Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i Petersen's Hunting

HISTORY Thisultra-performancemountaincartridgeisbrand, spanking new. Designed to fit into Weatherby’s superbly sleek, small-diameter six-lug Mark V action, it provides legitimate 6.5 magnum performance in a sub-five-pound mountain rifle. The combo is unprecedented and arguably the best thing on the market for 6.5 lovers that aggressively hunt mountain game in steep terrain. There is no true parent case, but the 6.5-284 Norma comes pretty darned close. In essence, the 6.5Wby. RPM is a 6.5-284 lengthened by 0.4 inch. Propellant capacity is about 19 percent greater. This is the first cartridge to ever wear the Weatherby name and not possess the signature double-radiused Venturi shoulder and a magnum belt. A rebated rim spawned the name, “6.5 Rebated Precision Magnum.” It’s the forerunner of a new era of premium, efficient magnum cartridge performance. APPLICATION…

Not so many years ago, one of the other major sporting publications declared the death of the 16 gauge, citing the lack of available choices in both new guns and affordable ammunition as the twin executioners of the sub-gauge shotgun. Then something interesting happened. Browning introduced a newly designed A5 and followed it up with a modern take on the original Sweet 16. Nostalgia is a powerful motivator when it comes to purchasing decisions, and a subtle pulse in the otherwise flat line showed a bit of life still beat in the 16 gauge. Along with a new offering came a renewed interest in sub-gauge shotguns, with both the 28 gauge and .410 taking off in terms of popularity. Advancements in shot technology made those little guns more lethal than…

ONE: Inspect the canner to make sure the gasket is flexible and not cracked, that all vent systems are in working order, and that none of the vent holes are clogged with food debris from previous canning sessions. TWO: Ensure jars are clean and sterile before starting the canning process by boiling them for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before filling. THREE: Don’t overcrowd your canner. Packing the canner too tightly or taking your jars out too soon can result in undercooked meat. FOUR: Adjust your canning times if you live higher than 1,000 feet above sea level. Consult the owner’s manual for your brand and model of pressure canner for the correct adjustments.…

MOSSBERG PATRIOT This is big, rough country, and shot opportunities are typically at long distances with a brief timeframe. I had faith in my Patriot chambered in flat-shooting .25-06. The button-rifled barrel and adjustable trigger delivered the accuracy, if not the sleek looks, of a much higher-priced gun. $500 MOSSBERG.COM VORTEX VIPER HD 15X50 BINOCULARS Invest in quality optics. Days of glassing will take a toll. These feature high-density glass in a package that’s surprisingly lightweight for the size. Pair them with a sturdy tripod and save the headache for the day after you celebrate tagging out. $769 VORTEXOPTICS.COM HORNADY GMX SUPERFORMANCE Coues deer aren’t big, but they are surprisingly tough for their diminutive size. So quality ammo is a must. These 90-grain copper-alloy bullets retain their weight and energy…

It is a ritual performed by tens of thousands of hunters across whitetail country every deer season. Dab a little doe-in-estrous urine on a boot, walk to the stand, dip a wick in the bottle, hang it from a limb, and wait for a buck to show up. Does it work? Lots of hunters think so. Although current figures are vague, one estimate places the deer lure market at $44 million annually. Another suggests it generates more than twice that. Effective or not, that pre-hunt ritual could earn you a ticket in a growing number of states. The use of natural deer urine is now illegal in South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, and at least six other states. Even possessing a bottle of doe pee is against the law. A few…

Back in 2008, when lead ammunition was banned in eight southern California counties, big-game hunters winced but complied, figuring shooting non-toxic bullets was their contribution to bringing back endangered condors. The ban was later enlarged to include coyotes, feral hogs, and small-game species in the defined condor recovery area. The wincing turned into full-body shudders in 2013, when California’s legislature passed a bill extending the lead ban to the entire state, purportedly to assist condor recovery. The ban, signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015, took effect this past July, and this time it’s not just certain rifle hunters who must comply. All hunters, whether pursuing desert bighorn sheep in the Mojave, pigs on the Central Coast, or cinnamon teal in the Klamath Basin, must use only certified non-toxic ammunition.…

Before, after, and throughout my long tenure as editor of this magazine the “Buck Sense” column written by John Wootters was one of our most popular departments. Created early on in the whitetail explosion, the popular column did much to shape the “whitetail cult” as it is today. However, Wootters was a proud Texan. Feedback from readers made it clear that some from other regions couldn’t relate to John’s primarily private-land in Texas situation. A few took stronger positions, calling an ethical “foul” over the use of feeders, which are part and parcel to Texas deer hunting and have been legal forever. Deer feeders are more widespread and accepted today than they were 40 years ago. As our whitetail populations exploded and overpopulation became an issue, more states legalized baiting,…

Bob hunted whitetails 75 days last year. To be clear, some of those “days” meant sitting an hour before or after work, but still, the 40-year-old Missourian perched in a tree more than some birds. Now, Bob’s not complaining that he gets to hunt so much—in fact, he feels extremely fortunate to do so—but I was surprised when he confided in me that trophy deer hunting is often a lonely place for him. Many of us can relate. It’s not lonely when Bob first starts bowhunting in October, riding high on the hopes of bucks he’s seen on trailcams. He’s geared up for the pre-rut, where he might pass several dozen good bucks. It’s usually toward the end of Thanksgiving deer camp—where nearly everyone kills a buck, celebrates, then goes…

You can drop upwards of $1,700 for a new, barebones bow these days. Fully outfitted, that same rig could cost you $2,500 or more. All to shoot deer at 20 yards. New bows are nice, but for whitetails and the ranges they are typically arrowed at, you don’t need to borrow against your 401K to get a bow. Take a look at the options like the new Centec from Quest. This sub-4-pound bow will send arrows downrange at up to 335 fps, is offered in two peak draw weights (55 pounds or 70 pounds), and is built with a host of G5 Outdoors-specific technologies. You can have it for $500, and the Designed To Hunt package that will have you fully accessorized is $580. Good luck finding a better deal…

BULLET BASICS Designed in the mid ’80s by Jack Carter after a brush with death when common bullets failed to quickly kill a Cape buffalo, the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) features a solid rear shank and a soft lead frontal core. Bonded into its cavity, the lead core ensures rapid, complete expansion without separation. The solid rear shank arrests expansion once the front has achieved the classic, desirable mushroom shape, and ensures that adequate weight remains for deep penetration. Currently, the TBBC brand is owned and manufactured by Speer and loaded into Federal’s Premium line of safari ammunition. TESTING GROUND Thomas Provstgaard used the bullet shown to shoot a massive old “dagga boy” Cape buffalo in Namibia. Fired from his .416 Rem. Mag. Kimber Caprivi at a distance of…

STAFF With the RACK HUB , showing off a set of antlers doesn’t have to mean an expensive trip to the taxidermist. This high-strength aluminum mount accepts antlers of any size with each side swiveling independently to show off the rack’s best features. The pegs secure in place via knurled metal knobs. Pick up a few extra inserts and swap out racks to keep things fresh. $60; rack-hub.com Ever spilled doe pee all over your pack? Of course you have. Every hunter has. And then had to live with that stink all season long. That’s why Wildlife Research Center developed the GOLDEN DOE WITH SCENT REFLEX in a handy, pressurized spray bottle. It guarantees less mess and sprays the powerful, buck-attracting scent right where you want it. $12; wildlife.com Portable…

Ask most hunters about the best way to preserve their venison and they will answer “in the freezer.” But what if you’re going someplace that doesn’t have electricity? Or you have limited freezer space? Or what if your power goes out for an extended amount of time? The answer is to take a page from our grandparents and great-grandparents and pressure can some of our venison. Canning not only will free up space in your freezer and provide meals during extended power outages, but also pressure-canned venison tastes really good. And it makes a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Pressure canning has been around a long time. Like most inventions, it came about because of money. Specifically, a reward of 12,000 francs posted by the French government in 1795…

MY FIRST tree stand, a Baker, was also the first tree stand for many other hunters of the early 1980s—because as the first major brand to enter the marketplace, it was the only one out there. A hunting buddy gave me that stand. He’d used it a couple times, had no more use for it, and warned me to be careful. I guess I wasn’t careful enough when I attempted to climb a tree with it. Let’s just say I lost a copious amount of blood, skin, and a fair amount of blue jean material as I repeatedly slid uncontrolled back down the tree. Most of my pals who used that stand had the same experience. That Baker was the only one I owned —briefly. The others I’ve sat in…