Bowhunter brings you expert advice from legendary Bowhunters! Each issue is filled with updates from major bowhunting organizations, coverage of bowhunting locations across North America, complete coverage of the sport and much more.
IT WAS BACK in November 2016, when I spotted a really good buck from my treestand. The mainframe 6x6 was out in the wide-open Kansas prairie chasing a hot doe. When the buck finally locked down with the doe, both bedded in the grass, my cameraman and I bailed out of the tree and began what turned out to be a 3½-hour stalk. I crawled to within 30 yards of the bedded buck, and when the doe stood up, so did the buck, and I put an arrow through his lungs. It was a grueling but fun stalk. Of course, it’s always more fun when it works. That evening, after we recovered the buck, several other hunters in our hunting camp remarked that attempting such a stalk would never have…
ULMER PAINTS A VIVID PICTURE Dear Bowhunter , I always try to read Randy Ulmer’s technical and adventure articles, but I particularly loved his The Quest column, “A Long Time Ago In Arizona,” in your February 2020 issue. It took me back to my youth and my mom. It also brought back great memories of camping/hunting trips I did with my three kids when they were young. I could smell Randy’s mom’s cooking, and hear the kids rolling into their beds under that pickup truck. Great read that touched my heart. Dave Wood, Franklin, Indiana BREATH OF FRESH AIR Dear Bowhunter , Finally, an article on a truly new piece of technology. I’ve been reading Bow-hunter for years, and most articles are boilerplate — hunting for big bucks if you…
IF YOU’RE PLAGUED by shooting problems such as target panic, now is the time to give yourself a major boost in shooting control and accuracy. Over the years, I’ve experimented with all sorts of archery tools and methods, and I believe I can boil it down to three things that have made the most difference in my shooting success. These elements are fairly simple, too, and only real effort and discipline are needed to put them in place, and to execute them properly. Your willingness and ability to grasp the details in these points, while keeping an open mind, are what will matter most in achieving success, so don’t take them lightly. RETOOLING THE BOW All great archery coaches talk a lot about the physical aspects of shooting. They analyze…
IF YOU REMEMBER from my April/May column, I had decided to go after striped marlin with my friend Ty Miller of Blue Arrow Expeditions. Ty had received the first permit to guide bowfishermen for billfish from Mexico’s equivalent of our Game and Fish Departments. The permit had taken years to obtain, and this was going to be an exploratory proof-of-concept trip. I was joined by my good friend Larry Plunk, who was going to try to shoot a marlin with his Hoyt compound bow, and I was going to use my Hoyt Satori recurve. My wife, Michele, and our boys also came along for the fishing and the adventure. While researching bowfishing for marlin, the biggest obstacle was the lack of information. The only person I could find who had…
OCCASIONALLY, a scientific paper comes out that really makes you sit back and question the results. In this case, thinking outside the box and coming up with a study design really got my attention, because it was genius. Daniel Morina recently completed his Master of Science degree in the Wildlife Department at Mississippi State University. One part of his thesis dealt with trying to determine exactly what a doe is really looking for in a buck prior to the actual breeding process. In other words, can you independently associate a buck’s body size, age, or antler size with what a doe is looking for in a mate? Before we look at Morina’s study design, we need to understand that a buck’s antlers serve three main purposes: signal, weapon, and display…
Although many believe weight and age are important, Morina’s study showed does prefer a buck with larger antlers. Biologists now know antlers simultaneously serve as a weapon between bucks, and a display ornament to attract does. Biologists know a deer’s body weight seldom drastically changes from one year to the next, but the size of antlers can easily swing one way or the other by 10 percent. Why does this occur? Most likely because body size/weight is essential for survival, whereas antler size is important for reproduction. Research has shown the differences in antler size from same-aged bucks can be a valuable tool in assessing the condition of a deer herd. For more information on Morina’s research, go to youtube.com/watch?v=2qMeXu I dhcw.…
