Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Petersen's Hunting

IN MAY, the Biden administration appealed a poorly reasoned federal district court decision. That ruling overturned a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) rule that removed Endangered Species Act (ESA) status for gray wolves throughout much of the United States. Safari Club International (SCI) commends the administration’s decision, as an appeal will take a necessary stand against incorrect legal precedent and will protect important wolf conservation policies. Since 2003 and spanning three Presidential administrations, the Service has repeatedly tried to remove gray wolves from under the ESA—a move that is not only justified by wolf population recovery, but will also free up regulatory resources to protect other species that are truly at risk. During the previous administration, however, the Service succeeded in delisting the gray wolf in the lower 48…

As the name implies, Bowtech’s new SR350 compound bow was designed with quickness in mind, boasting up to 350 fps of arrow speed. At 33 inches, this bows follows the longer axle-to-axle trend and features a 6-inch brace height and an overall weight of 4.4 lbs. Bowtech’s Deadlock Technologies are also integrated into this flagship bow, making it smooth, quiet, and most importantly, accurate. The SR350 offers “speed-bow” performance in a forgiving and comfortable platform. $1,299; bowtecharch.com A beefier sibling to the original Annihilator, the new, bigger version is made of a single solid piece of 4140 tool steel. The Annihilator XL advertises a modest cutting diameter of 1-1/16-inch, but where this head shines is in its interesting concave shape between each of the three blades. This unique design is…

The rangefinding binocular war has been raging for several years and there’s some impressive products in this market. However, even in this crowded field, the Leica Geovid Pro 32 binoculars stand out because of their optical performance, compact dimensions, and suite of ballistic features. The Geovid Pro 32 binos combine a hand-held weather station, a ballistics solver, a rangefinder, and binoculars into one highly portable package that sells at a competitive price. THE SECRET SAUCE In the world of expensive and high-performance binoculars, there are two main types: the roof prism (the best type is the Abbe-Koenig) and the Porro prism. The biggest advantages of roof prisms are their compact size and their ability to be easily weatherproofed. The advantage of the roof prism’s biggest competitor, the Porro prism, is…

Just before my hunt, Federal had announced its new 6.5 PRC load featuring the 130-grain Terminal Ascent bullet—a natural choice for bighorns. If there’s a modern cartridge that equates to Jack O’Connor’s legendary .270 Winchester, it’s the 6.5 PRC. As for the Terminal Ascent projectile, it’s arguably the most versatile hunting bullet available. It’s streamlined and aerodynamic. It’s got a wonderfully effective tip made of a space-age, heat-resistant composite, which maximizes ballistic coefficient and initiates immediate expansion on impact, even at very low impact velocity. Its rear half is solid copper, so it can’t pancake, fragment, or pulverize into nothing even when impacting massive bone. And it’s got a frontal lead core bonded in place, so it invariably mushrooms perfectly and retains nearly all its weight. It’s the only bullet…

The early season: A time graced by warmer weather and less hunting pressure, when many hunters are still caught up by summer BBQs and family trips. Some gunpowder enthusiasts turn their noses up at the early season. Mostly due to the fact that many states require early hunts to take place with a stick and string. That, though, is what many of us hunters find so great about these first hunts of the season: The challenge and struggle to outsmart game, and get close enough to weave an arrow through the vitals. Hours upon hours of practice have consumed those who dedicate themselves to the art of the traditional bow. Cold days spent staying sharp through the winter and summer nights sending shots down range. Now, finally, seasons around the…

BULLET BASICS From Africa to Alaska, no bullet is more trusted by dangerous-game hunters than Swift’s A-Frame. It is the ultimate refinement of a partition-type bullet, with a rear core separated from a front core by a wall of copper. The front core is bonded into place, and never pancakes or fragments off the bullet, even when heavy bone is impacted. Thick jacket walls control expansion and create the ideal mushroom shape. Being flat-based and rather blunt-tipped, the A-Frame is not an aerodynamic bullet. It’s not meant to be. Its specialty is killing with authority, and when gnarly game with big teeth and heavy claws are the quarry, that trumps all else. TESTING GROUND My friend Mark Belcher fired the bullet shown, directly into the chest of a Mozambiquan Cape…

“South Africa has 11 official languages,” said our guide. My girlfriends and I gaped at this tidbit while sipping gin and tonics inside the fully furnished canvas tent. But there was no time to ponder, because dinner had arrived. Riding in the saddle upwards of six hours per day and covering ground in the Lowveld plains of South Africa’s Limpopo region can work up quite an appetite. Our African chefs turned out an impressive array of food, considering what little equipment they had to work with in the bush. Marmite at breakfast, afternoon tea service, saddlebag lunches, and sit-down, candle-lit dinners—an unexpected conglomeration of flavors and textures that seem to take influence from all over the world. I had a hard time putting my finger on South African cuisine. Much…

ProTrack is an app-enabled capability offered with the Geovid Pro 32 binoculars that allows the user to range a target and drop a digital pin on a map to make navigating to that point easier. Pro Track works with Google Maps, a GPS, or Base Map. While other range-finding binoculars work with one or more of these options, the Geovid Pro binoculars do so with a higher degree of accuracy thanks to the binocular’s internal compass that has a margin of error less than two to five degrees. Some binoculars only guarantee a margin of error of 10 degrees. The user must select their preferred map type and open that application on their cell phone. I used Base Map because it doesn’t require cell service to work in the field…

There are few items in my pack, if any, that trump the significance or importance of my Garmin inReach Explorer+. Not only is it an intuitive and very capable GPS, but it gives me the ability to communicate with loved ones back home no matter where my adventures take me. The most important feature, however, is the lifeline my inReach provides with the civilized world if things go south and lives are at risk. Garmin, through a monthly subscription, gives inReach users the ability to send and receive text messages via GPS satellites from anywhere in the world. I used to relish the ability to leave civilization behind and disconnect for days on end. While I still crave that solitude, now with a wife and kids of my own, the…

Entering the world of archery can be an intimidating undertaking. Where do you start? What bow do you buy? How do you learn to shoot? All these questions run through the minds of new archers and the answers seem so intimidating it keeps them from entering the sport. Don’t be disheartened. There are easy ways to get started in bowhunting. The following guidelines will help you feel more confident with your setup and skills. Archery is a journey. Pick your gear, practice a lot, and extend your season. Happy Hunting. 1 GO WITH THE PROS Finding a pro shop that you feel comfortable with and trust is of paramount importance when starting bowhunting. Archery shops are there to help you select the right bow and guide you through products that…

I am at the stage in my life where I no longer chase the most high-tech precision rifle with the greatest optics and state-of-the-art bullets. The technology that has been integrated into guns, optics, and ammunition in recent years is impressive, but it’s also taken some of the “hunt” out of “hunting” for me. For much of my hunting these days, I’m looking for a way to make things more challenging. I’m talking about traditional muzzleloaders, handguns, and iron-sighted rifles—especially lever actions. Marlin’s new 1895 SBL is just such a tool. Lever actions were the workhorse of the American outdoors-man for more than a century. These guns are compact, portable, durable, reliable, and have plenty of capacity for most purposes. They’re also legal to own in every state in the…

If you have an opinion about bowhunting equipment, there is someone out there just waiting to tell you you’re wrong. Opinions about archery gear follow trends, but that doesn’t mean the requirements for bowhunting whitetails change much. Most of them are arrowed from treestands or ground blinds at 15 to 25 yards, often in low light. They’re nervous critters, prone to jumping the string and masters at stopping behind cover when you’re stuck at full draw. They’re also surprisingly tenacious, able to live and run a long time despite mortal wounds. And even fatally hit deer have a habit of scrambling across property lines and into thickets, where recovery becomes difficult. All of that calls for simple, but specialized, equipment. Your bow needs to be quiet, pinpoint accurate, and easy…

IF WE hunt enough, we’re likely to have a bizarre experience that qualifies for the old saying: “You can’t make this up.” I knew a man high up in the corporate world who wanted to hunt big game. Pete had never hunted before, and I figured a Wyoming antelope hunt would be a good place to start. There would be plenty of animals and shooting opportunities with a typically high hunter success rate. My hunting buddy George would accompany us. We had barely driven into the unit when we spotted a small herd. Pete and I got out while George stayed with the truck. We were able to close the distance by slipping along a small draw. When we thought we were close enough, we peeked over the top. The…