New to archery hunting

What bow did you buy and if you have a bow shop in your area go there and talk to the guys and see waht they use too. And about hunting tricks for your area. Arrows, Carbon designed for the wieght you shoot. If poundage is lower say 50 lbs. use a cut on contact broad head, 100gr. Besure the sites you have can be seen at day light and dark. Don't forget a good release and a spare. You need a taget or 2, one for practice tips ,1 for broad heads. Shot at 10,20 30 yards maybe then at 40 also shoot for a higher elevation, above 18 feet. You need to get a range finder. Any good bow shop can help you get all set up better and help with archery advise. Where you hunt will some what control how you hunt. If in the wood line on private property fixed stands ,climbers, tripods buried in some thick brushy spot or lockon's. If on public lands ,climbers if trees let you like summit sells. Blinds work well around field edges where deer travel regularly. You could try stalking but that is all most allways on private land ,other hunters get pissed if in there area. Also it can be easier for the deer to catch you moveing stalking for more for a well seasoned hunter even drawing your bow will get you busted. Also body odor and wind is more of a problem at ground level. Real good total camo coverage and scent control. Do you rifle hunt? Every thing you do there is just multiplied, good and bad. Does any of this help? Learning to shot a well set up bow is the easy part.

avs, As an archer for more years than I care to admit, my advise to you would be to hold off till next year as far as actual hunting in archery. Archery is not something that you can just "pick up a bow and shoot for a month" and be ready to go shoot at a live animal. You need to practice a LOT. From many angles and forms. Out of a tree stand because of the different angle. All kinds of things can go wrong with a bow shot at a live deer and believe me, tracking a gut hit deer is close to impossible. Do yourself a favor and follow my words closely buddy. Deer deserve the quickest, cleanest and most accurate shot you can make.

As far as equipment goes, I would need to know what kind of bow, poundage, draw length, sights or instinctive, release or fingers. Lots of variables to that equation.

As far as blind or tree stand, that would depend on the terrain and pattern of the deer you are hunting as well as if they are in rut at that time of year, again many variables.

Arrows, broadheads and most other gear is just dependent on personal choice.

I've killed deer, elk, turkey and coyotes with carbon, aluminum and wood. All 3 will work no matter what bow you shoot but most people are shooting carbons these days.
I currently shoot Magnus Stinger 150's but most fixed blade broadheads will work as long as they're tuned to your setup and SHARP.

All of my hunting has been with spot and stalk or with the use of a natural ground blind on public land. Treestands really don't work as well in the West where I've hunted unless you can set up at a waterhole.
I think cover scents are overrated and hunting with the wind in your face is the only thing you can count on. I tie a piece of dental floss on my string with a tiny feather at 1 end to judge the wind close up and use pieces of a cotton ball tossed into the air if the winds are swirling.

You might be able to bowhunt this year if find a good bow shop, get some coaching and shoot a modern compound with sights and release. Instinctive shooting with fingers will take much longer to become proficient.

Check out bowsite.com for some good advice on hunting and bow shops in your area. ArcheryTalk is also good but it's kind of like the Walmart of archery forums.

Good luck.

Az reg 12-3-304 or maybe 305 gives standards more than 40lb draw and broadheads more than 7/8" again this not something you can just pickup in a weekend. Taking game with a bow is hard shooting from an angle takes practice, judging distance knowing which pin to shoot from all take time. I use a recurve without pins and work on distance and arrow drop constantly. If you hunt this year stay on the ground and limit your shots to a far as you can hit a paper plate every time. The only way to get that good that fast is if that's all you do from now till then. Now all you have to do is learn where the deer are and how to get in range. Good luck and note Archery Deer lasts into Jan. but you'll need a 2011 license and tag then.

Buy your bow from a pro-shop only. Do not go to Cabela's sportsmans warehouse, bass pro, for gods sakes ntot Dicks or Walmart. The people at pro-shops know what they are talking about unlike most people in gun shops. You need to be fitted for a bow. The folks there will take the time to help you decide on arrows, broadheads, sights, rest the whole package. Most so called sporting good stores have a pimple faced kid that knows nothing about archery or how to set up a bow. Even the way the arrows are cut will make a difference. A so called great deal on a bow at a garage sale or advertisment is rarley a good deal if it does not fit you.

Tell us of you have any hunting experience and what kind. If none, start with a different weapon and spend time in the woods sit and watching. Through out the year. Better chance with a any kind of firearm than starting with a bow and maybe cheaper. For me bow hunting came easy. Bought my first bow and killed my first deer 2 weeks later. I ain't no target shooter don't even both with the bow club thang and i do stay with shorter ranges. Hitting a target with a well set up bow is not hard for most people. It learning to hunt in general thats hard to learn. still learning after 42 years.

Trust Me.

Definately get a proshop to set you up. They will get you the proper draw lenght, properly spined arrows and know which type of broadhead that you should use for your setup. If your bow has an IBO average speed of around 250 fps, you can probably get a way with using fixed blade broadheads. If it is faster than that you will probably have to shoot mechanicals.

Captcurt,

You're right about the proshop but wrong about the mechanicals. Sometimes they work great and sometimes they fail to open. Mechanicals are for people can't tune a setup or are too lazy to try.

Speed has nothing to do with it. Don't believe the marketing claims.

Sometimes they work great and sometimes they fail to open. Mechanicals are for people can't tune a setup or are too lazy to try.

Speed has nothing to do with it. Don't believe the marketing claims.

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Not completely correct XD. There are many fixed blades out there that will plane no matter how well you tune at speeds over 290fps. Tested many. Found several that do quite well at speeds over that. In general your cheaper "Wally World Specials" are poor choices. Muzzy, Rocket, G5, SlickTrick are just a few Fixed blade makers that perform well out of high speed bows.

Speed can and most certainly does affect how well fixed blade broad heads perform. Sometimes you can fix the problem with simple alignment tuning. Other times you have to change what type/size fletching and sometimes you even have to change your fletching to helical to make poor broad heads work well. Those that I named off all fly identical to my field tips except for the Muzzy's which I have to align (tune) pretty well to make them fly right out of my higher speed bows.

As far as mechanicals not opening up, that is very true with many of them when you hit at a sharp quarter. There are a few that actually perform very well even on quartering shots. Rage and Grim Reapers just to name a couple. They have cut on impact tips and perform very well on all shots that a fixed blade would perform well on.

avs,i'll just help you out and tell you to put in for unit 12A (Kaibab) every year until you get it. The soon to be world record (typical) mule deer, just was taken (with a bow) off the Arizona strip connecting to it. It scored 220 5/8 I believe.

As for the gear; Bow Tech bow, gold tip XT hunter arrows, and innerloc broadheads. That's just my personal taste. Many others available and ultimately the guy pulling the string means everything.

For all you guys in New Mexico, Arizona, etc, I hope you know how good you have it. I'm in California and it's very very difficult and expensive to get on good hunts in your states. Take advantage of your luxery because you can't even comprehend how good you have it.

MOst archery gear is a personal choice. There is a ton of choices when it comes to broadheads, sights, rest, ect. What works for me might not be someone else choice. I personally won't touch mechanical broadheads. I have seen to many problems in the feild from very very competant shooters with them. I have 4 bows that all run well over 250 fps including a Mathews monster which is one of the fastest production bows on the market right now. All of my bows shoot Magnus Snuffers or G5 Monotech without a hitch. I did have to spend a little time nock tuning but they all hit within a inch of feild points out to 40-45 yards. More than good enough for hunting purposes. The last I would guess 30 animals I have taken with my bow using fixed blade cut on contact broadheads have been complete pass throughs with great blood trails. Good enough to convince me. Like everyone has said seek out a pro-shop and get advice and get fitted for your equipment. Ebay and wal-mart are not your friends when it comes to archery.

This is a great sport its challenging and very rewarding. After a while the thought of deer hunting with a rifle will no longer have appeal. A nice buck with a .270 or 30/06 from 200 yards is great. Take the same buck at 7 yards with archery equipment and you have really done your homework.

XD 460 said:

Captcurt,

You're right about the proshop but wrong about the mechanicals. Sometimes they work great and sometimes they fail to open. Mechanicals are for people can't tune a setup or are too lazy to try.

Speed has nothing to do with it. Don't believe the marketing claims.

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XD,

It is true that some don't open well or penetrate well, but most will fly like field tips when cranked to 300fps. My experience with the fast bows is, you better have all of your ducks in a row if you want them to shoot well.

Personally, I shoot carbon (Goldtip Ultalites) with 100gr. Thunderheads at about 240fps.
I think that this rig has taken 15 whitetails in 10 seasons. You don't need a superfast bow when you shoot less than 25 yards.

I'd like to go up there. How long does it take to get drawn?

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For you (resident), I'd imagine 2 or 3 years if that, but that is also with a bow and it's easier to get in with a bow. Rifle and late season rifle I'm sure take some time.That is some of the best mule deer hunting in the country.

For a non-resident a nightmare. I could put in for 8 years and never pull that tag. Plus, they keep my 150 for license and 12 for processing I think. What a joke. I buy a license, can't even get a tag to hunt, and they keep my money for the license??

My father used to hunt the Kaibab every year. He could get an over the counter tag and get in every year. Those times are gone now for non-residents and it has become a draw even for residents. He told me those are the biggest bucks he has ever seen and he has been to several states hunting.

For a non-resident a nightmare. I could put in for 8 years and never pull that tag. Plus, they keep my 150 for license and 12 for processing I think. What a joke. I buy a license, can't even get a tag to hunt, and they keep my money for the license??

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If you don't get drawn your license fee's are refunded

5. Were You Drawn?
You will not receive any mail notification. To find out if you were drawn you can call the Arizona Game and Fish automated service at 602-942-3000. Press 2 and follow the instructions. You can also get draw results at the Arizona Game and Fish web site. For either system, you must provide your Department ID Number and month and day of birth. If you were unsuccessful in the draw, your money will be refunded.

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I have several bows. Ranging from 240fps up to 335fps in compound. 240 is more than enough to pass through a deer at 30 yards when set up properly with a heavy enough arrow/broad head configuration. With slower speeds, you need a heavier setup for there to be enough stored energy. I like my "speedy" bows for the flat shooting and a deer is also less likely to "jump the string" BUT your fastest bows, by nature, are usually less forgiving and require very good form to shoot well consistently. Some have stated that it is not hard to learn to "shoot" a compound and really it is not. But to gain good consistency and accuracy requires lots of practice to gain "muscle memory" so you can duplicate that form in the field on game. It is not something you can just pick up and do. Not if you want to be as good as you can be so you don't do the ULTIMATE no no in hunting and wound a deer losing it to go die elsewhere never to be recovered.

As far as the license fee's, that borders on fraud in my opinion. Most states do not require you to purchase a hunting license until you have already been drawn for a permit.

Edit: Meaning NON resident not resident

Archery Deer permits are over the counter no drawing here in AZ

Also, another quick question. All the bows that I look at advertise speeds of better than 300 fps. From the talk on here, it sounds like most of you guys are shooting in the 250's. What is best for deer?

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Keep in mind, all of these "tested" or "proven" velocities these companies promote are test that which none of their bows have dampeners or stabilzers on. That's the way they pull this "300fps" BS. This will surely decline once you put these attachments on your bow. Without them, game will "jump the string" on you nearly all the time.

I have put my Bowtech through the chrono with all attachments. I'm at 270fps and I'll tell you right now it's taken plenty of pigs. If 270fps will penetrate a hog, it can easily fully pass through a deer.

As far as the license fee's, that borders on fraud in my opinion. Most states do not require you to purchase a hunting license until you have already been drawn for a permit.

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TELL ME ABOUT IT! This is the case in more states than you know. Believe me, I've been trying to get out of California to hunt for a decent price.

Archery Deer permits are over the counter no drawing here in AZ

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Negative for the Kaibab. If that was the case, I would be hunting the Kaibab every year. Look up unit 12A and tell me I can get an over the counter and hunt it every year. I would love for you to correct me. My father knows where the deer are there, that's why I want to go there. For me to get a regular over the counter and just try to get some random place where I have no education of where the deer are would be very very challenging. Unless you guys want to show me?

Keep in mind, all of these "tested" or "proven" velocities these companies promote are test that which none of their bows have dampeners or stabilzers on. That's the way they pull this "300fps" BS. This will surely decline once you put these attachments on your bow. Without them, game will "jump the string" on you nearly all the time

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Stabilizers have nothing to do with your bows speed. Those are to dampen vibration from your riser. The string dampeners, the ones that stop the string not the ones tied on, actually give you a bit more speed.

The way they get the advertised speeds is this, Bare bow, 70# pull weight, 5 grains per inch arrow, 31 inch draw length, BARE arrow shaft meaning no fletchings or tip whatsoever. If you were to shoot more than a few times rigged up like that you would end up destroying your bow.

I usually go by a rule of thumb by taking 25 to 30 feet per second off what the IBO speed is for the way I rig most of my bows. Usually I set my rigs up as follows: Bow, Balls to the wall on poundage to get peek performance as well as limb timing. When your limb bolts are bottomed out you don't have to worry if they are dead on equal. Drop away rest, Pin Sights, String loop for release, Hunters size peep sight, Stabilizer, Limb Saver Noise suppressors on the limbs. I use a hip quiver so my bow is well balanced. Arrows: That is according to which bow. A couple of them I use 14 grains per inch with 125 grain Broad heads because they are slower and need that weight for good penetration. While with say My BowTech Admiral I use 9 grains per inch with 100 grain and get a saucy 310 fps out of her and STILL quiet. One thing most do not seem to realize with bows, the lighter the arrow setup, the LOUDER it will be. You would be surprised at how much noise you could eliminate by going to a couple of grains per inch more weight in your arrows. Fletchings are according to your bow setup as well. With some I use 4 inch and others I use 2 inch Blazers. Its all according to your rig. I only use carbon arrows for one reason, They are either straight or broke! No in betweens with them like you get with aluminum. You may have just a SLIGHT little bend in an aluminum that you don't see and that can affect your flight severely. I have a few carbons that have been through 4 or more deer and still perfect. You wont ever see that from an aluminum.

Freedom,

You're mistaken in the IBO rating. IBO is measured with 70#@30" and 5 grains per pound
not 5 grains per inch.

Some people get away with shooting thousands of arrows at 5gpp but it's not good for the bow and any bow has a hard time transferring maximum energy into a light arrow.

My bad you are correct. It is per pound. Sorry I am used to going by "per inch" on calculating arrow weight. And it USED to be at 31 inches. They just recently started to do it at 30 because of the popularity of using string loops so it is rare that anyone uses a bow strung at 31 inches draw now.