marko@hutch (Mark O'Shea) (03/29/91)
I have finally decided to take up bow hunting for deer this fall. The eastern Oregon seasons are all special permit and I can be guaranteed to hunt my favorite place only if I bow hunt. I have been considering it for years and was finally pushed into it, I have ordered my bow and should have it in a week or so. I plan to practice at least once a week between now and the season opener-Aug 25. What I want to know is what should I know about bow hunting that is different from rifle hunting. I will be hunting mule deer in mountainous terrain that varies from heavy woods to medium sparce, that is, you can't see more than twenty feet or you can see a half-mile or more. It has some meadows, some canyons, some high ridges, etc. Yes, it is beautiful. There are plenty of deer. Oh yes, I am buying the bow from Gander Mountain and the book "The Complete Guide to Bowhunting Deer" by Chuck Adams comes with it. Is this a good book? Mark O'Shea send replies to: marko@ijf1.intel.com
rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) (03/29/91)
[NOTE: be forewarned, I am only a textbook bowhunter. I have read a
lot but have yet to take my bow hunting.]
From: marko@hutch (Mark O'Shea)
I have ordered my bow and should have it in a week or so. I plan to
practice at least once a week between now and the season opener-Aug 25.
This an excellent idea. Too many hunters take up bowhunting just for
te extra season and then don't practice with the bow. The rule of
thumb that I have read in several places is to only take shots within
your range. Your range is defined as the maximum distance that you
can put 6 out of 6 arrows in a paper plate. Typically, this is about
20-30 yards. With a LOT of practice, you might be able to extend this
to 40-50 yards.
Also, since you plan to shoot weekly, you might want to join a hunting
league at a local archery shop or club. Then you'll have to shoot
weekly and you'll have a record of you improvement.
What I want to know is what should I know about bow hunting that is
different from rifle hunting.
There is only one difference: you have to be close enough to be sure
of a one shot kill. When you think about releasing the arrow, you
should be reasonably sure that it will be a fatal shot. Given the
added stress and jitters of a real hunt, you should probably try to
stay well short of your maximum range.
Oh yes, I am buying the bow from Gander Mountain and the book "The
Complete Guide to Bowhunting Deer" by Chuck Adams comes with it.
Is this a good book?
I bought my first bow at KMart (a Bear with sight and quiver for $80).
The bow didn't really fit me, I didn't get to try it out, and it was
basically a cheaply built bow. I got lucky and the cables and strings
were mismatched so KMart took it back. After visiting several archery
shops, I bought another bow. I would strongly recommend buying bows
>from archery centers. They know their products and will provide
support after the sale.
Good luck with your new bow. I have only had mine for a few months
but I can't stop shooting it. The only thing that keeps me from
practicing more is that my arm usually needs a while to recover...
timpatvh@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (Pat Van Hoomissen) (04/03/91)
In article <451@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) writes: >There is only one difference: you have to be close enough to be sure >of a one shot kill. When you think about releasing the arrow, you... > >tim A good point! Too many "bowhunters" are what we "affectionately" call "stickers". Many hunters are turning to bowhunting to take advantage of regulations here that favor them with earlier seasons closer to the rut. It sucks if you ask me.
patvh@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (Pat Van Hoomissen) (04/03/91)
In article <451@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> rigg@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tim Rigg) writes: >There is only one difference: you have to be close enough to be sure >of a one shot kill. When you think about releasing the arrow, you > >tim A good posting Tim. Too many "bowhunters" are what we "affectionately" call "stickers". Many hunters are turning to bowhunting to take advantage of regulations here that favor them with earlier seasons closer to the rut. It sucks if you ask me.
rlp@druwa.ATT.COM (PrehnRL) (04/04/91)
In article <450@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>, marko@hutch (Mark O'Shea) writes: > I have finally decided to take up bow hunting for deer this fall. > > I have ordered my bow and should have it in a week or so. I plan to > practice at least once a week between now and the season opener-Aug 25. > I am not preaching here, just trying to be helpful. Below are some suggestions based on what I have learned over 8 seasons. Many of the following things were learned the hard way! General Suggestions: 1) Get plenty of practice at varying distances. Range estimation is critical to success unless you are VERY VERY close. 2) Practice often but in moderation. Stop and rest when your arms get tired. Pushing it will foster bad habits that are hard to break. I know someone that started out shooting several hours almost every night which caused physical problems that made him give up archery. 3) Don't start out with too high a draw weight. 50# to 60# range is fine for beginners. (see #2) There are many seasoned veterans that don't go higher. After you have the proper form and archery knowledge, you can go for high-poundage/high-speed setups. Initially you want a smooth shooting and forgiving bow that won't magnify your errors. 4) For getting a first bow it is better to get one from an archery dealer. You can get properly fitted with a bow and try before you buy. As with any other sort of store there are good and bad ones. Ask around and visit several before deciding. After you have a couple seasons of hunting under your belt, (or are getting a replacement item) try Bow Hunters discount warehouse. 5) Practice with broadheads before hunting! Most ranges won't let you shoot broadheads though. The arrow flight can be off several feet at 30 yards even if the braodheads weigh the same as your field tips. This is often an indication that your bow is not properly tuned. 6) Join you state bow hunting organization. Anti-hunters are out to eliminate your new sport. You may also meet some new friends. 7) If you also hunt rabbits or grouse etc, use a blunt or judo point. The impact does a much better stopping job than do broadheads. Grouse can fly quite a distance through thick cover after being center-punched with a broadhead. If you want to shoot at birds in the air, use flu-flu arrows since the will not travel as far and are easier to locate. 8) If you get a bow quiver, get one with a long span between the arrow supporting points. This helps reduce vibration problems. 9) Learn your limitations. Don't shoot at anything outside your effective range for the quick kill zone. (see #1 below for details) 10) Be safe, don't carry a loose arrow around in the woods. It is too easy to cut yourself, a friend walking with you or your string. Specific Recommendations: 1) Get the book "Balanced Bow Hunting" by Dave Holt. (Highly recommended) 2) For sights I reccomend the Fine Line cross hair sight. It durable, compact and fits inside the sight window of most bows. (Less likely to snag on brush or have a cross hair broken in the field.) The crosshairs are not too thick like some other brands. 3) If you use a peep sight, use one with a large hole. Small peeps are qreat on targets but make it extremely difficult to spot critters through. I use the Fine Line "Zero Peep". This prevents peep rotation problems. 4) For releases I prefer the wrist style "Trophy Hunter". It uses ball bearings to hold the string and releases the string with no torque to either side. Only one other release I know of provides a non-torque release. Using other releases pushes the arrow about 3.5 inches to the side @20 yds. I prefer the wrist style because it lets the fingers relax for a smooth squeeze of the trigger. (they are harder to loose too.) 5) For rests I like the Golden Eagle Futura "TM Hunter". It allows the arrow to pass the bow without any of the vanes or feathers hitting the rest. (#'s 4 & 5 allow me to get excellent arrow flight even with an overdraw.) Martin makes a similar rest that appears to be easier to adjust. If you use a finger or torqueing release, you might want to go with a "flipper" style rest. 6) Broadheads tend to be a personal choice. Make sure they are SHARP and that you have your sights adjusted for them. I like WASP series II 3 blade. They are durable, easy to assemble and won't fall apart in your quiver, in flight or in the game. Other ones I've used have done this. 7) Find a good archery dealer and support him. You might need him sometime. Don't try everything in the store and then mail order it. In the Denver area I like American Bowmaster. He has always done good by me and his prices are better than the other dealers in the area. A number of years ago he replaced a bow that had cracked limbs 2 weeks before season with me paying the difference in price. (He didn't have the same draw weight limbs in stock and time was too short to wait for the factory to replace the limbs under warranty.) The replacement bow has been a great bow that hasn't failed me and allowed me to make some great shots. Have a great hunting experience. Robert Prehn +-----------------------------------------------------------+ AT&T Bell Labs | ____ _______ _____ _______ | Room 1F50 | / __ \ |__ __| / _ \ |__ __| | 11900 North Pecos | | <__> | | | \ \ \_\ | | | Denver, Co 80234 | | __ | | | / \ __ | | THE CHOICE| | | | | | | | | (\ / / | | | druwa!rlp | |_| |_| |_| \_____/ |_| | (303) 538-4554 | | +-----------------------------------------------------------+