Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Petersen's Hunting

Coyotes have an incredible ability to survive. Consider the campaign to eradicate wild canines—both coyotes and wolves—from the landscape in the early 1900s. While it was more than effective at nearly making the wolf extinct from the Lower 48, coyotes survived. And thrived. Once their main competition was removed, coyote populations climbed. And they continue to do so today. A number of factors are at play here. In addition to reducing pressure from other predators, the removal of wolves from the West and Midwest led to an increase in populations of deer, rabbits, and other prey. More food sources combined with less competition gave coyotes room to expand, and when conditions are ideal, the size of a coyote litter increases to as many as 10 pups. Naturally, humans have a…

Lee Livingston was nine years old when he first visited the hunting camp on Jones Creek, a tributary of Wyoming’s South Fork Shoshone River. That was in 1975, the year grizzly bears outside Yellowstone National Park were given federal endangered-species protection and hunting was halted. “That was a major grizzly hunting camp,” said Livingston, who is both a Wyoming hunting outfitter and a Park County commissioner. “Hunters were taking bears out of that area right up until grizzlies were listed. I now own that camp.” In the 44 years since Yellowstone ecosystem grizzlies were federally protected, Livingston has seen their numbers increase from rare to nuisance levels. “I’ve watched them recover from a point when it was memorable if you even saw a bear,” he said. “Now the number of…

When my daughter Audrey’s bullet struck the mature black bear’s sweet spot, the bear snapped at the wound, whirled, and lunged into the jungle-thick undergrowth of central Idaho’s mountains. Darkness was coming on, but I wasn’t worried. She’d taken a calm shot from just 37 yards with her 6.5 Grendel locked into a tripod. I figured at that distance the little 100-grain monometal 6.5mm bullet had what it took to put the bear down fast. I figured wrong. The bullet didn’t exit. Fur soaked up what little blood seeped past the fat that plugged the entrance hole. There was no trail. Five of us gridded the area for most of the next day, but we never found a trace of that bear. My daughter was heartbroken, and I was crushed…

The Precision Rifle Series is one of the biggest trends driving shooting sports today. It’s a beautiful thing for riflemen, because it’s pushing manufacturers to unprecedented levels of innovation and to greater levels of practical accuracy. I like to think of it as “Practical Rifle Shooting.” PRS-type matches typically comprise several 10-shot stages, each fired at multiple different targets from multiple different improvised positions, within a two-minute time limit. No coaching is allowed, so shooters must spot their own impacts or misses and adapt accordingly for errors in wind calls and so forth. As in all competitive shooting disciplines, specialty rifles have emerged that are optimized for the sport. These tend to be heavy bolt actions sporting 10-round detachable magazines, with stocks configurable for length of pull, cheekrest height, and…

Reaching out to wary public-land coyotes requires quality optics you can rely on in all conditions. Crimson Trace made its name building tough, reliable lasers for first-responders, and that same dedication to quality is now available in a full line of riflescopes for both tactical and sporting applications. This 4-15x50mm model is perfect for predators, with just enough magnification range for the type of shots predators typically present, whether that’s up close in broken country or at extended distances on the wide prairie. The illuminated reticle is etched in place on the first focal plane, providing on-target holds at any distance. Tactical turrets adjust in ¼-MOA increments for added precision. Some of the scope’s coolest features are the handy leveling indicators and alignment ring, eliminating any guesswork or unreliable eyeballing…

Congratulations to Jim Shockey on winning the 2018 Weatherby Award. Shockey joins the ranks of an exclusive list of acclaimed hunters, including Petersen’s Hunting’s own Craig Boddington, whose name was engraved on the trophy in 2017. The two internationally known hunters represent the unprecedented honor of having back-to-back Weatherby recipients as valued members of the Outdoor Sportsman Group team. Boddington serves as Executive Field Editor here at Petersen’s Hunting, as well as at a number of our sister publications, and also joins us as a co-host of Petersen’s Hunting Adventures TV. Shockey is the producer and host of several programs airing on both the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel, including Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures, Uncharted, and The Professionals.…

BULLET BASICS Featuring a flat base and a round nose, this bullet is a classic copper cup-and-lead-core design. There’s nothing aerodynamic about it, but it’s known for immediate and dramatic expansion and is noteworthy for visually impressive impact results on big game. Plus, it tends to be almost absurdly accurate. TESTING GROUND The mushroomed bullet shown was used to take a big, old free-range nyala bull in the Umkomaas Valley of South Africa. Hunting with Crusader Safaris, I shot the 350-pound animal from a distance of 290 yards. The heavy roundnose bullet took the bull through both shoulders and dropped it on the spot. It was dead almost instantly. FIELD PERFORMANCE My .300 H&H handload reaches 2,742 fps muzzle velocity. Because the roundnose design sheds velocity quickly, it impacted the…

Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the SIERRA GAMECHANGER delivers match-grade accuracy in a tough hunting bullet. The lead core is surrounded by a concentric copper jacket that expands reliably and penetrates deep for maximum damage. A synthetic tip, tuned ogive, and boattail create a fast, balanced profile with optimum ballistic coefficients throughout the range of calibers. $18-$26 (per 50); sierrabullets.com A sturdy, rugged press forms the foundation of every reloader’s bench, and Lyman’s new single-stage VICTORY PRESS is as tough as they come. The heavy, cast-iron O-style frame has a five-inch opening to accommodate magnum calibers, and the one-inch ram operates securely and efficiently with every pull. The steel-shielded primer tube falls in a straight line for reliable feeding with each stroke. The press includes both large and small…

Price: $2,295 Weight: 8 lbs., 2 oz. (bare) Magazine Type: AICS Best Load: Hornady Precision Hunter 143-grain ELD-X Average Group: 0.73 in. Average Velocity: 2,618 fps Standard Deviation: 16 fps ADVANTAGES PRS-type rifles—even the lightweight ones—are optimized for precision. Caliber choice is critical, but an easy pick is the 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s mild recoiling, effective at long range, inherently accurate, and provides lots of barrel life. And importantly, it punches above its weight class, providing plenty of authority for most predators, plus deer, antelope, and, with the right bullet and careful shot placement, even elk. Stocks are engineered for ultimate ergonomics, meaning that they help you achieve stable field positions and execute clean, accurate shots. For the most part, they add configurability to basic ergonomics, making it possible to finesse…

In close-cover calling, many experienced predator callers prefer shotguns, and shotguns are often employed for hound hunting for smaller cats (but rarely, to my knowledge, for mountain lion). Provided the shot is beyond pointblank range, the pellet damage is almost invisible. The size of shot can be adjusted to the size of the animal. For coyotes, good turkey loads with hard shot are generally effective, but heavy No. 2, B, and BB waterfowl loads are often used. Mike Sanders, a Kansas neighbor, is a serious predator hunter and a far better caller than I will ever be. He uses the shotgun a lot loaded with T shot and shoots so often he has to buy a case every winter.…

• “I glass a lot more than most people, because pressured coyotes might be out there. They’ll just sit and watch and sit and watch and sit and watch. I figure if I can see them before they see me my chances of killing them goes way up.” • Take your dog hunting. Even if he’s not a tolling dog trained to range out, engage with coyotes, and draw them into range, a dog can provide a tempting visual for coyotes. Lundberg’s dog, Duke, is a Catahoula-cur cross that will howl when Lundberg howls, adding realism to the call. Plus, Duke will range out and draw coyotes in. He often spots coyotes before Lundberg and gives him a heads-up. Any dog will work, Lundberg said, as long as it stays…

I TRIED my best to will the moose to move, but it stubbornly stayed put. The bull was bedded in a clump of willows, and the only thing I could see was part of one palm. He needed to stand up so I could get a good look. I was in the wilderness of the Yukon, hunting Dall sheep, grizzlies, and moose. My cameraman, Lynn, and I sat under a spruce tree, protected from the howling wind. Our guide was just around the bend, looking in another direction, and our horses were tied just below us on the slope. I was deep in thought, thinking about the enormity of the moment and the place we were hunting. “Yukon” encompasses everything wild. It captures the imagination along with evocative words like…

Thank you for a great editorial on “Measuring Madness” (November 2018)! I have killed some big whitetails with a gun, but not yet with a bow. I understand and appreciate the challenge of “score worry” and this affliction we have with record book deer. But I do know this takes some fun out of my own hunting, and I ask myself why? I’m down to a quarter tank of gas now, and when they put me in a coffee can, score isn’t going to matter much, is it? My lifetime buck, maybe, but the stories that go with every deer harvest are what’s important. May we all seek our own dreams and harvests, leaving the measuring tape at home. KENNY MYERS Mt. Sidney, Virginia Thank you so much for your…

The statutory cap on recouping attorneys’ fees is set at $125 an hour, but courts routinely find that“environmental law is a recognized specialty for which enhanced rates are appropriate”under the federal Equal Access to Justice Act. How appropriate? Natural-resource cases routinely exceed the cap of $125. Here are some examples: • In Natural Resources Defense Council v. Locke (2011) the Natural Resources Defense Council averaged $312.35 an hour, with a high of $470 per hour. The high hourly rate reflects the work of senior attorneys in a firm. • In Citizens for Better Forestry v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture(2009),plaintiff’s attorneys averaged $375.77 per hour, but the Defenders of Wildlife, in the same case, averaged $537.01 per hour, with a high payment of $625 per hour. • In Wilderness Watch v.…

CABELA’S INFERNO 2,000G BOOTS Living up to their name, these heavy-duty boots give wearers 2,000-gram Thinsulate Ultra Insulation and provide more than 50 percent more warmth than traditional insulation thanks to SolarCore aerogel barriers found on the underfoot and toe areas. Breathable 4Most Dry-Plus linings are fully waterproof, while 12-inch leather uppers provide extra ankle support in tough terrain. Available in TrueTimber Kanati, Realtree AP, or black. $160; cabelas.com PROS TONS OF INSULATION CONS HEAVY IRISH SETTER VAPRTREK LS The LS (Late Season) are a continuation of the popular VaprTrek line of boots from Irish Setter, made specifically with cold-weather hunts in mind. The 1,200-gram PrimaLoft Gold insulation found in the boots retain loft to trap heat in bitter-cold environments. The Irish Setter UltraDry waterproofing system provides…

Diamonds of frost burst from a field of blue-stem as six thick-coated coyotes parted the grass and trotted single file like a mission-driven SWAT team. After the morning hunt I told my hunting buddy about them. “Why didn’t you shoot?” he asked. “I didn’t want to spook any deer,” I said. “So you’d rather they kill the deer?” he replied. To what extent do predators impact the deer herd on my small property? Do I need to do something? Can I do something? What I found after reading studies and talking to biologists surprised, confounded, and encouraged me. THE PREDATOR-PREY BALANCE There’s a reason why predators roam your whitetail property. If it holds deer then it has the habitat that benefits other types of wildlife. Prey animals attract predators. A…