Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 - January 2017 i Petersen's Hunting

Hunters, by their very nature, are always looking toward the far horizon for adventure—wondering what is over the next ridge, the next forest, the next mountain range. This makes them curious about all forms of hunting and hearing other’s tales wherever they gather. The act of storytelling around the campfire is probably as old as the hunt itself. As we launch into the fast-paced, ever-changing digital age, some fear that storytelling will come to an end. I feel the exact opposite is true. Technology is just enhancing the art of the tale, and new digital platforms can amplify the message to far more people around the world than ever before. Take My Outdoor TV (MOTV), for example. This new app from The Outdoor Channel and The Sportsman Channel allows anyone…

WHERE: South Africa WHEN: August 2016 SCORE: 29 inches RIFLE: Blaser R93 .375 H&H Magnum HUNTER: Ken Anderson “Anecdotally, there does seem to be less willingness among newer landowners to allow any hunting,” says Lewis. “A lot of those newer landowners struggle to get along with the older, longtime residents. They often don’t share the same values.” If private land is becoming more difficult to access, Burke wonders if state agencies should be focusing on that. Adding more hunters into the mix through recruitment and retention programs may create more demand, but with fewer places to put them, those efforts may be pointless. Lewis thinks states first should be looking more at working with private landowners to create access instead of creating more hunters. “I think if we can create…

Going off the grid used to be pretty easy. Load your pack, kiss your spouse goodbye, and head out the door for a few days in the backcountry. Luckily for your friends and family, there no longer are excuses to go days without checking in. Thanks to new technology that utilizes the Iridium satellite constellation, you can take satellite devices to places where cell service is not available to provide phone, texting, GPS tracking, and even SOS capabilities in case a search and rescue is needed. In this Petersen’s Hunting Field Test, we stepped away from the usual satellite phone review and focused on three units that provide texting capabilities at affordable prices. DELORME INREACH EXPLORER The most comprehensive of our test, the inReach Explorer is more than just a…

In the 1970s we did a very good job making the public aware of the plight of the African leopard. Back then, when I started hunting in Africa, leopards were getting thin on the ground. The reason wasn’t sport hunting. In 1968 alone some 8,000 leopard skins were imported into the United States to be used for coats and other apparel. Public awareness backed by law—first the Spotted Cat Act, then the Endangered Species Act, and then the near-worldwide Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)—stopped this nonsense. Although the leopard pattern remains popular, when is the last time anyone has seen a real leopard coat? Over the past 35 years the leopard has rebounded dramatically. In most of Sub-Saharan Africa, they are widespread, surprisingly plentiful, and continuing to…

It’s no secret. Finding quality hunting land is more difficult every year. It’s why so many hunters drop out of the sport. A National Shooting Sports Foundation survey showed that “not enough access” and “not enough places to hunt” were the leading factors influencing participation. Considering 84 percent of all hunters rely on private land to some extent, finding a solution is more critical than ever. Much of the blame is placed on urbanization and sprawl. While both do contribute to the decline in available land, other, subtler, factors are playing an increasing role in the availability of huntable land. New research is shedding light on what land is being hunted and what factors contribute to a landowner’s decision to give or deny permission. “A lot of social factors are…

HISTORY Born six decades ago into a world dominated by double-barreled rifles, the bolt-action-specific.458 Win. Mag. offered blue-collar shooters an elephant-capable cartridge in a rifle type they could afford. Performance emulated the more practical of the double-rifle cartridges, and the “Four-Five-Eight”soon proved itself so capable on dangerous game that it became standard issue for most game-control agencies.Without argument, the .458 Win. Mag. is the single most successful big-bore bolt-action cartridge ever designed. APPLICATION Because it heaves a rather ponderous bullet downrange at moderate velocity, the .458 is of limited use past relatively close range. It’s designed for the biggest dangerous game and is most at home inside 100 yards. Of course, it performs well on lion, the bigger bears, and so forth as well, as long as hunters are willing…

As with any species, it’s important to hunt in an area that has agood leopard population. But leopard hunting is a highly specializedundertaking,in that you’re getting a highly skilled nocturnal hunter to present itself at the time and place of your choosing. Far more important than an area with lots of leopards is doing the homework necessary to find a professional hunter who is an experienced leopard hunter with a track record for success. But please understand with the leopard there are no guarantees.…

I have done many hunts in many places, but I have never been with an outfitter that prepared me better than Canada North. This was a good move on their part, because the Arctic is a totally unfamiliar environment, never comfortable, and sometimes downright deadly. Their equipment list is detailed and needs to be followed. Even in May I lost count of the layers of clothing, and despite good gear, when the wind came up I got cold. A unique touch: Canada North’s John Sauro met me in Ottawa and handed me a goodie bag: candy; plate, cup, and silverware; a few Mountain House freeze-dried meals just in case; a heavy wool watch cap; tissues; and a pack of wet-wipes. I didn’t need the food; my team was well prepared,…

Africa, 1909 Theodore Roosevelt was an explorer, avid sportsman, rancher, cowboy, a primary founder of conservation, and the 26th President of the United States. He was known for hunting—and shooting—both large and small game not only in the United States, but also abroad. Roosevelt headed to the Dark Continent in 1909 as the leader of the Smithsonian African Expedition to collect specimens for the Smithsonian’s new U.S. National Museum (now known as the National Museum of Natural History) then under construction in Washington, D.C. Accompanied by his son Kermit and 250 porters and guides, Roosevelt spent 11 months trekking 2,500 miles across British East Africa and into the Belgian Congo before heading back along the Nile and finishing in Khartoum. Traveling with four tons of salt for hide preservation, and…

BULLET BASICS Made for maximum penetration on large, often dangerous game, the DGS (dangerous game solid) bullet features a hard lead alloy core with a copper-coated steel jacket.This construction keeps it from deforming on contact with excessively large, dense bones, and a flat nose helps it resist deflection and causes more tissue damage than a roundnose design. A heavy cannelure locks the rear-inserted core in place and provides a groove to crimp case mouths against to prevent movement during heavy recoil. TESTING GROUND The bullet shown was recovered from a giraffe shot in Zimbabwe. Giraffes have extraordinarily thick hides that tend to destroy many conventional expanding bullets, and by virtue of their size and build, giraffes also have massive bone structures. FIELD PERFORMANCE Fired from a .375 Ruger, the bullet…

With a side-by-side double, the center of gravity is in the middle. So under recoil the right barrel rises to the right and the left barrel to the left. When regulated, the barrels are thus not exactly parallel, but slightly converging toward the muzzle to compensate.That’s why it is such a difficult art to get the barrels to shoot together and also why you must shoot a double a bit differently. Also, understand that regulation is normally valid only at the velocity of the regulation load. Forget classic benchrest technique and do not use a recoil-arresting harness. Solidly rest the rifle over sandbags and pad your shoulder. Grasp the fore-end firmly with your supporting hand, hand rested on the fore-end rest, so the rifle can recoil naturally. Shoot in pairs,…

POPULATION It is impossible to properly count an animal as secretive as a leopard, but the African population is estimated to approach two million—a whole lot of leopards. MOST EXPENSIVE HUNTS Tanzania, where a 21-day license is required to hunt leopard.Where hound hunting is legal, a significant premium is generally charged for use of the dogs. LEAST EXPENSIVE HUNTS Baited hunts in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. DID YOU KNOW? Although called “spots,” the leopard’s markings are actually rosettes—oblong clusters of spots. The jaguar of the Western Hemisphere has similar rosettes, but with a black spot in the center that is lacking on leopards. Although leopards have been documented killing eland (Africa’s largest antelope), small animals make up a large portion of their diet. A study in Zimbabwe’s Matopo Hills…