Bowhunter Magazine

From predictable velvet bucks to the chaos of the rut, mule deer demand a different approach each month. (Photos: donaldmjones.com) For many bowhunters, chasing mule deer across the West represents the ultimate adventure. It’s the image we all carry in our heads: velvet-antlered bucks feeding high above timberline and beneath endless blue skies.

TenPoint crossbows feature an auto-engaging trigger safety that automatically sets to the “safe” position when the bow is cocked. Before shooting, the user can use the safety lever adjacent to the trigger to switch into “fire” mode, with is indicated via red coloring and an audible click. (Photos courtesy of TenPoint Crossbow Technologies) It is impressive to see how much crossbows have evolved over the past couple decades.

A coveted tag and a determined bowhunter leads to an unforgettable September in elk country. Bittersweet success — antlers, meat & memories.

Skip to main content Subscribe Now Give a Gift | Subscriber Services Get The Magazine Subscribe & Save. Digital Now Included! With determination, goals can be met time and time again. This massive Alaskan brown bear I took in 2013 is proof that persistence pays! A lot of careful planning and precise execution went into this hunt. I remember taking my very first Pope and Young Club record-book animal like it was yesterday.

Dealing with snakes, cactuses, heat, and biting insects is par for the course when hunting pronghorn in the west. Whenever possible, keep a cooling towel around your neck. (Author photos) Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases. It’s mid-August. That means archery pronghorn. Some of you are already out west. Others are in the final preparation phase before your journey. I’m excited for you. I cut my bowhunting teeth chasing pronghorn across the west.

Sharpen your edge with these mental training techniques for greater success in the field. I took this lion in South Africa in 2021. My mental training played a huge role in my ability to make a quick, accurate follow-up shot when I absolutely had to have it. My arrow hit with that solid, unmistakable THWACK! Then came the growl. It was low, guttural and close enough that it echoed across the African bush, and I felt it vibrate in my chest before I fully processed what was happening.

The latest SEVR broadheads deliver durable, accurate performance. Every SEVR I’ve ever shot has proven to be tough as nails on the range and in the field. I became a full-time mechanical broadhead convert in 2014. The last animal I shot with a fixed blade was an Idaho black bear that spring. At the time, Idaho game laws required a fixed-blade head. I’ve shot, tested, and killed a lot of game with a lot of mechanical heads over the years. One brand regularly fills my quiver.

Skip to main content Subscribe Now Give a Gift | Subscriber Services Get The Magazine Subscribe & Save. Digital Now Included! Employing patience — both to draw a tag and for waiting in the blind — proves key to antelope success. (Photo: donaldmjones.com) Twelve years ago, I drew an Oregon antelope tag and invited my grandson, Casey, to join me on the adventure. Casey was my cameraman and camp helper. He would peek through flaps in the blind to look for approaching antelope.

This large, mature buck was taken by Excalibur Crossbow’s Kyle Egerdee while hunting in Saskatchewan with Dean Partridge and Canadian Whitetail Outfitters. Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases. When it takes you longer to get to your hunting destination than the actual hunt does, you know the hunting gods are smiling upon you. Such was the case with Kyle Egerdee’s 2025 Saskatchewan deer hunt.

Southern Ohio bowhunter Andy Crum used his Hoyt Carbon RX-8 Ultra to take this giant whitetail on Sept. 28, 2025. The buck’s massive rack scored 205 5/8 inches gross and 191 6/8 inches net, making it the new Hamilton County archery record. “I couldn’t believe how wide his rack was and how huge his neck and midsection were. He was right beneath my platform. I could have spit on him, but I wasn’t nervous at all.