Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Petersen's Bowhunting

After slowly coming to full draw, I settled into my anchor position, looked through my peep and steadied my aim on the deer’s vitals. Holding my sight pin carefully behind the buck’s shoulder, I pulled through the shot and watched as my arrow sailed downrange and hit home. “Heart shot!” my buddy Brian exclaimed. “That’s a great shot — if you were bowhunting.” The only problem was, I wasn’t bowhunting. I was shooting a team 3-D tournament at my local archery club. And despite the fact my arrow would have killed a real deer within seconds, I was less than thrilled with its location on the foam target. In the 3-D game, missing by even a fraction of an inch will cost you precious points. And on this target, I…

In my feature for this issue [Celebrating October, p. 80], I mention the need to keep impact to a minimum during the early season in order to save your best stands for the best times. However, I stop short of telling you how to actually hunt those stands once the time comes. In this column, I’m going to dovetail the feature by focusing on that goal. Let’s assume you have just one week to hunt and the property you’re going to hunt is relatively small — 120 acres or less. Your hunting vacation will probably fall during the rut. The idea is to apply as much pressure as you can without the deer knowing it so they keep moving naturally (i.e, moving in daylight). The perfect squeeze is more art…

Peep location dictates anchor point. If you just eyeball the peep’s height on your bow, your anchor point will probably be uncomfortable, and if it’s uncomfortable, it will probably hurt your accuracy. Thankfully, we here at Spot Hogg have a great way to set peep height. We don’t just eyeball the setup and call it good; we have a recipe. When we set up a bow, we roughly sight it in at 20 yards. We first draw the bow with our eyes closed and find an anchor point that’s comfortable and repeatable. Then we open our aiming eye, and if we can’t see the sight housing through the peep sight, we let down and adjust the peep height. We continue drawing the bow with our eyes closed and adjusting the…

Author Adam Hays III makes several references in this article to the Red Moon and the role it played in his success, but what exactly is the Red Moon? Hays explains it this way: “In a nutshell, there are two times each day when the moon is either directly overhead in the 12 o’clock position or directly underfoot in the 6 o’clock position. During these times, the moon’s gravitational pull is the strongest, impacting not only things such as ocean tides but the activity of deer, elk and other wildlife. Although the moon moves through its orbit on a daily basis, there are only a few days each month when these peak gravitational pull times coincide with the natural peak wildlife activity times around dawn and dusk. When this occurs,…

Contrary to popular belief, stalking is not just a Western hunting tactic. These skills can be used in the whitetail deer and turkey woods, and I’m living proof of that! The great thing about learning to spot-and-stalk is it gives you another option when deer hunting. Let’s say it’s November, and you’ve spotted your buck bedded down with a hot doe. Chances are they may bed for hours. So, if she doesn’t walk past your stand, there’s no way this buck is coming within range. But it’s also a prime situation to put a stalk on! You can get the wind in your face — you already know where they’re bedded — and formulate a plan to get within range of the buck! The game is back on, and you…

THE SWELTERING HEAT of late August in central Colorado is wreaking havoc on my mood The tempeature is high, as is my temper. In fact, I’m livid Clenching-my-teeth, nose flaring, veins-popping-out-of-my-neck livid “Why did you get so close to the edge? I spew at my hunting partner, Joe Kavanaugh What good did that do us in any way?” Moments earlier, a herd of elk in the valley below, a herd containing a nice 5x5 bull, had blown as a result of swirling winds. With them went all of my hopes for a successful hunting season. Bowhunting elk with an OTC tag is hard enough without screwups like that. “They were just sitting down there minding their own business. They didn’t have a clue that we were nearby,” I continue. “A…

Manufacturer: Barnett, 800-237-4507; barnettcrossbows.com Model: HyperGhost 425 Safety Features: Auto trigger safety, nock-sensor anti-dry-fire mechanism, safety wings Riser: Step-through, injection-molded composite Cam System: Dual cam Axle-to Axle Length: 17.69 inches (at rest); 12.44 inches (cocked) String: BCY’s DF 97 base material, 39.75 inches Cables (x2): BCY’s DF 97 base material, 20.5 inches Limbs: 1818 Quad Parallel Split Limbs Draw Weight: 200 pounds Power Stroke: 16.33 inches Stock/Forearm: Injection-molded, glass-filled nylon Grip: Pistol, soft-touch wrapped Overall Length: 36.25 inches Weight (crossbow only): 7.7 pounds (advertised); 8 pounds (as tested) Finish: Mossy Oak Original Treestand Advertised Speed (with 380-grain bolt): 425 fps Suggested Retail Price: $1,299.99 Comments: Fast, well-balanced, and easily controlled.…

Much Mo’ Ozone Building on the success of the HR300 in-the-field ozone unit, the Orion offers bowhunters an even better way to hide in plain sight when afield. The Orion boasts an increased battery life of up to 10 hours in standard mode and eight hours in boost mode. It also raises the scent-control bar with a new “Hyperboost” mode, producing about 25 percent more ozone for use during tricky environmental conditions and peak animal-activity periods. The Orion is compatible with all existing Ozonics accessories and can be used indoors or outside to remove unwanted odors. MSRP: $549.99 Contact: Ozonics, 979-285-2401; ozonicshunting.com Low Price, Lasting Quality TruGlo has updated its popular budget bowsight, the STORM, with two new models. The G2 sights —a 3-pin and a 5-pin — feature an…

Most people who have shot a bow long enough have developed some form of anxiety while aiming. For many, this anxiety eventually leads to target panic,which destroys their ability to make a good shot and takes all the fun out of the game.Even if it doesn’t turn into full-blown target panic, anxiety will, at the very least, cause them to anticipate the shot and freeze up during execution. Aiming anxiety is something I deal with all the time, and it really messes with my timing and execution — not to the point where I want to “punch the trigger,” but enough that I quit executing when my pin leaves the middle of the target.This causes a start-and-stop approach that, in general, doesn’t work well for an extended period of time.…

In my last column, I listed the 10 features I consider mandatory in a Western bow-hunting sight. They are: • Bright pins (fiber optic) • Bubble level • Ability to shoot to at least 60 yards without any adjustments (five or more pins) • Repeatability • Ruggedness/reliability • Gang adjustment • Ability to aim spot-on at longer distances (a “floater” or “slider” pin) • Ease of adjustment (individual pins, gang adjustment and the “floater” pin) • 2nd - and 3rd -axis adjustment capability • Lightweight I covered pin brightness in the last issue, so now we’ll continue down the list and discuss bubble levels and their importance when shooting and hunting out West. Bubble Levels In order to consistently hit the bull’s-eye, you must hold your bow at the same…

Hoyt is famous for building high-performance hunting and target bows that can withstand tons of abuse and still keep on keeping on. The new Helix, loaded with innovative and iconic features, continues that proud tradition. Torture-Tested Tec Hoyt outfits the Helix with a version of the company’s Tec Lite riser, which is highlighted by a vibration-channeling strut that gives Hoyt bows instant brand recognition. The company subjects all its riser designs to an incredible 1,500 dry fires and 1 million cycle tests! The Helix has been designed with more of its overall weight forward of the grip to maintain balance throughout the draw and shooting cycles. This results in less movement, reducing kick and improving consistency and accuracy. The Perfect Balance stabilizer mounting system works to equalize weight distribution by…

Scent Crusher ®  Travel Closet The Scent Crusher® Travel Closet provides an easy and effective way for hunters to eliminate odors from clothing and equipment. The digital generator emits chemical-free ozone that starts destroying odors within 30 minutes. The 68" x 22.5" x 20" Closet is easy to assemble and tough enough to use outdoors. Great for basements, garages, and hunting camps. Includes a carry bag. Scent Off. Game On. Scent Crusher® scentcrusher.com CanCooker Jr. The CanCooker Jr., now with a nonstick coating, is the little brother to the Original CanCooker, and is designed for a family supper. Built out of food-grade, anodized aluminum, the CanCooker Jr. can be heated on a number of heat sources, from campfires to BBQ grills.The high-temperature silicone gasket helps trap the steam that is…

In my June 2017 “Whitetails” column, Take Control of Your Hunt [p. 16-17], I mentioned one of the most under-utilized deer management tools: water! I rated water guzzlers and watering holes for whitetails as the most neglected of my “Sainted Six.” Ever since then, it has been my goal to circle back and drill down on creating well-placed, high-quality water sources to gain more control over when, where and how often you dump the string on whitetails. I’ll also address forage banking, because having both food and water when the time is right equates to your best year yet. Let’s combine the two and see how the average bowhunter, whether they own hunting property or not, can own the season! Working with landowners and bowhunters across the country, I’m frequently…

Sorry I’m late. My annual update on crossbow regulations usually comes earlier in the year, but things kind of got away from me in 2019. So, here it is — better late than never, as the saying goes. Space constraints preclude a comprehensive round-up; fortunately, there’s increasingly less opportunity for change, as crossbow use is now so widespread. So, instead, I offer some of the more interesting and noteworthy examples from the last few years. Alabama Progress Alabama made crossbows legal for hunting in 2004. It was quite a controversial step at the time, and, as a result, it got lots of press. What was very clear in the written regulations but most everyone neglected to point out was that the law change made crossbows legal only for hunting during…

Manufacturer: Hoyt Archery, 801-363-2990; hoyt.com Model: Helix Riser: Aluminum, reflex, weight-forward design Grip: X-Act, molded polymer, one piece Limbs: Hybrid Split, parallel Draw Weights: 40, 50, 60, 65, 70 and 80 pounds peak Cam System: ZT Hyper Pro Cam & ½ Letoff: 80 or 85 percent (82 percent as tested) Draw Lengths: 24 ½-30 inches, in half-inch increments; rotating module String: FUSE, BCY X99, 56.88 inches Cables: FUSE BCY X99, 33.63 inches (Control), 32 inches (Buss) Brace Height: 6 inches Axle-to-Axle Length: 30 1/2 inches Weight: 4.3 pounds (as advertised); 4.45 pounds (as tested) Finish: Realtree Edge, plus many more options Advertised IBO Speed: 342 fps Suggested Retail Price: $1,199 Comments: A well-built bow that scores good marks across the board.…

REDEMPTION [n.]: an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake Back in 2017, my good friends Greg and Beau Jensen of LandProz invited me to hunt elk on their New Mexico ranch, about an hour west of Albuquerque. Since they normally hunted the second archery season, I would have the run of the ranch until the end of the first season, which wrapped up Sept. 14. With the ranch being 9,500 acres, and me not having any experience on the land, they recommended I hire a local guide to help me out a bit with setting up camp and guiding me on my hunt. After contacting Butch Porter of Porter’s Guide and Outfitting Service, he agreed to help and also guide a couple of my best friends…

AS THE BEADS of sweat rolled down my forehead and onto my nose, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God it didn’t go into one of my eyes, I thought as I lay in the shadows by some large boulders, waiting for my opportunity. I had been on standby for almost an hour, waiting on a pronghorn buck to finally stand and stretch its legs. Like a sniper, I remained motionless, yet ready to strike at a second’s notice. I had executed the perfect stalk, which started hours ago. I was now inside what I call “The Red Zone.” As a lifelong bowhunter, I’ve gone through many different stages and tried many types of gear and hunting methods. But if there’s one thing that has completely changed my bow-hunting…

I’ll never forget hearing my first bugle. The big bull cresting the hill and breaking the silence of opening morning was enough to give even the most experienced bow-hunter chills, let alone a 21-year-old college student on his first foray after elk. That hunt, my first of the season, certainly got off to a thrilling start, but it paled in comparison to what was soon to come. I had received a phone call not even two months earlier telling me that I had drawn the Nebraska Super Tag, a single-entry, once-in-a-lifetime lottery tag that allows the recipient to harvest one elk, one deer, one antelope and two turkeys with any weapon, as well as two years to do so. Now, here I was a few weeks later on opening day,…

Call in an Airstrike When it comes to bowhunting big game, my philosophy on shot distance can be summed up pretty simply: Closer is better. Thirty yards is fine. Twenty is better. I’ll even take a 12-yarder if the animal wants to cooperate. At that range, I’m pretty confident I can hit where I’m aiming! While it would be great if all our opportunities in the field fell into the “chip shot” category, that just isn’t realistic — particularly during spot-and-stalk hunts when we have to channel our inner ninjas to slip in close while beating an animal’s eyes, ears and nose. That’s why having a precise arrow you can depend on at longer ranges is so critical, and that’s exactly what Gold Tip had in mind with the all-new…

Driving toward southeastern Wyoming in mid-November of ’94, I was on a high. The past month had provided me with some good bucks in two states, but I was on a binge; could I make it three? Winter had arrived early that year, and as the snow blew across the highway, I wondered what I was getting myself into. I’d never bowhunted southeastern Wyoming; never hunted whitetails in Wyoming. Could I find ground to hunt on? Would I find whitetails to pursue? Would I end up roaming the windswept plains in search of a mule deer? Could I endure the sub-zero temps that were on the scene? Maybe I’d end up on my way home in a few days with my tail between my legs. All these questions were soon…