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General:
Chronic Waste Disease By ROBERT IMRIE Associated Press Writer. One by
one, landowners are shooting whitetail deer in an unprecedented hunt so the
animals can be tested to see how far a fatal brain disease has spread into a
herd that's as much a part of Wisconsin tradition as cheese, beer and the
Green Bay Packers.
NBEF's Online
Bowhunting Education Class: The Today's Bowhunter online course on bow
hunting technique and safety is the official
course of the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF). This
online bowhunting class provides basic information about hunting with bow
and arrow, and meets or exceeds all standards as set forth by the
International Hunter Education Association for bow hunter education.
Accuracy
How to Accurately Bowhunt Regardless of how long you've been bowhunting,
it's a safe bet that at one time or another, you've stared across a field and
wished -- if only for a split second -- that you had a rifle in your hands
instead of a bow. Sitting there, caught up on some invisible barrier 100 yards
off, is the trophy of a lifetime. With a rifle, it would be an easy shot, a sure
hit. But with a bow, it might as well be a world away.
Shooting Accurately From Any Position If you are a bowhunter I think it
would be safe to bet that you have missed a deer and probably more than one, I
know I have. The interesting part is that the average bowhunting shot for
whitetail is taken between 17 and 20 yards. With the quality of today's archery
equipment it is hard to believe that even an average archer could miss a deer at
that range but it happens many times each year and it happens to archers who
have far above average shooting skills. The question is why?
Shooting Your Best by Frank & Becky Pearson
We need to practice aiming. The better you aim the more control you have
over the shot. By practicing aiming we also build strength which allows us to
aim longer. Aiming longer allows us to execute our shot routine better. Without
a shot routine we have no recollection of the shot, so we can not 'play it back'
and analyze it.
Uphill-Downhill Shooting
One of the most debated topics in archery is how to properly adjust for
uphill/downhill shots. The most common rule given is that you set your sight for
the horizontal component of the range.
Accuracy Up a Notch If you find yourself shooting all over the map, or
even shooting a bit substandard for you, do these same three things. Quit
shooting. Don’t worry. Analyze your performance. Chances are, you can improve
your accuracy without too much trouble.
A Better Way To Aim Every bowhunter has one anchor point that feels
better than any other.
Paper Tuning
Provides graphic examples of tail right, left, low & high - and what to do
about it.
Gap Shooting
Gap Shooting has been widely considered controversial among many hard core
traditional archers. But just what is it and why are so many gap shooters
accurate?
String Walking
String walking is another primitive sighting technique. It allows the archer
to use the arrow point as a reference.
Perfecting Your Practice
Any seasoned archer will tell you that great shooting is a result of
practice, but once you accept that, the next question is how to practice.
What's the point to shooting?
Why do you shoot the bow and arrow? To hit the target. Right? I invite you
to shift the emphasis from hitting targets to shooting good shots, while working
on your shooting form.
Shooting on Target
As a bowhunter, the only reason I ever considered target shooting was in
hopes to become a better shot. These exercises make me a better shot. I would
like to deliver the same shot whether I am shooting a pie plate or a huge bull
elk at 10 yards. If you feel the wave of "buck fever" come over you, half as
much as I do, you will understand that a rock solid shot is necessary for a
chance at harvesting the animal. By perfecting our shot, we can now apply it to
shooting an object in hopes of hitting it more consistently.
Antelope
Pronghorn Playground Tom Nelson bags a nice Pronghorn. I had been
keeping vigil in my box blind for nearly 4 days now. Finally an extra large
antelope buck was making his way towards my water hole. It was almost high noon
and the mercury was approaching 80 plus degrees...
Bison
or Buffalo
Texas Buffalo by Bob Baldwin. One step, then another. The wind was
right, the herd didn't seem spooked. The young bull buffalo was looking to my
right, unaware of my presence. I ranged him to find he was at 18 yards, and I
waited for him to turn just a touch to give me a quartering away shot. He
turned...
Rouge Bull with Greg Abbas
by Bob Baldwin. It was hot, July in Texas does get that way, and although
the stalk was not particularly tough, I was drenched in sweat. Through the brush
I could barely see our intended prey, a full grown Bison Bull. But who was the
prey and who was the hunter. This bull was huge!
Deer & Elk
Basic Equipment For Deer
Take a close look at everything you carry into the woods. If there's
anything that can possibly let you down during the moment of truth, get rid of
it. Unless you hunt a trophy-rich hotspot, an average season will produce, at
most, only one good crack at a dandy buck. The outcome depends on the equipment
you use. Article by bowhunting.com.
Bugle's Picture Guide to Quartering an Elk Without Gutting It
Supplies for quartering without gutting: Sharp knife, stone or steel to keep
edge on knife, saw or axe (to remove antlers), six game bags (cheap ones will
do) and several lengths of rope.WARNING!! Graphic!!
Wyoming Whitetails
by Tom Nelson. Lifting my binoculars once again I scanned the large alfalfa
field. Two more bucks were making their way into the field via the dry creek
bank. As they reached the three strand wire fence that separated them from the
lush greenery, they paused. Then effortlessly they jumped the fence and trotted
into the middle of the field to join the other fifty or so deer that had already
started dinner without them...
South Texas Whitetails
by Tom Nelson, host of the American Hunter. Just stay put another 30 seconds
I mentally told the whitetail buck feeding some 30 yards in front of me. If I
can just sneak up to that next clump of brush, I should be able to get a clear
shot I told myself.
Deer Oh Dear You have got to see this funny article from a women's
perspective.
Bear & Boar
Bowhunting Black Bears
Some consider bear hunting to be little or no sport because it is most often
done over bait. Oddly enough, I have found that when asked directly, the
majority of those negative commentators have never actually hunted bear. They
are merely expressing their opinion based on their emotions and zero experience.
Another article by bowhunting.com.
Texas Hogs with Greg Abbas
by Bob Baldwin. My prey is merely 50 yards away, oblivious to our presence.
The sun is dropping and is behind us, and we move, ever so carefully toward our
intended appointment. It's July, and I am in Texas. I must be nuts!
Black Bear Hunters: Be Selective
If overharvest becomes a problem black bear seasons and bag limits may be
restricted in the future. But if hunters are selective it should not be
necessary to do so. Hunting over bait allows hunters to be very selective.
Baiting can provide you with opportunities to select for bear size or absence of
cubs. See also
Hunting Black Bear Over Bait
Hunting Black & Brown/Grizzly Bears
Black bears and grizzly bears may live in the same area but differ in
behavior, habitat preference, and diet. Black bears prefer the mixed habitats of
lowlands, like those of the Tanana Flats. They thrive on berries, carrion,
vegetation and other wildlife. Grizzly bears generally live in high country
above timberline where they dig for roots and ground squirrels, eat berries, and
actively hunt caribou and other wildlife.
Skinning Your Bear
Knowing the proper skinning techniques for bear can make a great difference
in the final product of your bear skin rug or mount. The following guidelines
are the most accepted bear skinning methods used by taxidermists.
Kodiak Adventure with a Long Bow
by Lenny Rock. This all started with causal conversation at an indoor 3-D
league I shot in. I was telling the owner, Gary Pierce, about my dream of a
brown bear hunt and how I had given up this dream because of affordability.
Three days later he called me...
Bear Essentials by Tom Nelson. It always baffles me how ones mind
rambles and wanders while maintaining a marathon vigil perched high in a
treestand. Tonight seemed no exception. I was doing a tremendous job of solving
all the worlds problems. I was working on solving the national debt when a
slight, almost muffled snap of a small branch jolted me back to reality...
Panda's Bear
You will enjoy this family bear hunt, while you read about Panda (Amanda)
and her father's first joint Bear Hunting experience.
Big Cats
Bowhunting Africa's Killer Cats
Armed with only a bow and arrow, a hunter confronts Africa's most dangerous
game.
Mountain Lion Hunt Excitement
Ever been face to face with a huge deer-killing machine? If you've never
tried lion hunting, you haven't experienced the meaning of excitement! Nothing
in the outdoors compares to the superior disdain in the eyes of a cougar as his
gaze catches yours.
Six Steps from Death Jim Collins had the blacktails bamboozled into
thinking he was a fawn in distress. Unfortunately, he also had a cougar fooled.
Prize Fight
Caught in a deadly brawl with a mountain lion, a houndsman uses his only
defense..his fists!
The Voice from the Lion's Mouth
Confronted by a wounded killer, a game ranger has only two choices: fight or
die.
Cutting the Cat's Tracks
Many of the things hunters do when they are stalking cougars are exactly the
things experts warn against when they talk about avoiding cougar encounters.
Mountain Lions in Alaska
Mountain lions sighting are reported every year in Alaska, but the cats are
so rare in the state that accounts often take on the mythical quality of Bigfoot
sightings.
Moose
Moose Hunt Ala Buck
Another article by Penny Hunter. No one could hunt Moose like this and
Live!
Sheep/Goats
How to Judge Mountain Goats Unlike most other game animals, goats are
very hard to distinguish between gender. The below guide is only a general rule,
we saw many billies and nannies which had various characteristics of the other
sex. Only visual identification of the Vulva or Scrotum was absolutely accurate.
But there are some general guidelines to help you identify the sexes.
Interactive Sheep Bowhunting Game
10 scenarios, 1 tag, ethics count.
Bowhunting Mountain Goats Many bowhunters agree that the North American
Rocky Mountain goat is an animal made for bowhunting. The simple fact that both
males and females have horns makes all adult animals potential targets.
Small Birds
Upland Bird Hunting with bird dogs
I quickly drew my bow and instinctively lead the bird and released the
arrow. The arrow intercepted the bird in mid flight and the long tailed bird
came ...
Upland Bird Hunting Pheasants
The challenge of hunting wild ringnecks during archery pheasant season is a
great rush. Left, Stinger pointing with Temis backing, what turns out to be a
cock pheasant. Gary and I moved in front with our bows ready. Totally hidden by
the tall alfalfa, the cock bird was only a few yards from Stinger...
Arrows of Melanesia- a neglected art form #6. Probably from the Western
Highlands of Papua New Guinea or from a linguistically related people to the
north in the Schrader or Bismarck Ranges of southern Madang Province. This is an
example of a hunting arrow found throughout New Guinea that is used for hunting
birds, small tree-dwelling marsupials or, in riverine and coastal areas, also
for fishing. It has four lightly barbed palmwood prongs bound to a reed shaft.
Waterfowl
Waterfowl Bowhunting
Basics By Judd Cooney.
“Kill a decoying goose with a sharp stick! This I’ve got to see!” chortled my
host in the pre-dawn darkness as we unloaded our gear at the edge of the narrow
pit blind in the middle of a goose trodden winter wheat field. Several hundred
greater Canada geese had been using this field totally undisturbed for the past
week. The evening before we had watched the flock leave the field at dark, which
meant they would be returning at first light to feed again. The plan was to
place just a few decoys in front of the previously dug pit blind to pull the
geese within bow range.
Turkey
Pillow Talk - Turkey Style Early morning turkey talk. "I see movement,"
said Jim. "Yep, here comes a Tom". He wasn't alone either, there appeared to be
several, although our view was imperfect do to our setup in the bunch of choke
cherries and our blind. I put down the box call and reached for the camera, Jim
started to get ready for the shot...
Bowhunting Turkeys
With a few tricks and the right gear, you can arrow your trophy gobbler this
spring
FALL TURKEY HUNTING IN MISSOURI
(scroll down) The NO. 1 tip for bow hunting turkey is to buy stock in the
manufacture of your arrows and broadheads. You will need it. But seriously with
all the new bows out with 70 to 80 pound draw weight is not necessarily a great
thing. But the higher let offs will be. Most of the time you have to pull back a
lot smoother and slower than you would on a deer. Then you have to wait for the
correct shot. Maybe holding for 2 to 3 minutes and even having to let off then
pull back again.
Blind Luck
Slowly raising my bow and easing it to full draw, I settled the top pin on
the second bird's gaudy red, white, and blue head. Seconds later I released as
the displaying tom paused briefly in mid-strut. My 125-grain broadhead nearly
decapitated the gobbler, and he dropped, flopping in his tracks...
Spot, Stalk, & Call -- Hunting West Texas Turkeys Turkey numbers are
modest. While scouting and glassing before the season last spring, I estimated
that 30 birds lived in the 1 1/2-mile stretch of river I had permission to hunt.
Also, washed-out roads mean foot access only. That's good because it limits
hunting pressure. But it also makes for some pretty physical hunting --
especially for turkeys.
Bagging Birds with your Bow So you’ve never hunted turkeys with a bow?
It’s okay. In fact, it’s really not that hard. Of course, it’s not easy either,
which is exactly why so many sportsmen are giving up their shotguns for bows and
arrows during spring turkey hunting seasons. Bowhunting for turkeys IS out of
the ordinary for some people, especially those who’ve spent more time patterning
3 ½ inch turkey loads that travel 1,300 feet per second.
Bow Fishing
Bow Fishing
Bow fishing for rough fish such as carp and gar is a great summertime sport
for bow hunters that will help keep shooting skills sharp for the fall hunting
seasons. It is a sport that is a whole lot of fun and can be done alone or with
friends and family. There are even a number of bow fishing tournaments held
every summer across America.
Bowfishing Tips FAQ
Very short.Also available here:
Bowfishing Tips FAQ
Bowfishing [Archive] - ArcheryTalk Big archive
Stands
Tree Stand Secrets of the Experts Most bucks are taken from some sort of
elevated stand. This article is the result of conversations with nationally
recognized trophy whitetail hunters, as they shared how a tree stand can help
the hunter harvest a good buck. Another article by bowhunting.com.
Bow Tuning
Tuning Your Own Bow Learning to properly set up and tune your own bow
can be a beneficial and rewarding experience
Step-By-Step Bow Tuning Instructions on how to tune your bow in order to
obtain optimal arrow flight with and without broadheads.
How to Achieve a Well Tuned Bow
There's nothing magical about tuning a bow. My earliest encounters left me
wondering if maybe I didn't need some kind of special permit to practice
witchcraft every time I took out my Allen wrench set. It made no sense to me.
But as time went by I learned the basics and everything appeared much clearer.
Tuning Your Bow & Arrows A correctly tuned bow with a perfectly spined
arrow will increase your success in the field. These expert tips will help you
achieve all three.
Arrows
Survival Arrows
by Longbow (Alton Safford) In an emergency situation, there are two ways to
make arrows. You can split them out of logs and whittle them round—the White
man’s way. Or you can use tree shoots or river reeds—the Indian’s way. They both
work.
Arrow Building Options
articles by bowhunting.com. Covers fletching, nocks & shaft composition.
Understanding Arrow Energy And Efficency
As the arrow leaves the string there is still plenty of energy contained in
the limbs and the string. This energy creates vibration and noise. A bow with a
high efficiency has less energy in the bow after the arrow is gone. Another
article by bowhunting.com.
Getting to the Point about Arrows
Even the best made bow will not properly shoot a poor quality arrow with any
degree of accuracy. On the other hand good quality arrows will fly from a lesser
quality bow if they are matched correctly to that bow. Another article by
bowhunting.com.
Finessing Your Arrows
This article is meant to supplement your basic arrow making instructions.
Spending a little extra time on your arrows can reward you with a well-matched
set.
Raw Arrow Materials
Article covers a variety of wood types and expounds upon their strengths &
weaknesses.
Weight and Spine
There is nothing that is more critical to getting good, consistent flight
from arrow to arrow than having them properly matched. In this case matched
means that the arrows are matched to the bow and that the arrows are also,
within limits, matched to each other.
Straightening Wood Shafts
Getting wood shafts straight and keeping them straight is an age old problem
that hasn't much in the way of progress over the last 30 years. Most of the
information that will be provided has been around for many decades.
Tapering Tools
There are quite a number of ways to put point and nock tapers on your wood
arrows. But one thing is for certain, if the tapers are not accurate the result
will be that the nock or broadhead is misaligned and you will very likely get
poor arrow flight.
Nock Alignment
When installing nocks on wood arrows there is a proper way to align the nock
with the grain of the arrow.
Feathers - Wing Choice
Left Wing?, Right Wing?, what is right (pun intended) for you?
Feathers continued..
There are several choices in the size and shape of the feathers that you use
for your arrows as well as several ways to get these shapes.
Splicing Feathers
Feather splicing is the process in which feathers of different colors can be
spliced together to create different effects.
Finishing Wild Turkey Feathers
You have managed to acquire a batch of nice wild turkey primary wing
feathers, now what? You really have two options, do them yourself or send them
to someone and pay to have them done.
Self Nocks
A self nock in its simplest form is just a slot cut into the end of the
shaft. But that is just where it starts.
Arrow
Shaft Charts
This page contains links to 4 different Easton Hunting Shaft charts, 3 of
which are geared more towards traditional archery equipment. There is also a
link to the Rose City POC spine charts for woodies.
FOC Calculator by Measurements
&
FOC Calculator by Components &
Point Weight for given FOC calculator
Javascript Archery Ballistics Calculator V2.08
Gear Tips
Maintaining Your High Performance Bow
Eventually every bowhunter should accumulate a complete maintenance kit that
permits him or her to do all routine work. This reduces reliance on the archery
shop (which may be closed when you need help) and forces you to understand your
bow well enough to optimize its performance. article by bowhunting.com.
Take care of your camouflage Different types of fabric require different
care.
Crossbow
Aiming Techniques--Crossbow Quick tips and fair amount of history
follows.
Forums
Online Mags
The Hunting Report a monthly newsletter and trip-planning information
service that provides where-to-go information for big game hunters who travel
within the states and abroad. It is not a booking agency and it has no ties to
anyone in the hunting business. This means the publication can - and does - tell
its readers honestly whether they should or should not visit a specific area.
1-Year Subscription in The US - $60. No free articles.
Bowhunter OnLine
celebrating 30 years as an integral link between the thriving archery/bowhunting
industry and North America's growing bowhunting community (3.2 million strong!)
With its earned reputation as "The Number One Bowhunting Magazine," Bowhunter's
important goal remains the same - to help archery hunters like you get the most
of their bowhunting experiences.1-Year Subscription in The US - $20. They do
have a few online articles for free viewing, but no access to archived
issues/articles (except purchasing the copies).
Area Maps
Seasons & Law
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