I have a couple of criteria for a hunting bow, and they are fairly flexible:

1) Smooth on the draw.... the better bow for me will be smooth as silk with a generous valley and high let off.

2) QUIET!!!

3) I don't pay retail for anything... so whichever company I am courting is going to have to offer me a smokin' deal on the bow I want for me to upgrade.... for me that company has been Mathews as of late, and I've been very satisfied. I shoot a Hoyt target bow that I got used and rebuilt from the riser out.

4) Needs to be fairly simple and easy to work on. I don't like to mess with stuff much.... I don't like a bow that goes funky as soon as it starts to get right.

5) The grip has to be comfortable, yet I need to be able to be consistant with it.

For the last two years... that bow has been a Mathews Drenalin. I like the new Z7 (a lot) and the Carbon Matrix from Hoyt... but me and that Drenalin get along great and I'm going to keep on with it!