Table of contents for June 2019 - Gear Special in Bowhunter

AS YOU STROLL through the pages of this issue, our annual Gear Special, I would like you to understand the purpose of our effort here. First, this issue came to be years ago when the usual eight issues of Bowhunter Magazine were expanded to nine. In a sense, the Gear Special is a “bonus” issue that has become part of our annual schedule. The purpose of this issue needs occasional clarification — and a dose of honesty. First of all, we make no attempt to rate or rank bowhunting products in any kind of head-to-head manner. You won’t find any “Best Of,” or “Top 10” articles that call out one product as better than another. There are several reasons for that. To start with, the performance of most bowhunting products…

WHILE WESTERN HUNTING is often more exciting and in-the-moment than the average whitetail sit, nothing compares to the year-round work that deer demand. This is one of the reasons why hardcore whitetail hunters can always find something to do that will benefit them come fall. This is especially true during the summer months, when it’s time to figure out which bucks are roaming the landscape so you can start developing a plan for how to encounter them come September. There are plenty of ways to do this — few of which compare to a two-pronged scouting approach that involves evening glassing sessions and a solid trail-camera strategy. When it comes to glassing, you can’t beat a good pair of binos like the SIG SAUER [1] ZULU9 HDX ($1,440). While they…

(1) Barnett Crossbows ®  HyperGhost™ 405 • Patented step-through riser • Soft Lok™ floating arrow retainer • Balanced, secure grip when shouldered The Barnett HyperGhost 405 ($1,099.99), clad in Mossy Oak® Treestand™ Monochromatic camo, fires bolts downrange at a blistering 405 fps. The 405 is 36¼" long, 17 2/3" axle to axle (uncocked), and weighs 7.7 lbs. You’ll like its new upgraded stock and patented step-through riser, not to mention the Underarm Counter Balance Support™ that hooks under your arm to counteract the riser’s weight for a more balanced, secure grip while shooting it. An important safety feature is the Anti-Dry Fire Trigger System™. It comes with three .204" small-diameter Hyperflite™ bolts, a premium 1.5x5x32mm illuminated scope, a rope-cocking sled, a side-mount quiver, and lubrication wax. Contact: Barnett…

AS I GET OLDER, I find that I care less and less about big critters and more about so many other aspects of any given hunt. One aspect in particular, is how good of a shot I take — and make. When I think back on last season, for example, the deer that are the most pleasurable to recall are those that I hit perfectly, or perfect enough to result in sub-100-yard blood trails. The ones that make me cringe are the shots where I didn’t hit right where I was aiming, or I didn’t aim right where I should have. It happens, but my goal every year is to make this as rare an occurrence as I can. This starts with only taking shots where I have 100% confidence…

MY BLIND was brushed into a patch of poplar saplings and gray dogwoods. The dogwood berries were ripe, and legions of songbirds flitted their way through in waves to munch on the seasonal buffet. The tiny movements and noises were nonstop, and I suppose that’s why I’d zoned out and wasn’t paying attention as well as I should have been. As is so often the case, my brain registered something bigger walking through the grass and leaves only a few seconds before something bigger did indeed walk in. The doe stepped in front of my blind, looked my way for a second, then walked straight away. A fawn followed, then another. Although they were maybe eight or nine yards away when they walked in, I never had a real shot…

Q While reading Bowhunter and watching Bowhunter TV, I noticed you guys use different broadheads for different game species. Why not use the same broadhead for all? P. Schindledecker, via e-mail A Your observations are correct. Broad-head choice is very personal, and in my own case it's definitely influenced by the species of game I’m hunting. My general plan has been to shoot wide-cut mechanical broad-heads, such as the Rage Hypodermic, for caribou-sized game and smaller, including black bears. Black bears are easy to penetrate and will succumb to a well-placed arrow faster than any animal I’ve hunted. For larger game, such as elk and moose, I prefer a fixed-blade head, usually a three-blade like the Muzzy Trocar, G5 Striker, or Wasp Drone. The same goes for brown bears, which…

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? That is the yearly bow question. Some folks argue that the refresh cycle on new bows should span several presidential administrations, while others hand their credit card over to purchase a new rig almost as a yearly ritual. The rest of us fall somewhere in between. And, we base our decisions on many factors. Cost is an obvious biggie, and it’s no secret that you can drop some serious coin on a new bow. To that I say, life is full of products begging for your money, and while new sofas and landscaping and whatever else you desire are nice, few purchases are as fun as a new bow. Technology will also factor in, because every year bow manufacturers are bound to create something…