Need Advice

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lpsharp88

lpsharp88

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Jul 1, 2012
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998
Location
Berea, KY
I want to get a bow to deer hunt with, but don't really know where to start. According to Ohio law, a longbow or bow (compound and recurve) has to have a minimum draw weight of 40 pounds, and a crossbow has to have a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds. What would be a couple options to explore that won't break the bank?
Also, I go to school in KY, and need to get a hunters education course knocked out (used an apprentice permit in the past). Can I take a hunters education course here in KY and get my Ohio license? Or does the course have to be taken in Ohio? I looked on the Ohio DNR website and it didn't say specifically.
Thanks!
 
Dunno about the Ohio vs Ky safety course so I won't try to answer that one.

As for the bow, I recommend you find a local archery shop and have them work with you. Don't fall prey to buying a $600+ bow right out of the shoot because you never know if you will like archery or not. First thing you need to do is identify your dominant eye. I say this because I'm left eye dominant, right handed so I had to learn how to shoot a bow left handed. Since your a shooter, I'm sure you understand the whole dominant eye and aim issue.

A good archery shop will show you the basic mechanics of archery, measure your draw length which is important to know, and how much you can handle pulling back. Some get caught up on pulling back 75 lbs but with today's arrow technology, 60 lb draw is the max I ever go. Try and draw a 75 lb bow back in 15 degree weather vs a warm sunny day and you'll understand why I'm saying that.

The bow is only half the battle. Proper bow set up is key to a tight group out to 30 - 40 yards. If you don't properly tune a bow, the arrow will fly bad with a broadhead and you'll be frustrated by the results. Paper tuning is a very good way to see how your arrow is flying. Read up on how to set up a bow and how to make adjustments.

Archery is a bit harder to set up and learn than shooting a rifle, as I'm sure your aware. Take your time, buy the right equipment and utilize your local archery shop (if possible) to learn. It is a great way to hunt and very satisfying when you take your first animal with a bow. Enjoy.
 
Can I take a hunters education course here in KY and get my Ohio license?
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I doubt it, but...
Once you get your KY license, OH will accept that as enough experience to purchase one.
 
To the best of my knowledge all states recognize other states hunter safety certification. It is just like a drivers license. All states must cover most of the same basic stuff. I teach HE here in Gerogia and we are required to teach some wilderness survival sections that don't really apply here. But for the Western states to accept out certification they must be taught.

Find an archery pro shop. It will cost you a little more, but they can set you up. Archery can be far more complex than rifle hunting. There are literally dozens of arrow types that must be matched to the bow you choose. Not to mention arrow rests, sights, fletching etc.

Giving much meaningful advice over the internet is hard to do with such a complex issue.
 
My big game is done exclusively (except hogs....sometimes) with a bow. There is so much that goes into purchasing a bow that it would take way to long to explain it all. You said "won't break the bank". That doesn't give me any idea of how big the bank is. Some banks hold more money than others. But I can promise you that you don't need a $1000+ set up to kill deer. RTH (Ready To Hunt) packages around the $450-$500 mark will certainly get the job done just fine. I also don't let friends buy bows off of Craigslist or other places unless I go with them to inspect the bows before purchase.

Remember new bows come with warranties. Used bows don't. So be careful of that.

Feel free to PM me if you want. I'm biased towards the things I use. But there's reasons I use them and not one of those reasons is because of manufacturer preference or because it's the latest and greatest. I use what works best for the money I have.
 
I also don't let friends buy bows off of Craigslist or other places unless I go with them to inspect the bows before purchase.
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Good point. A compound bow has to fit just right. Fit is far more important w/ bows than it is with a firearm.
 
The fit of a bow is crucial to accuracy. Too short or too long of a draw length can be dangerous. Luckily most bows are adjustable. Matthews is the only company that I can think of off hand that makes draw specific cams. And new cams to adjust draw length are around $100. My main purpose for inspecting a bow other than fit is damage. Cracked limbs, excessive cam lean, bent or cracked cams, are all extremely dangerous. Anyone who's ever had a limb break during the draw cycle can attest to that.
 
Anyone who's ever had a limb break during the draw cycle can attest to that.
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I saw a bow at the AL state qual in the early 90's explode when fired. It was not a true 'dry fire', but the limbs exploded when fired (not on draw). Scary! That was when carbon and alum-carbon composites (ACC's) starting getting real popular in competitions. Lots of people w/ 1990 hunting bow tech made for shooting alum arrows, ~125gr tips at around 220fps just had to go light to hit the 3D speed limit. Things like that are why it's a good idea to seek out a good shop (or a experienced friend that you trust) to set up a compound bow.
 
It's pretty amazing how much energy is stored in a bow, even at rest. And it's multiplied exponentially when your'e in the draw cycle. Saw a guy at a pro shop draw a brand new bow without a release. The draw weight was way to high for him and he was straining to much and torquing the riser like crazy. Well guess what? He was about half way through the cycle and he finally put enough torque and the string cam off the cam, the cam cut the string causing a dry fire, the bow exploded scaring the hell out of everyone in the shop, and the string put about a 4" laceration on his right arm and a 3/4" laceration above his right eye. He was almost blinded for life because he was ignorant. So instead of being a shopper, I became a first aid renderer.

I cringe every time I see someone straining to draw a compound without a release. If at all possible I stop them and explain why I stopped them. Some thank me. Some are too macho and tell me "I got this". They'll get it alright one of these days.

******FYI to the OP and new archers: If you have to arch your back to draw a bow, the poundage is WAY to high. Just because your bow will draw to 70lbs or even higher, doesn't mean you have to or need to draw 70 lbs. I draw 62 lbs. and 28" of draw length and I shoot 292 fps rigged. The IBO on my bow is 320. Do a search on how they find the IBO. IT CANNOT BE DUPLICATED WHEN RIGGED FOR HUNTING. The actual speed of my bow at 70lbs and 28" draw length is 304 rigged out. So by shooting my comfortable weight that I can shoot 100+ arrows a day, I only lost 12fps.
 
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I am on the brink of getting into Archery as well. I have heard that the draw is compared to starting a lawn mower.

Funny enough, they say the same thing about disc golf. I have been playing disc golf for a few years now and have developed the muscles for it. I am starting to hope/wonder that it will benefit me when I step up to bow hunting.
 
Just found this out for you.....

"To Purchase a Hunting License


You must do one of the following:
■present a previously held hunting license, or

■ present evidence of having successfully completed a hunter education course (from any state), or

■ swear that you are 21 years of age or older and have previously held a legal hunting license (from any state). "

http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/hunting_licenses.aspx

Read it about half way down the page.

If you are looking for a good bow shop we need to know what city you are in not state:)

You could also ask about dealers over on AT thats all they live and breath.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=3

I guy I work with just got the Hoyt Charger package and let me shoot it and I thought it was a great bow for the money.
http://www.hoyt.com/compound_bows/details/charger
 
Thanks for the help! I am currently in Morehead, Kentucky and can't really think of any bow shops. The gun shop around here does guns and paintball, but can't remember seeing anything bow related. We have a Walmart and it probably has stuff (haven't looked in the past), there is a Shep's Sports World in Flemingsburg (half hour drive), but other than that I think Lexington would be my best bet.
 
You could also look online through the bow makers sights.....
Hoyt
http://www.hoyt.com/dealer_locator/

PSE
http://pse-archery.com/k/dealers/Dealer+Locator

When you find a dealer I would post over at AT and ask if anyone knows about them or were else you should look. You will find out fast a great bow tech is worth a one to two hour dive if need be. Wish I could help more but you are out in the sticks and I'm in WI:evil:
 
Brain,
This "brand" debate is going to go south really fast. Hoyt fans hate Matthews, Matthews fans hate Hoyt. PSE fans are typically speed freaks since that's what they (PSE) advertise the most. And I'm not sure how to describe Bow Tech fans. But everyone thinks their bow manufacturers are the best. The truth is everyone makes a good bow but some excell at different things and some don't. Some are REALLY expensive and some aren't. I know you said you hunt around Jay but I don't know where you live. My advice is if you are anywhere close to Bass Pro, go there and fondle their bows. They have a good selection of RTH packages. Buying a bow based on sight is, well, not a good idea. When I bought my bow I didn't buy it from BPS. And I didn't buy a brand of bow that they carried. But I shot probably 50 different bows from there. Some were really nice. Some weren't. So take a day or two and go. I would also recommend Bill's Sporting Goods in Claremore. That is where I actually bought my bow. And it's where I go when I need something done. They always take care of me. That's not a plug, it's honesty. Any questions, PM me.
 
Hoyt fans hate Matthews, Matthews fans hate Hoyt.
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I don't think so, at least with most folks that have hunted with & shot both.

Have hunted with both for years (Hoyt 25ish- Mathews 12), and really like both.

I've shot thousands of arrows through both brands,(lots of venison involved) and my favorite is:
Whatever works best for you.
 
Brain,
This "brand" debate is going to go south really fast.
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I don't think it will on this forum people seem very level headed here... heck I shoot Elite and never even brought them up. Then again they do break the bank;)

But your right that's why I said to look for a dealer on the Hoyt and PSE sights because odds are most dealers will carry three to four brands for him to try out. Then he can post on AT and see if the techs are worth a darn.
 
Have been shooting PSE bows for 28 years and haven't had one explode yet.......
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I've been shooting Darton, Martin, PSE, Mathews, ROSS, Hoyt, Elite, Force for the last 35 years and never had problems..... explode:confused:

Like I said don't make it a brand debate let him shoot them all and make his own call.... bow is like a dog it will let you know.
 
Sorry guys. Wasn't trying to leave all the other manufacturers out. Just went with the 4 biggest names in archery right now. No disrespect meant. My point was people tend to gravitate towards a brand because that's what they hear about. Or they hear that "Brand A,B,C" are terrible bows. But the truth is if a bow company makes a terrible bow, they aren't in business very long. So if a company isn't breaking out and has been in the market for more than 5-10 years they have done so for a reason. All brands have their benifits and all have drawbacks.
 
Sorry guys. Wasn't trying to leave all the other manufacturers out. Just went with the 4 biggest names in archery right now. No disrespect meant. My point was people tend to gravitate towards a brand because that's what they hear about. Or they hear that "Brand A,B,C" are terrible bows. But the truth is if a bow company makes a terrible bow, they aren't in business very long. So if a company isn't breaking out and has been in the market for more than 5-10 years they have done so for a reason. All brands have their benifits and all have drawbacks.
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So true and what feels good in the hand is what he should buy. With archery it's all about confidence in your equipment in the field not about what others have to say. You just have to plane believe in your gear.
 
I live in OKC. I will go to Bass Pro or H&H. I did get a crossbow last year, and fondled them. I ended up with a Parker just because it really felt good in my hands. I am very happy with it.

It can be intimidating to go into Bass Pro and ask for help coming from no experience. Especially if they are really busy. I have a tendency to way over analyze things and always do tons of research before I am ready to make a purchase.

I guess I was just really using the PSE bow as an example about trying to stay in the "workhorse" range of 400-500. I am certainly not brand myopic
 
What Carmmond said is very true. Bows like guns, have a tendency to choose their owners. Don't worry about the guys at Bass Pro. You don't even need them really. Just walk around. Pick up some bows. See how they feel in your hands. All grips are different. When you find one that feels good, go get a counterman and tell him you want to try it. Maybe none of them will feel right. It happens. If that's the case, on to the next shop. But I have a feeling you'll find one. I only chose Bass Pro for you because they have such a large selection of RTH package bows.

I don't know how tall/weight you are but remember that a really light bow isn't as good as some would claim. Weight=stability. Stability=accuracy.

This is my opinion and my opinion only about what you need to look for:
1. A bow that fits your hand. If its not comfortable in your hand you won't shoot it well.
2. A bow around 4 lbs +/- .3 lbs, Preferably +
3. A bow that has a smooth draw cycle.
4. A bow with a solid back wall. Not mushy on the end of the draw.
5. A bow that is quiet. Speed isn't the only factor.
6. A bow that has little to no hand shock. (When you shoot it doesn't feel like the bow is trying to jump out of your hands).
7. A bow around 300 fps IBO +/- 20 fps.
8. A bow that when you look at it, you're proud to own it.

But as stated above, you'll know when you've found "The One".
If you think you like it, don't buy it. You have to be sure you like it or you might not have confidence in it.
 
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