Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

[dwco5051]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

How many bows do you plan on buying in the next few years?

Bows are like boats, you will always want another one newer and faster. Have the Bear checked out by someone that know bows and if is shootable use it for the first season or two while you learn archery hunting. If you spent the money on a three hundred dollar bow I can guarantee you will want another one newer and faster the next season. Save your money this year and find if bow hunting is for you before making an investment in a low cost bow.

 

[mscher]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

The key is, we don't know how he is going to hunt, here in the west, I hunt by stalk and walk, I have never hunted out of a tree stand.

Just to add, I knew for a fact, if I commented on this thread, there would be a disagreement, and all I can say, is shoot what works for you, if your comfortable and you are accurate, then by all means, that should be what your shooting...

Good Hunting..

I will be hunting out of tree stands, or stalking in thick brush.

I'll decide what I'll do tomorrow.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

I will be hunting out of tree stands, or stalking in thick brush.

I'll decide what I'll do tomorrow.

Well, then, you should have a great season, just make sure you can hit what you aim at, and the bow your shooting is safe, bowhunting is a blast and I love it!

Good hunting.

Dave

 

[learningasIgo]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

I will be hunting out of tree stands, or stalking in thick brush.

I'll decide what I'll do tomorrow.

As you can see, there are just as many "opinionated" bow hunters as there are boaters.

I don't really disagree any of the comments here. My bow shoots about 256 fps and I killed 6 deer with it last year and 7 the year before. I have never hit the release and missed an animal or ever had to track one. I have watched every animal I have hit go down within 20 to 30 yards. The longest shot I have taken on a deer is 56 yards and the shortest is less than 10 yards. I have killed about 70 percent of my kills at less than 20 yards less than 5 kills past 40 yards.

That said, speed and confidence are not any more or less important than skill and ability. Speed helps create kinetic energy (what you need to have good solid impact and create devastating damage and pass-through. It also helps due to the fact that, if you ever mis-judge distance, a faster arrow will have less change in elevation if you are off by 5 - 10 yards in your estimation. Sharp broadheads are a must and you can make up the weight of a lighter weight carbon arrow (which have been proven time and again to be straighter and more reliable than wood or alluminum) with a slightly heavier broadhead. Just take the advice of many on this thread and SHOOT A LOT to help you gain consistency and confidence.

As for the pro shops. I have a great bow shop that I use and he NEVER pushes me to buy anything. So don't listen to that crap that a few have said and get scared away from them. My bow guy actually spent about 2 hours tuning my wife's bow and and kids' bow and didn't charge me a dime. The thing is, you just need to take the time to find an honest and respectable bow shop that understands the importance of a lifetime customer - because they will treat you right and not push you to buy this or that un-needed thing. They will be happy for your successed and do what they can to help be a part of your hunting enjoyment. Of course, all that just goes back to supporting small business that our country needs anyways.

Good luck and God bless your hunting endeavors.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

As you can see, there are just as many "opinionated" bow hunters as there are boaters.

I don't really disagree any of the comments here. My bow shoots about 256 fps and I killed 6 deer with it last year and 7 the year before. I have never hit the release and missed an animal or ever had to track one. I have watched every animal I have hit go down within 20 to 30 yards. The longest shot I have taken on a deer is 56 yards and the shortest is less than 10 yards. I have killed about 70 percent of my kills at less than 20 yards less than 5 kills past 40 yards.

That said, speed and confidence are not any more or less important than skill and ability. Speed helps create kinetic energy (what you need to have good solid impact and create devastating damage and pass-through. It also helps due to the fact that, if you ever mis-judge distance, a faster arrow will have less change in elevation if you are off by 5 - 10 yards in your estimation. Sharp broadheads are a must and you can make up the weight of a lighter weight carbon arrow (which have been proven time and again to be straighter and more reliable than wood or alluminum) with a slightly heavier broadhead. Just take the advice of many on this thread and SHOOT A LOT to help you gain consistency and confidence.

As for the pro shops. I have a great bow shop that I use and he NEVER pushes me to buy anything. So don't listen to that crap that a few have said and get scared away from them. My bow guy actually spent about 2 hours tuning my wife's bow and and kids' bow and didn't charge me a dime. The thing is, you just need to take the time to find an honest and respectable bow shop that understands the importance of a lifetime customer - because they will treat you right and not push you to buy this or that un-needed thing. They will be happy for your successed and do what they can to help be a part of your hunting enjoyment. Of course, all that just goes back to supporting small business that our country needs anyways.

Good luck and God bless your hunting endeavors.

Well Said and I agree 110%

Hope everybody has a great and safe hunting season!

Dave

 

[mommicked]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

what he said x 2.and DW0551 ive had the switchback since 05 and will not be buying another bow in this life.its perfection to me.the high country was purchased used from a friend. the Bear alaskan is the only other bow bought new, in 84 or so.shoot a matthews if you have never,you might like it!

 

[learningasIgo]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

what he said x 2.and DW0551 ive had the switchback since 05 and will not be buying another bow in this life.its perfection to me.the high country was purchased used from a friend. the Bear alaskan is the only other bow bought new, in 84 or so.shoot a matthews if you have never,you might like it!

Switchback is IMHO, the most "shooter friendly" and "forgiving" bow ever. I have yet to find a more shootable bow........now if I can find one as cheap as I'd like to (it's more of a want than a need as the old browning is still wackin' and stackin' meat up just fine).

 

[mommicked]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

It was love at first shot.and $700+.I had gotten a christmas bonus and the boss and several friends rode 40mi to see the new bows.everyone else bought one that day and I could not refuse either!Ive never spent that much on a gun!Ill have to say Im not sorry, it appears it might last forever as it hasnt needed tuning much at all.its a little louder turned up to 72lb but if the deer hear it its too late to move much.the balance w/o the quiver is remarkable and the weight seems to make it more forgiving than a lighter bow.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

So, what did you end up doing? Myself, I would have gotten the old one checked and used it ... I cut my teeth on an old Pearson. I mean and OLD Pearson. Allowed my shooting and hunting friends into shaming me into getting a newer Hoyt. I like the Hoyt, and it is quieter than the noisey old Pearson, but I can still shoot better with the Pearson than the Hoyt.

It comes down to shooting what you are comfortable with. You can work on your mechanics with any bow ... getting a consistent anchor point, keeping your shooting position as standard as possible, coming to a full draw and releasing not by letting your fingers fly, or yanking the release, but by squeezing your shoulder blades together ... let your back do the work, it is stronger than your fingers and doesn't jerk your shot like the recoil of your fingers.

Good luck, happy shooting, and my you stick many legal deer.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

72lbs? Yikes, what do you have back east that you need that kind of draw weight!

I don't think I have ever shot a bow of my own over about 57 or 58 lbs and I have hunted all the of the provinces in Canada, hunted in Africa and hunted Alaska for Brown Bear(took a 9 footer with a 52lb recurve) My current longbow shoots in the 50lb range, my compounds, which I have 4 shooting anywhere from 50-60 lbs..

I guess I am just a wimp, but I can tell you, that elk I am putting on the BBQ this evening is going to taste great...

Dave

 

[learningasIgo]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

72lbs? Yikes, what do you have back east that you need that kind of draw weight!

I don't think I have ever shot a bow of my own over about 57 or 58 lbs and I have hunted all the of the provinces in Canada, hunted in Africa and hunted Alaska for Brown Bear(took a 9 footer with a 52lb recurve) My current longbow shoots in the 50lb range, my compounds, which I have 4 shooting anywhere from 50-60 lbs..

I guess I am just a wimp, but I can tell you, that elk I am putting on the BBQ this evening is going to taste great...

Dave

You make me jealous with all those hunts and 4 compounds!!!? I can understand 2 (1 for hunting and 1 for competition), but 4?? How in the world do you have time to do anything else and shoot 4 compounds and however many recurves??

Don't take this wrong. I don't think you're nuts or anything......I'm just jealous of your toys!!!

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

learning,

In a past life, I shot professionally for Martin Archery, I also published 5 archery magazines as well as owned one of the first large archery websites in the world(Archery Information Service), was partners with another guy that started one of the first archery websites(Archery Network). I can say, I am indeed a very fortunate person, I have been lucky enough to meet virtually all of my hero's(had lunch with Dale Earnheat at the Shot Show, three weeks before he was killed at Daytona, along with Bill Jorden the founder of Realtree) Larry Jones, taught my wife to shoot a traditional Bow, spent many a night telling lies with Jim Zumbo and had Ted Nugent write for my magazines, took MR James the founder of Bowhunting Magazine on his first Montana Turkey hunt.

I, though my company have given over 100 bows away as prizes...so 4 bows are actually, a pretty lean inventory! But I am very proud of one of my recently acquired recurves, it is serial number 0002, Bear Grizzly, signed by Fred Bear...I also have his serial number 0001 Polar Hunter, which is quite a unique long bow as it has a shelf on both sides of the riser, so it can be shot either left handed or right handed and still has the original leather hand grip that Fred put on it in his basement when he started his company.

And don't worry, I really am nuts, when it comes to archery!

:redface:

Dave

 

[mommicked]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

Mscher,what did tou decide?or are you still trying too?there are a lot of different bows today.inthe good old days not so many choices!or accessories!let us know,if you dont mind.and MTboatguy I assumed again.that you live in Montana,MTboatguy,shootin elk.my bow is rated to 70,but was at 72 last time weighd.i may have cranked it a little for more speed.it shoots fine there but it seems it might be a little louder.i was loaned a grizzly by a friend who stopped hunting when i was 16 or so.had some trouble w penitration w the old 2 blade bear broadheads and the 45 recurve,he told me the 55 would take care of that!it took weeks of exercising w the spring pulling thing before i could hold it long enough to aim!shreaded a three fingers in 5 days.w a high quality hair tab it hurt fingers after 3,5 shots.i never did hunt w it because I couldnt get consistant w hits.it was a beautiful bow though.by the way my ex boss, bow hunting nut!gave up gun hunting long ago,went to MT last year ,public land DIY.dream hunt for him.on his third and last day stalked one for hours finally got a shot, strait up the mountain 45degrees or so.shot over his back!!he claims he forgot about elevation working both ways but I think it might have been a little ELK fever also!!he was very upset but will go again.soon Im sure.i asked him how could you miss an Elk 5 times bigger than a whitetail. he never misses them!and most hunting we do is in thick forests or field edges.it was mostly treeless where he was!

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

I have always found, higher poundage and speed normally equates more noise, that is why there are so many products on the market to dampen noise on bows.

The best noise reduction system I have run into was the limbsaver products, I know the guy that invented that stuff and he is amazing on what he knows about sound situations, how it originates, how it travels and how to reduce it..

As I have said, the most important thing in bowhunting or even target/3-D shooting is to be comfortable with what you shoot, you will have far more success, as you found out, then trying to fight something that just does not work for you..

When I shoot compounds I used a caliper release, when I shoot traditional gear it is with fingers and no tab or glove, I find them cumbersome, and I really rarely have any problems with tearing my fingers up.

And Yes, I live in Montana, in some very prime deer, elk and moose country, although it is difficult to get a moose tag in my area, one of these days, I will get one and be able to hunt moose right around the house here..

I have seen people come west more than once that are overwhelmed by an elk and miss! they are quite intimidating the first time you hunt them, especially if you have only hunted whitetails...

 

[aspeck]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

MT, I agree with you completely about being comfortable with a bow. Have my Hoyt cranked DOWN to about 54 - 56 lbs. That is plenty of draw weight for the whitetail I hunt, and I can hold it on target longer and steadier than when I go up to 65lb. Accuracy trumps EVERYTHING else. If you can't be accurate, it doesn't matter the arrow weight, the speed, the broadhead, etc. Those come AFTER accuracy. That is my opinion, anyway, which doesn't really mean much to anyone other than me.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

One other thing I will mention on high speed bows, and believe me, I am not condemning anyone for shooting them at all, but when hunting you need to make sure your arrows are tuned perfectly, in other words, make sure that broadhead is sitting exactly square in the arrow, an arrow that shoots great at 225 fps, may be real wild at 325fps, the blades on the broadhead, can actually become steering mechanisms at higher speeds, so much so, it will overcome the steering control the vanes have.

I have also noticed in the last few years a tendency to crank up speed and use smaller diameter arrows with smaller vanes, this can create some problems as well, because the blades will have a bigger surface area on the leading edge than the vanes..

I always recommend paper tuning your arrows with a broadhead on them, that way you get a pattern on how it is shooting.

 

[RicMic]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

I've seen "famous" bowhunters miss a 2200# water buffalo at 10 yards, wide open, broadside with at least 10 minutes to get ready. I'm sure that video got erased. Tuning is so important and even a lot of very "experienced" bowhunters just look confused when the conversation turns to tuning. I've seen guys fly to Africa with arrows they had never shot and then be confused that they "don't fly straight, I don't understand, they are supposed to be the right spine", or "tuning? You mean putting a nocking point on". Accuracy MAY be the most important thing, although I found out that it don't matter how accurate you are if you don't get enough penetration. If I had listened to the right person on that advice, it would have saved me a lot of money. I know some bowhunters who really aren't very good shots(like American indians), BUT they are good hunters, so they just limit their shots to the range they can be sure of.

 

[zippoo]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

Its the nut behind the bow having good fourm is the key to a well placed shot. Not the price you paid for the bow.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

MTboatguy<ive been spin testing forever.and have limbsavers and a limbsaver sabilizer,they do work great.dont have string dampers except the ones attached to the bow ,they need to be replaced.I saw huge herds of Elk in Mt near the Freedom Arms plant where they were suplumental feeding them .You could see the big bulls surrounded by their harems on the hillsides right beside the hwy.saw some awsome moose too, there and in Idaho While we were up there. it was neet to see the moose troting parallel to the hwy in a plowed field looked like he was going 25/30 mph just loping along!in idaho two slipped down a bank out of thick woods right across the river at a public access/boat ramp area probly 50 people fishing there, they couldnt get back up the bank so we got to watch them scoot down the edge of the swollen river,almost colliding w a guide and fisherman in a driftboat!so beautiful . I didnt know their backs looked irridescent in the sun.I think i would poop my pants if i got close enough to arrow an Elk or Moose on the ground!that and the running away sceaming might make me miss too!!Big whitetail bucks still make my heart pound hard,and ive killed alot of them,the amount of adrenalin is directly related to the size of them.ive learned to not stare at them too long. just glance occasionally until theyre close enough to shoot! it helps w buck fever.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Bowhunting for Dummy(ies)

I think i would poop my pants if i got close enough to arrow an Elk or Moose on the ground!that and the running away sceaming might make me miss too!!

LOL!!! I was in Colorado Elk hunting with a rifle a couple years ago and while focused on a herd of big mule deer I had a nice 6x6 elk walk up behind me (about 15 yards away ... those big animals can be quit silent when they want to be - I thought he was a ground squirrel!). I turned around to see him standing there and about crapped myself! Needless to say, I scared the elk as much as he scared me, and I never did get a shot at him, but after I retrieved my heart, it was a GREAT and AWESOME experience!