Need Bow Hunting Advice

[locnload]

OK, heres he deal, I'm 60 years old, and I used to hunt whitetail in Wisconsin. I was in my teens and twenties last time I was serious about archery and my last bow was a 50# Bear recurve. To say the least the equipment has advanced a great deal since then. I live in Colorado now and the terrain here is a world away from the swamps, jackpine forest, and small farms of Northern WI. Also, the larger Mule deer and elk are as they say, "a whole nother animal" than the average whitetail. Getting within 30 or 40 yards of a critter here is much more difficult than it is when your in a tree stand overlooking an interstate deertrail heading to a cornfield.

I'd like to start bowhunting again, the weather is better, and the terrain more accessable during archery seasons. My wife likes to hang out at the RV while I'm hunting so it makes my hunting vacations much more tollerable to her(if Mamas not happy, nobodys happy).

All things considered, I need to upgrade to modern equipment capable of longer effective and accurate shots, and I dont know where to begin. Without walking into an archery shop and having the salesman's eyes turn into dollar signs when I give them my story, how do I get started in the right direction without breaking the bank, and what are the brand names that are good, and the ones to stear clear of?

 

[hardluk1]

With hunting season winding down this and last years bows will be comeing up for sale and great buys can be found. BUT I think you should still go buy a local pro bow shop . Not a big muti purpose shop. Not a firearm/bow shop. One that the local archery guys use. Pick one out like rocky mountain archery to visit and atleast tell them what your looking to do and have them help you get squared away with pull lenght, poundage and even rent a bow if they have a indoor range just to see how thangs work out. Then go from there to deside if and how much to spend. Some times a very good shop will work with you knowing you will come back. You may find a local /regenal shop cam help you with a deal also.

With out some local guys to work with you just to find some of the basics it can be hard not to get something wrong. Modern compounds are easy to fine tune at home once you get in the basic weight and know what your pull length is. My son in law is completely hunting stupid. Never shoot a bow and only plinked with firearms and with in 20 minutes is hitting the center at 30 yards with my old person compound. Funny how easy they are to be proficient with. We have a local pro shop here tht will help a newbe get started with bows and work some crazy deal to do it. It will pay down the road if know other local help steps up.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

PM sent

 

[dwrowell]

Hunter's Friend

I agree that a local pro shop can give you the best service, but you might want to check out www.HuntersFriend.com. It's loaded with information about bows and arrows, etc.

 

[WayBeau]

I agree that a local pro shop can give you the best service, but you might want to check out www.HuntersFriend.com. It's loaded with information about bows and arrows, etc.

I would only add that you should go to a local shop so that you'll be certain of your proper draw length and what poundage you might want your bow set at. Hunter's Friend has always had some pretty good deals on packages that come "bore sighted", to put it in rifle terms. That being said, you'll want to know what you're looking for first. While they are very helpful, it makes the process MUCH easier if you have a good platform to jump off of, i.e. draw length/weight, type of bow you want, etc.

You really can't go wrong with any of the major manufacturers these days. There's no reason to drop thousands of $ on equipment. The best thing to do is to find a local shop that will allow you to handle several different brands/types so that you can find what you like best. For example, a dual cam bow may draw much different than a single, or cam-and-a-half will. If you go to a shop and they won't let you handle as many bows as you want, walk out and don't go back unless you're getting something that doesn't require them to help you. Any GOOD archery shop will be more than happy to let you try as many as it takes to find what's right for you.

Good luck.

 

[jbkebert]

A good local pro-shop is the way to go. Get fitted and go from there. Theres a ton of bows on the market from crazy expensive to pretty reasonable. I would be prepared to spend at least 400 for a bow with a basic set of sights and rest. After that a quiver and arrows and were in business. Then a release, broadheads ect all in all your looking at $550 for a quality setup and up from there.

Walmart, Dicks, and other stores have archery equipment but that is not the place to get into bowhunting. Do not buy arrows out of some big box that has been handled buy lord knows who. A properly fitted setup is a joy to shoot while some stuff thrown together with a looks good attitude will result in more frustration than its worth. You will begin to hate it and wish you spent a little more.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[sage5907]

Locnload, if you go with a compound bow you will spend a ton of money getting a good set-up. If you buy a compound I suggest a Mathews because they don't have a lot of problems. I used to shoot a Mathews Legacy and it was a great bow. With a compound the list of accessories and gadgets is endless and if something goes wrong you almost always have to take the bow to an archery shop to get it fixed. I am 68 years old and also shot a 50# Bear when I was young. Today I shoot a 45# Martin Dreamcatcher recurve and love every minute of it. You need to do a google search for stickbow. It's a traditional bow hunting website like thehighroad. Ask more question if you need more information. BW

 

[Alleph]

Well we are very close on age although I have a few up on you , LOL
I also shoot a Red wing recurve #50 , the bow is from 1964 I taken many deers with it , but my eye sight is getting bad with the diabetes and all , I tried one of those modern compound bows and boy I can't see anything through the peep site so that is something you need to go and try out and see if you have the eyes for it, 2 States have given me dissability Status so now I can buy a Crossbow and hunt during the archery season.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Alleph, there is a great device out there for compounds now for us older folks that just can't see like they want to through a peep sight. http://www.perrysnopeep.com/index.htm

It works VERY well. I recently installed it on one of my BowTechs. My knees wouldn't allow me to get out and hunt with it in the woods this year, but I did practice quite a bit with it and actually found it to be highly accurate and pretty dern easy to get used to. Works kind of like a rifle sight. Single pin in the rear that you align with your forward pins. I use a kisser button and put my thumb at the same spot on the lower part of my scull for repetitive form. Once you get your form down pat, this device works damn near flawlessly.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

Every year bow shops get in the new models for the year and have left over bows from last year. Go into the shop and tell the owner how much you have to spend and what he recomends in that price range and let him know you wouldnt be apposed to a last years model.