Archery Hunting Articles
Javelina Hunt: Pure Bowhunting Fun
The morning deer hunt was eventful, yet as we drove to another section of the ranch the real bowhunting action was about to start. There they were, about a half dozen big javelina feeding out in the open. Trying for a collared peccary with my longbow was definitely one of my goals for this trip, and now it looked like I was going to get my chance at one right off the bat.
North to Nunavut: Quest for Umingmak, the Bearded One
If you're looking for the high arctic hunting adventure of a lifetime, consider Nunavut, one of Canada's best kept secrets. Remote and game-rich, Victoria Island holds the highest concentration of muskoxen in the world.
Archery Elk Hunt: A Chase to the End
Jesse Raddon grew up in a family with a long tradition of taking trophy animals that made the record books. Evidently, it was within his genetic makeup to continue the tradition and at just 18 years old there were few hunters twice his age that had experienced anywhere close to a similar number of hours in the field. Part of the legacy is due to family tradition; one member would hunt while the others guide, scout, and assist. Black powder and archery were the family weapons of choice and when hunting elk that meant they would be afield during the rut.
Elk Hunting: Patience, Patience, Patience...
After ten years of being patient my quest for an elk began to require more persistence than patience but with any luck persistence, patience and preparation would finally come together this fall. Those are the positive thoughts that an archery elk hunter's dreams are made of. Luckily for the dreaming elk hunter, the Colorado Archery season is positioned on the calendar to coincide with the time that a bull elk's hormones change from 'hanging out with the boys' to solo aggression.
The Adrenal Gland
Lots of big elk owe their continued existence to a small piece of human tissue, the adrenal gland.  Our guide takes us through a week of archery hunting where adrenalin overload causes a number of misadventures for his hunter. Although the elk are plentiful and respond without hesitation to cow calls, our hunter's reaction to the big bulls that come way too close, ranges from pure, muscle locking paralysis to a black out caused when a fire breathing bull comes storming into close range.  Hunting experience and shooting skills are left far behind as our hunter falls victim to his own adrenalin.
Whitetail Scents & Sensibility
"Always hunt into the wind" - Sage words of wisdom, this is perhaps the single most important tip any neophyte hunter learns at the outset of their hunting career. Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell. So it stands to reason that if we're to avoid detection, we should use the wind in our favor. Combine this with the appropriate use of scents or scent-blockers, and you're off to the races!
Extreme Scent Control
Every hunter alive has probably read, heard or watched on television about the importance of personal scent control. It has been drilled into our heads to wash our clothes in unscented detergents and wash our bodies with soaps produced specifically with the big game hunter in mind. Unfortunately, there are still some hunters out there that know very little about the subject, and others that are still disbelievers as to how important it is to eliminate as much human related odors as possible. They feel that they have been successful without following a scent control program and using such products, so they believe it is all hype.
Ready or Not, Here I Come
As a bowhunter, I spend most of my spring and summer dreaming about the return of fall. It may appear on the outside that I'm in a thoughtless daze, but inside my mind is filled with a longing for the solitude and joy that can only be found 20 feet up a tree. Then one day, it inevitably happens. I walk by the calendar and realize that deer season is quickly approaching. The adrenaline starts pumping, but I take a deep breath and try to take the steps to ensure a safe and successful season.
Statistics and the Hunter
I'm not much of a gambler and like to know my odds, including knowing my chances on a hunting trip. With that in mind my fingers tightened on my bowstring as a group of twenty caribou passed my brush blind late on last year's Alaskan hunt. They were mostly cows and calves, with one small bull hanging in the back of the pack.
13 Ways to an Unsuccessful Hunt
We have all read articles and watched TV shows that have shown us how to do certain things to have a successful hunt. But how did the people that were handing out all that advice come to have such knowledge? All of us have been handed information in various forms on how to be successful whether it was from our elders, television, articles, books or other sources and the information that any of us have learned at some point or another, has come from trial and error.
Bowhunting Alaskan Caribou
As I lowered the 10X40 binoculars I'd been staring through all day, my peripheral vision detected a rather large clump of hair moving my way. Immediately two realizations came to mind. First, the hair was on the back of an animal way too wide to be a moose. Second, it was time to make a quiet, yet hasty retreat. A pretty good-sized grizzly materialized about ten steps away. Luckily, I was on a bank that was higher than the than the bear's eye level, and was able to quietly get out of the area and leave him to go about his business. One thing is for sure, you never run into a grizzly bear while hunting antlered game where I live!
Treestand Placement
You've just secured the hunting hotspot of a lifetime. You know it holds plenty of deer and even a few big ones to boot! Now comes the award winning question - where do you hang your treestand? Choose the right spot and that monster buck you've been dreaming of could very well materialize before your eyes. Select the wrong tree and you could be in for some serious disappointment!
Judging Distance
Accurately judging distance is the first step toward proper shot placement. Instinctive or calculated, bowhunters rely on it for close range shooting. Gun hunters count on their ability to estimate longer distances. Over time we all learn our own tricks for calculating distance but with the advent of laser rangefinders many of us won't leave home without them. Regardless of how you go about it, determining yardage can make or break your hunt.
Hunter Etiquette & Responsibility
Respectable hunters live by both a written and an unwritten code. Most of us acknowledge our responsibility to follow the formal and informal rules of etiquette. Webster's dictionary defines etiquette as, "rules governing socially acceptable behavior." Unfortunately there are those among us who choose to ignore etiquette, conducting their hunting activities with only self-serving interests in mind. At a time when our heritage activities are under constant scrutiny it behooves us to heed the importance of etiquette and ethics. As I contemplate this issue I can't help but conclude that it's really all about respect - respecting the law, landowners, the land, as well as non-hunters and hunters alike.
Arrow Repair 101
As the wide-racked buck stood stiff-legged at 30 yards checking the wind, I ran through my preshot checklist in my mind: relaxed grip, shoulders straight, kisser button in the corner of my mouth, squeeze the trigger. Everything felt good as the release opened and sent the arrow toward the buck's boiler room. As I watched the arrows arc-like path, my eyes picked up something that I had not seen through the peep sight. Despite my sudden belief in telekinesis and my desperate attempt to alter the arrow's path slightly, the broadhead met with the limb as if it had been the intended target. I could do nothing other than watch as the arrow ricocheted and sent the buck bounding away unscathed. My only consolation was knowing that I would be able to spend more of the off season thinking about hunting as I added another arrow to the pile of those in need of repair.
Bowfishing 101
One of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the country right now is bowfishing. Bowfishing is a cross between fishing and bowhunting. Across the United States and the entire world, fish like the common carp, garpike, and Asian flying carp are taking over our rivers and streams. There are very few ways of controlling these invaders, but one way to get rid of a few and have fun at the same time is to shoot them with a bow.
Ladies Guide to Archery and Bowhunting
My eyes locked on the metallic blue of the bow, which hung from a spindle of the coat tree. I navigated the tables of baby clothes, shoes, dishes, puzzles and other items seemingly standard for yard sales. A leather quiver of arrows dangled from a strap next to the bow. "Ten dollars," a man hastened to say as I took the bow by the grip. I held the bow out, sighting at imaginary game over my left fist. I'd never shot at anything, using a bow or a gun, but somehow I envisioned an elk, towering over the tricycle and skateboards in one corner of the yard.
The Traveling Hunter
I remember the first time I watched an airline worker load my bow case on a plane. I stared out the window of the 747 and cringed as my bow was tossed around like an old rag. I was on my way to Idaho to hunt elk and I knew that when I arrived, the chances of my bow being in one piece were going to be slim. Sure enough, when my hunting buddy and I showed up at camp and opened our cases, we discovered the sight on my bow was knocked off and the cable guard on his bow was broken off. Fixing our bows took hours and destroyed our shooting confidence on the week long trip. What was supposed to be a great hunting adventure turned into a fiasco because of the gear mishap.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Then I saw him out of the corner of my eye. He had approached from behind and was standing 30 yards to my right and glared in my direction. His eyes seemed to search through every inch of the grass that I lay in, trying to locate the rabbit that lured him in. I remained still, waited for his shoulder to appear in my scope and squeezed the trigger. As I made my way to the coyote, I couldn't help but to admire the ghillie suit that had kept me hidden so well among the grass and wonder why I hadn't tried this before.
Dispelling the Crossbow Myth
Crossbows have always been controversial. Nobles have outlawed their ownership; provinces and states have restricted or forbid their use; bowhunting organizations have decried them as unsporting. So what is it about this hunting tool that induces such strong opinions? Why do some bowhunters sneer at the very mention of the word?