Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i Petersen's Bowhunting

Few things make a hunter’s heart beat faster than the sound of a bugling bull elk echoing across a Rocky Mountain ridgetop. After all, our sport is as much about the thrill of the chase as it is the kill, and the high-pitched screams of a rutting bull are possibility in audible form. Add in the majestic, ivory-tipped antlers a bull wears atop his head and the unspoiled wilderness he calls home, and it’s no wonder tens of thousands of us are drawn to the high country each fall like moths to a flame. And yet, as I sit at my desk and review the incredible collection of elk-hunting stories you’ll find inside this issue, I am keenly aware that so much of elk hunting is more about the characters…

You’ve waited all year for this moment. Stands have been hung for months, your bow is tuned to perfection, your clothes are washed and the sun is rising on opening morning. But as you sit there eagerly waiting for the hunt to begin, you can’t help but wonder, Have I done everything under my control to maximize my odds of success? The truth is, scientists have toyed with hunters as subjects of their research, and their findings tell us much about what we need to do — and what we need NOT to do — to optimize our chances. Unfortunately, many times this highly technical, statistic-flooded scientific research never hits mainstream literature. I started reading the science behind deer hunting and management while still in high school, and I’ve always…

The makers of crossbows and crossbow accessories go to great lengths to ensure their products are safe, durable and reliable. However, any machine is subject to malfunction for an array of reasons. Sometimes, it’s a matter of materials or manufacturing. Occasionally, it’s a design issue. But more often, it’s user error. Regardless, sometimes our crossbows don’t perform as well as we’d like. Below, I’ve listed five of the more common issues crossbow shooters might encounter, along with their causes and solutions. Common Problems Crossbow will not cock: This is less common than it used to be but could well be the result of not having the safety mechanism in the “fire” position while cocking. That used to be necessary on some crossbows, but for the most part, it no longer…

September is the great transition month. This is when the bucks break up their summer bachelor groups, shed their velvet and start the weeks-long process of dispersing into their fall ranges. If your season opens Sept. 1, you have a week, at best, to utilize what you learned during summer scouting. After that, things will go upside down. If your season opens in mid-September, things are already upside down. If you are serious about fall success, you need to be obsessed with what the bucks do in September — what happens now sets up everything that comes after. What you do during September (and early October) is equally important. In fact, this next 30 days is the most critical of the entire deer-hunting year — even if you don’t have…

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Back in the July issue, we asked how far is “too far” to ethically shoot at a big-game animal with a bow. Here’s what you had to say: 50-Yard Max I hunt with a Barnett Ghost 410 crossbow that is capable of hitting targets at 100 yards with ease. But I wouldn’t take a shot over 50 yards, and that would have to be under perfect conditions. I regularly practice out to 50 yards and sometimes farther, just to be able to say I can hit my target. But a bag target is not a deer; it isn’t going to move or duck or suddenly turn right as I let the arrow fly. So, for me, anything over 50 yards with my crossbow is a no-go. David…

Hunting accuracy starts with your gear: a well-tuned bow and perfect arrows. So, that is what I am going to focus on this month. There is no way to justify not tuning your bow and your arrows. It is an essential skill of bowhunting. While most bows are easy to tune, there are some that will test your patience. Rather than diving into the technical aspects of bow tuning, I will let you address that with your local pro shop. There are lots of folks there willing and able to help. In this column, I am going to delve into why some bows can’t be tuned and how to avoid them. Then I will come back with a discussion on arrows. Fixing an Untunable Bow Back in the late 90s…

Over the years, we have been known to banish arrows to our arrow boxes or the back of our quivers. We have this strange desire for all our arrows to group together. And when they don’t, they must be punished! Sometimes, these “bad” arrows just need to be repaired (bad fletching, damaged nocks, etc.). But other times, certain arrows just never seem to group with the others. So, they would go into banishment, and we would never use them. Or, we would use them to shoot at steel targets, rabbits or give them to our competition. Still, it always bothered us that we had invested time and money into these arrows. We wanted to save them. So, we did some investigating to try to figure out why these arrows were…

Lightweight Mercury The new Hell’s Canyon Mercury Jacket and Pant from Browning feature a water-resistant polyester and Spandex double-weave fabric with ADVANCED SCENT CONTROL. Harness access, zip handwarmer pockets plus chest and internal drop pockets make the jacket ideal for bowhunting. The pants sport hip pockets with abrasion-resistant fabric overlay, a zip rear pocket and side-seam leg zippers. The Hell’s Canyon Mercury Jacket and Pant are available in both men’s and women’s styles in Mossy Oak Mountain Country, Mossy Oak Break-Up Country and Capers, as well as Realtree Xtra for men. MSRP: $169.99 (jacket); $149.99 (pant) Contact: Browning, 800-333-3288; www.browning.com Fall Fleece Stay undetected in your treestand this fall with the RedHead SCENTINEL Tech Windproof Fleece Jacket. Zeolite Technology traps odor molecules, while embedded antimicrobial silver eliminates bacteria growth. Midweight…

Pursue Your PASSION PASSION 10x42 HD binoculars from GPO were engineered to perform in low-light settings and provide fine detail from extreme distances with GPObright lens-coating technology. Double HD glass and a tough aluminium eyecup tube offer durable quality and excellent images. PASSION HD binoculars feature PASSIONdrop hydrophobic coating and are completely waterproof and fog proof. At 29.6 ounces, the compact binoculars provide a wide-angle field of view and include a custom-molded hard case. MSRP: $999.99 Contact: German Precision Optics, 844-692-4667; www.gpo-usa.com Long-Range KILO Range game fast at long distances with the KILO2200 MR from Sig Optics, featuring LightWave DSP Technology. HyperScan provides four range updates per second in scan mode, while RangeLock reports the last reading for distant targets. The KILO2200 MR offers both line-of-sight and angle-modified range readings.…

Turn Your Adventures Into Memories! That was the goal of 11-year-old Justin Dyon when he developed the BowPro action-cam mount. This 100% Made-in-Montana mount is constructed of pro-grade aluminum that’s anodized to withstand the elements, and it weighs just 4.3 oz. The BowPro will mount your GoPro or Garmin VIRB to most compound bows in seconds. Dyon Manufacturing BowPro.us  Facebook.com/BOWPROMT Quick Sight “Elite” Permanently installed peep-style string sights are locked in place, where string twist and/or creep can affect accuracy. With the Quick Sight “Elite,” you can adjust both the forward sight pin and rear eye alignment for much greater accuracy…without bow contracting or string twisting to correct the issue of accuracy. Made in America. Archer Sight 845-658-8557 archersight.com BIGshot Personal Video Target Get the ultimate…

Non-Conventional Chronograph The G2 from Caldwell Shooting Supplies inverts the conventional chronograph for more accurate measurements, even in poor light and indoors. Light sensors are spaced 18 inches apart, and sunscreens include self-contained LED lights. A 48MHz processor and an advanced data interface circuit provide measurements from 5-9,999 fps and accuracy within +/-.25 percent. Collapsible and compact, the G2 is quickly deployed from the included heavy-duty storage case. MSRP: $249.99 Contact: Battenfeld Technologies, 573-445-9200; www.btibrands.com eXecute The Shot T.R.U. Ball’s eXecute release features independent travel and tension settings for light or heavy trigger feels. A solid brass body adds weight, while a nickel-plated coating resists corrosion. Each package includes two micro-adjustable triggers, and the release is available in two design options. The Tornado Connection provides a 360-degree swivel, while the…

Archery seems simple at a glance. You pull back a string and let it go, right? How hard could it be? Well, the answer is pretty dang hard if you’re looking to be the best archer possible. Archery is made up of so many steps you must be able to repeat to shoot consistently. One of those many steps is your stance. Stance is the foundation on which your shot rests, and if it is different from one shot to the next, chances are your arrows will hit in different places too. Some of the key components of a proper stance include keeping your feet shoulder width apart, pointing your toes slightly outward and opening your hips to the target. It is important to be steady while shooting a bow.…

We’ve spent the past couple months discussing the many shooting skills necessary to be a consistently successful spot-and-stalk bowhunter. As I’ve said, this style of hunting can be unpredictable, and you must be ready to make an accurate shot from a variety of positions in a variety of conditions. This is the third and final installment on the topic. Shoot from Your Knees About half of my muley bucks have been taken while shooting from my knees. After I’ve crawled into position undetected, the last thing I want to do is stand up and take a chance the deer might see me. So, I shoot from my knees. Shooting from your knees has a lot of advantages. It decreases the size of your profile while keeping you low to the…

What makes a man a man? Is it the work we do? Does it come down to grip strength or test scores? Is it in what we own, or the magnitude of our accomplishments? Masculinity is complex, and the answers we seek seem lost in a culture that is confused about manhood. Yet, we need to figure this out — our sons and grandsons long for a clear picture of faithful, courageous masculinity. They need real men to show them the way. How can we be the fathers, grandfathers and mentors they need us to be? BOWHUNTING contributor Zeke Pipher wrote The Wild Man and Wild Mountain Tribe (a 14-week men’s guidebook) to explore the most important issues concerning manhood and to take men — young and old — on…

Xpedition Archery is rooted in an aerospace engineering company highly respected in its field with nearly 50 years of experience and technological depth. That’s not a bad platform for the 2017 Xplorer SS. Condensed Power Xpedition packs the 30-inch axle-to-axle rig with power in the form of the company’s XS Plus and PX3 cam systems. While compact in size, this bow is advertised to spit arrows out at 355 fps with a 6 1/ 8 -inch brace height. The Xplorer’s hybrid cam design features dual adjustable draw stops for a custom feel in the form of letoff, draw length and valley. Cams rotate on centerless ground and hardened stainless axles with flange bearings on the cams. Eccentrics and modules are machined from a block of 6061 T6 aluminum and then…

A Perfect Fit for Lady Bowhunters The biggest gripe echoed by most lady bow-hunters is that there just isn’t enough quality gear specifically designed for women. To accommodate our growing subset, many companies slap a pink logo on their men’s line and market it to huntresses. The result is a poor fit and frustrated females. But slip on the women’s Big Game line from Sitka Gear and you’ll immediately know this isn’t the case. Sitka teamed with female designers and hunters to develop their new women’s line, and the proof is in the fit and functionality of each piece. I sported the Timberline Pant, Core Lightweight Crew LS and Core Heavyweight Hoody on a recent hunt, and the typical bunching excess fabric was nowhere to be found. The durable, waterproof…

Name: Chris Wood Home: Washington, D.C. Occupation: Trout Unlimited President & CEO Years Bowhunting: 7 Current Bow: Java Man Tanjavur Recurve Favorite Animal to Hunt: Whitetail Deer Q: As president of Trout Unlimited, you lead an organization that’s responsible for conserving coldwater fisheries throughout North America. How does the work TU is doing benefit hunters? A: We do four things at TU. We protect, reconnect and restore river systems, and we work to sustain that work over time. When we restore a river system, we are also ensuring that the uplands are healthy, which is good for hunting. And when we educate kids about the importance of conservation, we not only sustain our work, we add to the army of hunter/angler conservationists. Q: Prior to TU, you worked as a…