Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Petersen's Bowhunting

It’s easy to take bowhunting for granted. After all, humans have been using bows and arrows to put food on the table for at least 10,000 years, and probably a lot longer than that. However, the history of “modern bowhunting” dates back fewer than 100 years. It wasn’t until 1934 that Wisconsin held the first recognized archery-hunting season in the United States, followed by Michigan in 1937. Back in those days, every bow-hunter headed afield with a longbow or recurve, since it would be another 40 years or so before compound bows were invented! Sitting here in 2018, it is amazing to think that in only eight decades, bowhunting has gone from a sport that was literally non-existent to one with roughly 3.6 million participants nationwide who support an entire…

Manufacturer: Prime Archery, 810-392-8431; www.g5prime.com Model: Logic Riser: Center Grip Design, reflex Grip: 2-piece side-panel Ghost Grip Limbs: Split, parallel, composite glass Draw Weights: 40, 50, 60, 65, 70 and 80 pounds peak Cam System: TRM Parallel Cam Letoff: 80 percent (advertised); 80.34 percent (as tested) Draw Lengths: 24 1/2-30 inches, in half-inch increments; cam specific String: BCY 452X, 24.450 inches, plus yokes Cables (x2): BCY 452X, 37.40 inches Brace Height: 7 inches Axle-To-Axle Length: 31 inches Mass Weight: 4.3 pounds (advertised and tested) Finish: Optifade Open Country and many more Advertised IBO Speed: 330 fps Suggested Retail Price: $1,199 Comments: A compact, high-performance bow with low shock and virtually no vibration.…

In spite of the cloudy science regarding the tangible benefits of mineral supplementation, there are multiple studies that document whitetail deer eating soil to consume minerals that are in limited supply. It’s hard to imagine there is no benefit to the whitetails that seek these minerals out during such critical times in their annual cycles. Because of these observations, I’ve always felt it was more natural to develop a mineral site that mimics natural deposits. For this reason, I prefer granular minerals so I can dig up the soil and mix the supplement into the loose dirt. When possible, I also prefer to add a bucket of water before leaving the mineral site. This helps mix the nutrients into the soil, as you never know when the next rain is…

Forged in the ruggedness of Montana, Trophy Taker earned its reputation for durability and innovation through pounding use by hunters and competitors. Today this notoriety extends to a full line of accessories including rests, quivers, stabilizers and more. TROPHYTAKER.COM The patented airfoil tip of Ramcat Broadheads make them aerodynamically superior to anything you’ve tried. If field point accuracy and big time blood trails are what you’re missing, put this magazine down and go get a pack. RAMCATBROADHEADS.COM…

Bushnell Impulse Celluar Bushnell’s Impulse Cellular ($299, plus monthly data plan; www.bushnell.com) features dual processors that work simultaneously to capture one picture per second. Engineers focused on making the Impulse easy to set up and connect to any smartphone. Bushnell has a total management platform starting at $9.99 per month for a plan that includes 1,000 thumbnail images. If you want a better look, download a high-resolution image. Even if you surpass your monthly data limit, your camera continues to work and photos are stored on the Bushnell server. The Impulse also features WiFi/ Bluetooth connectivity that allows high-res image downloads from up to 150 feet away, 20 MP still images, 1080p HD video, six-month battery life, .2-second trigger speed, 5-second recovery time, 100-foot no-glow flash, an anti-theft system that…

Manufacturer: Elite Archery, 877-503-5483; www.elitearchery.com Model: Ritual Riser: Dual Cage Technology, aluminum, reflex Grip: Machined, with wooden panel inlays Limbs: Machined Gordon Split Limb Draw Weights: 50, 60 and 70 pounds peak Cam System: Elite 2-Track dual cam Letoff: 70-90 percent, adjustable;80.8 percent as tested Draw Lengths: 26 1/2-31 inches, in half-inch increments; modular String: Winner’s Choice, 452X, 59.5 inches Cables (x2): Winner’s Choice, 452X, 37.625 inches Brace Height: 6 3/4 inches Axle-To-Axle Length: 33 1/4 inches Mass Weight: 4.3 pounds (advertised); 4.15 pounds (as tested) Finish: Mossy Oak Break-Up Country, Realtree Xtra and many more Advertised IBO Speed: 335 fps Suggested Retail Price: $999 Comments: Super smooth draw, dead in hand and stealthy quiet.…

Lessons Learned Today was an amazing day for me in the woods. I left my phone at home, and it was one of the best things I’ve done in three years. I had time to reflect on my own thoughts and not everyone else’s. After sitting in my blind about two hours, I stood up to stretch my legs and the sun hit my face just right. In that moment, I realized why I was really out there. The past three years, I have dedicated so much time and effort to the sport of hunting that I lost my way on the real reason I was out there. I’m not blaming the industry, because I do know the difference in everyone’s hunting territories. I don’t pursue monster bucks simply because…

For years, I would have bows that aimed well and bows that didn’t. Some people might have thought that’s just the way it was and in some rare cases, they would be right. Most of the time, however, there were some things I could do to improve how well a bow aimed. Examples include adding more weight tension to the top limb of a single cam bow, putting my nock in the dead center of the string on a two cam bow and playing with cam timing on a dual-cam bow. I shot single-cam bows for most of my life and loved them. I won more tournaments with a Mathews Apex than any other bow, and it’s still one of the best-aiming bows ever made. However, there was one thing…

Many years ago, archery transitioned from longer axle-to-axle bows to shorter, compact styles. About the same time, the industry also made a big move toward high letoff bows. These bows were fast and fun to shoot. These designs were so popular, they have pretty much become the standard. However, when the transition first happened, we struggled to shoot the compact, high letoff bows. They were comfortable to draw, aim and shoot — but the accuracy was awful ! We would spray arrows left and right of the target. And adding broadheads to ends of our arrows only exacerbated the problem. When shooting these new bows, we noticed right away the bows would twist in our hands differently from shot to shot. If the bow was twisting differently during each shot,…

Go Rogue Take your bowhunting to the next level with the Rogue Series base layer shirt and pant from Pnuma. L-AV8 IE Technology uses electromagnetic infusion to increase stamina and blood flow, maximizing energy and endurance in the field. The soft, mid-weight polyester blend features Pnuma’s SilverStrike for long-lasting antimicrobial scent control and flat stitching for high-performance comfort. MSRP: $68 each Contact: Pnuma Outdoors, 717-248-8658; www.pnumaoutdoors.com 3-D Superdrive Designed specifically for 3-D archers who want the maximum diameter scoring advantage in a lightweight shaft, Easton now offers the Superdrive 27. The strong, high-performance shaft features all-carbon Superdrive construction and a 27/64-inch outside diameter, ideal for tournament use. Superdrive 27 arrows are available in a 270 spine with the G-UNI or Super UNI nock system. MSRP: $108.99 per 12 Contact: Easton,…

Prime Archery has taken a holistic approach to meeting customer needs. Rather than focus on a single performance variable, they focus on the entire package and how it will impact the shooting experience. Their Project Centergy is designed to create bows that draw smoothly, anchor at a solid back wall and remain steady on target for longer with minimal pin float — all followed by a pleasant release and good overall experience. For 2018, Prime adds the short axle-to-axle Logic to the Centergy series. Set Apart Prime is truly set apart from the rest of the pack by its unique Parallel Cam system. When you see a double cam on the same side of the bow — it’s a Prime! This system creates a wide-stance platform that stabilizes and laterally…

Last month, we discussed what’s really in a bag of food-plot seed and how to make sense of that without getting caught up in the marketing. If you read that column, hopefully you are now wise enough to ignore the fancy graphics on the front of the bag (think 200-inch bucks) and instead flip the bag over to read the label. This month, I’ll take a similar approach to the topic of minerals. As any bowhunter knows, the same aisle stocked with food-plot seed also has a plethora of mineral supplements GUARANTEED to grow massive racks almost instantly. Lots of hunters use minerals, and if you are one of them, have you ever wondered if you are throwing your hard-earned cash in the dirt along with the pixie dust? And…

Elite Archery is staffed by team members who are concerned with integrity, genuinely excited about their product and dedicated to their customers. They are exactly what you would expect, or at least hope, your bow manufacturer would be like. This year, the Elite team focused their energy on efficiency — enter the 2018 Elite Ritual. Elite’s flagship rig is outfitted with a Dual Cage riser that enhances stiffness and strength that results in reduced shock, vibration and noise. A set of Gordon split limbs bring greater efficiency through increased surface area for energy distribution. A newly designed grip uses two wood side plates and unique machining to create comfort and consistency while the LTR Roller Guard reduces torque. Maximizing Efficiency Elite engineers set their efforts on making the new Ritual…