Table of contents for June 2023 - Gear Special in Bowhunter

THE ONLY THING that excites me more than the annual launch of new bows is the unveiling of new arrows and broadheads… I’m not joking! Why? Because the arrow/broadhead combination is ultimately responsible for putting an animal down quickly and humanely. During my archery tenure, I’ve shot a pile of different arrow/broad-head combos — some I loved, and some will never see my quiver again. The key to finding the right pairing is matching that pairing to your hunting style and shooting expectations. Suppose you roam the West in search of pronghorns and mule deer and typically find your shots are a tad longer and oftentimes taken in stiff crosswinds. In that case, you want to turn your attention to a micro-diameter shaft and a low-profile fixed head or mechanical.…

HAVING THE RIGHT equipment can make or break a bowhunt. Although we dedicate a lot of energy toward our bow-and-arrow setup, staying warm, dry, and comfortable in the field is a close second. Whether you’re chasing elk in the high country and have to battle a storm that suddenly erupts, or simply hunting close to home come November, being decked out for the conditions will keep you focused and in the game longer. Clothing That said, today would certainly be the “good ol’ days” of quality hunting apparel, and a favorite for many in the Western bow-hunting crowd would have to be KUIU. Headlining for them this season is their [1] Proximity Jacket ($299) and Pants ($259), which are a perfect combination for bow-hunters wanting to stay whisper-quiet in the…

TODAY’S BUDGET BOWS DELIVER MORE THAN JUST A LOWER PRICE. The first bow I ever purchased, well over two decades ago, dinged my wallet for $369. I’ll admit, I wanted to spend twice as much on the flagship bow that was hanging next to it behind the counter, but I couldn’t at the time. Looking back, that affordable bow did its share of damage to numerous P&Y critters and countless others for the next decade, and I bet it would be just as effective today. Point is, you don’t need a flagship bow to find bowhunting success. Sure, they're extremely nice to shoot, and you can certainly notice some important differences when compared to bows carrying half the price tag. But like everything else, technologies that were the rage just…

IT’S NO SECRET: If you expect to consistently drag a whitetail buck out of the woods, you need to hunt their blind spots. Whether that means sight, sound, or smell, you can’t get away with much when a whitetail is in sight. Obviously, if they smell you the gig is pretty much up, but if they consistently pick you off as well, it often equals the same results. That said, being perched high in a tree or in a well-hidden blind is the first defense against being spotted, and luckily for us, there’s no shortage of options to pick from to prevent this from happening. Stands Summit’s unique [1] Dual Axis Hang-On ($279) is an all-aluminum stand weighing 16 lbs. It sports a spacious 24" x 34" platform and patented…

YEARS AGO, when I was a young, budding bowhunter, someone told me trail cameras, which were film at the time, were cheating. The individual went on to rant about how the devices take away woodsmanship and provide hunters with an unfair advantage. For a short time, I listened. What a mistake. Trail cameras are not only fantastic scouting tools, but they're so fun to use. Over the years, my cameras have snapped images of deer, elk, pronghorns, turkeys, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, etc. I've caught bull and cow elk doing the hibbity dibbity, whitetail bucks cracking horns, a hen turkey laying eggs, and a big buck pronghorn that decided to swim in a cattle pond. My trail cameras have proven invaluable, and today I have a healthy arsenal of…

Q I just learned how to apply a center serving to a bowstring. However, I have questions about the serving material and diameter. What type/size are best for 3-D and hunting? I also plan to replace my D-loop, as it’s pretty worn. I noticed there are various types of loop material available as well. What are your preferences, and why? – John L., via e-mail A These are great questions. As you know, the bowstring’s D-loop and center serving receive more wear than any other part of the bow. For this reason, both are prone to failure. To prevent fiber slippage and tuning problems, the center serving should be applied with very firm tension, eliminating the chance for serving gaps. BCY has been our go-to source for do-it-yourself bowstring materials…

THERE ARE TWO TIMES a year that every serious bowhunter looks forward to the most: When it’s time to head out on the first hunt of the season, and when the latest flagship bows are unveiled for all to see. I’ll admit that it’s a toss-up for me as to which one I anticipate the most. Luckily, they are at opposite ends of the season, so I get to relish each one equally. This year is no different. As the latest models began to launch around November and the ATA Show rolled out the red carpet in January so you could put your hands on some of them, it was time to start slinging arrows to see what the latest bows had to offer. Whether it’s a significant innovation or…

I REMEMBER SEVERAL years ago an archery rep at a local pro shop told me that bows nowadays were nearly as efficient as an electric motor, and that innovation would start to happen slower than in years past. He mentioned that bows would have minor tweaks to performance, quietness, and vibration-dampening, but huge advancements in bow performance, like yesteryear, would be rare to nonexistent. Ultimately, that rep’s words were somewhat true, because while today’s bows are better than ever, they just don’t appear to be breaking the mold like they used to. The same cannot be said for bow accessories, and one reason why is the evolving partnerships between accessory manufacturers and bow manufacturers, many of which were made in an effort to improve your overall shooting experience. Accessory companies…

WESTERN HUNTERS live and die by our optics because much of the land we hunt is open, and having the right spotting scope or binoculars is paramount to our success. Additionally, in pressured areas or warm weather, animal movement can often be limited to those times of day when light is low — hence the need for good glass. Conversely, glassing in the whitetail woods is often in tighter conditions better suited for smaller, lower-magnification optics than those used in the West. Still, clear optics that bring in maximum light are always a good idea. When it comes to knowing shot distances, hunters have no excuses. Today’s rangefinders not only give us exact horizontal distances but also angle-compensated ranges — and they're readily available in nearly every price range. Some…