Learning to bow hunt.

Weekend_Sawyer · October 19, 2006, 02:25:11 PM

I started posting in Moosehunters thread about learning how to hunt a treestand.
Figured I'd start a fresh thread here.

Last year I bought a Summit Viper Classic treestand. I took it to the cabin to learn how to use it, when I opened it I found an instruction booklet and a DVD. Having never used one before and not having TV, DVD player or electricity I figured I'd hold off.

Last Month I was on travel with a guy who is a bow hunting FANATIC, really got my juces going. for 2 weeks we talked bows,arrows, stands, stalking, tree climbing, baiting, scouting, everything centering on bow hunting.

I'm not a newby, been hunting since I could lug a gun and have quite a few kills under my belt. I also have a bow I bought from a buddy about 5 years ago and never used. It's a browning 65lb. This guy gave me the kick in the pants to get me going.

I got the bow out, set up a 2' foam target and proceded to launch arrows in various directions, I hit the fence, log pile, trees, GROUND and once in a while the target. I lost, bent and broke alot of arrows.

I went out and bought a 3' x 3' shooting bag from walmart, great investment, set it up on 3 hay bales, another good investment. got another handfull of arrows and did not loose any this time. I have been practicing nearly every evening from 15 yards to 30 yards. I bught a wrist strap trigger, my archery improved. I noticed alot of my arrows were bent, bought 2 dozen carbon arrows, my archery improved, I purchased a peep sight, my archery improved.

Last weekend my brothers were watching me pound a 3D target deer, 10 arrows in the boiler room, 2 shots to the neck and one to the head that knocked it off! I'm feeling real good about my ablilty. Bring On The DEER!

At the same time I have been studying on the tree stand. watched the vidieo twice, studied the manual and using all safety belts and ropes, started climbing. Celest watched my 2nd effort and was not too impressed. "You don't look too happy up there" I was only 8' off the ground! Now I go about 20 and feel pretty good. This morning, I watched the sun rise again. No deer again. but just about when I had decided to get down a fox came up and started eating an apple that I must have dropped by accident. He looked real bad, had almost no hair from the neck back and I could count ribs. I figured what the hey, let him have it. My arrow flew true and right through him. He fell over, looked in the direction of the arrow and just seemed to deflate. BRING ON THE DEER!

I have alot of deer activity in my area. Just need to get out more.
Next week we are heading up to WV, Turkey season and Deer Bow seasons are in.

Jon

Norm · October 19, 2006, 02:49:48 PM

My favorite type of hunting is with a bow. My oldest brother got me started in 78 with a cheap Fred Bear bow. His best advice for learning was to start out at 10 yards with a alum. pie pan. Once you can keep your group in that then move out to 15 and so on. I find that for me 30 yards is my stopping point, anything over that and it's too chancey to hit properly. I hunted out of trees for years but in the last few years I've hunted on the ground. It is harder to get shots but boy is that ever true hunting (not trying to preach just what trips my trigger).

If you like deer one thing that I enjoy during the off hunting season is bowfishing. It is where I learned to shoot instinctively and helps keep me in practice as I'm not a big fan of organized shots. I still use the old Fed Bear bow for it as it's sentimental for me.

Glad to hear you put that poor fox down, we get them that way here from mange. Thanks for the post too really gets me fired up for the fall hunting season.

crtreedude · October 19, 2006, 05:06:47 PM

I too have a Fred Bear bow that got me started in bow hunting - compound, really basic. I shoot instinctive.

I also like hunting from the ground - and no, it isn't because I am afraid of heights... I just am ants is all.

not much use here - but I am seriously thinking of getting into making bows - we have some excellent wood for that.

moosehunter · October 20, 2006, 07:33:20 AM

I shot competitive 3d shoots for 5 years, then went to the IBO world championships. I was pretty good in the local circuit, but I looked like a 4 year old with a rubber band and a pencil compared to those guys

3d shooting is great practice and a lot fun, but it ain't like the real thing. When you see a big buck with your gun and buck fever sets in you can lean the gun against a tree and still get off a good shot.
Buck fever with a bow is entirely different. No way to steady your shot!
I hunted six or seven years with a bow before getting my first deer last year.

mh

Weekend_Sawyer · October 23, 2006, 07:50:06 AM

Saturday evening, I'm sitting in my tree stand. The sun is going down and I am thinking of getting up but 2 Cardinals (birds) are chasing each other around and I watch them for a while. Shooting light is almost gone when a big Doe walks out into my field of view and while she was walking twards me I stood up. I know better, but I did it. The second I moved, She spun and and took off. If I would have blinked It would have seemed as if she disappeared!

Ah well, It's all a learning experience.
Jon

Burlkraft · October 23, 2006, 08:00:38 AM

It's all part of the plan..Weekender... :D :D :D

Isn't great just settin' in the woods till dark ??? ??? ???

There's a lot of activity in the woods this time of year... ;D ;D ;D

DomR · October 23, 2006, 09:45:13 AM

It seems like every one practices yardage shots and forgets about the straight down shot. I have been hunting with a bow for years and thought I was pretty good until I missed a nice buck that had worked his way through the brush until he was directly under me, about 10 feet below my stand. Easy shot right. Well I grazed his side and scared him off. Must have been a fluke. The next night I missed an 8 that had done the same thing. Now I climb up on the garage and shoot straight at the top of my target from the peak. I haven't had the opportunity at another deer that way but when I do I'll be ready. You'd be surprised at how many bowsmen miss on the first shot if they don't practice it. Good luck and be safe out there. Use a harness when up in the tree.
Just my 2 cents
Dom

Weekend_Sawyer · October 24, 2006, 07:22:11 AM

Last evening I took my bow to Outdoor World, aka Bass Pro Shops. They have an indoor archery range and a real nice work area to tune up your bow. I told the guy I was just getting started and wanted him to check my bow and let me know what it may need. I told my brother Chris about it and he decided to bring his old bow along. He bought his at Sears Surplus for $10 back in the 70's and never hunted with it, shot the barn a couple of times he says.
So we get there and the guys start fawning over Chris's bow, they could not BELEIVE where and how he got it, turns out it's a Fred Bear Polar and quite a nice bow. He said he almost threw it away a few years ago! They set him up with new peep sight and arrow rest, measured his draw and cut him some carbon arrows. We proceded to the shooting area, the whole back wall is layers of impact foam with stick on targets, we shot our bows and talked archery with these guys for over an hour. The told me that my Browning needed nothing! It shoots quiet and straight, have fun. Chris found out that his junky old bow was more than worth saving. We also came away with greater confidence and some nice shooting tips. The guys did not charge me for their time or service, they said they could write a tuneup ticket for $20 but since Chris bought stuff that covered it. They also would not take tips. I did not expect such great service from a big box store.

We are heading for the Cabin tomorrow morning for a few days of bow hunting and cabin work. Waaa Hooo

BTW, this archery stuff seems to get in your blood!
Jon

Burlkraft · October 24, 2006, 07:26:46 AM

Almost like sawin' ain't it ??? ???

Good luck on the hunt.....

moosehunter · October 24, 2006, 07:41:46 AM

Jon,
It gets in yer blood like sawdust when yer sawin' 8)

Good huntin',
mh

Norwiscutter · October 24, 2006, 10:48:00 AM

Nothing like bow hunting to get your juices flowing. Shot a big Doe last night and I am still in a great mood this morning. Perhaps it is because bow hunting is so personal. I also rifle hunt but in a lot of ways I feel like with rifle hunting, the challenge often ends with getting the deer in sight. In bowhunting,the challenge is just beginning. Drawing back on a deer 15 yards away can be a real trick sometimes. In a tree or on foot, nothing beats being in the woods on the hunt. Nothing like doing the elvis dance either when you are trying to draw back on big joe ;)

Raphael · October 28, 2006, 02:07:58 AM

I've been promising myself a new long bow for years, there's a fellow in the area that custom makes them. The best I ever shot instinctive was with a long bow, my old DH Hunter recurve was good out to ~60 yards with a set shot but now the limbs have degraded to the point it's to weak to trust. We've got two good compound bows in the house and neither quite fits me. :

Weekend_Sawyer · October 30, 2006, 08:55:49 AM

I was up at the cabin for 5 days, incredible winds, rain, just great weather! I couldn't use my tree climber because of the high winds so I set up a small blind, cammo burlap tied between 3 trees. Even with it flapping in the wind the deer came in, I waited, hunkered down behind the burlap, all cammod out myself, until 2 deer were 20 FEET from my blind. I slowly brought up my bow, took aim and let the arrow fly! I wached it sail over the back of the deer. Confused, watching the deer bound off, I focus on the rope holding the center of the blind up and see it has been cut almost in two. Yup, my arrow nicked the rope and flew out to imbed itself into a stump breaking it's tip off in the stump. So for WV Archery season this year I take home a broken arrow. Ah well, I have a LOT of deer in my back yard.

Jon

Raphael · October 30, 2006, 01:16:49 PM

I hate it when that happens. >:(
Although it's pretty funny in hindsight, I wish I had a video of our faces first time it happened to me. :D
I took a long shot at a rabbit with a 30# bow so I had time to track the arrow and 'know' that rabbit was dead before it suddenly veared offline at if the rabbit had a personal deflector shield. At first it looked like the arrow had bounced off the rabbit!

"That's no ordinary rabbit..."