Petersen's Hunting

IT WAS the third Friday of September. Bill and I had plans to pack into elk camp the next day. After a morning of scrambling around and packing gear, analyzing each piece for both weight and necessity, we decided to go for a short hike. A shakedown cruise to stretch our legs and get my lungs used to the altitude. Maybe we’d hear a few bugles, but we had no serious intentions of chasing them. “We probably won’t see anything, but bring your bow,” said Bill. “Just in case.” The trailhead was just off the highway, a few miles past a subdivision of million-dollar McMansions and the city’s small ski slope. I threw on a daypack stuffed with rain gear, a few snacks, a bottle of water, and not much else. Bill…

A wise man once said: “The fun’s over when the shooting stops.” After the shot and at the end of the blood trail is when the hard work begins. It’s time to honor the animal by carefully quartering it out, placing each piece of hard-earned trophy in a game bag and getting it someplace cool as quickly as possible, lest you lose even an ounce of meat to heat, flies and decay. Only then, once you’ve packed all the meat, is it time to bring the antlers out of the field. Despite the pain and suffering, the burning lungs and sore legs, that last load out is always bittersweet. Each step brings you closer to camp, and an end to the hard work that follows once you punch your tag. But…

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN Elk Foundation continued its long-time support of restoring elk to their historic eastern range by helping the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) expand the state’s active elk range. RMEF provided volunteer assistance as well as $130,000 for the helicopter service and GPS collars to move 50 elk to Daniel Boone National Forest lands in McCreary County from elsewhere within the state’s elk zone where numbers are much higher. To date, RMEF contributed more than $2.5 million for wildlife management, research and habitat enhancement in the Kentucky elk zone. “This has been on Kentucky’s radar as a priority to benefit its overall elk population for quite some time,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “The effort creates a new population of elk on publicly-owned land that…

In my mind, knives are one of the coolest tools we get to carry as hunters. I love trying different blades, steels and designs. All of them are unique. They all have different defining attributes, good or bad. The knife that has impressed me the most is the Argali Carbon Knife, a blade I have carried for many seasons now with no intention of ever leaving it at home. The first time I picked up the knife I was amazed by the weight, a mere 1.8 ounces. I thought the blade wouldn’t stand up to the abuse my gear sees season to season, but I was sorely mistaken. The first antelope I field dressed was done with ease, the blade never losing its tactile sharpness. Throughout the first season the blade saw…

BULLET BASICS Hornady’s ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag, Expanding) bullet was the first purpose-built long-range hunting bullet designed from the ground up for accuracy, aerodynamics and terminal performance. It’s still one of the best. A streamlined profile and boat tail enable it to flow through air with minimum friction, which translates into minimal wind deflection and maximum downrange energy. Hornady’s proprietary Heat Shield tip protects the bullet while in the magazine, resists in-flight erosion for maximum consistency and initiates immediate, dramatic expansion on impact. TESTING GROUND The bullet shown was used on a mature mule deer. Shot angle was steeply downhill, from just over 200 yards. The buck was sneaking away; the bullet took it just above the left hip and ranged forward through the vitals. FIELD PERFORMANCE Fired from a 6.5 Creedmoor, the ELD-X exited…

The gutless method of field processing a big-game animal continues to gain popularity, and with good reason. Not only does the gutless method avoid the mess that is often made when gutting an animal, but it initiates quicker heat dispersion in the meat and makes for easier pack outs. To do the gutless method correctly, you will need a few more items than your traditional pocket knife you have used for years to gut your deer. Hence the need for what is commonly referred to as a kill kit. These kits are simply the items you will need for processing kept together in a single bag for easy access and storage. The contents of a kill kit can vary drastically from hunter to hunter, but the basics remain the same. Below is…