Tactics

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From the very conception of my bowhunting madness, my ambitions have remained in a perpetual state of flux. All but…»

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Bill Winke shares with us the three most important bow lessons he learned from a doe culling effort that was…»

Photo by Ron Sinfelt

I shot a doe on opening day of archery season on a large tract of public land. Can I keep…»

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Deer aren’t really affected by our sluggish economy. I wish we hunters could say the same. With gas prices already…»

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Bowhunting turkey isn’t the parlor trick many believe. Here are five ways you can punch a tag on a longbeard with your bow.

Mississippi bowhunter Will Rives, right, and his father Bill Rives pose with the new state-record typical archery buck, which scored 187 3/8 gross and 172 4/6 net. Will Rives killed the deer in Jefferson County on Dec. 14, 2010.

As Mississippi farmer Will Rives headed out for an afternoon bowhunt on Dec. 14, 2010, his father Bill made a…»

photo by Ron Sinfelt

QUESTION: Can deer determine how far away the origin of the scent actually is? If I have a treestand within…»

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The temperature here in Pennsylvania today is about 65 degrees, and although the calendar says spring doesn’t begin until March…»

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Field Editor Bill Winke shares what he learned from a hunt situation where the “big one” got away and how…»

If you hunt long enough, you will shoot a deer in the paunch. How you react may very well determine whether or not you recover it.

My outfitter on a recent hunt was giving us instruction on shot placement when he said something that made my…»

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Most contemporary bowhunters shoot arrows that are relatively light by traditional archery standards. And the broadheads we use are far…»

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Petersen’s Bowhunting Field Editor Bill Winke give us his top five bow shooting tips Plays videos on our IMO Mags…»

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With a mild winter across much of North America, there is very little snow covering the ground and people in…»

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For most bowhunters, whitetails occupy our thoughts and dreams. For many others, it’s elk and mule deer. The problem is…»

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After working on a log cabin build, West Virginia native Terry Phillips had a heap of leftover pine scraps at…»

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Start by attaching the sight to the bow. Next, loosen the screw that locks the horizontal adjustment of the sight…»

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The late season is tough; most hunters get discouraged when they realize just how tough it is. It only takes…»

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My bowhunting success success definitely seems to come in bunches, and 2011 has been a very good year. As you…»

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Johnny Cash probably would have liked the pelt on this song dog. While hunting in a Pennsylvania Game Commission public-hunting…»

Aiming the bow is a complex process involving the integration of many body systems. You must experiment and practice to determine which methods work best for you. Once you've established your system, you must be consistent for the best results.

ONE EYE OR TWO? Should you shoot with the non-dominant eye open, closed or squinted? Aiming your bow with both…»

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I have shot a lot of does over the years, and that has given me the chance to watch how…»

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You definitely want to keep your activated carbon scent-absorbing hunting clothing and traditional hunting clothing separate. Activated charcoal will absorb…»

Tammi Gregory shows off her 11-point Kansas monster — a deer that was harvested just 20 minutes before her husband Jay took a 16-point non-typical. The duo combined to take down 374 combined inches of antler in half an hour!

Without a doubt, taking a giant buck from the ground is one of the toughest feats in bowhunting. That said,…»

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Whisker Biscuit rests are notorious for chewing up flimsy plastic vanes. There are a few things you can do to…»

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There are two ways to look at the rut, depending on what kind of buck you are trying to shoot.…»

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Field Editor Bill Winke offers advice on getting ready for the upcoming season, with his focus on mental preparedness and…»

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I will start out by saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Don’t mess with a winning formula one…»

Before taking your crossbow into the field, it’s important to practice until you are familiar with your bolt trajectory at various ranges. This photo shows the point of impact from Doug Koenig’s TenPoint crossbow using the 20-yard crosshair at 20, 30 and 40 yards.

What is the maximum range for a crossbow? That’s a tough question to answer. Modern crossbows typically generate speeds anywhere…»

A little time, effort and money spent creating hidey-hole food plots can pay off in the form of nice bucks such as this.

Closing the distance on a mature buck is more art than science. Throughout the off-season, hunters like us are continually…»

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MISSOULA, Mont.–A trophy bull can turn up almost anywhere in elk country but opportunities to take one are rare. When…»

Any bowhunter would be thrilled to capture bucks such as these on a scouting camera. However, all trail camera images represent valuable data that can help guide management decisions by tracking individual bucks and monitoring the overall deer population on your hunting property from year to year.

As I drove home one evening after spending the afternoon in one of my favorite stands, I got a call…»

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We all fight target panic to some extent. How much we fight it depends on our technique. Ron Ellis from…»

A portable tripod and a good digital camera with a self-timer make it easy to capture high-quality trophy shots in the field. Proper camera position and shooting at the right time of day also  enhance photo quality.

One area where nearly every hunter can improve is taking better hunting trophy photos in the field. When the day…»

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Hunting public land can be a challenge for any bowhunter. Number one, you need to find areas that are not…»

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Q: My dad and I have a 60-acre crop farm. We are looking for information on how to create a…»

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I love those old movies where Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone are running around the wilderness shooting charging bears with…»

When selecting a crossbow, pay careful attention to the quality of the trigger. A crisp trigger mechanism that allows you to execute the shot with minimal travel is key to maximizing your accuracy.

One of the most important features on a firearm is the trigger. I would rather have a really good trigger…»

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There is a wealth of information contained in the years of experience we all have accumulated.  I am as guilty…»

More and more, the biggest factor in determining deer hunters’ success or failure is simply finding a quality area to hunt. Although there are plenty of quality hunting options on public land, a growing percentage of hunters are buying property specifically to create a quality hunting experience.

Where are you going to hunt this year? More and more, that’s literally becoming the million-dollar question whitetail hunters face…»

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When you’re facing a situation where you might not have the equipment you need for a food plot or the…»

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OK, I know timing the rut is an oft-visited subject. The fact is, it’s of great interest to whitetail hunters…»

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How early to a stand that’s close to where deer are bedding depends  a lot on the conditions for that…»

What Time of the Day is Best for Hunting Deer During a Full Moon? Winke believes weather is actually a more important factor to consider when it comes to deer movement.

Conventional wisdom has always suggested that you should be out there at midday when the moon is full. However, I…»

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I recently sat down and had a long conversation with Lennie Rezmer, Carbon Express’ Vice President, that simply changed the…»

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Ideally, you will sight-in your bow over the course of several days, even weeks.  Because your shooting form changes a…»

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Here are the seven steps I take each year to make sure I am ready for the hunting season. Step…»

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I get this question often: when should you start shooting does during hunting season? I try and shoot  whitetail does…»

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There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your aim. Here is a quick rundown of…»

The Primos Dark Horse would get the job done

I hunt out of blinds a few times each year and they can be very effective, but the deer figure…»

Eddie Claypool packs his desert muley buck out of the southwestern Arizona backcountry. Covering plenty of roadless ground is critical to success in this territory.

For most of my bowhunting life, I considered the last day of December the end of my season. By that…»