Went archery hunting for the first time today

[pat86323]

I got up a little too early this morning (probably just excited) and headed out to the little clearing i had picked to sit on to try to sting a muley. Just as the sun was coming up i had 5 does walk right up on me and eat on some brush. They left and for the rest of the morning i saw some deer and elk pass through. I did see one little forkhorn buck but he was a bit on the "long range" side so i let him go. I have to work tonight so i took off for the truck at about 12-1230 and heard something just off behind some oak brush. I crept around the side of it hoping to find a deer standing over there. Instead i found an old mangy coyote digging in the snow. I decided that i needed to break my bow in on a critter so i shot him at about 30 yards. I always knew that arrows were deadly but this poor old dog looked like he had been hit with a cannon, this thing left the nastiest looking exit wound i have ever seen and he only went about 50 feet before he collapsed and that was the end of him. I have the next two days off so i think ill be heading back into that spot trying to find a hooved critter to shoot at. I think the afternoon might be the key when the ice thaws around the rim of this little tank.

 

[hardluk1]

Congrates , My first two bow kills were also or coyotes. First one yelpted at being hit and second stopped to smell where the first was standing when shot and did not make a sound ,just hauled a** for about 50yards. Died side by side. If you can walk up on a coyote you will get a nice deer, Them darn otys are jumpier than anything except maybe a turkey.

 

[millertyme]

I admire anyone in AZ who tries to hunt deer with a bow. It's not like it is back east where deer are everywhere and the season makes calling more advantageous or like the early elk hunts here int he state where big bulls come looking to fight at even the poorest bugles. My bro-in-law is looking to get a deer tag in 23 or 24 this year to try out his new bow that he hopes my sister will let him get. Good luck to you and hopefully things worked out better today or during the rest of your hunt.

 

[Reyn]

A good hit with a broadhead will put them down fast. Here is the entrance of a 2 blade Rage which i use. This deer went 12yds.

 

[pat86323]

well i went out for two full days and this morning. I saw a total of 8 bucks. Most of them saw me well before i could try to do anything about it. This morning though i saw a huge herd of deer at about 550 yards and decided to try to get a stalk on them. I got within about 100 and they were moving toward me so i stayed put. The first group was 4 bucks, a forkhorn two 3 points and a pretty nice 4pt. The rest were a ton of does with a buck of a lifetime a 5x6 with a huge spread. The smaller bucks kept trying to get to the does and the big boy would chase them off. Got the smaller ones in range and looking back i should have shot the 4pt. The big guy was about 60 yards and closing in on me when one of his does snorted and all of them went away in a hurry never to be seen again. Still an awesome morning though.

 

[flipajig]

stay with it.. it sounds like your doing things right. Theres nothing like hunting with a bow except maybe a pistol..

 

[pat86323]

im completely hooked. Rut deer are cool to hunt. They are way more concerned with eachother then anything else. I think if i would have waited to draw i might have got a shot on the big one. But it is HARD to beat about 20 pairs of muley eyes ears and nostrils.

 

[rusty bubbles]

Hats off to you sports-- like someone said -- it's "Hunting the Hard Way!"

 

[SteveCase]

You'll never has as much fun hunting any other way now that youve started bow hunting

 

[Speedo66]

How did the coyote taste?

 

[pat86323]

i have never had any desire to ever eat a coyote, i didnt even skin this one as he was nasty, fur falling out and busted up teeth. I think he was on his way out and wouldnt have survived the winter anyway.

 

[nastynatesfish]

amen to the anyone who bowhunts az comment. i live in southern az and its a task to do any stalks, i have pins on my from 20 to 100 yrds and its still hard to get into range. most people i know who do any good on a regular basis bait but wont admit to it.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

You'll never has as much fun hunting any other way now that youve started bow hunting

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Yes, this...

 

[Todd1700]

I always knew that arrows were deadly but this poor old dog looked like he had been hit with a cannon, this thing left the nastiest looking exit wound i have ever seen and he only went about 50 feet before he collapsed and that was the end of him.

I have shown some bow killed deer to some friends that do not bowhunt before and had them refuse to believe that the hole in them was made by an arrow.

I shot a big boar hog from a tree stand one year with a 100gr three blade muzzy broadhead. My arrow went through the thick shield (that big hogs have) over his left ribcage, came out under his right shoulder pocket, struck his leg bone breaking it, and passed on into the ground. Not sure a bullet would have done as well.

Killing your first few animals with a bow will definately amp up your respect for the weapon.

You'll never has as much fun hunting any other way now that youve started bow hunting

Yep. Get good at bowhunting and rifle hunting will seem so easy you will feel like you're doing something illegal. LOL~!

 

[pat86323]

oh just from a couple stalks ive put on deer since that morning i already see how when i develop my archery skills getting within 7mag range will be cakewalk.

 

[blackops]

What kind of broadheads are you using? Grain? Bow? Muleys are my favorite. For the majority their racks are just massive. They always seem to have a wider spread and a substancial height difference over blacktails and whitetails.

 

[pat86323]

the bow is a "bear lights out" shooting 100 grain slick tricks on nice carbon arrows cant remember the brand maybe "carbon express" the shafts are called terminators though.

 

[schlockinz]

Hunting with a bow is beyond addictive, crack might be the only thing that comes close on the addiction scale.

Have fun with the bow, sounds like you're doing it right, and besides, its more fun to stalk them, especially if you've got the terrain to do it.

 

[blackops]

100 grain slick tricks

Excellent choice. Slicks are nasty. I like 100 grainers just because in my experience they just seem to fligh truer.

The terminators are quality as well. They have a built in weight forward type technology that is supposively more forgiving especially effective to longer range shots (60yds or so).

Bowhunting is the ultimate. It doesn't take a hunter to shoot a rifle 200yds and kill an animal, but it does take one to acquire bloody fletchings. Many don't believe in Scentlok and I've already been through that discussion, but when I have a bow the Scentlok comes out and camo paint goes on. That said I don't have the luxery of being able to hunt in a treestand. In my terrain it's spot and stock.