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.
On the plus side, this unit can be hunted on an over-the-counter archery license, holds plenty of elk and has lots of public land for eager bow-hunters to roam. But the big downside is high hunting pressure — one of the key reasons overall archery success in the unit is less than 7 percent. In other words, 93 out of every 100 bowhunters in the unit will eat tag soup. I’ve always said you have to be an optimist to be a bowhunter, and I think the decision to tackle this hunt qualifies me in that department! On the first day of our hunt, my friend Tory and I hiked about 7 miles into the backcountry. At midday, we were resting in the sunshine on a rocky outcropping overlooking an…
With no choice but to wait until then, it’s during these summer months that we find ourselves “prepping” for success in the fall. I don’t know about you, but right now I’m antsy, and I find every excuse I can to prepare for the best hunts I can have down the road. In the mornings, I drive back roads with a spotting scope in my lap, hoping to catch a glimpse of a buck. Come midday, I check trail cams to see if anyone familiar shows up in my regular stomping grounds. And, in the evenings I hang with the family and shoot bows. Kelsy and I have two girls, ages 4 and 8, and they love shooting. Honestly, for me, they make archery fresh again. I’ve always loved the…
My interview with retired surgeon and bowhunter Dr. Joe Bumgardner also detailed two types of shock that lead to an animal's demise: hemorrhagic shock (massive blood loss) and spinal shock (transecting the spinal cord with an arrow). Now, I'll discuss the “gut shot” and also explain why a single-lung hit isn't always lethal. Gut Shots If you bowhunt long enough, you may very well face the frustration of releasing an arrow and hearing that dreaded, hollow sound of a stomach or paunch hit. The mood in camp when a fellow bowhunter has delivered an arrow “a little too far back” is one I’ve experienced many times. This is no time for feeling sorry for yourself; rather, you need to focus all your attention and energy on finding a dead animal.…
TRUTH BE TOLD, you cannot completely silence your bow. Unless the wind is blowing violently, or thunder is crashing around you, any deer within bow range will hear you shoot — even if you are shooting a recurve bow with fingers. However, the volume of sound your bow produces, the distance you are from the deer, and the quality of that sound (think metallic clang versus 'whoomph’) all make a significant difference in determining whether the deer will react instantly and violently. If you don’t believe this, try an experiment. Sneak up behind an unsuspecting person and while standing directly behind them, clap your hands loudly just in back of their head and watch their reaction. Most likely, they will have an instant physical reaction. Now, do the same thing,…
I’VE LEARNED over the years that it’s the little things that add up to make a big difference, not only in hunting strategy but also in bow shooting and setup. In an effort to help you become even better shooters, here are seven simple tweaks that I focus on every summer to produce better habits and better accuracy in the fall. Tuning Tweaks Fine-Tune Your Rest: Proper left-to-right position of your arrow rest can instantly improve arrow flight and accuracy. If you are struggling with a bow that seems to have a mind of its own, or you just bought a new arrow rest and are setting it up for the first time, these basics will get it squared away right from the start. When setting up for a release…
HUNTING PUBLIC LAND can be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, archery enthusiasts have millions of acres available to hunt, hike and play with few restrictions. The downside? Everyone has access to these same parcels. There are several ways to approach a public-land hunt with a crossbow to give yourself an advantage; however, the best advice is to keep things simple. Use Shooting Sticks Crossbows are heavy and often touted as advantageous because you can be at full draw before encountering an animal. But for you to have that advantage, a rest or shooting sticks are required. Anyone who doubts this should try holding an 8-pound crossbow in position for a minute or two and see if they can keep the reticle steady on target. Hunt From the…
