In this review, I tested the Cutthroat Broadhead. I really like this company. Everything is made in the USA and they have a great reputation.
Cutthroat broadheads have fans all over the world and I have long considered them to be one of the best two blade, single bevel heads made.
I tested it for long range flight, penetration, durability, and edge sharpness and retention. And, as always, I shot with my Bowtech SR6 set at 72 pounds with a 27-inch draw length, and I’m using Bishop Archery FOC King Arrows, with a weight of 460 grains.
Cutthroat Broadheads specs
The cutthroat broadheads lineup ranges from 125 grains to 250 grains.
There’s a lot to like about the Cutthroat. In some ways, it’s just a simple 2-blade single-bevel design. But, in other ways, there are some unique things that make it extra special.
First of all, Cutthroat broadheads come in several different weights, ranging from 125 grains to 250 grains. In this test, I shot the 125-grain version.
The Cutthroat is machined from a single chunk of 41L40 tool steel, which is really a high quality tool steel. And it’s brought to a Rockwell hardness of 55. It’s a good balance between being soft enough to sharpen and yet tough enough to be able to hold its edge well.
In addition, these broadheads are Teflon coated to protect the blades. It also has a really nice Tanto tip to help prevent blade rollover at the end.
The blades are 0.060 inches thick so a nice good thickness to them. And the single bevel is a 25-degree bevel.
I was eager to put this head to the test and see how it performed.
I have found that a 40-degree bevel is superior when it comes to how much a broadhead rotates in flight. So, the rotation of a steeper edge is going to produce a better bone splitting ability and more damage internally. At a 25 degree bevel angle with the .060″ blade thickness, the Cutthroat head should still do fairly well.
Balloon test
The Cutthroat head was able to pop a balloon from 70 yards out.
In the outof the box sharpness test, I test how many times a broadhead can still cut through paper after a stroke of an arrow shaft across it. I give 5 points for the first cut and then one point for every cut thereafter.
The Cutthroat broadhead was able to still cut paper after three strokes of the arrow, giving it a total score of 7 points.
The Cutthroat head cut paper after three strokes of the arrow.
Penetration testing
In this penetration test, I shot the Cutthroat into ballistic get that was fronted by 2/3″ rubber mat and 1/2″ MDF board.
In ballistic gel test, the Cutthroat penetrated 7-1/4″ with 45 degrees of rotation.
Steel plate test
I shot the Cutthroat five times through a .22 gauge steel plate. The head held up very well.
The head did have a bit of edge folding on each side, which would take a little bit of work to sharpen those out. But, overall, the head fared pretty well for five shots through the steel plate.
The “S-cut” made by the Cutthroat makes it more difficult for entry wounds to close up on an animal after impact. The S-cut also aids in prying bones apart, allow an arrow to slide through.
The Cutthroat provided a good “S-cut” that you get from a single bevel broadhead. The Cutthroat had some dinged blade edges on each side after the test.
Final Thoughts on Cutthroat Broadheads
So, overall, the Cutthroat is a very nice head. I’ve long considered it to be a great head and putting it through these tests just proves it all the more.
It has a great price point, it’s made in the USA, and it flies super well. It keeps its edge well and is durable.
Buying a trail camera is only the first step to capturing buck activity on camera.
If you want to find an early chink in the armor of a buck cast a wide net. Trail cameras are a great way to do just that.
When it comes to trail cameras, there are definitely many options these days. But even after you pick one, there can be lots of questions…
How do you use trail cameras to their potential so that you can get pictures bucks frequenting your hunting property?
What is the best time of year to start mounting trail cameras?
Are there some strategies that work best for locating target bucks?
What is the best way to mount a trail camera?
If you are looking for some answers to these questions, read on…
You have a trail camera… now what?
When it comes to putting out trail cameras, I always start a little earlier than most people. But, it’s understandable that not all hunters want to waste batteries and time going to check them.
So, if you are already very familiar with the property you intend to hunt and have an idea of the summer patterns of the bucks on that property, you could wait until late July or early August.
Trail Camera Hot zones | Bedding and Feeding Areas
As I have learned more and more about deer hunting – and more specifically, buck behavior – it has become clear that it’s imperative to determine where bucks are bedding and feeding.
Locating bedding and feeding areas are the first step to identifying the travel routes that bucks are using to move between the two.
Once you have an idea of where they are bedding and feeding, set up your trail cameras on routes that deer take to and from these areas until you begin to get daylight pictures of bucks.
Getting these pictures may be easier if you hunt near agriculture such as corn, soybeans, sorghum, etc. than if you are hunting large stands of timber or hardwoods.
If you only hunt large forested areas, then you might want to focus on open areas in the timber that have a lot of previous deer sign.
Another thing to focus on in these types of forested areas is browse pressure on native vegetation. For example, if you look closely, you may be able to see the tops of some of the plants and vegetation that have been nipped off. If there is too much browse pressure, then you might need to use a supplemental food source or deer mineral until deer season (if it is legal in your area).
Set up cameras near scrapes
Another way to get great early season bucks on camera is to get trailcam pictures near mock scrapes or active scrapes from last season. I look for open areas or trails that might have a brushy limb or vine hanging over bare ground or low vegetation.
I’ve got some great video of a target buck tending a scrape and chasing another 3-year-old buck away from it. These are the types of areas I will key in on and look for locations to put deer stands in hopes of taking a successful shot on a mature whitetail.
Scapes are a great place to capture buck activity with your trail cameras.
Then, I might set up a scrape dripper in hopes of increasing the buck activity in that location. If the bucks and does are already using a scrape now they will more than likely continue to use it during the season.
I have seen as many as 20 open scrapes on a 300 yd trail that led from bedding to food. Some bucks will travel up to three square miles for a safe food source. The bucks on that particular scrape line were bedding 1,000 yards away and traveling almost every night to and from that food source to bed.
Rubs and other buck sign are good locations to consider mounting a trail camera.
If you want to your trailcam strategy to yield the best intel possible, you need to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and do some scouting off the road. Some of the best sign and bedding areas are off the road a good bit, but may be closer than you think.
I have cut through 10 yards of thick brush and vegetation off a main trail and all of the sudden, boom… a big buck travel corridor! If you find water or a swamp, even better. Now you have a funnel, bedding, and a water source.
Deer are edge creatures, so if you find where the terrain transitions from hard woods or pines to swamp or thickets, then you should find good sign, or at least some type of deer trail.
When I’m scouting, I look for droppings, tracks and old rubs. Once you practice looking for these long enough, you will begin to get an eye for a good place to hunt or hang a trail camera.
Swampy areas…
If you hunt swamps like I do in the South, then you might feel overwhelmed by the amount of water. But, deer like to bed in swampy areas because it is cooler, and they can detect predators farther away.
A lot of times, aerial pictures taken when there is still foliage on the trees makes it impossible to see these deer trails coming in and out of a swampy area. So, because pines and hardwoods hold their foliage longer, pictures taken during Winter or before Spring green-up will show transition areas better.
As you can see in the aerial photos above, the picture on the right (winter) makes it easier to identify transition areas that are great locations to mount trail cameras.
If you can only find does, keep looking, because the bucks will be nearby within a couple hundred yards.
The “diamond in the rough” in swampy areas are trails in the mud coming in and out of the swamp as deer will often skirt around the edges of water.
Water, funnels and fences
Another way to use aerial maps to hang trail cameras is to look for tree lines and natural funnels.
Agriculture, fence lines, and water all make great natural funnels for deer to travel. Deer do not feel as comfortable going across an open field, through water, or over a tall fence.
While deer can jump over or go under just about anything, they will default to openings in fence lines.
When it comes to water, I have seen deer chase through two feet of swamp water, but they would much rather go around it if they can.
Field Edges and corners
Field edges and corners are also great places to hang trail cameras.
Deer will come out of just about anywhere if you have a good stand of bedding area along a field, but for some reason, they seem to prefer coming out of the corners.
On one of my hunting properties, there is a corner of a field that also has a water source that deer will skirt around. This area makes for an awesome trail camera spot. In one pre-season, I have gotten pictures of 10 different bucks coming back to bed.
If you are having trouble getting daylight pictures of bucks, try glassing the field and see where they are coming out at in the afternoon.
I have also seen bucks come out of the middle of a strip of trees off a field. It all just depends on where they are bedding, and you will not know that unless you watch where they come out at in the afternoon or go back to in the morning.
Supplemental food sources, transition areas and field edges and corners are all good spots to consider mounting trail cameras to capture buck activity.
If baiting is not legal in your area, cellular cameras are a great option if you do not want to intrude on the area once it is set up. There are certainly huge advantages to not disturbing or leaving unnecessary scent in the area you are hoping to hunt.
Cell cameras allow you to wait until you see the buck you want using the area before going in for the kill.
If you are like most people, you probably do not have booners running around and may not necessarily care about making the record books.
I typically run three cell cameras and eight regular cameras. I use my cell cameras mainly to tell me when it is time to go refill the feed. In my opinion, you can pattern deer just as well with standard trail cameras.
You should, however, be more careful when you check the regular trails cameras. Typically, I like to wait until around noon to check my trail cams, or I check them late at night after I know deer are already in the field feeding.
I shot my biggest buck in 2019 after using a regular trail camera. I noticed he was coming in the second day after I put out corn and deer lure, and I was able to take him just as planned.
How to set up the trail camera | Best practices
When I set up a new trail camera, I mount it to a sturdy tree, at a height of about 3 feet off the ground. Or, I will set it up at a height where it can cover the most field of view.
I make sure to clear vegetation and try and get a northern camera direction unless it has a lot of overhanging foliage or forest canopy to shield the sun. Facing the trailcam East or West can cause the sunlight to interfere with the pictures as well as producing false triggers that result in unwanted pictures.
Mounting Tip: you can use is using your smart phone camera and flipping it to selfie mode. Put the back of your phone on the trail camera, and you can get a good idea of what your camera will be seeing.
I also hang cameras parallel to the trail to catch the movement as well.
You do not want to face the camera directly across the trail or you will end up getting pictures of just tails or brow tines.
As deer season gets closer, you can also use video determine the direction the bucks are traveling to the bait sites or how they are using travel corridors. (when using still shots only, it can be hard to tell which directing deer are moving).
If you are trying to save your trail camera’s battery, I would set it to a three-picture burst and then switch to video when the season starts.
Setting up trail cameras doesn’t have to be a head scratcher. Mount them to a sturdy tree or structure, approximately 3 feet off the ground or where you can get a wide field of view.
Conclusion
As you can tell, an effective trailcam strategy involves planning and attention to detail. Hopefully, you have learned some tips that will help you become a more successful hunter. Not only that, but you never know what unexpected pictures of rare things you might get on your trailcam.
Here’s to great trail camera pics and even better pics of you sitting behind a trophy buck!
If you have any more questions or would like to follow along this deer season, I am active on social media:
I use the HuntWise App and my username is jrwilliamsjr.
Many people have asked me to do a review of the Valkyrie broadheads, and I finally got to do it.
Many people have asked me to test this broadhead. If you have read any of my other reviews, you know that I test a lot of high quality broadheads. The Valkyrie definitely fits the bill.
Here you can see the Valkyrie close up. And man, upon close inspection, you don’t wonder where the money went in what you just purchased. These are some really high quality, well-constructed heads that just look wicked cool. I love the way the Valkyrie heads look as well as the overall design.
Valkyrie broadheads | An overview
The Valkyrie heads are machined out of a single chunk of S7 tool steel. that is brought to a Rockwell hardness of 58 to 60 which is really hard.
Now, it’s important that you don’t compare that to 58 to 60 in a stainless steel, because with an S7 tool steel like this, the impact resistance is many times greater than that of stainless steel.
So, you are getting the benefit of a really hard edge and really hard blade combined with really tough impact resistance as well.
The Valkyrie is a 3-blade design. The cutting diameter is relatively low at 1 inch. But, with 3 blades, you are getting an inch-and-a-half of total cut which is a lot more than most 2-blade heads.
The overall purpose of the Valkyrie design is to maximize penetration. And that’s why this “swept” design in the short Jag head, and in the regular-sized Jagger.
The blades of the Valkyrie heads are also completely coated with a Cerakote ceramic finish. This aids in resistance to the elements, which a tool steel typically does not have. It also provides a less of a glare and it aids in penetration, to give it a bit more smoothness through bone, tissue and hide.
Pictured is the 180-grain model and the 200-grain model. They go from 160 grains and some of them are vented like that all the way up to over 300 grains. So some are vented and some are not vented based on the size and based on the design. But the overall purpose is to get one tough head that penetrates extremely well.The blades are .054 inch thick, yet they are much thicker at the front, due to being tapered from the front back and because of the chiseled tip. As you go away from the axis, they get a little bit thinner and are brought to a double bevel edge.
For this test, I’m used my Bowtech SR6 set at 72 pounds and I’m using the whole Valkyrie system pictured below. It comes with VAP arrows 0.166 diameter and with their titanium centerpin and the broadhead. The arrows even have their own fletching.
The Valkyrie Arrow System
Valkyrie testing
I was very eager to test these heads. They looked like they would penetrate well. They also spun very true and looked and felt very sharp. I also wanted to test for long-range flight, edge retention, penetration and durability. So let’s get to the results…
Sharpness test
To test the sharpness of the Valkyrie Jagger, I examined its ability to cut paper not only out of the box, but also after up to five strokes of the arrow shaft against the blade edge.
This head cut paper even after five strokes of the arrow shaft.Still cutting paper after 5 strokes of the arrow!
You can learn more about the Valkyrie arrow system by visiting their website, valkyriearchery.com.
Long Range Flight | Balloon test
Both the short Jag and the Jagger flew true enough to pop balloons from 70 yards.
Penetration testing
In the ballistic gel test, the short Jag penetrated 8 inches.
The short jag head penetrated 8 inches through the MDF, rubber mat and ballistic gel.
In the steel plate penetration test below, notice the holes that the Valkyrie heads make. They are not just slits, they really put those nice triangular holes in the steel plate.
And, I will note too that it’s fairly easy to sharpen. When I’m sharpening it, I use a paper wheel. You can use whatever you want or you can just mail it back in. They actually sharpen them or will even repair them if they need repair… all for free. ($10 shipping and handling to send the head in).
Here’s the Valkyrie after going through the 22-gauge steel plate 5 times. And as you can see, it’s in pristine condition. It looks brand new! The only signs of wear are a little bit of the Ceracoat finish got stripped off of the edges. That’s it. Nothing on the blades… no nicks, not even scratches. This is amongst the very best in terms of durability through the steel plate that I’ve seen so far. Very impressive.
So what do you think of the Valkyrie? I’ve got to tell you, I was impressed. I was expecting quite a bit from these broadheads and I have to say, it exceeded even my high expectations.
This is one very well-designed, very well-constructed broadhead.
If you are looking for something that’s high quality that’s going to last you forever and that you can use on anything in the world, this is a head worth checking out.
Overall, the Valkyrie is just an incredible head, well-worth checking out especially if you are going after a really big-bodied animal. This is something that is really worth investigating.
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