Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Petersen's Bowhunting

As I’ve often noted in this column, bowhunting success rarely comes easily — if it comes at all! Because of that, successful bowhunters tend to be irrationally optimistic, goal driven, tenacious and resilient. After all, learning to deal with failure is a prerequisite for achieving your “advanced bowhunting” badge. This month’s issue is filled with tales of adventure from bowhunters who refused to let temporary setbacks stop them from pursuing their dreams. Perhaps no one better exemplifies this “never say die” attitude than Field Editor Eddie Claypool, whose public-land bow-hunting success has long since surpassed legendary status. In One Wild September Out West (p. 64), Claypool shares the story of how he killed not one, but two, great public-land bull elk last September during trips to Wyoming and Idaho. For…

Hoyt is one of the “big dogs” of bow manufacturing. Hoyt’s personnel, design capabilities and production processes are all top notch. Those factors are also why we, as consumers, expect big things from the company each year. Let’s take a look at Hoyt’s mid-year release, the Nitrux, and see how the team did. The Nitrux — available just in time for hunting season — features Hoyt’s TEC Riser design, Cam & ½ hybrid system, Quadflex laminated limbs and ZT Roller Guard cable-containment system. In addition, the Nitrux is home to several vibration-killing accessories and is available in five popular camo patterns and six target versions that combine a black riser with limbs painted in different colors. Instant Recognition There have been different versions of Hoyt’s TEC (Total Engineering Concept) riser…

The ability to read and react, whether that means well-timed mid-season adjustments to changing whitetail patterns or an aggressive hang-and-hunt strategy, is critical to success as a whitetail bowhunter. If you can stay ahead of the action, you are going to have a successful season. In this feature, I am going to profile two ways adding mobility to your treestand hunting plans will improve your success this fall. Hang and Hunt The hang-and-hunt strategy is a self-contained approach to deer hunting. It is not something you do two or three times per season to fine-tune an existing stand. Instead, you start from scratch nearly every day to assure you are hunting fresh stands as often as possible. Your odds of taking a nice buck are never higher than the very…

Low-Light Looking Adding to the popular BX-5 Santiam HD line, Leupold now offers the binoculars in 8x42 and 10x42 models. The Twilight Max HD light-management system allows for extended glassing in dim conditions. A lightweight housing features a rubber armor coating for easy-to-grip durability. BX-5 Santiam HD binoculars are available in Shadow Gray or Optifade Subalpine and backed by the Leupold Full Lifetime Guarantee. MSRP: $1,494.99-$1,624.99 Contact: Leupold, 800-538-7653; www.leupold.com Tack Driver PSE’s all-new Drive X sets the standard when it comes to value-priced performance, featuring amazing stability on target and an IBO speed rating of 332 fps. The Drive X is built on a forged aluminum riser and has a 7-inch brace height, measures 30 inches between the axles, weighs 3.7 pounds, has 80 percent letoff, accommodates draw lengths…

Worried About Crossbows I read The State of the Sport Report in the July issue with interest and concern. I’ve enclosed a report that was written some 35 years ago (in 1983) and would like to share it with you. I believe it’s still valid today. We (the Ohio Bowhunters Association) were passionate about protecting bowhunting and our bow season from being exploited by crossbow manufacturers and their lobbyists. We knew the manufacturers were targeting gun hunters for their crossbow market but needed bow season to sell them — mainly because bowhunters did not want them. We lost the battle because we couldn’t compete with the money, power and big-time crossbow manufacturers lobbying the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Today, crossbows dominate the market because they are easily mastered. Why take…

#DeerWeek, brought to you by Leupold, Kimber, and Old Trapper, runs Sept. 17-23 on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel. Each night from 7 p.m.-midnight you’ll find the networks’ very best deer-hunting shows. Additional #DeerWeek programming is available on the MyOutdoorTV mobile app, and a wide variety of #DeerWeek videos, articles, hunting tips and prize giveaways can be found across our social media platforms. For full schedules, contest info and more, visit www.deerweek.com.…

Manufacturer: Hoyt, 801-363-2990; www.hoyt.com Model: Nitrux Riser: TEC design, reflex Grip: X-ACT, thermoplastic polyurethane, neutral wrist Limbs: Quadflex 12, laminated fiberglass, split Draw Weights: 40, 50, 60 or 70 pounds peak Cam System: Nitrux Cam & ½, hybrid Letoff: 80 percent (advertised); 81.7 percent (as tested) Draw Lengths: 24-30 inches, on two base cams and rotating modules String: Fuse, BCY X99, 54.75 inches Cables (x2): Fuse, BCY X99, 34.625/33.125 Brace Height: 6 ½ inches Axle-To-Axle Length: 31 ½ inches Mass Weight: 4.2 pounds (advertised and as tested) Finish: Kuiu Verde 2.0, Realtree Edge, Optifade Subalpine and Elevated II, Under Armour Ridge Reaper Barren, plus target colors Advertised IBO Speed: 333 fps Suggested Retail Price: $949 Comments: A compact, high-quality bow.…

Once you have seen enough and decide it is time to make your move, don’t wait until the off-season. If you know there is a better spot, get your stand over there immediately! However, you need to be careful when moving a stand during the season. Don’t leave so much evidence behind that the bucks will avoid the spot until the next season. The key is to get the job done with the least amount of human scent and the least amount of disruption to the natural order. I always try to move stands during the middle of the day — ideally, when the weather is unsettled such as on a windy or rainy day. I almost always wear waist-high waders when moving stands, because I have seen that they…

Manufacturer: Excalibur, 800-463-1817; www.excaliburcrossbow.com Model: Assassin Safety Features: Anti-dry fire, finger guards, trigger safety, de-cocking strap Riser: Micro 6, black anodized aluminum Cam System: None (recurve bow) String: Dyneema, 25.875 inches Cables: None Limbs: Micro, solid, custom fiberglass Draw Weight: 285 pounds Power stroke: 10 inches Stock/Forearm: Injection-molded, fiber-reinforced composite Grip: Pistol style Overall Advertised Length: 30-33 inches, adjustable Weight (crossbow only): 7.7 pounds (advertised); 8.3 pounds (as tested) Finish: Realtree Edge camo Advertised Speed: 360 fps with a 350-grain bolt Suggested Retail Price: $1,699.99 Comments: Highly adjustable, easy-to-operate and extremely accurate.…

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. Licensed product of Mossy Oak® Archer Sight 845-658-8557 archersight.com Trophy Arm Trophy Arm gives you the freedom to rotate, extend, lower, or raise your shoulder mount at any time to face any direction. Stack multiple mounts in one spot, or hang your mount in the corner. From Deer to Elk, the possibilities are endless. MSRP: $39.99 - $89.99 Trophy Arm (940) 280-2371 trophyarm.com Most Durable, Tunable Drop-Away Rest Ever The Magne’…

Manufacturer: Mission, 608-269-2728; www.missioncrossbows.com Model: SUB-1 Safety Features: Auto-engaging safety trigger, bolt detector, finger guards Riser: Machined aluminum, RS Tread design, black anodized Cam System: High-letoff SYNC X String: Zebra, 41.75 inches Cables (x2): Zebra, 20.50 inches Limbs: Split, Gordon composite, wide stance Draw Weight: 95-200 pounds, adjustable Power stroke: 13.75 inches Stock/Forearm: Aluminum stock frame with separate foregrip, pistol grip and butt stock Grip: Pistol grip Overall Advertised Length: 30.25 inches Weight (crossbow only): 7.5 pounds (advertised); 7.3 pounds (as tested) Finish: Black or Under Armour Ridge Reaper Forest Advertised Speed: 350 fps with a 400-grain bolt Suggested Retail Price: $1,499 (base package) Comments: A quality crossbow from front to back; well balanced and accurate.…

The small, fiberglass bow and wooden arrows were only for “play.” So said Mother. But the young boy thought otherwise. He imagined rabbits and squirrels falling to the mighty weapon. And within days of receipt, the bow had drawn first blood. But Mother never knew. Confiding in Dad, the youngster displayed his quarry for approval. Smiling, Dad nodded in understanding. With instructions to bless his neighbor with his bounty, the boy knocked on the neighbor’s door. Ol’man Carter was more than happy to receive the rabbit, and heaped praise on the young man. There was something about all this the boy liked; yep, something he liked a lot. A few years later, the boy and his parents moved to the outskirts of town. Big woods loomed on the horizon; new…

Most bowhunters put very little thought into their arrow vanes or vane align ment. The majority do the same thing I did for years; they either have the local pro shop fletch their arrows or they buy them pre-fletched. But I’ve learned there really is a lot of accuracy and consistency to be gained from understanding the role vanes play in your arrow flight. You ought to take into consideration the distance you are going to be shooting, how heavy your point weight is, how quiet you need your setup to be and your bow’s natural launch rotation. The longer the distances you shoot, the more you need to think about the balance between having enough vane guidance for your arrows but not too much. Once you get past about…

Years ago, one of us was shooting tournaments and bowhunting regularly. He was getting better with each practice session, but the gains were very slow. Eventually, the progress stopped altogether, and his shooting became stagnant. He didn’t have access to top shooters or coaches to ask for help. So, he had to be his own coach. He read lots of articles and books about proper form and follow-through. He knew the release of the bowstring was supposed to be a surprise — not something he consciously anticipated. At the moment of release, his bow was supposed to move straight toward the target and his release hand was supposed to move straight back away from it. He had taken all the information and applied it — or at least he thought…

You can calculate the front-of-center balance-point percentage of your arrows using the following formula: %FOC = 100x(A-L/2)/L A = Balance point as measured from the throat of the nock to the point of balance. L = Total arrow length as measured from the throat of the nock to the back of the point. (Do not include the length of the point in this measurement.) For example, let’s say you shoot an arrow that measures 28 inches from the throat of the nock to the back of the point. And let’s say the balance point of that arrow lies 19 inches from the throat of the nock. Start by dividing the total arrow length, 28 inches, by 2, which gives you 14. You then subtract 14 from the balance point, 19,…

Tight Quiver, Tighter Groups As an Eastern bowhunter, 90 percent of my time afield involves sitting in treestands for whitetails. And, like most whitetail hunters, I’ve traditionally used a quiver simply to carry my arrows in and out of the field — removing the quiver from my bow once on stand and hanging it on a gear hook above my head. But after I got the editor’s job at BOWHUNTING a decade ago, I started to do more Western hunts for elk, mule deer and pronghorns. Most of those are of the spot-and-stalk variety, which necessitates shooting with your quiver on the bow. And over the course of time, I’ve come to appreciate the benefits a bow-mounted quiver offers in terms of keeping a follow-up arrow at the ready, with…