Getting Into Bow Hunting

[Pigspitter]

It's been a while since I last posted, but i was planning on joining a hunting club near me for next year. That being said, I can't keep a gun with me where I live so I'll have to use a bow only and maybe a pellet gun for squirrels between deer and turkey season. I have a Browning bow with a 45lb draw that I've been shooting since I was 13, but I've never hunted with it before. Anyway, I know that I'll need a heavier bow for deer and possibly hogs, but I don't want to fork over a lot for a brand new bow. First, I was wondering where in the Macon area I could find an older model bow or good condition lightly used bow. Second, I also need to find a shop that can restring, tune, and inspect a bow. Second, I'd like to know a little about what small game I can take with a bow and how you'd go about doing it. Thanks.

 

[blackops]

Is there some reason you can't take a deer with a 45lb draw? It's just like choosing what caliber. Shot placement is everything. I pull 69lbs, but that doesn't kill the deer. Placment of the broadhead does. Hunt little game the same way you hunt anything.

 

[Pigspitter]

I guess I'm really looking for a faster bow with a little more hitting power and my old bow is a tad bit loud on the draw and release. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I just wasn't sure if a 45lb draw could reliably put enough speed on a heavy arrow to generate the force necessary for a consistently clean kill. Thank you for the advice, and i guess I'll be fine tuning my shots for the small buggers.

 

[Hunterdad]

I picked up a Parker Wildfire XP last December for $400 all set up. It's my first bow, so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but I still love it. 45# draw is plenty for hunting.

 

[MCgunner]

I'd owned and played with a 45 lb recurve for 35 years. Well, I broke it out a few years ago and started practicing again and a limb on the old bow broke, finally. I'd never gotten into compounds due to a weak right eye. I decided to get a compound, wasn't picky, just had to be cheap as I didn't wanna sink a bunch of money into a bow to find out I couldn't shoot it due to my astigmatism. I won an early 90s Hoyt Hunter 60 lb off ebay for about 70 bucks shipping and all. Rigged it with a 3 pin sight, got it set up, shot it for about 3 months and I was putting 'em into 4 or 5" at 25 yards. I found I can see well enough in good light to use the pins. Then, I bought another recurve to play with and bowfish with (got all off into bow fishing some years ago), a PSE Kingfisher. I had the Hoyt restrung by a good bow shop which is only about a mile down the road from my house, wish I had a gun shop that close.

If you're not in a big hurry, you might check out ebay. There were tons of bows on there when I got the Hoyt. There were newer, more whiz bang compact models on there that went for under 200. My SIL has a 2001 PSE that is way lighter and more compact than my Hoyt. He won it off ebay. Me, I'm not all techy when it comes to bows. I spend 35 years shooting a wooden recurve, LOL But, his is pretty danged neat, the shorter length fits in a bow blind better. I didn't get into bow hunting last year, just couldn't get into sitting in the skeerers and heat in a blind. But, I bought a thermocell that seems to work pretty decent. Maybe I'll try it this year. I've never stuck anything, but paper, buffalo sucker fish, and gar with a bow.

 

[bps3040]

45# draw is plenty for hunting. Use a 2 blade broad head, Sniper, Magnus,, etc. I have bow hunted for 33 years. Shot placement is king.
E-bay, Craigslist, go to local bow shop if you want a new bow. Get measured correctly and "tune" the bow.
It is awesome...I love bow hunting and I have shot 1 deer with a rifle in the last 20 years. I am truly hooked.

 

[UpTheIrons]

Check the rules and regs of your state (Georgia?). Texas had a minimum draw weight of 40# until last year, so be sure to check that you are legal.

If there is no restriction, then that opens up a lot of possibilities for you. Yes, a big, heavy arrow will not do as well at 45# as it will at 60#, and a lighter arrow will do better at either draw weight. For Texas whitetails, I use 100 grain Montec G5 broadheads (3-bladed) and have never had one get away. For smaller game, there are the judo points and Montec also makes a 'claw' type of arrowhead. I have never tried for the small stuff, as I'm still not good enough to aim at something smaller than the vitals of a whitetail.

Just practice, practice, practice and get your shot placement down to where you are very comfortable at the ranges you expect to be shooting and have fun!

As to pellet guns, I've heard nothing but good things about the Gamo rifles, so you may want to look into them as a squirrel-killer if you don't already have what you need.

 

[Pigspitter]

Thanks for the advice. I guess i'll keep the old bow around for small game, but i'll probably move up to a 60# or 70# for big game. I know i can use the smaller, but i'd rather have more bow than too little. Its a shame I can't bring any of my guns up because i've had my eye set on a nice little .223/12g savage 24 lately. finally, i'm at a disadvantage here in macon,ga because we lack a dedicated archery shop anywhere nearby, so i'm not sure if i'll be able to get the services i'd like.

 

[Sunray]

"...know that I'll need a heavier bow for deer..." Maybe not. Depends on your local hunting regulations. Up here, 45 lbs is minimum for deer.
"...I'd rather have more bow than too little..." Not if you can't pull it. If you can't easily lift 60 or 70 pounds, you won't be able to pull a bow of that weight without hurting yourself either. Even a compound requires upper body tone.

 

[Pigspitter]

60 or 70lbs is pretty routine for me. I know my constant question asking makes me come off as probably 12 or 13, i'm actually a college age kid in pretty solid shape, so weight wont be an issue. but i do appreciate the concern. and i'm pretty sure that my current bow isn't going to get me any deer with half an ears worth of hearing. it's about as loud as smacking an oar on the water, so i primarily need something that they wont be as inclined to jump the string on. that being said, i figure i might as well make an upgrade into the heavy weights while im at it. it seems like my main problem is finding a place that sells used or old model bows or anywhere that i can get sized for a bow or have it tuned and repaired.

 

[Sunray]

"...my constant question asking..." Nope. That's why we're both here.
The upper body thing is back and shoulder tone, not your arms. Doesn't take a lot of time to lose it either. Shooting a heavy bow requires regular upper body toning exercise. Compounds are more forgiving though. Mind you, you don't need a 60 or 70 lb bow for any game. Being able to shoot well is far more important.
Keep talking. We'll get it sorted out.
"...loud as smacking an oar...finding a place that..." What bow? There are string silencers that don't cost a pile of money. Really just strips of rubber. And there are limb suppressors. No bow shops near you? As opposed to a shop that sells bows. Makes a difference.
Broad heads for AL arrows aren't terribly expensive either.
You do need to look into your local hunting regs though.
Putting your location on your profile will help a lot.

 

[MCgunner]

I got my old 45 lb recurve, the one that broke, the summer between my sophomore and junior year in college, while working a summer job in south Texas. This will date me a bit, but I traded 4 8 track tapes for it. It lasted 35 years before it broke, so I guess it was a good deal, eh? It was a "Colt Plainsman". I still have it, broken limb and all. I found out I could actually have it fixed, but the price wasn't worth the effort. I just bought a 50 lb recurve to replace it. It's a neat recurve, magnesium/aluminum riser and fiberglass limbs and even has sights on it. It's also a take down and can be adusted for weight. A little more high tech and was only a little over a hundred bucks online. But, it's harder to shoot than my Hoyt and 30 yards is pretty long range for it. I do like the simplicity and challenge of the recurve, though, and I don't need any more bow for bow fishing.

Small game with a bow seems a bit not worth the price of an arrow. I am good enough with it to hit a rabbit out 20, maybe even 25 yards, but arrows are expensive if I miss. LOL Besides, that's why God gave us the .22....or the shotgun.

 

[Pigspitter]

To answer the question, I'm right in the middle of the great state of Georgia. I've looked through the hunting regulations and I'm in the clear either way. I'll probably keep the old Browning micro midas(i think that's what it is) but it's stripped down to the point that minus the strings, all that's on it is a arrow rest as well as being in questionable shape, so it'd be much more expensive to get it to hunting condition than to buy the bow i was looking at last week and have it restrung and tuned up (which is a 60# older bear compound, i think). So now i guess what i really would like to know is some tips for bow hunting, i've hunted with guns for years now, and i really need the advice of the much wiser people here to get me on my way with what i need besides a bow, and what i should be practicing before the season starts.

 

[FirearmsEnthusiast]

Make sure you bring a handgun for self defense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDq_zvQZ9eE

 

[FLAvalanche]

Go to your local Bass Pro. They have a big selection of bows, knowledgeable staff, an indoor range and all the goodies you can think of.

I spent the better half of an afternoon picking out a bow, getting it all set up, sighted in and tuned all with the help of a beautiful young woman who worked the archery section at bass pro.

She had me all outfitted, sighted in, equipped and out the door with a new bow and a glimmer in my eyes.

 

[Pigspitter]

Thank you to everyone for the advice. I stopped by my local pawnshop and picked up a PSE firestorm lite with quiver drop away arrow rest, sight, and others for 150. I only got a chance to shoot it for about 15 minutes, but I was on target and hitting dead center from 20 yards after 3 shots. I worry that I'll wear it out before deer season with all the fun I'm having shooting it

 

[Dr. A]

Congratulations! Looks like you did well. If you work hard and learn the tough parts, I doubt rifle hunting would ever be half as fun.

 

[quackslayer]

Hunting with a bow

Welcome to a BIG circle of hunters; the only problem with bowhunting is very addictive; keep your shots (IMO) 25 yards or less; use nothing but RAZOR SHARP broadheads and practice shot placement;

Another area you might want to check out is hunting with a crossbow; crossbows are alot like shooting a good gun and are deadly accurate; I love my excalibur..{www.excaliburcrossbow.com} and it shoots like a dream;crossbows are legal in your area and don't let the "archery world" make you feel any less for using one; another good point about the crossbow is you can sight one in and many times they are still as accurate as when you put them up;

Anyway you go it only means that you have a longer time in the woods; good luck in whatever decision you make.

 

[nmlongbow]

Crossbows are very accurate and only take a few minutes to become proficient.

They are also loud, cumbersome and have their place but only in rifle season.

Crossbows are great for elderly or disabled people but I'll never understand why a healthy inividual would want to take such a shortcut just to hunt in archery season.

 

[Sunray]

"...Go to your local Bass Pro..." Nope. A bow shop, not a shop that sells bows. Isn't the same thing.
"...but only in rifle season..." Depends on where you are. Any bow is a primitive weapon up here. Crossbows are fine in archery only areas.
"...my local pawnshop..." A lot of people forget 'em too. Used to be that you could buy firearms in 'em, up here. Saw a set of Win 94 Canadian Centennial's in one, long ago. No box, but virtually new. Bought binoculars and high end measuring tools(0 -1 micrometer) in pawnshops. Not recently though.
Keep shooting. Don't even think about hunting from a tree stand without a safety strap and practicing shooting from the stand. Ain't the same. Bend at your waist to shoot, not your arm.

 

[blackops]

Get that crossbow crap outa here. If you are unable to draw a bow, yeah take that route then.

How bout don't hunt from a treestand period. Sitting on your a** and waiting for a deer to walk by isn't really hunting in my book.

 

[Sunray]

"...Get that crossbow crap outa here..." What tool a hunter uses doesn't matter. Neither is the style of hunting.
"...isn't really hunting in my book..." Your book isn't the only book. Still hunting is just one method. We're all in this together. The people who want hunting to end don't care how it's done.