Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Petersen's Hunting

“I’M NEVER going to hunt in Africa. Why should I care that some state I don’t live in is trying to prevent hunters from bringing back trophies of some animal I might never see outside of a zoo?” Research shows that most people care about the issues that directly impact them. You’re more likely to hear outrage from hunters in the United States over an attempt to shut down deer hunting opportunities versus a threat to lion hunting thousands of miles away. But if you’re a hunter, you should care about both. Typically, you will see anti-hunting advocates and uninformed lawmakers focus on a handful of African species in their attacks, usually elephant, Cape buffalo, African lion, leopard, and white and black rhinoceros. Contrary to what anti-hunting advocates claim, banning…

Kansas is a great pheasant state. I was raised there, so it’s natural to assume that I grew up hunting them. Not exactly. I was from eastern Kansas, where there were legions of bobwhites but no pheasants. Back then, good Kansas pheasant hunting started 300 miles due west. We’d head to that end of the state to hunt ringnecks a couple of times a season, and it was a big deal. Later, in my teens, my dog and I plied northeast Kansas. In those days of thick hedgerows and lots of milo, we knew where to find coveys of quail. With dogs on point, we’d expect an explosive covey rise, and sometimes a rooster would come cackling up—a real bonus! Ringnecks still haven’t arrived at my farm in southeast Kansas,…

Here are several of my favorite deer bullets, in alphabetical order: Barnes LRX The ultimate refinement of the all-copper concept, this bullet offers best-in-class ballistic coefficients (BC), reliable expansion even at low velocities, and stellar accuracy. It’s the best penetrator of the bullets listed here. As a result, it’s a great crossover bullet for elk and bigger game. Editor’s Pick: Federal Terminal Ascent Featuring a solid copper rear half, a bonded lead core up front, and a “Slipstream” composite tip, this accurate bullet is optimized for long-range aerodynamics and ideal on-impact performance. Whether shooting 15 yards or 750 yards, it expands beautifully and penetrates wonderfully. Federal Fusion Soft Point This innovative bullet features a copper jacket molecularly bonded to its lead core. It’s a hybrid bullet—tough enough to penetrate but…

The arrow has been loosed or the bullet has been sent down the barrel, and now you have the big buck you worked so hard for lying at your feet. Now it’s time to get him in the freezer. If you never butchered your own meat, this may be the year to try it. While it may be intimidating at first, the reward is unlike anything else. And it’s another way to continue the comradery of hunting season with your best partners. The first time I butchered a big-game animal was out of neccessity; my college-student budget didn’t have the excess cash to pay for a bull elk to be sent to the processor. My best friend and hunting partner showed up at my house with with ice-cold beer and…

BULLET BASICS Nosler’s version of a monometal hunting bullet, the E-Tip features copper-alloy construction with a deep hollow nose covered by a composite tip. The tip protects the bullet’s nose from accuracy-robbing damage and initiates expansion on impact. A boattail aids aerodynamics, and a computer-engineered profile maximizes the ballistic coefficient. Not only is the E-Tip legal in lead-restricted hunting areas, it’s a very effective, accurate bullet in its own right. TESTING GROUND Hunting partner Colton Heward used the bullet shown here on a big free-range kudu bull in South Africa. It was the heat of the kudu rut. Five days of hunting turned up just one good bull, and Colton took the shot after a long, rigorous stalk. FIELD PERFORMANCE Exiting the muzzle of his .270 Win. rifle at about…

Weighing just 19 pounds, the Muddy Boss XL Treestand can hold up to 300 pounds. The platform is larger than most, with a width of 25 inches and a depth of 34 inches, offering plenty of foot space for a comfortable stance during the moment of truth. The Flex-Tek seat offers all-day sitting comfort and flips back for easy packing or to allow for more room on the platform. The one- to two-inch Silent Slide Buckle Straps allow you to secure this stand to any tree larger than nine inches in diameter. $149; gomuddy.com Blinds aren’t always easy to transport and many times deer need time to acclimate to the new structure. With Primos’s Double Bull SurroundView Stakeout Blind, hunters can carry concealment with them anywhere their quarry may be.…

These days we are seeing a renaissance in big-game cartridges, much of which can be credited to the popularity of long-range precision rifle shooting matches. The result of this real-world use has led to the widespread use of smaller more efficient rounds, and the trend has carried over to the hunting world. Alternatively, the widespread popularity of the AR-15 style of rifles has led to the development of cartridges designed to maximize its capability. We will look at this “new breed” of deer cartridges and evaluate the pros (and cons) of each of them. .22 CENTERFIRE The use of .22 centerfire cartridges on deer is a great way to stir up controversy among deer hunters. Though they offer little margin for error, the fact is they are legal for big…

Chris Johnsrud might not be a bird hunter but for his dog, a hairy-faced Griffon named Chewy. Chewy came to him as a rescue a few years after Johnsrud, frustrated with difficulty finding access to birds, had cased his shotgun. But Chewy had so much prey drive that Johnsrud renewed his hunting license, mainly to satisfy his dog. “It’s what he was built to do, to hunt,” said Johnsrud. “I felt like I helped him fulfill something so basic to him only to remember how basic it is to me, too.” Johnsrud’s experience is no surprise to A.J. DeRosa, the founder of Project Upland. The group has quantified this catalytic effect of dogs on both new and resurgent hunters and has enlivened the data with testimonials from hunters like Johnsrud.…

As a boy, on a cold day in late November, just days before Thanksgiving, I lay on the side of the mountain, glaring through the Leupold scope atop a .240 Weatherby. Just 272 yards away stood a whitetail buck—a rather large specimen for the area. My eyes were straining to see through the ominous fog that kept making its appearance at the least opportune times. All I could do was wait for my chance to pull the trigger on my first deer. From the time I was young, I had stared at the mounts on my family’s walls that inspired a desire for adventure deep in my heart. My family was immersed in hunting, and a respect for the pursuit had been ingrained in me at a young age. Each…

“Wait till he’s broadside, then shoot for the crease behind the shoulder.” Common advice, but is it good advice? Traditionally, deer hunters aim to put their bullets through the vitals behind the shoulder in order to minimize meat damage and, often, because they think that’s where the center of the vitals is located. Depending on how a broadside deer stands, that crease behind the shoulder is often located across the rearmost third of the vitals. Aiming there can save meat, yes, but it also increases the chance of gut-shooting a buck. Let’s take a look at just how a deer’s vitals sit inside the thoracic (vital) cavity and then discuss how best to aim for them from various shot angles and presentations. VITAL POSITIONS A buck s heart is about…