Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i Petersen's Bowhunting

BASE CAMP BASICS Chow Down Rather than weigh down your pack with several gadgets, plus silverware for dining in camp, travel light with Outdoor Edge’s ChowPal — an all-in-one eating/ multi-tool. The single-bevel knife, fork and spoon quickly and easily slide apart for everything you need to eat a meal in the backcountry. The ChowPal is crafted from 420J2 steel for strength and stability and also features a can opener, bottle opener, flathead screwdriver and graduated wrench. At just 2.4 ounces, the unique tool seamlessly locks together when not in use to fit in the convenient nylon carry bag. MSRP: $27.50 Contact: Outdoor Edge, 800-447-3343; www.outdooredge.com Gimme Shelter The Granite Creek tent from Browning Camping features low-profile, lightweight construction, created with active hunters in mind. A freestanding design and pole…

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS In the April/May issue, we asked what you see as the biggest threat to the future of bowhunting. Here’s what you had to say: Access Issues What I see as the biggest threat to bowhunting’s future is hunter access — in other words, a good place to hunt. I have hunted for over 40 years, and finding good places to bowhunt is harder than ever! Leasing hunting land has become quite expensive, and the quality of free hunting has dwindled. Also, increasing are private land owners that either allow no hunting or they allow too many people to hunt. If we are to keep bowhunting alive, we must have quality hunting ground, or nothing else matters. Who wants to hunt where a deer sighting averages one out…

If you’re an avid crossbow hunter like me, chances are you need a fresh supply of bolts and broadheads for 2018. Equipment purchases always present an opportunity to try something new, and this year manufacturers are offering plenty of exciting innovations when it comes to choosing the “ammo” for your crossbow. Bolts Like all Beman shafts, the new ICS WhiteOut crossbow bolts ($41.99 per 6; www.beman.com) are made with multi-laminate carbon before being straightness checked and weight matched to ensure accuracy. WhiteOut bolts feature white shafts for increased visibility in flight and on target, as well as making it easier to see blood and other bodily fluids on the shaft to help determine where you hit and when and how to follow up the shot. ICS WhiteOut shafts are available…

SUB-1 ™ Designed to be the most accurate, quiet, easy to use crossbow on the market, the SUB-1™’s compact frame promises an unmatched shooting experience. Mission Crossbows 608-269-2728 missioncrossbows.com Whup Those Bugs With Whup-A-Bug® in your pack, early season mosquitoes and insects are no longer a worry! Whup-A-Bug® is an all-natural, ecofriendly and botanicals-based insect repellent created and manufactured in America. From the stand to your yard, it’s safe for your family members of all ages, and even your pets! See the whole Whup-A-Bug® assortment and more hunting products at LuckySnipe.com! Lucky Snipe 660-427-5793 luckysnipe.com 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-percent made-in-Montana mount is constructed of pro-grade aluminum that’s anodized…

When my brother Brad started hinting about bowhunting antelope in South Dakota, we soon presented the idea to our mother and father. You see, Brad was 16 and I was 13. In other words, we couldn’t execute the trip alone. Our parents agreed, and the planning began. We scoured countless magazines for antelope-hunting articles, frequented online forums and even bought a legendary 2-D Mel Dutton antelope decoy. We had previously chased turkeys and whitetails in our combined six years of bowhunting, so imagine how excited we were about this Western adventure bowhunt. While our five-day hunt ended with a few shot opportunities, our arrows fell long and short of our intended targets. Still, that hunt more than 15 years ago was the egg that hatched a passion I pursue heavily…

While some are fortunate enough to gain access to prime private property, the vast majority of bowhunters take to public land each year. But threats to this access — from changes in legislation to mismanagement of resources — put hunting opportunities for the Average Joe in danger. That’s why Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is spearheading the fight to “keep it public.” BHA was formed in 2004 around an Oregon campfire when a group of friends resolved to effect change on conservation efforts and preserve the 640 million acres of public land across the United States. What began as a volunteer-led, grassroots initiative has grown into a force with a membership of 18,500; 29 employees and chapters in 39 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. BHA focuses on…

I am drawn to the big woods — rugged, mountainous habitat far from the city lights and sounds of civilization. Believe it or not, you can find plenty of this terrain in the Pennsylvania Wilds, a rural region that covers 25 percent of the state’s land area but is home to just 4 percent of its human population. Covering all or parts of 13 counties in north central Pennsylvania, the Wilds contains more than 2 million acres of public land, including 50 State Game Lands, 29 State Parks, eight State Forests, two National Wild & Scenic Rivers and the 517,000-acre Allegheny National Forest. The Wilds is the closest thing I’ve found to true backcountry adventure in the Eastern United States, and it’s an area where all are welcome to explore,…

Xero In On Your Target With a shorter draw length and lower draw weight than many of my male counterparts, I have a relatively slow arrow speed. So, guesstimating distance to a target and “pin gapping” with a multi-pin sight can be a real challenge. But Garmin’s new Xero bow sight makes this a non-issue. The Xero essentially combines a laser rangefinder and single-pin slider sight into a more efficient package that eliminates guesswork for more ethical shot opportunities. Quickly mount the sight and button trigger and begin the prompted setup process. Once your first distance is calibrated — typically at 20 yards — you can set additional marks in 10-yard increments. The Xero then allows you to range at rest or at full draw by pressing the button trigger…

Deadly Merc A one-piece stainless steel ferrule and 1 1/8-inch cutting diameter make the new Merc from Muzzy both durable and deadly. An innovative tip design encapsulates three razor-sharp, replaceable blades for bone-crushing power. The 100-grain Merc also features a threaded aluminum blade-retention system to ensure the broadhead can take a beating and maintain its deep-penetrating power. MSRP: $39.99 per 3 Contact: Muzzy Broadheads, 800-282-4868; www.muzzy.com Discreet Treat VANISH Blackout deer attractant from Wildgame Innovations is a powerful, long-range attractant that includes a highly palatable blend of protein, fat and complex carbohydrates that are both tasty and contribute to a deer’s health. Just as importantly, VANISH will be obvious to the keen senses of deer but virtually invisible to humans when placed on the ground and lightly raked into the…

If you’ve shot a bow for any length of time, you have heard about follow through. In this column, I am going to take a closer look at follow-through, specifically as it relates to your release hand/arm. In short, proper follow-through involves your release hand and arm falling away from the anchored position as the shot fires. A lot of people misunderstand what follow-through actually is. Most will say, “You really need to work on your follow through,” or “Make sure you remember to follow through,” or something along those lines. In reality, follow through isn’t something you should be working on to have a great shot. Rather, it’s the result of a great shot. The goal in execution is a surprise release, where you aren’t anticipating the timing of…

Bowtech continues its march toward constant improvement and customer satisfaction with its 2018 lineup. The personalized draw cycles, shooter-specific tuning and customizable counter balancing combine to set Bowtech apart from the competition. Kick It Into OverDrive Bowtech’s OverDrive Binary Cam lies at the heart of SmartBow Technology, essentially the bow’s ability to be customized to an individual shooter. Two identical cams are machined from a solid block of 7075 aluminum. A set of unique axles called the Cam Synchronization Axles (CSA) are splined and pressed into each cam and the pillow block cantilevers, which locks them into the rotation of the cams. The end of each cable is yoked and attached to each end of the CSA, which is not concentric and works with the overall system to provide customization.…

Technology has certainly changed the hunting game dramatically in the last dozen years or so. Researching hunting areas has become massively streamlined nowadays, saving the average DIY’er lots of time, fuel and frustration. A few years ago, I began using onXmaps products as my go-to source for land status information. The overlays provided by this cutting-edge company are invaluable in locating and accessing public lands, especially “patchwork” public lands. Thanks to onXmaps, I now have a wealth of dependable information about my hunting areas that I’d never have acquired otherwise. Being able to view satellite imagery with onXmaps overlays is priceless! I can instantly identify public lands, with every “flavor” of public ground (state wildlife areas, walk-in areas, U.S. Forest Service, BLM, etc.) leaping off the screen in color-coded splendor.…