Innholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2023 - Whitetail Annual i Petersen's Bowhunting

On the screen would be a video montage of cars being smashed under the giant truck tires as the packed crowd screamed its approval. It was more than enough to make a young boy’s heart race, and the announcer would urge you to purchase tickets by declaring, “We’ll sell you the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge!” Today, some four decades later, I can’t say monster trucks hold the same appeal. However, memories of that childlike enthusiasm and excitement return every time I think about my anticipation of the whitetail rut. This is the time of year bowhunters live for, and no matter how many Novembers you spend in the whitetail woods, there is just something magical about the rut that reduces grown adults to giddy schoolchildren. It’s…

Pay Attention to This Crucial Aspect of the Shooting Process Good follow-through is merely the continuation of the forces you were exerting at full draw until the arrow leaves the bow and hits the target. The early part of the follow-through is more important than the latter parts of the follow-through, because the arrow is still being influenced by the bow until it completely clears the arrow rest. Therefore, any changes or movement you create in the bow at the time of the release will negatively affect the arrow’s flight. Think of dividing your body on the centerline. You have a release arm side and a bow arm side. Follow-through involves your release arm and release hand, as well as the back muscles on your release arm side of your…

Really Fast. Really Quiet. Really Comfortable. Highlights include Hoyt’s S-Type Binary cam system, Hybrid EXT limbs, a full complement of vibration- and noise-dampening accessories and compatibility with the company’s In-Line Accessory Mounting System. Speed and Power Hoyt introduces the all-new S-Type Binary Cams on the Z1S. These cams ride on steel axles paired with high-grade, sealed inner-race bearings for smooth operation and increased efficiency. The cams are built to offer a smooth shooting experience while producing IBO speeds up to 350 fps out of a bow with a 5.875-inch brace height. Just like its predecessor, the HBX Cam, Hoyt’s S-Type has an improved vibration profile, reduced weight and positions the string to create a better center shot and enhanced sight picture. Hoyt employs a pair of cam modules to cover…

A good hunt goes horribly bad. A few hours later, as I spread my one-man tent on a saddle of the Mogollon Rim, seemingly endless, roadless country spread out all around me. Grabbing some water from a nearby spring, a pot of soup was soon simmering, and my mind was wondering, Where were the big guys at? With the rut just starting, could I find the old, bachelor bulls as they began to roam in search of cows? Would they be on the ridges or in the deep canyons? I would start answering those questions tomorrow. Awakening well before daylight, I slipped out of my tent and headed afield. Slowly making my way down the high, meandering ridge I was on, good moonlight made the trek pleasant. No more than…

Local Knowledge Is a Big Bowhunting Advantage The Fourth Quarter While a calendar is generally considered to begin in January and end in December, the whitetail calendar never ends. Rather, it’s a never-ending, intertwined cycle — what took place in preceding months has culminated in the present, which will in turn have a significant impact (for good or ill) on a deer’s health and fitness several months down the road. Of course, we need a starting point for our discussion of the annual whitetail calendar, and there’s arguably no better place to start than the fourth quarter. Just as the fourth quarter often decides the outcome of a football game, the events that take place in the whitetail woods during October, November and December are arguably the most critical of…

Preparing for Every Weather and Hunting Situation is Vital Unfortunately, the chair creaked as though in agony, even though I was sitting carefully. It was like someone pulling their fingernails across a chalkboard. How could I have overlooked the potential noise of the chair or anything else required for hunting early season whitetails? As I was still fighting with the chair and moving gear, I caught a glimpse of brown fur out the window. It was my buck. The slight movement caught the deer’s attention, and I quickly leveled my crossbow and found it in the scope. As the buck turned to flee, a bolt sailed down the rail, catching the deer in the flank and traveling towards the far shoulder. The entire hunt lasted 10 minutes, and my mind…

One of the most popular ways bow-hunters seek improved performance is by increasing the FOC of their hunting arrows. Boosting your FOC, or Front of Center balance point, can help your arrows stabilize more quickly and fly more accurately through the wind while also increasing momentum for deeper penetration on game. Of course, to increase FOC, you must add weight to the front end of the arrow. Traditionally, that has meant heavyweight inserts, broadheads and fieldpoints. However, thanks to the Bad Boys FOC Arrow Sleeves from Pro-Tracker Archery, bow-hunters can instantly customize FOC — without cutting shafts, gluing inserts or replacing your favorite broadheads. Available in seven models ranging in weight from 62-300 grains, the metal sleeves simply slide over the front end of your arrow shafts. After experimenting with…

Be in the Woods When the Magic Happens The very best hunters love to help those who are learning and openly asking questions. So, all I had to do was ask the right questions and keep my ears open. I’ve concluded that, year-in and year-out, the single best day of the entire season north of the Mason-Dixon line will fall within a three- or four-day window, with Nov. 7 right in the middle. Here’s why. Peak Rut Myth The term “peak of the rut” biologists use can be misleading if you don’t dig deeper to find out what they are really referring to. In their verbiage, this term means the date when the highest number of does are in estrous. In most states in the northern two-thirds of the United…

Super Affordability. Surprising Accuracy. That fact alone should stir thoughts of innovation and quality. Wicked Ridge is a specialized line that maximizes the bang for the buck, bringing in features and technologies the company has proven effective and reliable. A tactical stock, full complement of safety features, WRX split limbs, 5S Cams and an injection-molded unibody that houses the flight rail, pistol grip, stock receiver and trigger guard are just the beginning of what we will cover on the Rampage, which boasts a retail price under $550. Custom Tactical Wicked Ridge offers two models of the Rampage XS — one with an installed ACUdraw crank cocking device and one with a tactical stock, which is the subject of this test. The AR-style, tactical stock features a push-button activated telescoping length…

It would seem that a singular focus on any lifelong goal would be ideal to be a master at that chosen desire. We have all read about those who have dedicated their lives to a singular purpose and have become known by society as the best of the best. However, if you are trying to be the best bowhunter you can be, is it best to completely immerse yourself in all things archery, or would it be more advantageous to diversify one’s approach? It would seem counterintuitive to put archery or bowhunting on the back burner if you plan on being your best come fall of each year. However, I believe there are other routes that can be taken that will make you an even better bowhunter, and they involve…

I have a variety of cameras in my arsenal, from basic “economy” models I’ve had for years to higher-end cell cams that generate high-quality images, offer numerous settings options and provide a variety of intel I can use as I prepare for the season. This year I opted to run Bushnell’s CelluCORE 20 Solar at my house, where I just so happen to have a few acres of hunt-able land. And, from the time I took it out of the box, I could see there was a lot to appreciate about this solar-powered cell cam. First off, it was absolutely one of the easiest cellular trail cameras I have ever set up. There were no issues with activation, no trouble acquiring a signal and no problems with the camera taking…

THE TRADITION CONTINUES $72.99 PER 3 Dead X Bowhunting; deadxbowhunting.com Although Dead X founder John Stephen Smith passed away earlier this year, the family continues his tradition of producing lethal, high-quality broadheads, including the Slicer, Big Game 2, Big Game 3, and its latest addition, the Bloodflow. The Bloodflow is a 200-grain fixed blade available with a 1.25-inch or 1.5-inch cut in both right- and left-bevel. It’s built on a solid steel ferrule, with .062-inch-thick, razor-sharp blades more than capable of dispatching deer, elk and other big game. GAIN AN EDGE $89.99 TruFire; FeraDyne.com The Edge FT release aid features an index-finger trigger that’s located further up the barrel of the release, resulting in the ability to accommodate longer draws, enhanced comfort and increased accuracy. The new…