Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Bowhunter

“DO YOU HAVE any cameras up over here?” That’s clearly a leading question for a deer hunter. So, when my farmer friend posed it to me this July, I figured there was more behind his query than simple curiosity. “No,” I replied. “Why?” Well, my buddy was seeing a couple good bucks making regular appearances around the property and hoped I would set up a few trail cameras in advance of hunting season. Needless to say, I was happy to oblige. About a week later, I grabbed three Moultrie EDGE cellular cameras and headed over, setting them on a small clover plot and a pair of mineral sites. I knew I’d get plenty of deer pictures, but I was honestly shocked by what I saw. Not only were there a…

MOULTRIE EDGE Solar Cellular Trail Camera Moultrie is taking battery life to the next level with the new EDGE Solar, featuring the industry’s largest integrated solar panel and included, rechargeable lithium battery for true “set it and forget it” performance in the field. The solar panel atop the camera articulates, allowing you to orient it for maximum sun exposure and then lock it in place. Power from the sun is stored in the integrated battery, allowing you to set the camera and receive images and videos all season long with no additional visits to the camera site. Other highlights include automatic cellular connection to the nation’s four leading networks, 40MP still images and 1080p videos, on-demand image and video capture, built-in storage that eliminates the need for SD cards, .4-second…

THE CAPABILITIES of archery equipment are evolving at an alarming rate, making vertical and horizontal bows easier to use, more accurate and more effective at harvesting game. Hunters are passionate about their equipment, and building a better mousetrap, or bow, should increase hunter success and reduce the incidence of poor hits. This is something all hunters strive for, as evidenced by waterfowl hunters who years ago were forced to switch from lead to steel and other non-toxic alternatives. Early steel shotshell performance was poor, with significantly less effective range and knockdown power than traditional lead shot. Thus, creativity took over, leading to the creation of spinning-wing decoys. As a result, birds were decoyed in closer, and kill rates increased. Shotshell performance has also improved by leaps and bounds over the…

A DARK DOT appeared on a shale slide near the top of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. I was bowhunting elk at the timber line and just happened to glance toward the naked peaks above me. I planted my fanny and dialed in the binocular. A large black bear popped into 10X focus. I had a bear tag in my pocket and had not seen an elk all morning. The bear was more than a mile away but seemed headed on a bee line for me. I settled down to watch. Half an hour later, my heart went into overdrive. The bruin briefly vanished in a cut 100 yards away and popped out again on the narrow ridge where I was sitting. I ducked behind a stunted spruce and nocked an arrow.…

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS in bowhunting can be a pretty touchy subject. Some folks love the gear. Others think it’s tarnishing the sport. I get it — I’ve always felt conflicted about certain technologies in bowhunting. To me, archery is supposed to be challenging. That’s part of what makes it so rewarding. I’ve wrestled with advancements that seem to circumvent the need for field-craft and good, old-fashioned woodsmanship. There’s a line between tools that help us become better hunters and tools that start to do the hunting for us, and it’s not always a clear line. What’s perfectly legal and widely considered ethical in one state is often taboo and completely banned in another. But there is one area where I believe the technology debate should stop cold — game recovery. The…

LET’S FACE IT; convenience is king for today’s consumers. From Amazon to Grubhub to mobile car repair services, today’s retail environment is dominated by companies that can deliver what people want, when they want it, directly to their doorsteps. In the archery world, that can be a little tricky. Unless you own specialized equipment such as a bow press and bow vice and have some experience using them, buying a new bow and getting it ready to shoot typically involves a trip to the local pro shop. But one company — Pyramyd Air — is using patented technology to make the bow-buying process easier than ever. Its new Complete Bow Setup service lets you pick out a bow, customize it with the accessories of your choice and have it delivered,…

WHEN YOU THINK of Wicked Ridge, there should be visions of hard-working, dependable, hunting crossbows that offer excellent value for your money. That is, at its very core, the purpose of every Wicked Ridge crossbow. Value comes from the performance, quality and overall workmanship built into each rig at the company’s Mogadore, Ohio, facility. And, of course, they are designed, built and tested by industry heavy hitter TenPoint Crossbows. Wicked Ridge’s 2025 Invader M1 De-Cock takes the popular M1 platform up a level with the ACUdraw De-Cock that offers safe and easy cocking and de-cocking. A set of 190-pound, dual-laminated limbs work with the VX-5 Reverse Cams and a 13.8-inch power stroke to produce advertised speeds of 380 fps with a 410-grain bolt. A lightweight, injection-molded stock is home to…

THE PIG WAS CLOSE, almost too close. Although he acted nervous as he gobbled up corn around the feeder, he trusted his eyes to warn him of any danger within striking distance and his nose and his ears to warn him of anything approaching from farther away. He had probably been here many times before and avoided any negative consequences. The problem this time was that I was sitting motionless above in a Millennium stand, and the wind was in my favor. I was testing out a new Wasp Sharpshooter CBW broadhead, and I knew my light recurve was more than enough to kill the pig. But I also knew it was doubtful my arrow would pass through. That’s exactly where the broadhead would come into play. You see, CBW…

AROUND THIS time of year, we hear the deer experts share their opinions on the best time to hunt the rut. This is always intriguing, especially when you’re trying to maximize your vacation days during the most exciting hunting days of the year. Some hunters point to the moon as the main factor influencing the rut. If moon phase or position works for you, by all means, stick with it. There’s nothing better than a well-earned trophy. However, from a biological perspective, the moon theory has been repeatedly disproven through various peer-reviewed studies. In short, while the moon can influence fish behavior in connection with lunar cycles, it has nothing to do with the timing of the whitetail rut. In fact, the conclusion of all the various studies has been…

MATHEWS’ string of high-performing bowhunting rigs marches forward with the company’s 2025 lineup. In addition to the LIFT X 29.5, which was reviewed in the August issue, Mathews has added the LIFT X 33, LIFT XD and the subject of this review, the LIFT RS. Together, these bows cover a very wide draw-length range from 23.5-33.5 inches, draw weights from 41-80 pounds and axle-to-axle lengths from 27.75-33 inches. There truly is something for just about everyone, with each model delivering true, flagship bow performance. Designed for archers who prefer a more compact bow, the LIFT RS measures 27.75 inches between the axles, features the SwitchWeight X Cam and two base limbs sets covering an amazing 41-80-pound draw-weight range. Set Apart The Mathews LIFT RS is different in several ways. First,…

IN THE HEART of every conscientious hunter should lie a shadow of doubt as to whether what he does is “good” or “right.” This quandary certainly exists in my consciousness. Every animal I have killed has left me with a sense of remorse for inflicting harm and taking life. Yet, I continue to hunt. Why? Cognitive dissonance is a theory in social psychology. It refers to the mental conflict that occurs when a person’s behaviors and beliefs do not align. It may also happen when a person holds two beliefs that contradict one another. For me, the dissonance is this: One, it is wrong to cause harm to an animal. Two, it is not wrong to kill an animal to eat it. From childhood, I have always believed I truly…