Petersen's Bowhunting is the source for the tactics, tools, and techniques necessary for successful bowhunting. Get practical shooting tips and useful information on archery, equipment tests, clothing, and product evaluations.
At last, I could enjoy quiet, peaceful days afield without fear of competition from other hunters. And all those mature bucks that normally become nocturnal in response to intense hunting pressure would finally frolic carelessly past my perch. Yet as good as all that sounds in the moment, I also realize how hollow such an experience would be. After all, without any fellow bowhunters, with whom would I share my summertime trail-cam pics? Who would help set up stands before opening day or track deer through a nasty thicket? And what would be the joy in winning an annual big-buck contest where I was the only entrant? You see, selfish ambition aside, sharing bowhunting with others is what makes the experience so special. I was reminded of that over and…
Sometimes, you can fall into these unforgettable experiences by lucking out and hanging your stand in a travel corridor that lights up come breeding season. Instead of leaving it up to luck, however, I prefer to take the guesswork out of the equation and go for a walk in deer country. I know hiking around in your favorite little hidey hole is normally considered taboo, but I’m encouraging you to go early. If you want to enjoy the crazy experiences that come with the hottest part of breeding season, you need to scout ahead of time. Here in Saskatchewan, prime rut — when most does are in estrus — is around Nov. 20. I like to prepare my rut stands right around when scrape lines start appearing. Around here, that’s…
Since I’m limited to 1,000 words in this column, I’ll provide two herd models on the next page that detail the impacts of two completely different harvest strategies — mismanaged and well-managed — and let you tease out the implications for your hunting area. Truth is, there is not a state wildlife agency in America with the ability to better understand how the local deer herd uses your Back 40 than you do. State agencies use models designed to achieve management objectives across a vast landscape, and as such, these models contain large numbers that lead to large assumptions that may not be applicable to your piece of deer dirt. Two Models Our two herd models are simple numerical representations of the same herd. Although the herd starts out the…
October offers the best weather of the year. Nothing beats it. The sights, sounds and even the smells are pure indicators our favorite pastime has begun. October is an awesome time to be 18 feet up in an oak tree. But if you are not careful with your hunts, you can do real damage to the rest of your season. Despite the joy of being out there, hunting during the first half of October is usually unproductive. Because of my job, I have been blessed with the ability to hunt whenever I wanted to for the past 31 years. I have hunted some really awesome whitetail land during that time. But despite those obvious advantages — unlimited time afield in world-class whitetail habitat — I have killed only one giant…
In this column, I will wrap up the discussion by giving some options on how to trigger the release aid most efficiently, give some recommendations on the styles that might work best for hunting and discuss a few of the critical points not yet covered. A high-quality release aid will have a very “crisp” trigger, meaning there is no movement of the trigger before it fires. These triggers should be adjustable, so you can set the trigger tension light or heavy. There are several quality brands of handheld release aids on the market, such as STAN, Scott and Carter, to name a few. For the past 30 years, I have used Carter releases almost exclusively for both target shooting and bowhunting. They are built with absolute precision and have proven…
SOMETIMES, WE ARE our own worst enemies. For example, recent crossbow innovations have led to speeds up to 500 fps and rifle-like accuracy, with less than 1-inch groups at 100 yards. All this sounds great to the crossbow hunter; however, numbers such as these provide grist for the mills of crossbow opponents, and perhaps those unfamiliar with crossbows when taken at face value. It is then left to crossbow proponents to dissect each grain and separate the wheat from the chaff in order to provide a more accurate explanation of the continual advancements in the crossbow world. We can blame some — but not much — of the misdirection on crossbow manufacturers. They’re in the business of selling bows and accessories, and claims of “bigger, better, faster, stronger” are an…
