Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2021 i Petersen's Hunting

Shawna Roach is like a lot of 7th graders—alternately bubbly, distracted, and deadly serious. All those attributes were on full display during her first Pennsylvania deer season, said her mom, Brenda, who accompanied her in the woods last fall. Parental companionship is a stipulation in the Keystone State, which requires all hunters ages 12 and 13 to be accompanied by a licensed family member 18 or older. But Brenda served another role: impromptu hunter-education instructor for her daughter. That’s because Pennsylvania suspended its formal, in-person hunter-ed courses for first-time hunters because of COVID-19 restrictions. Students were given the option to take an online course and then to spend their first season in the company of a licensed mentor. For Brenda, who hadn’t hunted in years, the experience was educational and…

You’ve seen the headline: “Pandemic Causes Hunting License Lift.” And you’ve probably seen firsthand the increased number of hunters, hikers, anglers, and kayakers in the woods and waters where you hunt and fish. One of the unexpected windfalls of COVID-19 was that it sent droves of Americans into our nation’s outdoors and helped reverse a decades-long trend of declining hunting-license sales. But as last year’s license-sales numbers trickle in from the states, it seems the license bump wasn’t quite as large as earlier reported. While sales statistics aren’t official, it appears that collectively states are heading for $902 million in hunting licenses, tags, and associated stamps. That’s a $6 million increase over 2019’s total revenue and represents a large and meaningful contribution to wildlife agencies and wildlife management. Note that…

I consider myself old-fashioned, and many of my family and friends would agree. I tend to say I was born in the wrong century, as I long for a bygone way of life: scratching out a living from the land and working with my hands to find success. This mindset has always driven me to the classic options when it comes to hunting. Of course, I’ve used modern technologies to make it easier, but there is something to be said for simplicity. I have shot ARs for years, own several, and love the function that they serve. But they have never held the same value as the lever-action Henry Field Rifle that graces my safe. There is something special about that old-school technology—plus, the Henry is a perfect saddle gun.…

Up until my mid-20s I was strictly a beer-and-bourbon guy and had never ordered wine at a bar or restaurant out of fear of being embarrassed. In my mind, wine was something my date might request. Right or wrong, I considered myself too tough or too cool to order wine. That all changed on an early-summer evening while eating at Smith & Wollensky’s in downtown Chicago. Adjacent the Chicago River, the restaurant is world famous for steaks, and upon ordering, a sommelier visited our table with wine pairing recommendations. “When in Rome,” right? I don’t recall the merlot our sommelier recommended, but I will never forget how it accentuated the dry-aged prime rib. My point-of-view was forever changed. A year later I started hunting (at the age of 26), then…

Eyes glued to our iPhones and earbuds plugged into our ears, we have lost the powers of observation, concentration, and focus that enable great trackers to work their magic. We’re trapped in our modern world, so I’m not suggesting it’s possible to get these skills back, but we can always look, listen, and learn. African trackers are the most famous—in part because they live in a world with long dry seasons with no snow, and tracking is a primary technique for certain key species. However, some of the best trackers I’ve seen are Mexican vaqueros in the Sonoran Desert, who hunt desert mule deer by tracking. It is said that no one can reliably sex or size a deer track on hard ground—these guys can! Mind you, not all the…

While filming for Petersen’s Hunting Adventures TV is currently on hiatus, you can still catch up with me, along with co-hosts Kevin Steele, Kali Parmley, and Craig Boddington, on some of our past adventures. My Outdoor TV is an on-demand streaming service that features a near-complete catalog of PHTV episodes, along with a host of all of your other favorite outdoor shows. There’s also original MOTV-exclusives, behind-the-scenes footage, and live events worth watching. You can find more info at myoutdoortv.com.…

Bullet Board BULLET BASICS Engineered to provide reliable extended-range performance as well as close-range integrity, Remington’s250-grainPremierAccuTipmuzzleloader bullet is a polymer-tipped, all-copper projectile. It’s made for use with heavy charges of blackpowder substitute.To ensure the plastic sabot jacket imparts a consistent spin, there’s a shallow groove across the flat base of the bullet, which the malleable plastic sabot bulges into and grips as the bullet accelerates down the barrel.The polymer tip adds aerodynamics and initiates immediate expansion on impact. A massive hollow cavity under the tip enables huge expansion. Monometal construction ensures outstanding weight retention, resulting in deep penetration. TESTING GROUND The bullet pictured here was recovered from a big public-land mule deer. Fired over 135 grains (by weight) of Blackhorn 209, in a Remington M700 Ultimate Muzzleloader, it was superbly…

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better first knife than a Buck, and it’s worth spending a bit more for their Pursuit Pro series. The extra cash upgrades you to an S35VN steel blade that keeps an edge, yet hones quickly with a field sharpener. A glass-filled nylon handle features a sticky grip and finger grooves that won’t slip under heavy pressure. Available in fixed and lockback folding models. $90–$120; buckknives.com Some do-all daypacks are too big. Some are too small. But the ALPS OutdoorZ Impulse, at 1,850 square inches, is just right. The wide, fold-down top secures in place via silent magnets and offers unhindered access to the main compartment. The pack features a square base so it sits up or can be hung from a tree via the…

The amount of stuff I own just to kill a deer or two each fall is downright embarrassing. While each individual piece of gear promises to make me more successful, in practice it can collectively work to complicate the hunt to the point of being counterproductive. Despite this, I’m continually tempted by new products, most of which are just slight upgrades to existing ones. But every once in a while, something comes along that actually helps fill my tags. What follows are a few of those products. Note: It’s assumed that every hunter needs a good rifle or bow, a dependable knife, decent clothing, and a few basic survival items, so I’ll not waste space talking about those. Rather, I’ll break down my list as follows: (A.) must-have new gear…

DIRECTIONS 1. Remove completely thawed venison from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and dust all sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Tie kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals for a uniform shape. 2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 3. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add 1 cup Marsala cooking wine and 1 cup beef stock, along with 2 tsp. freshly minced garlic and a dusting of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Reduce to half. 4. Add 1 pint heavy whipping cream to liquids and stir frequently, adjust heat if necessary so cream doesn’t boil over. Sauce is done when thick and reduced to one-third. 5. Roast venison at 450 degrees and cook for 15 minutes. Do not wait for oven temperature to reach 450 degrees…

You started your March “From the Editor” column by stating that words matter and you know this due to your job as an editor. Why, then, would you immediately go on to suggest that people who use the word “harvest” when referring to the taking of game in the wild are either riddled with guilt about their actions or feel a need to apologize to the anti-hunting factions with kinder words? I am neither guilty, ashamed, nor, frankly, could give a damn what the anti-hunting factions think. While I will absolutely concede that the word “harvest” is most closely associated with crops and agriculture, I found at least 15 or so definitions for the word, including to catch, shoot, trap, etc., fish or game. Normally, I would just keep turning…

Cartridge Corner HISTORY In ballistic terms, this may be the single most capable .270-caliber round ever produced and is the newest in Nosler’s line of hot-rod hunting cartridges. Featuring a 1:8.5 rifling twist rate fast enough to stabilize a brand-new crop of high-BC .270 hunting bullets, such as Nosler’s own 165-grain AccuBond Long Range, the 27 Nosler brought the classic .270 bore diameter into the modern era. Like its 6.5mm, 7mm, .30-, and .33-caliber siblings, it utilizes the cavernous .404 Jeffery as its parent case. As a result, it’s an overbore-type cartridge that generates tremendous velocity. Whether the 27 Nosler is relevant and survives and thrives in today’s overcrowded cartridge scene is up to shooters. Barrel life is not long, recoil is stiff, and like all “muscle cartridges,” accuracy can…

The marketplace has spoken—at least when it comes to hunting rifles. Americans want lighter rifles capable of excellent accuracy. They want advanced materials, such as carbon-fiber-wrapped barrels, that are resistant to the elements. They want wind-cheating cartridges capable of taking game at previously-unheard-of distances. And one other thing: They don’t want to pay a lot for it. That latter criterion thins the herd quite a bit, but the 110 Ultralite from Savage hits the mark. The Savage 110 has been around since 1959 and has been offered in countless configurations. Even today, Savage lists at least 20 110 models under the “hunting” category on its website. Basically, there is a 110 for everyone. The 110 Ultralite is a premium product geared toward backcountry hunters who demand the latest and greatest…

I used to poke fun at hunters who used cell phone apps to tell them when to hunt, but the HuntStand App has made a nerd out of me because it’s so incredibly useful. Beyond its main function as a satellite-based map that shows topographical terrain, Google Earth-type imagery, your exact location, and your stand locations, it also functions as a real-time wind/weather app as well as a way to keep track of your data, such as deer sightings, weather patterns, scrapes, and prior harvests. Over time, this app allows you to make better decisions on when and where to hunt. Ultimately, it saves you time by not having to open multiple apps on your smartphone when you can do everything from HuntStand. Downloadable on the Apple App Store and…

It was an ideal spot on an ideal morning. Cold and bright and the Wyoming February wind had finally stilled. Big Western coyotes were in the offing. As pro-caller Kelly Glause skulked out a few yards to place the FoxPro call, I hunkered down into a cluster of sage on the side of the snow-covered sand dune and tried to blend in. My suppressed AR-15 and shooting sticks set for action, I scanned my surroundings. To my surprise, my assigned hunting partner for the day had chosen to climb to the top of the dune and perch there. Yep, skylined like a buzzard in a skeleton-bare tree. All my anticipation crashed into disappointment. My body slumped into its position—I was let down. The hunting had been hard, and this was—or,…

1. Possession of licenses while afield: Check and double-check that you have the appropriate licenses before going afield. 2. Failure to wear hunter orange: Hunter orange requirements vary, so check the state’s regulations. Tip: Keep an inexpensive orange vest and hat in your pack as backup in the event you or your partner leave it at home. 3. Failure to retain evidence of sex: Most Western states require that evidence of sex remain naturally attached or retained. For example, simply keep the head attached to the carcass if the animal is brought out whole. If quartering an animal to pack it out, keep the penis, scrotum, mammary glands, or vagina naturally attached to one of the hind quarters. 4. Shooting before or after legal time: Legal shooting times are based…

Hunters understand stealth and concealment are keys to success in the field, and we do everything we can to stay hidden while we’re in the woods. But those same efforts we put into hiding from animals also make hunters hard to find in the event we become lost or injured. This makes recovery difficult to impossible and puts search-and-recovery teams at an extreme disadvantage. Enter RECCO. This technology, which has been used for avalanche rescue for decades, incorporates a passive transponder worn by the user that reflects a signal sent by RECCO-equipped search and recovery teams. This signal allows the teams to find and recover distressed outdoorsmen and women more quickly. FORLOH is the first camouflage clothing company to offer this technology to hunters by incorporating RECCO reflectors into their…