led to me believe they didn’t leave much of an entrance hole. I'm sure most of you can appreciate the questioning. If I wasn’t interested in the head I would not ask about it. GBA

I havent seen it but I will check it out thanks! I mentioned this before, the only real horror story I have heard was a guy I know shot a Javelina in the shoulder with one and the head feral bent on impact. The blades did not deploy as a result, blades were bent too. I call that not only a fluke as any head could have but also horrible shot placement which happens. GBA

I wouldn’t hesitate to use a Swhacker on a deer. I wouldn’t use the older Sanoran on anything. Absolutely no entrance hole which is why I assume they (your dad) went to the Swhacker. Same issue EPEK had too. They now open on entry. But my concern isn’t on a little deer, it is on a big tough old bull elk and a 1 inch entry hole on such a large animal is not very big which is why I was asking. I want a BIG blood trail on a tough to kill Bull. They can go a long ways on those long legs even on a great double lung shot. GBA

Willyhunts2, actually thats a great idea. get read yo pay for it though, it will be way more than $150.00 and it still wont keep them from being stolen or damaged. It sadens me to see this happen to anyone. Ihave never met anyone that has been cuaght red handed so I cant say who it is that takes them. I suspect a hunter cliaming his spot on public land. I just dont understand a hunter doing this to another hunter. I guess its the greed that takes over. Sad. Why would forest service take them? What do they gain from it? I am now a little more neviious than i was about my camera now. I too have one up in unit 23. But to get to mine they will need a tree climber with them so it will take a little work if they want it that bad.

ccran, look up a competition Randy Ulmer had with Cameron Hanes and a couple other guys with rage. Randy lost as he had one open in flight and hit the carpet. One of the other guys shooting against them super glued his shut so that wouldn’t happen. Me personally, I have had them open on a spot and stalk because a piece of grass pulled the blade open. Kind of ticks you off at full draw on a nice buck and the blade is dangling there. It was fine when I put it on my string. I know a LOT of people who had the same issues and now they take a dermal, make a notch in the blade and either use dental rubber bands to hold them shut or a small strand of copper wire out of an electrical cord. The new rage extreme appear to have addressed the issue but they also made the blades wider. I might be tempted to try the rage extreme out but I will never pick up another rage held shut with the o-ring without making modifications to it. GBA

ccran, Not to put down the schwacker which I really do think is one of the better mechanicals but I dont know of a mechanical head that wont do the same thing which is another reason why I like mechanicals, except maybe the older model rage which would pop a blade open in flight occasionaly. Not sure what to think of the new rage extreme yet. But I dont think anyone should shoot a machanical with a badly tuned bow just vbecause they fly well.

Wow, nice find and awesome you were able to come up the the next years drop too. That could mnean there is two of the other side out there somewhere as well. Now to find them andmatch them up would really be cool. Love the character. Would like to see him on the hoof.

Elkhunter1, I see your point but I have to disagree a little with that philosophy. If I can’t get a blood trail because of no entry or exit wound I can have a downed bull within 100 yards a in some thick nasty crap like I hunt in and not be able to find him until the crows tell me where he is at. I shot a cow one year quartering away from me, no exit wound. I found her because I used a 2 inch cut open on entry Mechanical head. There was not a lot of blood but I had a trail of guts for 70 plus yards. That same shot with a max 1 inch hole would have given me very little to no blood because her guts would have plugged up the hole, (which I have seen a muzzy fix blade do). For me, I want a cut on contact head and a 2 inch minimum open on entry hole to have a good blood trail. I killed a mud caked 333 bull in 2010 with one such head. He was quartering to me a lot harder than I thought. I put it in the pocket and drove the broadhead through only 1 lung, guts and into the opposite hip. No exit wound but the blood trail was like someone threw buckets of red paint all over the ground. He died within 45 yards. I'm pretty sure that even threw that armor of mud and taking out 3 ribs I cut arteries not to mention the 4 inch entry gash from the quartering shot.

Bearbowman, I am assuming you’re in high desert area because you said unit 23 south. For glassing you need a high vantage point if possible. I get a comfortable spot because I will be sitting there for awhile and I use a monopole to help hold the Bino’s steady and keep my arms from wearing out. With that said if you are in the high desert your gonna roast yer keester off in August. I sat a tree stand last year and suffered for it. I did see lots of deer but it was not worth sitting all day in the beating heat. Kill one in that heat and there won’t be time for pictures, needs to get it skinned and quartered quick. If you decide to go this route watch the deer until it beds down and make a spot and stalk approach. It’s tough but it can and does work. Go to higher ground in the pines. Look for trails near drainages and check for deer tracks. Try to find where the a couple of trails intersect. Pick out a tree off to the side within your shooting distance. Chances are there won’t be much visibility to glass but if you put your cameras out on those intersections you may see what is traveling on those trails and have a good idea when they come through. After that, the rest is patients, sitting for hours in a tree stand waiting on that buck to show up. Good luck, you’re about to learn a lot. GBA

I’m with you on that, it does appear to be a defense position but there is quite a few rooms up there. I can’t imagine hauling water up to it either. Has to be at least ¼ mile to the bottom where water would have been and it’s some really steep stuff.

Here is a big ruin I found with my son on top of a bluff. Had to go under the tree on the right to find a way to climb up. Hiking to the pueblo ruins is on my bucket list.

Josie, awesome coyote mount dude. I don’t think I have ever seen one like it. I'm glad it’s good to hear your getting diesel up there. I will have to stop in one of my scouting trips. Please keep us updated. Got a friend that lives in Sunflower that will like this news too. GBA

I use the same tactics trophyhunter uses. It’s great practice for getting in on the bulls too. I love to hunt elk, be it a bull or cows and I love elk meat. I usually put everything into my hunts and I prefer on the ground spot and stalk or bugle and chase. I do sit Mineral block sites I made in the mornings out of tree stands but if they’re not coming in after a day or two I’m on the ground a runnin. Get down wind and in front of them. It’s sometimes hard to do both but with enough patients you can pull it off. Good luck and have fun. GBA

Last year at about the 4000 foot level, I sat in a tree stand and roasted my hind end off. I sweat horribly and drank close to a gallon of water every day. August in the desert is hot and miserable. I am moving to higher ground this year. I will say I did see some nice bucks, none came in range as I was on one of a few trails going to a water source someone else was already sitting. However those bucks mostly moved in around 1pm every day. 2 years before that I sat a ground blind near a waterhole and had a diamond back come in a visit me! Hench the tree stand. As for the desert… Never again in August. Just remember, in the desert when you kill one you won’t have time to be taking pictures. You will need to get the hide off and get it quartered and hanging in the shade ASAP. Something to keep in mind. As others have pointed out, put in a game camera and try to pattern them. I put mine up in a limb less tree with a tree stand climber and lock it, then angle it down towards the trail or water source. This helps keep it from getting stolen. Guess if they want it bad enough they will go get a climber and cut it down. So far, Knock on wood, I haven’t had an issue but I get pic’s of people every now and then. Good Luck, stay cool. GBA

Two years ago a guy from Flagstaff killed a whopper double drop tine buck that made record books. He was over 200”. My brother and I saw that buck several times during my archery Elk hunt that year. We also ran across four other bucks and one of those was a true giant too. Every bit of 30” and 3 of the 4 were all toads. As others have mentioned, they are very few deer in 5B. I believe they are on a rebound there though as I see more every year. Good luck with your hunt. Be sure to post up pic’s if you thwack one! GBA

Becker, I would agree with that specially since our season is so long in January. But I don’t want to see it go to a draw like Javelina did. I think that’s ridiculous. I liked the days of hunting OTC pigs in the same units I hunted OTC deer and if they wanted to make a call in day like they do for bear I would be all for it for both OTC tags. The other nice thing would be if you did call in and the quota was met you could move on to another area and still hunt. Just my take on it. GBA

1) I would like to take a nice velvit Coue's buck this season. I have a hard horned 2 X 4 I killed back in 2010 I call "little stud". LOL 2) A bear with a bow would be a bonus 3) A mountian lion, with my bow, without dogs would be a triple bonus.

A 1 inch entry hole is better than an arrow shaft size but I sure would like to see it a bit bigger for elk. No doubt they died/dropped within 100 yards. Im just a little concerned about the blood trail without a exit hole. Thanks for your reply, sure gives some food for thought and a little more confidence in the design. GBA

Hi, newbe here. I have a question to ask those of you that have shot the Shwackers into game. How does the entrance hole look? This head is designed to open after entry. I would guess it would always do so however I don't like the idea of a bullet/arrow size hole on entry "IF" that's what it leaves. Otherwise you have to get a pass through for a good blood trail. If that head stops inside for any reason on elk you could be risking it and holding your breath he dies in sight. Only failure I know of is a guy hit a Javelina in the shoulder bone and the head bent enough the blades would not open. I call that a fluke/bad shot placement. What detours me is entry wound. I'm a mechanical BH nut and I'm going with the NAP Killzone this year. Every test I have done with them they open on entry and are one tough head.