Innehållsförteckning för September 2019 från Bowhunter

MY HUNTING BUDDY Doyle Shipp crouched behind a bush and watched the 6x7 bull pace along a ridge. The elk was 150 yards away, but Doyle was not concerned about the distance. He was excited, because his son Ryley was inching toward the bull and had already cut the range in half. Doyle hesitated a few more minutes, and then he started sneaking along behind Ryley. He could not help himself. It looked like the young man might actually get a shot, and Doyle wanted a front-row seat. At age 24, Ryley Shipp had already bagged two bulls in his home state of Montana with a Hoyt fingers bow — first a fat 5x5, and then a bomber 6x6 that gross-scored a touch over 380 record-book points. Both elk were…

DURING A RECENT conversation with a young hunting-industry insider, we got on the topic of camouflage. The fellow I was chatting with simply said, “I don’t believe in camouflage or scent control.” I don’t know how many times we’ve gone down the road on scent control, but there are proven methods that work. Maybe not 100 percent of the time, but definitely more than zero. As far as camouflage, his statement is one that echoes of the olden days, when hunters wore blue jeans and red-plaid shirts into the woods. They were also hunting deer that hadn’t been hunted much, and not insignificantly, were reputed to rarely, if ever, look up into a treestand. Things have changed on that last front, as we’ve all witnessed plenty of times. Deer these…

THERE ARE MANY similarities, but I want to focus on three topics regarding bowhunting and life: perseverance, consistence, and accuracy. Perseverance is to persist in an undertaking in spite of opposition or discouragement. Don’t let your physical exhaustion keep you from that animal you’re stalking. Maybe this is your third run up that steep mountain. Giving up isn’t an option. Persevere, even if you’re only attempting to hit the target. When you get where you are going, will you be where you want to be? Without consistence in bowhunting, hitting the mark would be difficult. Whether it’s a bull’s-eye or an animal, consistence is an influential topic. Shooting your bow requires a consistent anchor point, release technique, and many other important requirements. Life needs consistence. Routines are important. A good…

Common use of trail cameras looks like this: A hunter places them at various locations long before hunting season and captures hundreds, if not thousands, of shooter-buck images. On a traveling hunt across state lines, few folks have that luxury. Instead, we traveling hunters must weave cameras into scouting and stand-hanging treks when we arrive to hunt. Many question whether the data you’ll obtain in only a few days is worth the trouble. I’ll argue it is. You see, during a traveling bowhunt, you’ll have maybe two or three very good stand locations. And if you’re hunting during the rut, you’ll spend all daylight hours in only one of those locations. While you’re hunting one stand, trail cameras can “hunt” the others. Even one or two days’ worth of data…

I have a few criteria when it comes to selecting a ground blind. I want it to be big enough for two people and their gear. I usually carry some sort of chair to the blind. For me, the extra weight of the chair and the bigger blind is worth it, because it allows me to sit comfortably for extended periods. My blind must have brush loops for attaching vegetation to the outside. In addition, I need adjustable shooting windows, so it is functional in varied locations. I have used several different quality blinds from companies like Primos Double Bull and Big Game, but for the past several years my go-to blind has been the Apex ($400) from Xenek (huntxenek.com). This particular blind is spacious at 72" x 72", allowing…

Sure, pronghorns have a sense of smell, but they just don’t shy away from human scent like elk or mule deer. I’ve successfully decoyed and spot and stalked lots of goats with the wind blowing right to them. Have I been busted? Yep. But more often than not, I get away with it. This is especially true if you take the time to spray down and wipe high-sweat zones with quality scent-eliminating wipes. If you’re sitting in a ground blind, heed the same advice. Of course, try to play the wind, but stock tanks and ponds often reek of cow urine. This stench seems to jam a goat’s sense of smell. I use my Ozonics unit and don’t worry if the wind is a little sketchy.…

Quick-Tune Your Release-Aid Bow Smart archers choose a reputable bow brand and quality arrow shafts to match. With an equally excellent drop-away arrow rest and flexible hunting stabilizer to minimize shooting torque, tuning your release-aid compound with broad-head-tipped arrows should be a snap. Shoot your setup through stretched butcher paper, or a sheet of common printer paper, from about six feet away. Smear the broadhead’s nose with lipstick or dry marker to more easily determine where the head and tail of the arrow pass through. Rather than moving the nocking point or D-loop on the bowstring, the easiest way to eliminate tail-high or tail-low paper tears is adjusting the limb bolts. To raise the tail, simply tighten the upper limb, or loosen the lower limb. Reverse this to lower the…

EVERY YEAR, we read articles on the relationship between deer movements and specific phases of the moon. Various charts and tables are published, which include the latest truths or “scientific” links between maximizing your days afield to the different phases of the moon (new, waning, waxing, and full). But, is there any science to these claims? One of the first to make a connection between moon phase and deer movement was the late Jeff Murray, who in 1992 created the Moon Guide. Jeff and I spent many hours discussing his guide. In short, it picked the best days, times, and locations for hunters. Depending on whether the moon is directly above or below the Earth, the Moon Guide tells you whether your time afield should be spent near bedding, feeding,…

I LOVE BOWHUNTING wild and exciting places. Kodiak Island adventures are on the top of my list, because you must be prepared for anything from brown bear encounters to hurricane-force winds. So, when my friend Bob Ameen asked if I’d like to join him on a Sitka blacktail hunt, I was excited. However, I needed to check dates, discuss details with my wife, Miriam, and call Bowhunter Publisher Jeff Waring to see if he wanted to send a cameraman along to film an episode of Bowhunter TV. I got the thumbs-up from both Miriam and Jeff, and the plan was to meet Bob on October 14 in Kodiak, and cameraman Matt Young on October 15. After meeting up with Bob, I learned that Matt was stuck in Anchorage due to…

“The greatest teacher failure is. ” YODA I could see the white tips of the bull’s antlers getting closer as he neared an opening in the thick brush. He was coming in so fast, that I had little time to set up and range some landmarks. When the bull hit the opening, I came to full draw. He caught the movement of the bow and hesitated. I guessed the yardage at 40, and released the arrow. The bull bolted, and I watched my arrow fly harmlessly into the brush below the elk. Lesson Number One: Roosevelt’s elk are big, and they can look closer than they really are as a result. Be sure of the range before releasing an arrow. Lesson Number Two: Draw your bow when the bull can’t…

THE BULL BLEW OUT, crashed through the timber, and left me swearing at myself. Dang, I was close, but that crunchy pinecone did me in. I took a few deep breaths, put my arrow away, and decided to stay after the bull and his herd. I took off on a looping run through the timber, trying to close the gap again. My bow was in my right hand as I snaked through the maze of downfalls, using every open space or trail available to make time. I was silently trotting on a trail, and when I rounded a large pine, everything went into slow motion. Grizzly. Big grizzly! My bow hit the ground, bear spray came free from the holster, and the oversized boar charged…the other way, looking over his…

QUESTION I have two major hunts coming up, and I’m struggling to decide how to stay hydrated while also making sure my water is safe to drink. Any tips? G. Sunderland, via e-mail ANSWER This is a very important topic that often gets neglected until it’s too late. First off, it is extremely critical to keep water flowing through your body on any hunt. If you’re exerting yourself, you’ll get dehydrated quickly, and that can lead to problems like severe headaches, muscle cramps, and worse. I’m 6' 5", so I’ve fought muscle cramps my whole life, and dehydration is the primary cause. To make sure I’m hydrated, I always carry a two-liter hydration bladder in my pack, with the drinking tube on my right shoulder strap. That way I can…

A LOT HAS BEEN WRITTEN about bow quivers and whether or not they affect accuracy. I’ve personally used bow quivers for more than 25 years. However, through extensive testing of my own and collaborating with other dedicated, accuracy driven bowhunters, I’ve learned that bow quivers do indeed impact shot-to-shot consistency, sometimes only slightly, but other times quite noticeably, depending on the setup, broadhead/arrow combination, and shooting scenario. As sort of an archery perfectionist, I decided to hunt almost exclusively without a quiver attached to my bow. Since doing this some 15-plus years ago, I’ve noticed greater consistency in my shooting, particularly in the bowhunting woods when I’m cold and tired, or when shooting in the wind. Of course, the main downside to going sans quiver is that your arrows are…

THE GREAT THING about getting kids excited about shooting traditional archery is that it’s really as simple as giving them a bow and arrows. In my opinion, the trick is not making shooting too regimented, or brow-beating them with OSHA-type regulations or safety speeches. I feel my job as an adult mentor is just to give praise, supervise, and help make shooting a bow fun for kids. My rules are easy to follow. I simply tell kids not to shoot each other, not to run with an arrow, and always to point the arrow in a safe direction. No kid wants to get a stern lecture on safety before having fun. Another important factor for kids is making sure the longbow or recurve is light enough to be really easy…

Before the advent of map-based smartphone apps, I relied heavily upon hard-copy maps and info tidbits found sporadically across the worldwide web to plan out-of-state whitetail hunts. This left so much to question, and it made learning new public parcels a steep task. Scouting was laborious and time-consuming, not to mention that it required extensive boot work — increased human intrusion and scent dispersal into key hunting locations. Consequently, success rates diminished with the introduction of these negative impacts. Times have changed. A smartphone doesn’t give you superhuman powers, but it has become one of the most beneficial tools for DIY whitetail hunting. Remotely, we can learn much information on regions, properties, and even specific locations that can ultimately taper the learning curve when we arrive to hunt. Used correctly,…

I’ve heard it said many times in my life that hard work will pay off. With that in mind, I have paid attention to the work ethics of others, and how certain people lead by example. Early in life, I knew I had to work hard and be very detail-oriented in order to become successful in my chosen career path as an aviator. My approach to bowhunting would be the same. As a young boy, I spent the majority of my time on my grandparents’ farm. It was there where my passion for bowhunting whitetail deer began. I was very fortunate to grow up in a family of hunters and trappers. My uncles were successful bowhunters dating back to the 1970s, when most people in our area knew nothing about…

Besides your bow, arrows, broad-heads, and the like, being a flexible pronghorn killer requires some specific gear. Here’s my list of items you don’t want to head to the plains without. •Don’t skimp on ground blind quality or size. If you sit over water, you’ll be spending hours in your ground fort, so comfort is paramount. •Most things on the prairie will poke, sting, or stab you. You’ll want a quality pair of leather gloves and kneepads for crawling sessions. I also wrap my feet in a good pair of snake boots. Keep a pair of tweezers and a first-aid kit in your pack. •An old garage-sale cooler isn’t going to cut it. Invest in a quality cooler or two to keep drinks and food cold. You’ll also want to…

Scent Crusher ®  Travel Closet The Scent Crusher® Travel Closet provides an easy and effective way for hunters to eliminate odors from clothing and equipment. The digital generator emits chemical-free ozone that starts destroying odors within 30 minutes. The 68" x 22.5" x 20" Closet is easy to assemble and tough enough to use outdoors. Great for basements, garages, and hunting camps. Includes a carry bag. Scent Off. Game On. Scent Crusher® scentcrusher.com CanCooker Jr. The CanCooker Jr., now with a nonstick coating, is the little brother to the Original CanCooker, and is designed for a family supper. Built out of food-grade, anodized aluminum, the CanCooker Jr. can be heated on a number of heat sources, from campfires to BBQ grills.The high-temperature silicone gasket helps trap the steam that is…

IT IS WITH GREAT trepidation that I now put pen to paper (metaphorically speaking). The task before me is daunting. I have been chosen to author this column — Dwight’s column. In doing so, I have been given the great honor of stepping into the shoes of a bowhunting icon, outdoor-writing legend, and a tireless champion of our cause. I humbly submit that I am neither worthy nor talented enough to do so. I could never, and will never, fill his shoes. However, the torch has been handed to me, so I must grasp it firmly and move forward. Dwight Schuh was my mentor for a very long time. Perhaps that fact alone will be my saving grace. For 30 years, I was his friend and his disciple. And for…