Bow and Arrows

[JeepThrills]

Does anyone bow hunt? I'm not into hunting, but I am interested in maybe doing some target practice with one. I use to be pretty good with a bow and arrow many years ago. The bows have come a long way since then, however, and I wonder what I would be getting myself into.

 

[jason]

I have a recursive. I do not hunt with it, more for fun when and if I get the chance to do some target practice.

 

[Snuggles]

I don't bow hunt but I have a friend that does and he loves it. From what I see, bows and arrows have come a long way. I believe his is a Parker Crossbow. Bows seem to be a cleaner kill than guns.

 

[ppine]

Shooting a bow takes more skill than a rifle. New technology makes it easier, but more expensive. We shot bows all the time as kids, but I have never hunted with one because of the difficulty in estimating distance. Now we have range finders, but it is expensive to start over with all of the moving parts it takes to be a decent shot with a bow. Bow hunters tend to be more skilled than rifle hunters in the West, but often less successful. I have never liked the idea of sitting in a blind near a water hole for instance waiting for an antelope to show up. I know people that have hunted elk with a bow for years and have never been successful. They get something out of it though, so it really doesn't matter. Bow hunting makes the most sense in woodland hunting conditions with lots of cover. Hoof to hand combat is very execiting. I have had some of those experiences while hunting with a muzzleloader.

I respect bowhunters. They are quiet and use skill to get close. A well placed arrow is deadly even on large animals.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

You'd be into it for at least $500 for a modern compound bow and all the trimmings. Makes me feel old.... I paid about $80 for my Bear Whitetail II ....about 35 years ago LOL. Still works fine, BTW. Had to replace the string once when I nicked it with a broadhead.

I don't bowhunt much, mostly use it for target shooting.

 

[carmen]

I always wished I could do this just for practice targeting but I have never had the upper body strength for it. I still love watching a good archery show though.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Around here I don't know too many hunters who don't bowhunt, although their success really varies from one hunter to the next. The serious guys start practiceing in March. They shoot standard targets 2 or 3 times a week, 3-D targets 1 or 2 times a week and most of them seem to spend at least 1 weekend a month shooting a local 3-D course, some guys shoot a weekend course every weekend. Archery season opens here around the first Saturday in October and runs pretty much through to the beginning of February. I've shot the courses and it can be alot of fun, and I've hunted part of the season but most of the time I'd rather be camping or at least day hiking,plus artheritis in my right shoulder makes it hard for me to practice enough to build the confidence I want to have that I can make a good clean kill. If you want to hunt you owe the game animal that much. A good Bow will cost 300 dollars, minimum. 500 dollars is probably the least you can spend to get a decent quality set up you are probably looking more in the 800 dollar range to get started.

 

[Barney]

I don't hunt with a bow because I don't have a lot of confidence in myself when it comes to this skill but I'm getting better everyday.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


Used to hunt with a bow...long before compound bows were born. Started with a long bow, then a recurve bow. Both were fine hunting/target weapons for me.

Went deer hunting with them a few times, but not seriously enough to have any luck. Did shoot a few pheasants and rabbits with them, though.

 

[JeepThrills]

I think I will check out the bows the next time I am in the sports place that is near us. They have just about everything you can think of for hunting, camping and hiking. I saw bows in there the last time I went, but I wasn't really thinking of buying one at the time.

 

[dinosaur]

I've done a lot of bow hunting with both compound and traditional bows. I prefer the traditional and have a recurve and a long bow I made myself. I became a bowyer many years ago and made one piece and takedown bows, marketing them under the "dinosaur" brand. My bows are in use in both Canada and the US.

The biggest concern here seems to be draw weight for those of you who wish to target practice for fun. I developed a bow years ago for bowfrogging. It was designed to be easy to shoot, quick, accurate and not blow through the frog, just stick him so he could be easily retrieved. This very light weight bow drawn to the cheek was 25lbs. Drawn past the ear it is close to 40lbs. But it is a type of longbow and doesn't have to be drawn full. Most 12 year olds can draw a 25lb. bow.

Try a youth bow. If you want a compound you should be able to draw it easily. It shouldn't be a strain to reach the break point where it "Lets off" and becomes easy to hold. Get some basic instruction. Many bow shops have target ranges in the building and the staff will be more than happy to show you the proper way to use the bow. They can also adjust the draw weight for you until you feel comfortable drawing the bow. After that it is just a matter of remembering the basics and developing your skill.

Good luck.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Im a big time bow hunter. Got into it quiet by chance. My main motivation was while urban sprawl had gobbled up a lot of the areas I used to be able to hunt with a rifle, they still contain pretty sizable expanse of wood lots and Deer that never see another hunter! Its still pretty dang challenging to take one though, make no mistake about that, they just dont get any pressure thats all.

Getting into archery aint gonna be cheap if thats what your thinking. You can easily spend more than what you would spend on a pretty nice rifle by the time you get the bow and accessories. You can get a pretty decent set up though if your not hunting and just punching paper targets. The up side is that you can also practice in your back yard unless its really small. I have a tree stand in a tree in my back yard and a couple of 3D targets and often fling a couple dozen shots when I get off work in the mornings. Good practice and good relaxation for me. The best part is unless my neighbor sees me climb up in the stand, they are clueless that I am shooting arrows in the back yard!

Its a great hobby to take up in my opinion.

 

[charley]

Anyone ever shoot a recurve with a release?

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

I have toyed with the idea of getting a recurve and if I did I would definitely add a loop and use a release aid. I realize that is heresy among the traditionalist out there, but I see no reason to give up useful technology.

 

[dinosaur]

Not everyone views a release as useful technology. Some view a release as just another piece of equipment they can easily lose in the bush. Personally, I figure that if you are more comfortable with it, go ahead and use it.

 

[JeepThrills]

Im a big time bow hunter. Got into it quiet by chance. My main motivation was while urban sprawl had gobbled up a lot of the areas I used to be able to hunt with a rifle, they still contain pretty sizable expanse of wood lots and Deer that never see another hunter! Its still pretty dang challenging to take one though, make no mistake about that, they just dont get any pressure thats all.

Getting into archery aint gonna be cheap if thats what your thinking. You can easily spend more than what you would spend on a pretty nice rifle by the time you get the bow and accessories. You can get a pretty decent set up though if your not hunting and just punching paper targets. The up side is that you can also practice in your back yard unless its really small. I have a tree stand in a tree in my back yard and a couple of 3D targets and often fling a couple dozen shots when I get off work in the mornings. Good practice and good relaxation for me. The best part is unless my neighbor sees me climb up in the stand, they are clueless that I am shooting arrows in the back yard!

Its a great hobby to take up in my opinion.

I realized years ago that anything that involves the outdoors is going to cost money, so I am already prepared for the sticker shock.

I have five acres, including an unused pasture so the only thing I really have to worry about is an actual deer wandering out while I am practicing.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Man I am looking hard at that Mission Ballistic after shooting one at the Pro Shop this weekend. Not the best bow out there but for the money its packed with an amazing list of features that defy the price being asked for them. I am seeing one in my future in the next 30 days at the most!

 

[Marshmallow]

One of the grandsons talked about bow hunting last year so much we ended up buying him a bow and arrow outfit, along with a big square target he set up in the back yard. He's gotten really good, but we still aren't ready to let him loose with anything other than the target. He is enjoying setting up and making his own targets.

 

[CaverGroupie]

I always wished I could do this just for practice targeting but I have never had the upper body strength for it. I still love watching a good archery show though.

Carmen, there are all sizes and strengths of bows. You just need to be fitted to the right one. Even children can learn to shoot an arrow fairly straight. You can start with lower tension bows and work your way up. You build confidence and body strength at the same time.

Oddly enough, using a bow and arrow works many of the same muscles that using a bow on a violin does. Just a little trivia for the day, courtesy of my bow-shooting-violin-playing son.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

Here's a really classic free ebook that everyone that's interested in bowhunting or the outdoors should read. It's by Saxton Pope (of Pope and Young fame).
Amazon.com: Hunting with the Bow and Arrow eBook: Saxton Pope: Kindle Store

It pretty well covers everything about classical bow and arrow building and hunting. Pope also talks extensively about his relationship with Ishi, the last Yahi Indian.

Ishi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia