Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i Petersen's Hunting

SOCIAL MEDIA. The lockdown. Expanded recruitment efforts. The field-to-table movement. Food shortage and supply-chain problems. All of these things came together in a unique time in our history to create a groundswell of interest in hunting. Just a few years ago we were lamenting the loss of hunters on a mass scale. Now we’re cussing all the out-of-state trucks parked at the trailhead. The increased interest in hunting—and especially the exponential increase of hunters willing to travel to other states—has been both a blessing and a curse. And the government agencies tasked with wildlife management are starting to show their true colors. For a dozen years, I worked in a corporate environment. And for much of that time, I thought the Human Resources department was there for me, the employee.…

No matter the hunt, season, or scenario, there is one piece of gear I never leave behind: my Alaska Guide Creations Kodiak Cub bino harness. For nearly a decade—from the brutal coast of Alaska to the acacia groves of Africa—it has never failed me or the optics it protects. The Kodiak Cub is durable, comfortable, and quiet, and it’s loaded with features. These include a hidden zipper pocket, which is ideal for stashing licenses; an optimally sized rangefinder pouch with a retractable cable; and two small pockets for essential items, such as a wind checker and an optics cleaning cloth. Did I mention its made proudly in the USA? My Kodiak Cub harness wears the stains and abuse of 1,000+ days in the field like a battle-ridden tank: battered and…

Remember that old paper carcass tag that successful hunters cut out and physically attached to their dead deer, elk, and turkeys? Recall how it coined such terms as “tagged out,” “tag envy,” and “tag soup”? Some tags were made of metal, others special rip-resistant paper. That tangible, physical evidence of a hunter’s score—mine was often lashed to a hind leg of a deer with black electrician’s tape—may go the way of the typewriter and the fax. Many states have implemented platforms that require hunters to digitally “tag” their animals and to electronically report their harvest. No notching a physical tag. No taking animals to a game-check station. No electrical tape. The idea behind this “frictionless” process of confirming and then reporting your harvest is to reduce fish-and-game agency costs of…

I’ve never been much of a bowhunter. I like the challenge of getting within the animal’s sensory zone and using a difficult-to-master weapon, but I just can’t get excited about shooting a bow. Sure, I’ve got one and have taken some game with it, but it isn’t my passion. When I want the challenge of hunting big game up close, I do it with a handgun. One of the most memorable moments of my 2020 hunting season came when I sat at the base of a tree on my favorite hillside and used a .32 H&R Magnum revolver to cleanly take a deer. Though the deer was “only” a doe, the challenge of the short gun made it an exciting and rewarding experience. Such challenges are what make us hunters…

Of the “big three” European optics manufacturers, at least two of them have realized there are a lot of hunters out there who aspire to use their products, but may not have the means to buy them. To that end, these companies have figured out ways to create optics that while maybe not entry level are at least priced a bit lower than their premium offerings. This gives everyday hunters a way to experience the brand without too much crying at the cash register. Leica’s most recent entry into this field is the new Amplus 6 series of riflescopes, which still may not be affordable to all but could certainly be considered a good value for the performance they deliver. FAST FACTS For that “value” American hunters get Leica’s legendary…

When I was young and deer were scarce, harvesting does was unthinkable. Today, with whitetails overpopulated in so many areas, harvesting does is the only effective control. We encourage our hunters to take does, with the goal of taking at least one doe for every buck harvested. Hunting does is tricky because an “antlerless deer” may be a “button buck.” All experienced hunters who harvest does have taken button bucks. It’s not illegal (depending on local definition), and the meat is as good as a doe. Taking a button buck is counterproductive to the entire purpose of harvesting does. And there’s no way to know what kind of buck he would become. So button bucks are to be avoided, but they’re hard to spot. Especially in poor light, the pedicles…

As much as we wish we could hunt all the time, sometimes we have to stay home. But that doesn’t mean missing the hunt altogether. MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) offers hunters their favorite Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel programs, streaming from one easy-to-access location. Search from a library of more than 20,000 episodes, including eight seasons of Petersen’s Hunting Adventures TV and five seasons of Border to Border. Plus, get access to MOTV HuntStream, a new streaming channel featuring the best of MOTV. Petersen’s Hunting subscribers will enjoy 25% off an MOTV annual subscription. Visit MyOutdoorTV.com Promo code: PETERSENS21 Or scan the QR code.…

HUNTING has contributed to the recovery and the increase of biodiversity around the world, but especially in North America and Africa. Hunting as a conservation tool provides incentives, resources, and management of species to ensure healthy populations in the ecosystem. Contrary to popular opinion, hunting is not the destructive practice of overhunting by the early colonialists and settlers. In fact, hunters were key to the creation of protected areas around the world. Hunting is vital to species recovery, ecosystem management, and human-wildlife coexistence. In order to hunt, there must be adequate habitat, population size, and ecosystem health. This all takes resources because maintaining habitat, conducting animal population surveys, and monitoring biodiversity are all extensive operations. Hunters often foot the bill for this vast undertaking, with extraordinary results for species. In…

Author Robert Ruark (1915–1965) didn’t hunt big game until he was in his mid-thirties. He caught up fast, died too young, and left us some of the best vignettes in hunting literature. “One thing hunting has taught me is patience,” he wrote. Ruark was not a dedicated whitetail hunter, but he was serious about leopards. Sitting in a leopard blind can be one of the most protracted exercises in patience. It depends on your luck. Get the cat in a few days, no big deal. When it stretches to weeks or—as with my first leopard—months, it gets tough. I am a serious whitetail hunter, and I know of few things that try one’s patience as much as stand hunting for whitetails. In some ways, it is more trying than leopard…

JACK MADE a good hit on the buck. As he approached the deer, he hoped there would be no ground shrinkage. He wasn’t disappointed. It was a nice eight-point whitetail, and he couldn’t wait for the guys to see it. When shooting hours were over, the rest of his party arrived to help drag out the deer. As usual, the hunters offered him congratulations, but one suggested he should have let the buck walk since it would have been a real wall-hanger in another year or two. Jack’s pride was replaced by embarrassment and bewilderment. Had he made a mistake by shooting that buck? Unfortunately, Jack was a victim of “buck shaming.” It’s a behavior as old as hunting, but it’s gotten more prevalent as TV and social media have…

The rut is long awaited by deer hunters across the U.S. We talk about it, think about it and dream about it, hoping this might be the season that unseen giant might let his guard down long enough for us to get a lethal shot. Unfortunately, the rut doesn’t always deliver the long-dreamed-about buck that haunts our minds throughout the rest of the year. Don’t be discouraged. Right now, during the rut, big bucks are lurking in the timber, cruising for hot does to breed. Be there at the right time and you may see the stiff-legged walk and swollen neck of a buck that seems to appear out of the ether. In that moment, steady your nerves, stay calm, and shoot straight. Your patience and persistence has paid off.…

Cold-weather clothing often doesn’t fit the needs of mobile hunters. Adding and stripping layers can be a pain when in the field. The Kenai Hooded Jacket from Kuiu offers body-mapped insulation to keep heat in where you need it while venting well to keep your temperature regulated. A breathable Stunner Stretch nylon shell is durable and will hold up throughout the seasons. The non-quilted design also eliminates stitch holes to improve wind and water resistance. $239; kuiu.com Getting to your stand during the November rut means working through snow, wading through creeks and puddles, and climbing slippery treestand ladders. The Rocky Sport Pro Rubber Boot features 1,200 grams of 3M Thinsulate Ultra insulation to keep your feet warm while the durable rubber shell keeps your feet dry even in the…

Back in the old days, master whitetail hunters would employ tricks such as tying a thread across a trail just low enough for a big buck’s antlers to break it, thereby offering a clue that a buck may be using the trail. Obviously, technology has improved, but you get the idea. To be clear, tricks will never replace fundamentals such as thorough scouting, wind awareness, and hunting skill. Rather, they can augment them and even turn the odds in your favor just when you think the season—and that wary old warrior—is slipping away. Here are my nine nastiest tricks that have helped me knock down some big bucks. 1. HANG CAMS HIGH Biologists believe a whitetail’s nose is more than 30 times more powerful than a hound’s. I know my…

Currently, the Traditions NitroFire muzzleloader is the only muzzleloader on the market compatible with the exclusive Federal FireStick powder charge. The .50-caliber rifle features a 26-inch, fluted, tapered barrel that has a 1:28 twist to get the best accuracy and performance from modern muzzle-loader bullets at ranges out to 200 yards. Traditions also fits the NitroFire with a new Elite XT trigger system that has a captive half-cock and allows the action to open with the crossbolt safety still engaged, making it easier and safer to load and unload the Federal FireStick. The Federal FireStick is a self-contained powder charge encased in a weatherproof polymer cartridge that’s similar in appearance to a shotgun shell. Instead of pouring powder down the muzzle and following it with a bullet, hunters simply load…