Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2024 i Bowhunter

“IT IS NOT THE STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT SURVIVE, NOR THE MOST INTELLIGENT, BUT THE ONE MOST RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE.” — CHARLES DARWIN AS THE FATHER of Evolutionary Theory, Darwin was certainly not excluding mankind in his assessment. We humans naturally resist change because it can be mysterious and unpredictable. But those who refuse to accept change wither; those who embrace it flourish. Are there exceptions? Sure, but like the passage of time, change will not be denied. The inevitability of change is coming to your favorite bowhunting magazine. But first, some history. If you visited a local newsstand in the summer of 1989, you would find a well-established, 18-year-old magazine called Bowhunter. You’d also find a newly minted competitor called Petersen’s Bowhunting, a publication that would go on…

WHEN I WAS 18, I worked in an archery shop. Well, actually it was a sporting goods store, but I worked in the archery department. In that archery department there was a poster of a man with a beard carrying a bow. He was dressed in camouflage, and that poster was advertising the first manufactured camouflage designed for hunters. It was called Trebark, and the man’s name was Jim Crumley. I remember that poster vividly. I bought a pair of pants and a shirt in Trebark, because I had never seen anything like it. Nobody had, and I thought I was invisible when I wore it. This was back before Realtree, Mossy Oak or any of the other camouflage companies had come on the scene. Fast forward to this past…

WAY BACK IN 1987, I went to Denmark to teach a Bowhunter Education Class. It was one part of a larger and ongoing effort by Danish hunters to get bowhunting legalized for large deer species (red, fallow and sika). Here we are, 37 years later, and Denmark has — finally — legalized big-game bowhunting as of Jan. 1, 2024. What took so long? We take our bowhunting seasons for granted here in America, though many contemporary archers don’t know there were early skirmishes in many states as modern bowhunting opportunities were established throughout the 20th century. Yet as contentious as some of those debates were, they were nothing compared to what many European nations have gone through. For starters, anti-hunting groups are strong and many in Europe. They continually rail…

BEAR ARCHERY has a 90-year history of craftsmanship and tradition in the archery world, and for 2024 the company has taken those nine decades of experience and poured them into the all-new Persist. Bear’s best flagship hunting bow to date was designed to offer comfortable power, stealth and silence in a rig packed to the rafters with features and technologies useful to the bowhunter. The Persist is powered by Bear’s popular EKO Dual Cam system with rotating module and adjustable draw stop. In-line mounting fixtures sit alongside standard mounting holes for both sights and rests, while the Swingarm cable-containment system is also center-mounted. A built-in utility loop, wrist sling, bubble level and rubber shelf pad all enhance the hunting experience, while a host of dampening accessories work to eliminate noise…

SUNRISE WAS STILL A PINK PROMISE when a dark blob appeared. It floated through foot-high grass, paused several times and finally stopped 14 yards below my stand. Legal shooting light was 10 minutes away, but I could clearly see the critter through my 10X binoculars. The bear was large, his shoulders scant inches below the top of the 35-inch bait barrel. He appeared to be dark brown, but it was tough to tell for sure. The area where I bowhunt bears in Wyoming has several color phases, from jet black to brown, cinnamon, red and blonde. My heart was pounding like a bongo as the bruin reached in the bait hole and fished out a strip of beef. I had been sitting more than a week, and this was the…

IF YOU ARE A REGULAR READER of this magazine, you will see my name on this column and realize right away I am non-native. I am the Asian carp that snuck into your pond! Hopefully, you won’t spear me or cast a gill net. Ideally, you will find my writings at least interesting — maybe even truly useful. I sold my first hunting article way back in 1990 to a young magazine called Petersen’s Bowhunting. Thus began a 33-year association with the Bowhunting brand. What fun we had over the years! I will miss that magazine. In many ways, I felt it was my baby as much as the editor’s. Change is inevitable, and I am looking forward to this new opportunity. I thought it might be a fun time…

I WAS SET UP in the perfect spot. There was a tom on the ridge to my left and one on the ridge to my right, and they were obviously competing for the attention of the lonely hen that was positioned in front of my blind. No matter what sequence of calls my slate produced, both responded with thunderous gobbles. As if I had written the script myself, both longbeards showed themselves at opposite ends of the small field in all their spring glory. They were wound so tight, I did not think calling was even necessary, but with each series of yelps and purrs I sent their direction, they thundered a little closer. For nearly 20 minutes we went back and forth before one finally committed to the blind…

IT’S OFTEN SAID that the two most important pieces of backcountry bowhunting equipment are good glass and good boots. Without quality optics, your odds of locating game are greatly diminished. And without supportive, well-fitting boots, you’ll never be able to cover the distances required to earn a shot. I’ve certainly been fortunate in both regards over the years, having used a bunch of awesome optics and worn some fantastic footwear. Still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t covet a pair of Kenetrek Boots, given the company’s reputation for crafting products with tremendous comfort and legendary durability. Well, thanks to my new position here at Bowhunter, I was finally able to get my hands on some lightweight Hardscrabble Hikers, and I’m absolutely blown away by their performance. If you’ve…

ANY CRITTER THAT CAN SHAKE the ground under your feet with its call before you even lay eyes on it is capable of melting even the most accomplished bowhunter’s mettle. Vocal interaction is what makes turkey hunting so special, but when you make the decision to hunt them with a bow, you add a whole new level of challenge and excitement. Success seldom comes by simply convincing one to make an appearance. When hunting turkeys with archery equipment, you must call them in close, wait for just the right moment, draw undetected and make an accurate shot. Over the years I’ve either made, or seen my buddies make, just about every mistake in the book. As a result, I’ve learned some things along the way that have drastically improved my…

WHEN I THINK ABOUT TURKEYS and all I’ve learned over the last 23 years hunting them, one word comes to my mind: troubleshooting! In order to be good at bowhunting turkeys, one must be able to dissect, figure out and fix the many reasons why a turkey hunt isn’t going your way! During the spring of 2023, I punched three turkey tags in three states — all with my bow. Each state presented a different problem I had to learn and fix. Let’s break these hunts down and see how I overcame each obstacle. KANSAS: Predator Pressure Kansas is one of my favorite states to turkey hunt with a bow and has been for quite some time. My good buddy Ryan Bertsch and I start off our spring every year…

RHINO BLINDS 180 PRO FD This pop-up, hub-style blind ($249.99) features a see-through mesh wall system that provides an unobstructed, 180-degree view of your surroundings, yet keeps you hidden from the eyes of wary game. The blind, which weighs 16 pounds, also features an upgraded hub system for even more stability, full walk-through door for easy access and multiple silent-hide windows that offer 270 degrees of shooting opportunities. It can fit up to three people, is 66 inches tall in the center, has a 58x58-inch floor space and comes with carrying bag and ground stakes. feradyne.com/brands/rhino-blinds EASTON ARCHERY MATCH GRADE PRO SHOP ARROWS Take your accuracy to the next level with the Match Grade Pro Shop Series (Price varies by arrow). Available in 4mm and 5mm FMJ and AXIS, Sonic…