RE: Couple O' Questions
Your 38# bow may be able to cleanly take a deer but may be below many state's legal limit of 40#.
Vanes will throw your accuracy off since they do not have the give of feathers as they clear the shelf. I have been shooting recurves and longbows for only 3 years and am finally now getting really confident in my accuracy from about 30 yds on in. But every now and then I have one of those days when I can't hit the broad side of a barn. I was getting so frustrated just a few months ago that I almost switched to compounds. I needed to go back and reassess my whole shot process and really focus on the basics. Now things are going great. You always hear that the first shot is the only shot that really counts. Some days I go out, have a perfect shot and call it quits for that session. Other days I will take shot after shot working on form until the muscles start to fatigue. It's all about practice, patience, and persistance.
The best resources I've found to help improve have been the wealth of knowledge available on this message board, and "Become the Arrow" by Byron Ferguson. Now my next is to join the local archery club.