Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2017 i Petersen's Bowhunting

Let’s face it; there’s nothing better than spending a day afield with bow in hand. Whether chasing backyard whitetails, bugling bull elk or exotic African species, the dawn of each new day brings unlimited possibilities for adventure and heart-pounding encounters with game. Unfortunately, archery seasons seem to pass in the blink of an eye, leaving diehards like us far too much time to plan, prepare and dream about future hunts. Like many fellow archers, I rely on outdoor television to help keep my bowhunting fire burning during those slow times. So, there’s nothing more frustrating than flipping the channels only to find an assortment of off-topic programming. There’s nothing wrong with waterfowling or fishing, mind you. It’s just that I’m a bowhunter, and when I need a bow-hunting fix, I…

II f you are reading this magazine, I assume you are a bowhunter. Maybe you are new to bowhunting and trying to learn everything you can. Maybe, however, you have been a successful bowhunter for years and are simply reading this because you are addicted and can’t get enough. Either way, we all want to be better shots, and if you say you don’t, I’d say you’re not a passionate hunter. There are many things that make up a great archer, and I plan on talking about all of them. But no one thing is more important than having a perfectly balanced bow. The overall goal of finding perfect balance is to be able to draw the bow with your eyes closed, settle in and open your eyes to a…

Bowhunting success can be elusive. Most factors that determine the final outcome of any hunt are not under our direct control. So, we should strive to make everything we do control as close to perfect as possible — starting with our bows. Nearly everything that makes a bow shoot fast and makes it easy to handle in the woods also compromises its accuracy. If extreme accuracy is your goal, it must take priority throughout the selection and setup of your new rig. I get a new hunting bow every year. And with each new bow comes the challenge of trying to be just a little more accurate than I was the year before. No matter how good my last setup may have been, I always believe I can make the…

Experienced bowhunters know scouting is critical to success, but how many of us actually go sit in the woods at night to keep tabs on deer when they are most active? As mentioned in this article, McKibben employed a Scout handheld thermal imaging monocular from FLIR to monitor local deer movements after hours and used that information in planning his hunting strategy. The FLIR Scout III ($1,899-$3,499; www.flir.com) displays images created from the heat signature of animals and terrain. Depending on the model, the Scout III is capable of detecting deer at ranges from nearly 400 yards to more than 1,200 yards. The unit offers a variety of brightness and color settings to maximize visibility in varying conditions on the 640x480 LCD display. In addition to being a great scouting…

Don’t Forget Us Hello from New Jersey! I’ve been a subscriber for several years, and I enjoy your magazine from cover to cover. I do feel, however, there is one demographic [you] could stand to recognize more often — the weekend warrior fighting to maintain his claim on some corner of public land. While a regular monthly department may be unrealistic, an occasional feature would be nice. It’s sometimes difficult to relate to stories of glassing from hilltop to hilltop across thousands of acres of valley floor, or maintaining vast food plots with the option of sitting in one of two dozen stands during some six-day hunt. I’m lucky if I can get out every Saturday to one of three stands I have hung on over-pressured state land. I do…

Most of us tune our bows and practice shooting all summer in anticipation of getting a shot at a good buck. We invest thousands of dollars and countless hours in hopes of having a great experience! But all our work is for naught if we don’t understand why paper cuts kill deer. Almost all deer killed by archery equipment die as the result of massive hemorrhaging, or blood loss. Hunters often ask, “How much blood must a deer lose before it dies?” This is a very difficult question to answer given the number of variables such as body size and gender of the deer, physical condition, level of excitement when shot, etc. A Lot to Lose The blood volume of most animals is approximately 7 percent of body weight. So,…

In the last issue, I offered some tips on how to improve the accuracy and precision out of your crossbow, primarily by ensuring all is in proper working order and selecting the right and best components. In this installment, we’ll pick up where we left off with equipment before moving on to you, the shooter. Bolt Components Before running out of space last time, I was discussing bolts and the importance of choosing the right length, weight and quality. Once you’ve done that, the next step is to choose components that are also up to the task. Nocks are a critical component that can really make a big difference. For starters, you want the right ones for your rig; the two most common types being flat and half-moon. Again, your…

1 You don’t have to look any further than your nearest Cabela’s to keep yourself warm in the field. The Instinct Backcountry Packable Super Warm Down Jacket ($220; www.cabelas.com) and Pants ($200) are sure to add time to your stationary hunts with windproof down insulation. The jacket packs into its own pocket while the pants pack into an included stuff sack. Made from 100-percent woven nylon, both garments are designed to trap body heat and come available in O2 Octane camouflage. Additionally, the pants feature a waterproof seat and knees. 2 The “ultimate hooded layering top and bottom” is how NOMAD describes its Dunn PrimaLoft Jacket and Pant ($199.99 each, www.nomadoutdoor.com). Both garments are insulated for the late season, are windproof and water-resistant and feature the SilverZ Scent Suppression System.…

Many bowhunters want to go on an out-of-state whitetail hunt, but far fewer want to wait several years to draw a coveted nonresident tag for Iowa or a top unit in Kansas. If that applies to you, there are several good reasons to consider hunting a state that doesn’t get as much attention as more popular options, such as readily available tags, less competition with other hunters and outfitted hunt prices at a fraction of what they cost in the glamour states. Here are four great options for high-quality whitetail road trips that won’t bust your budget: Maryland One state that rarely gets much national attention for its whitetail hunting is Maryland. Although whitetails inhabit the entire state, the heavily agricultural Eastern Shore is of particular interest due to the…

PSE is an archery industry icon, and the 2017 Evolve 35 is proof that the company continues to innovate even after more than 40 years of success. The Evolve 35 generates great speed via PSE’s Quad-Track dual-cam system, Wide-Track 982 Series limbs and America’s Best Bowstrings. Limbs are aligned to the long riser with the Wedge-Lock Speed Pockets, and multiple vibration-dampening accessories partner with the parallel limb position to tame the shot. Smooth & Adjustable The new Evolve dual-cam system features four separate tracks that play host to the string or cables at some point in the draw cycle. Each cable locks into one cam directly and then is tied to the other through the use of a yoked cable, with each end wrapped around a small-diameter disk on either…

Speed Kills With the company now firmly back into the world of archery, the new Hell’s Canyon Speed line from Browning features an athletic cut that is designed to fit the contour of your body. The start-to-finish system includes base layers, soft shells, rain wear, hats, vests, jackets, pants and more. Each garment is available in two camouflage patterns — A-TACS AU and A-TACS FG — and showcases performance fabrics that are excellent for your next Western spot-and-stalk hunt. MSRP: Varies by item Contact: Browning, 800-333-3288; www.browning.com Storm Warning Featuring exclusive C.P.E (Compressible, Packable, Expandable) technology, the new Hurricane Storm targets come vacuum sealed for extreme portability. Simply open the bag, shake it until it expands, stake it up and start shooting. Re-shake the bag every 50 shots for maximum…

SHOW ME A RECORD I had spotted this turkey the night before and watched the direction he went so I could get set up in the morning. Sure enough, after daybreak I heard him fly down and knew he was close. I had my bow already in hand and I just sat in my treestand like a statue, listening to my heart pound until I caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye as he walked into a food plot. As soon as he put his head down, I drew my bow and sent an arrow flying. It pinned him down and he flopped twice and that was it. I joked with my dad about possibly breaking the state record for weight, but I was stunned…

Christmas is just around the corner. You need to put something on your list or you may get socks and a tie again this year. I have some ideas for you! It is nothing to spend $800 or even $1,000 on a bow and another $500 on accessories and arrows. Fortunately, you don’t need those high-dollar setups to kill just about anything that walks on this planet. Today’s bargain bows were yesterday’s barnburners. Just five to 10 years ago, the highest-performance bows on the market were on level with the budget bows of today. They were fast enough and accurate enough then to grab headlines and make us yearn to buy one. The deer and elk haven’t changed, so if that level of performance was top shelf back then, you…

Hoyt has expanded its Defiant series for 2017 with three new models — the Pro Defiant, Pro Defiant 34 and Pro Defiant Turbo. The Pro Defiant features Hoyt’s DFX Cam & ½ system, UltraFlex split limbs, Pro-Fit laminated wood grip, Offset riser design, Fuse custom string and cables and more. Specialized Engine To the delight of many Hoyt fans, the company is bringing back its popular DFX Cam & ½ system, which is flexible in terms of draw length and the feel of the back wall. Three base cams and a rotating module cover draw lengths from 24-26 inches, 26-28 inches and 28-30 inches. System letoff is advertised at 75 percent. Dual cable stops offer a firm back wall, and for those wanting an absolutely rock solid back wall, there…

Preface I’ve been through a lot of bow-hunting buddies over the years, and my current partner far surpasses all the rest combined — my dog Lulu! Loyal to a fault, upbeat beyond measure and energetic far above the call of duty, Lulu is my constant companion in the field. Whether I’m bowhunting for bears, turkeys, elk or pronghorns, Lulu is a dedicated follower of my old philosophy — no arrows in the air, no arrows in the hair, bowhunt till you drop! A more-than-willing participant in all my outdoor junkets, Lulu travels an average of 20,000 miles a year with my wife Peggie and I. Lulu is one redhead who is always ready for adventure, casting a sense of excitement over all our endeavors. This month, I’d like to take…

The chart below shows the Pope and Young Club’s top whitetail entry states all time (since 1961), as well as the top states from the last five years (2011-2015). Studying this data may help you choose which state to hunt next, though Pope and Young spokesman Rick Mowery advises hunters to put the information in proper context. “Some of the states that rank near the top do so because they have a ton of hunters in the woods. As a result, they kill a lot of quality bucks,” Mowery said. “Those states might not always be the best states to go to if a guy doesn’t want to compete with hunters and wants to find a trophy. Some other states listed on the chart don’t receive as much pressure but…

Preparation is the key to bowhunting success, and that’s doubly true when hunting with children. Simply put, kids lack the finely honed hunting instincts that come through years of experience. So, helping a youngster punch a tag typically requires getting a little closer to their quarry and allowing a little more time to prepare for the shot. This past fall, my 10-year-old son, Timmy, was determined to tag his first whitetail. And considering what I just said, you better believe I was determined to do everything in my power to put him in the best possible position to succeed. The first half of the equation was preparing Timmy for the shot. Given his age, lack of experience and low compound bow draw weight, a crossbow was the logical weapon of…