When it comes to your bowfishing gear many people think you need to buy a ton of equipment and have another bow setup. Although this is nice, you can also take your regular hunting bow and sight and rest. The only other item I needed to add was a $29 carp arrow and string. We headed out on some local Minnesota lakes and found a pocket of carp that proved to be one target rich environment. I would simply wind up the string after each shot and leave it at my feet so I wasn’t messing with a reel or spool mounted on my bow. This can help with accuracy and also makes for a quick setup.

Although many people shoot instinctively when it comes to carp fishing, I really like having a sight on my bow. I was using a one-pin slider sight that allows you to move your pin accordingly. If I found that I was going over the top of carp, I simply moved my sight down and could aim directly at them. One of the biggest problems with bowfishing is dealing with the refraction of the water, but when using a setup like this you can adjust your pin and aim right at the fish.

The bottom line is the more you can get out shooting your bow, the better off you will be this fall when hunting season finally arrives. This was my way of getting out, having some fun and getting a little added practice in for my upcoming season.

]]> http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/07/11/why-you-should-care-about-bowfishing/feed/ 57 http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/07/08/hunting-big-game-with-the-rage-xtreme-broadhead/ http://www.petersenshunting.com/2012/07/08/hunting-big-game-with-the-rage-xtreme-broadhead/#comments Sun, 08 Jul 2012 17:29:56 +0000 Melissa Bachman http://www.petersenshunting.com/?p=11567 ...»]]> One of the most important things you need to decide as a bowhunter is what type of broadheads you plan to use for your upcoming season.

Rage has been my choice for years, but they have recently come out with a new broadhead that I’ve fallen in love with: the new Rage Xtreme. I was the first hunter to ever take this broadhead out into the field, and boy did it perform!

Heading to New Zealand on a spot-and-stalk bowhunt, I wanted a broadhead that would be incredibly accurate at long distances, get great penetration, and most importantly, have a large cutting diameter, and the Rage Xtreme does all that.

The first thing you will notice is Rage did away with their O-rings that you’ll find on their older models. Instead, they have replaced this technology with a Shock Collar, which holds the blades securely in place until impact.

With a 2.3-inch cutting diameter and the new sweeping blade design, you’ll find the new Xtreme maintains kinetic energy longer and penetrates deeper than other blades. Plus, with the huge cutting diameter, blood trailing will be a snap. After taking my world-record New Zealand stag with the Rage Xtreme, he dropped within eyesight. As if that wasn’t enough, I headed over to Africa with a quiver full of Xtremes and took down several impala, a big kudu and a tough, old warthog.

What I love about using Rage is the fact that they really fly just like a field tip. I can practice all season, and when I put on my broadheads, I have the confidence to know they will hit where I aim. This is especially true at long distances. Hunters spend an incredible amount of time trying to get a fixed blade to fly straight at 60-70 yards. When using Rage, you can shoot your field tip, then switch to a broadhead and have the same point of impact. There’s no need to spend countless hours trying to get your bow and broadheads aligned for the hunting season.

One thing to note is that Rage has an entire line of broadheads to fit your needs. The Xtreme is my favorite, but they do recommend that these heads only be used if you are pulling 60 pounds or more. I have my bow set to 64 pounds and I’ve had incredible success this spring.

These heads are truly the best I’ve ever used, and I can’t wait to let them fly this fall on everything from elk to whitetails.

Anytime I’d like to be two places at once, I use a trail camera to help with my scouting. For instance, I just returned from a trip to Africa and my Cuddeback was extremely helpful when hunting waterholes.

As a whitetail hunter, I wanted to be in my blind before the sun ever started coming up, but in Africa they said no worries, just head out after daylight.

Well, the first morning that’s exactly what I did. Arriving around 6:30, we set up and had a great day; however, we never saw any of the blue wildebeest that they said usually came to water.

I decided to check out the photos on my Cuddeback and found out they had been there at 6:08 and 6:09 that very morning right before I arrived.  Needless to say, the next morning I was in the blind an hour before sunrise just to be on the safe side and it paid off!

Trail cameras are also a great way to find out what animals are frequenting an area and when.  As our African trip went on, we had never seen a gemsbok or zebra, and assumed they were probably watering somewhere else. After checking my Cuddeback Attack, we found that they were coming at night. I was blown away by the photos and really enjoyed watching the videos as well.

Of course, no one is going to sit in their blind all night just to scout, but that’s why a trail camera overseas can be a big help!

I speak from first-hand experience when I say this season the ticks are out in full force. Just after completing a hunt in Kansas, the ticks seemed to be out of control, but I was ready for them.

Each morning before heading out, I spray down my hunting clothes with a spray that has permethrin such as Sawyer’s Clothing Insect Repellant or Repel Clothing & Gear Insect Repellant. I completely spray my clothing down first, making sure to thoroughly spray my pants waistbands and socks.

Then, I take Repel 100, which is 100-percent DEET, and spray down any exposed skin and around my ankles underneath my socks. This helps keep ticks, mosquitoes and chiggers off your skin so you can hunt in comfort and stay safe. This is the most concentrated insect repellent you can buy and works great if you plan to be outdoors for a long period of time. Just remember: If you get it on your hands, make sure to wash them before touching your mouth or eating.

Regardless if you just hate the idea of ticks burrowing into your skin or you want to keep safe from lyme disease, these simple tips can be the best preventative medicine to keep you tick free this spring.

How many of you have had serious run-ins with ticks this year?

I know we’re all about bows around here, but every once in a while a gun company manufacturers something just for someone like me….and that’s hard to ignore.

If you’re looking for a new lady rifle or buying one for the woman in your life, you’ll want to checkout Savage’s new Model 11 Lady Hunter.  This rifle was designed with only one thing in mind, a perfect rifle for a woman. While designing this gun they didn’t just resize a man’s gun and add pink, but actually took the time to find out what features could be improved to better fit a ladies.

First, women generally have longer necks so a raised comb was added to achieve greater comfort when shouldering the rifle.  Next, they didn’t just chop off the stalk but actually shortened the length of pull and thinned out the palm swell to better fit a woman’s hand.  Lastly, this rifle is super light, weighing in around 7-pounds.  With a large variety of available chamberings this is sure to be a hot seller for all the ladies out there!

Of course, any hunter can go without if need be, but if I had my choice, these are the basic necessities I would want on any given hunt.  We all have our favorites, so post some of yours below!

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Bow Release

We all like to get new gear and try out new things, but there are certain items as a hunter you just can’t get rid of. My release is one of those items. I’ve been shooting the same TruBall Short and Sweet release for the last five years or more, and I absolutely love it. It’s the one item I wouldn’t be comfortable stepping into the field without it. It’s extremely short, so it allows you to have the maximum draw possible, and fits perfectly in your hand. It also has a buckle, which I prefer over Velcro. This is not only for the noise, but also so it straps into the exact same place each time. The funny thing is, I actually wake up at night in the fall feeling on my hand for my release! When you get used to having something on at all times, it actually feels weird not to be wearing it at all times.

I think even more than that, the color pink is an easy way to showcase items that have been made specifically for women.  Take my Hunter’s Safety System vest for example.  There is a little pink and purple on it and it’s called the Lady’s Pro version, but what I really like is this vest is cut and designed for a woman’s body. It is smaller, fits better and most importantly looks good in the woods and is practical for hunting. Pink is kind of a universal color that alerts a woman’s eye to an item especially when they’re looking through hunting gear. It screams, “Hey you may be looking for camo but we’ve added these little pink accents so you know this was made specifically for you!”

Granted things like a pink Lumenok won’t fly or impact an animal any differently but pink also represents another thing, Breast Cancer Research.  For example, part of the proceeds from the sales of the Pink Lumenoks are donated to the Mary Hale “Pink Arrow Project” for breast cancer research.  In fact, I was at ATA show in January when the makers of Lumenok presented a check for over $15,000 that will go directly toward breast cancer research.  Other companies are also stepping up like Mathews who has generated over $90,000 by donating a portion of the proceeds from their pink bows (Pink Lemonade Genesis, Electric Pink Ignition, Passion and Jewel) towards Aiming for a Cure and the fight against breast cancer.

Let’s face it guys, more women are getting hooked on hunting every day, so you might as well get used to seeing pink and camo together.  Anyway, isn’t there a saying that real men wear pink?  I’m interested to see some of the first photos start coming in with real men and their pink bows…I know there has to be a few of you out there!!