Petersen's Hunting November 2019

SINCE September 1st, or even a little before, you’ve been hitting it hard, trying to pack in as much hunting as you can. Swinging in the sunflowers on the dove opener, crawling across the prairie after pronghorn, putting in hard miles in the elk mountains. Maybe you were even lucky enough to hike into the high country after sheep or to wade through miles of muskeg, hoping to intercept a band of caribou. Point is, September and October are the months to chase multiple species. But November? Now that’s a different story. Funny how we all tend to focus on deer hunting once Halloween passes by. Oh, sure, waterfowlers are gearing up for peak migrations, and there is still some time left to fill the freezer with elk meat. But, just…

It is a ritual performed by tens of thousands of hunters across whitetail country every deer season. Dab a little doe-in-estrous urine on a boot, walk to the stand, dip a wick in the bottle, hang it from a limb, and wait for a buck to show up. Does it work? Lots of hunters think so. Although current figures are vague, one estimate places the deer lure market at $44 million annually. Another suggests it generates more than twice that. Effective or not, that pre-hunt ritual could earn you a ticket in a growing number of states. The use of natural deer urine is now illegal in South Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia, and at least six other states. Even possessing a bottle of doe pee is against the law. A few more…

BULLET BASICS Designed in the mid ’80s by Jack Carter after a brush with death when common bullets failed to quickly kill a Cape buffalo, the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) features a solid rear shank and a soft lead frontal core. Bonded into its cavity, the lead core ensures rapid, complete expansion without separation. The solid rear shank arrests expansion once the front has achieved the classic, desirable mushroom shape, and ensures that adequate weight remains for deep penetration. Currently, the TBBC brand is owned and manufactured by Speer and loaded into Federal’s Premium line of safari ammunition. TESTING GROUND Thomas Provstgaard used the bullet shown to shoot a massive old “dagga boy” Cape buffalo in Namibia. Fired from his .416 Rem. Mag. Kimber Caprivi at a distance of 82 yards, the 400-grain…

HISTORY Thisultra-performancemountaincartridgeisbrand, spanking new. Designed to fit into Weatherby’s superbly sleek, small-diameter six-lug Mark V action, it provides legitimate 6.5 magnum performance in a sub-five-pound mountain rifle. The combo is unprecedented and arguably the best thing on the market for 6.5 lovers that aggressively hunt mountain game in steep terrain. There is no true parent case, but the 6.5-284 Norma comes pretty darned close. In essence, the 6.5Wby. RPM is a 6.5-284 lengthened by 0.4 inch. Propellant capacity is about 19 percent greater. This is the first cartridge to ever wear the Weatherby name and not possess the signature double-radiused Venturi shoulder and a magnum belt. A rebated rim spawned the name, “6.5 Rebated Precision Magnum.” It’s the forerunner of a new era of premium, efficient magnum cartridge performance. APPLICATION With correct projectile choice, the…

Back in 2008, when lead ammunition was banned in eight southern California counties, big-game hunters winced but complied, figuring shooting non-toxic bullets was their contribution to bringing back endangered condors. The ban was later enlarged to include coyotes, feral hogs, and small-game species in the defined condor recovery area. The wincing turned into full-body shudders in 2013, when California’s legislature passed a bill extending the lead ban to the entire state, purportedly to assist condor recovery. The ban, signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015, took effect this past July, and this time it’s not just certain rifle hunters who must comply. All hunters, whether pursuing desert bighorn sheep in the Mojave, pigs on the Central Coast, or cinnamon teal in the Klamath Basin, must use only certified non-toxic ammunition. The statewide…

STAFF With the RACK HUB , showing off a set of antlers doesn’t have to mean an expensive trip to the taxidermist. This high-strength aluminum mount accepts antlers of any size with each side swiveling independently to show off the rack’s best features. The pegs secure in place via knurled metal knobs. Pick up a few extra inserts and swap out racks to keep things fresh. $60; rack-hub.com Ever spilled doe pee all over your pack? Of course you have. Every hunter has. And then had to live with that stink all season long. That’s why Wildlife Research Center developed the GOLDEN DOE WITH SCENT REFLEX in a handy, pressurized spray bottle. It guarantees less mess and sprays the powerful, buck-attracting scent right where you want it. $12; wildlife.com Portable pop-up blinds are…