Petersen's Bowhunting July 2023

Back when I was a kid in the 1970s, telephones had wires plugged into the wall, and the handsets we used to listen and talk had cords that physically attached them to the phone’s base. I know it seems archaic to you younger folks, but somehow we managed to get by — albeit not without a bit of discomfort. For example, let’s say you wanted to ask Suzy from chemistry class to the prom. You spent hours working up the nerve to call, and when you finally entered Suzy’s numbers via the rotary dial, you had to have the entire conversation standing in the kitchen, with your annoying kid brother watching, because the phone cord was only five feet long! The point is this: For a long, long time after…

Don't Overlook Your Clothing's Impact on the Hunt! Right now, in the months leading up to opening day, there are many things we can do to prepare ourselves for the “big moment” we all hope to experience this fall. We can practice shooting, hang trail cameras and cut shooting lanes. We can also consider past mistakes and do whatever possible to prevent the same ones from happening again. This month, I want to focus on one often overlooked area that can be a big mistake — heading afield with noisy bowhunting clothing. Let’s dip back into your hunting memory vault. Remember that time you waited all fall for a chance at your target buck? Finally, it happened, but just as you were getting to full draw that buck heard you…

The Best Manmade Food Sources Are Created in Nature’s Image From a whitetails’ perspective, you could argue that food plots really didn’t change a whole lot for the next 90 years, as even today most plots consist of a single plant species. However, in more recent years there have been some dramatic and exciting changes, giving rise to a new paradigm known as regenerative food plotting. I believe this shift is a real game-changer for the benefit of deer and deer hunters, as it addresses the underlying causes of a whole host of problems caused by poor soil health. Based on current trends, I feel confident saying that in the future, food plotting will look vastly different than it does today. That’s because — much like “modern” agriculture — con…

Laser-Rangefinding Bow Sights Are a Game Changer Laser-rangefinding sights such as the Garmin Xero A1i Pro and Burris Oracle 2 are a relatively recent advent. So, just in case you have been hiding in a cave for the last few years, let me explain what they are and how they work. The Basics These sights have two unique characteristics. Obviously, they incorporate an internal laser rangefinder to determine the distance to the target. They also have a heads-up LED sight reticle that projects an “electronic pin” onto the glass lens in the sight aperture (viewing window). This pin is usually a red or green dot projected onto the glass. It is positioned to shoot the exact distance the laser rangefinder measured to the target. Once mounted to the bow and…

You Must Hunt Mature Bucks as Individuals In this column, I will move quickly through the timeline and explain how the behavior of these two bucks evolved as they aged. Then I will draw a few interesting conclusions. The Timeline I nicknamed the two bucks “Double G4” and “Loppy.” Not surprisingly, their names came from antler characteristics each buck exhibited when they were young. I was aware of Double G4 in 2008, when he was a 3-year-old, but didn’t start hunting him until the next year. I found Loppy when he was very likely 4 years old the following fall. Both bucks were living on the same ridge in the middle of the farm in 2009, when I figured they were both 4. 2009: A few times I saw both…

Go Over Every Detail Before You Hit the Field When it comes to accessories, crossbow manufacturers package most premium bows with the essentials necessary to get into the field and shoot. An optic, quiver, bolts and cocking aid are all vital for using the crossbow, but in some cases they are basic. That said, they can all be upgraded. For example, advanced optic options on the market nowadays range targets, provide aiming points or utilize turrets for adjustments. A premium optic can reduce the time needed to take a shot, see the target clearly or provide aiming options to offset trajectory. Slings and Packs One of my favorite accessories is a good sling. Carrying a crossbow in hand can cause muscle fatigue, and packing a crossbow through the woods quickly…