Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Petersen's Bowhunting

I’ve always been a bit of a baseball fanatic. In fact, much of my childhood was spent curating an extensive baseball card collection that still occupies a dusty corner of my attic. I was certain those endless stacks of cardboard statistics would make me rich someday! Not surprisingly, the better the player, the more valuable the card. And the most expensive cards depict players with a three-letter acronym after their names in the price guides: HOF. Indeed, induction into the Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of athletic achievement, validation that you not only mastered your craft but earned a place among the very best to ever play the game. While Hall of Fame credentials were good for the value of my baseball card collection, I can’t say they brought…

Few bowhunters spend much time worrying about the serving thread on their bowstring and/or cables. However, poor servings can cause major inconsistencies in how your bow performs. Whenever you are working with servings, there are several keys to make sure they will hold up and perform well. The most important difference between how I serve and how I see most others serve is that I weave the lead line in and out of the main serving. This holds the entire run together and keeps the serving from separating or “crawling” up and down the string. I’m sure you’ve seen it. You take the D-loop off your string and there’s a big gap in the serving where the loop material was tied onto the bowstring. Unfortunately, when this happens, the serving…

In my last column, I said that to be a consistently successful spot-and-stalk hunter, you must be able to shoot well under all circumstances and in every type of habitat. As I mentioned, knowing the distance to shoot for is extremely important. And a good, angle-compensating rangefinder will give you that information, no matter the terrain. But that’s only half the battle. You also need the necessary skill to make the shot. Severe uphill, downhill and sidehill shots can be extremely difficult to make and require a great deal of practice to master. Whether you are shooting uphill or downhill, always keep your form the same from the waist up. In other words, your arms should always be at right angles to your torso. We call this T-form. To maintain…

Elite has built a loyal fan base by producing bows that simply get the job done. They are all about the shooting experience and performance that serves a purpose. Add in Elite’s signature Hunt Guarantee and you have a recipe for success. Elite’s 2017 Option 6 is home to the company’s Dual Cage riser, which is reflex in form and machined from 7075 aluminum. The Two-Track dual-cam system, Winner’s Choice string/cables and double-laminated split limbs combine to create the Option’s engine. A two-piece, wood-panel grip, PALS limb pockets, LTR Roller Guard and multiple vibration- and noise-dampening accessories round out the package. Rattling Cages Elite looks to rattle the competition’s cages with its Dual Cage Riser design that employs one cage above the sight window and one below the grip. The…

Portable Pyramid From flinging arrows in the backyard to sighting in your rig at camp, the Pyramid Target from Rinehart is perfectly portable at just seven pounds and sports an easy-carry handle. The pyramid design keeps the target upright, even during powerful shots and on uneven ground. Measuring 14x18 inches, the Pyramid features a Minute of Angle sight-in grid and highly visible target zones for low-light practice sessions. MSRP: $69.99 Contact: Rinehart Targets, 608-757-8153; www.rinehart3d.com Six Shooter The new BLOCK 6x6 provides long-lasting durability for fieldpoints and broadheads at an affordable price. A durable Friction Foam core with an injection-molded exterior provides graphic shooting areas on all six sides and allows for easy arrow removal. Finger slots are molded into the target for simple transportation and will not damage arrows.…

If you’ve been deer hunting for a significant number of years, chances are you have at least a few good stand locations — the kind of spots that tend to yield consistent action and shooting opportunities season after season. But how much time have you spent working to make those good spots even better? This month, I’d like to discuss a number of relatively small changes you can make to the deer’s world that will pay huge dividends when it comes to your bowhunting each fall. These include improving your stand access routes, planting small food plots and even using manmade obstacles to divert deer movement. Let’s dive in. Entry and Exit I preach it all the time in these pages, but the very best way to ensure a successful…

Name: Frank Menechino Home State: New York Occupation: Assistant Hitting Coach, Miami Marlins Years Bowhunting: 9 Current Bow: Mathews Chill R Favorite Animal to Hunt: Whitetail Deer Q: Frank, you played baseball for most of your life, including seven years in the Major Leagues. How did you get started with bowhunting? A:I used to go hunting as a kid in Upstate New York, and we were never really successful. I killed a doe, but not a buck, and I never saw a lot of deer with the gun. A buddy of mine told me about bowhunting. He said, “Hey, you can bowhunt for two or three months. It’s early, the deer aren’t pressured, they’re not afraid — let’s try it.” So, I went out, I tried it and I fell…

The 99 Percent I am not a biologist or deer manager. I am, however, a New England deer hunter with over 30 years of experience. I read Jason Snavely’s Whitetails column about finding shed antlers (April/May 2017) with great suspicion. If his statistics are accurate, he expects his clients to have one antlered buck for every eight acres they hunt. That’s just plain ridiculous. From what I understand, in the Northeast, most [state wildlife] agencies strive for 15-20 deer per square mile. By my math, and his ratio of a shed antler for every four acres, Mr. Snavely hunts and manages an area with 80 antlered bucks per square mile! I understand winter deer yarding and the effect it could have on deer densities in certain areas. However, more likely,…

As the “rookie” Whitetails columnist, I welcome your questions, comments and criticism with open arms. After all, aggressively managing whitetails in states not known for giant bucks sometimes requires creative tactics and constant questioning of the norm. Growing up in Pennsylvania — where I still live and conduct 30 percent of my work — I’ve heard it all. My skin is thick, and I’m not alone when I say the time has come for a shift in attitude about whitetail management. Many bowhunters are unaware of how simple it is to impact whitetail herds and create incredible hunting opportunities. It’s nearly impossible to find another game species that responds so readily to proactive management practices. I am elated any time we can openly discuss what makes the whitetail America’s greatest…

DOUBLE TROUBLE Steve: A few years back, my wife and I bought a 53-acre farm in southwest Ohio, smack dab in the middle of whitetail paradise. In October 2016, I got trail-cam pics of a giant 6x6, which I nick-named “Ribcage” since all the tines looked like a ribcage. On November 5, I was hunting over a large thicket. There wasn’t a deer in sight, so I got on my phone to take care of some business matters. Right about that time, I looked up, and in walked Ribcage. He was 35 yards away, upwind and walking into the thick woods where I would have no shot. As he was walking into the woods and out of my life forever, I mouth grunted. He stopped with his head behind some…

In its original form, the “KISS” approach stood for Keep It Simple, Stupid — as if to imply that one might be stupid. In today’s kinder, gentler culture, calling someone stupid might get you sued, while 20 years ago it might have just gotten you a bloody nose. Either way, we are going to venture into this harsh world where we could end up wearing the dunce hat if we mess up. At the very least, we might miss a few animals we didn’t need to miss — and in my mind, that is the very definition of stupid! This month’s column is all about finding a simple bow and arrow system that is idiot-proof. That’s more name calling, but the excitement of bowhunting can turn even the most rational…

When we first started shooting a bow, it was a blast. But it wasn’t long before we desired better aiming. Our bows had standard bow sights with pins. We sighted each pin in for different distances. It worked OK, but seemed kind of crude. What we really wanted was to see and aim like we could with a rifle-scope. We knew magnification lenses were available for bow sights, so we bought some. We expected rifle-like clarity and magnification but were sorely disappointed! There were several things we discovered when we tried magnified lenses in our bow sights. The low-powered lens (2X) worked pretty well. It magnified our target a little and had good clarity. The medium-powered lens (4X) had increased magnification, but also gave us a slightly blurry target. And…

Custom Concealment Customize your box blind with the Octagon Blind DIY Kit. Choose the orientation, height and number of windows and stake the 6-foot blind to the ground or attach it to a platform. The blind is constructed of sturdy corrugated plastic, and the eight-sided shape adds strength and stability to the design. The lightweight kit includes four wall panels and four roof panels and is easy to assemble. Durable and completely waterproof, the Octagon Blind can be left up year-round. MSRP: $399 Contact: GhostBlind, 740-374-6766; www.ghostblind.com TITANIUM Toughness New TITANIUM X Broadheads from TRUGLO feature a CNC-machined titanium ferrule for the ultimate in strength and durability. A TRU-CUT, one-piece titanium tip immediately cuts on impact, and .031-inch stainless steel blades provide devastating sharpness. The narrow flight profile of TITANIUM…