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.
I KNOW. You’ve all heard the enduring refrain that we bowhunters must “pass it on” to our youth. You’ve heard the logic. You’ve read the strategy, and all the tips on how to get kids into bowhunting. Maybe you’ve even done it yourself with your own kids, or someone else’s. Or maybe you introduced a friend or neighbor to bowhunting just by setting an example and offering assistance. But did your efforts bear fruit? Is the person you introduced to bowhunting still engaged? As we put together this issue, it morphed into having a youth-based theme, at least in part. The article, “Harvesting Dreams,” on page 38, was planned well in advance. While there are a number of groups and organizations that support the introduction of youngsters to the world…
FLEX TIME Dear Bowhunter , I just read Chuck Adams’ October 2020 column on tuning arrows. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the suggestion that bowhunters shooting lower poundage should have arrows with a higher spine (more flex), and that bowhunters shooting higher poundage should have arrows with a lower spine (less flex). While this makes perfect sense to me when it comes to high-poundage shooters, I just can’t understand why flex would be good for low-poundage shooters. Logically, it would seem to me that the less flex an arrow has leaving the bow, the better — regardless of the amount of draw weight. Thanks for putting out a great magazine. Pablo Davila, Odessa, TX Curt Wells responds: The problem is, we’re dealing with something called “archer’s paradox.” At…
“WE BUILD TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS, PRODUCTS THAT OUR CUSTOMERS DEMAND AND USE TO FULFILL LIFE-LONG DREAMS ON THE RANGE OR IN THE FIELD.” — LARRY GRIFFITH, PRESIDENT/CEO THROUGHOUT the formation of our uniquely American archery/bowhunting industry, few times have been more pivotal than the WWII years, and few places hotter beds of technical innovation than Michigan’s communities surrounding the auto industry. So, it was in 1946 that longtime auto industry chemist Rollin Bohning, who also happened to be an avid archer, saw the opportunity to apply his knowledge in the chemistry of plastics to develop a glue for fastening steel arrow points to cedar shafts. “We were working with high-strength cements [epoxy] used in the war work. I saw where these cements might be used for putting on…
LAST FALL, after spending most of my time hunting public land in a few different states, I came to the realization that deer hunting is more like elk hunting than I’d previously thought. For starters, let’s say you’re headed to Colorado or Idaho to try your luck on public-land bulls. Without question, you’ll have company in the woods with you. You’ll also only have a productive hunt if you’re around lots of fresh sign. It’s that simple. With whitetails, the same rules apply, but on a smaller scale. Where it gets tricky is when you talk yourself into hunting a spot simply because the sign is “good enough.” This might be a few field-edge rubs or scrapes, or the random one-off bits of sign you might encounter in an accessible…
I shudder to think about life as a public-land bowhunter before the creation of onX (onxmaps.com). Not only is this app the perfect choice for finding ground, digging in with satellite imagery, and keeping track of stand sites, but it’s also a huge asset for the winter scouter. Drop waypoints on the best sign or use them to label potential stand trees and access routes, and you’ll be much better off by the time summer dulls your memory and the next deer season is quickly approaching. Of course, you won’t mark too many potential hotspots without putting on some miles, which are always made better by lacing up quality footwear like the Stalker boots from Rocky (rockyboots.com). Three insulation options are available, and all are ideal not only for burning…
THE HEAVY-HORNED mule deer finally fed from behind a sage bush beside a stock pond. I was already at full draw, tracking the buck’s fuzzy outline as he nibbled grass near the water’s edge. The chest cavity came into full view, and I released in an instant. The result was spectacular. My Easton arrow smashed behind the shoulder, driving the Striker V2 broadhead through both lungs and into the pond beyond. The deer streaked 100 yards and flipped upside-down. I’ve never seen a quicker, more satisfying kill. “That’s 198,” I told myself, as I trotted toward the animal. “Two more to go!” It was September 10, 2020, and I was on a mission. Weeks before, I had consulted the Pope & Young Club’s online database to make sure I was…
