Petersen's Bowhunting January/February 2019

If there’s one thing bowhunting has taught me — painfully, over and over and over again — it’s humility. Simply put, a lifetime isn’t nearly long enough to master this game; and no matter how many victories you record in your hunting journal, I guarantee the next defeat is never too far down the road. Some of you may recall my feature article in the November/December issue, Making It Look Easy, that chronicled the incredible deer-hunting success I enjoyed in the fall of 2017. I won’t rehash all the details, but the bottom line is I hunted a total of eight days to kill four bucks in four states — including a 13-point Kentucky velvet buck that grossed 1813/ 8 inches and a 13-point Kansas giant that grossed 182 6/…

Eddie Hammers His Point I generally go straight to the last page to read Eddie Claypool’s columns. I’m more than touched by his most recent, The Journey (p. 80, Nov/ Dec 2018). I’ve been bowhunting since the mid-1960s and still love every minute of it. Eddie hits the nail on the head with the evolution of my thinking and bowhunting goals over those years. It’s most enjoyable now, at age 63, when I can just enjoy the whole picture of each day without any pressure from myself or others to put another animal on the wall. I’ll be out there in a wheelchair if necessary one day, too. Tom Weigand, Shellsburg, Iowa Straight Talk on Arrow Spin In Levi Morgan’s article on arrow vanes ( Choosing the Right Vanes for…

There are so many little things you do every time you draw, aim and release your bow. Each one affects the outcome of your shot in some way. Your anchor is the most impactful when it comes to consistency. I have taught and used a three-point anchor system my whole life: hand-to-face contact, hand-to-release contact and, finally, string-to-face contact. If I had to pick the one that is most important, I’d say it is string-to-face contact. Archery is about being able to repeat things over and over, and there are some techniques that make doing that a lot easier. When it comes to contact between your face and your bowstring, there is a fine line between too little contact and too much. That’s why I don’t like kisser buttons. You…

Two products have changed the way I hunt more than any other advances that have come along in the past 30 years. In most cases, these two breakthroughs have made me more effective as a bowhunter, but they have also allowed me to enjoy the experience more — to get more out of my hours in the field. In the end, we all hunt for slightly different reasons, but respect for the game and a real desire to be immersed as deeply in the experience as possible are universal. These two game changers do that for me. Trail Cameras I came late to the trail-camera party and didn’t start using them until 2008. I wish I had started sooner, because I would know more about the deer I hunt as…

Since its first organized gathering in Virginia in 1977, the Southeast Deer Study Group has served as an annual think tank for deer managers and scientists to share the latest research and issues related to whitetails. I began attending the meetings as an undergraduate student of wildlife science in the 1990s and immediately recognized that research presented during the annual, three-day event is packed with insights that can make us better bowhunters by being better deer managers. So, with that in mind, I thought it would be worthwhile to provide an overview of the group’s 41st Annual Meeting, held in 2018, and summarize some of the key findings of interest to those of us with a passion for chasing whitetails with stick and string. QDM = Better Hunting Does private…

Your peep sight may seem like a relatively unimportant bow accessory. Most bowhunters think of the peep as a one-size-fits-all add-on. You buy any old peep, put it in the string and you’re good to go! However, the peep is far more important than most bowhunters realize. Your sight picture is a big deal, and few things impact it as much as your peep sight. When it comes to the sight picture, there are only a few variables within your control. The most important of these are the size, type and position of your peep sight. Improving your sight picture should be a priority. Over the course of the next three columns, I’m going to tell you everything I know about peep sights! Hopefully, this information will help you make…