Budbowhunter

As some of you may already know, I've been out bowhunting pretty hard this year. This is my second year of bowhunting and still haven't killed one. Last year I never got close enough to shoot. This year I did 3 times. First time, I had Buck Fever so bad I shot straight over his back at 10 yards from a ground blind! Second time, I shot a doe very high in the front shoulder. I searched for her for 3 days and never found her. Third time, I shot a 8 point buck at 30 yards and caught him in the hind quarter. Again, the next morning, my wife, stepson, and I went through the entire area with a fine toothed comb and found nothing. No blood trail, no arrow, no deer. 5 days later, I saw the same buck back on my property chasing a hot doe so I know he survived. I know it was him because I could see the wound on his haunch. So here's the problem. When I started bowhunting last year I knew absolutely nothing about the sport or equipment. I got an old used Bear compound bow from a friend and took it to the local sporting goods store. The guy there said it was a left handed bow. I said 'fantastic!' (I'm left handed) Well I couldn't shoot lefthanded because my left eyesight is too bad to see my target at 20 or 30 yards. The guy at the store move things around so I could shoot it right handed. I practiced with it for the entire hunting season last year and all through the spring and summer. I didn't even go play golf this year because I spent all of my time practicing. I got to where I could hit a gallon milk jug from 30 yards with no problem. So I think 'great! I'm ready for the season. Now the 2 deer I wound this year, the arrow just barely penetrates the broadhead into them on both shots. So I go back and tighten up the poundage until I can barely draw the bow and I'm not a little guy either. (6'0" 240 lbs) It's set for 75 lbs. I go back to the practice range I set up (3 hay bales with a cutout target of a deer showing all the vitals and kill shots) and mark off 20 yards. I take out all my pins except for 1, set at 20 yards. I couldn't even keep 3 shots in a row on the cutout. They went everywhere. The bowstring kept hanging up on the slide arm and throwing it off. This didn't happen when I had it set to a lighter poundage. Anyway, I've put the $%^& thing up. Totally disgusted and given up on it as a lost cause. What I need from the board is your opinions on what brand of bow would be a good starting bow for me. I have found a bowhunting club about 30 miles from me and I'm going to go there and let them set up my new one. I'm sorry this post is so long but since I don't have experienced bowhunters around here I can talk to about this I'm turning to the ESTEEMED panel of experts here. LOL Thanks guys.

atlasman

WOW.

Did I read that correctly?? You were shooting a left handed bow right handed?? If that is true don't ever go back to the guy that set that up for you for ANYTHING.

You did the right thing by hanging it up. Not only is your ability to hit a target compromised but when you do your penetration is not good at all. This could be from poor arrow flight, wrong broadheads, wrong arrows.........actually shooting a lefty bow backwards it could be from anything!!

There are many many quality bows out there from many different lines. They all have models in prices from $250 all the way up to $700. That is not important but just letting you know. What is important is that you find the one that fits you the best and feels right when you shoot it........then worry about if you can afford it. With the season's end rapidly approaching I would wait until next years models come out in Jan-Feb and then you will have the most to choose from.

Find a GOOD shop to set you up and teach you some stuff so you can practice CORRECTLY for about 9-10 months and next year you will be successful and the deer will much less likely get wounded.

Good luck and keep us posted.


For what it's worth I bought my first bow ever this year and to me it shoots like a dream and to the 6 pt buck I took it shoots like a nightmare <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

It is a fred bear TRX. Could I have gotten my buck with 50 other bows out there just like mine??? Sure.......but that is the bow that fits me like a glove. Go find yours.

Rack-attack

There are many new bows out there that would be leaps and bounds better than the one you where using. Make sure you buy a Lefty. Let the pro shop show you a bunch.

I understand you are new to this sport so I will offer some advise. I don't think hitting a 1/2 gallon milk jug at 30 yds is good enough to hunt at that range. You should be able to keep it inside a softball at 30 yds to attempt that shot at live game. Keep them short and close until you get some kills under your belt.

Good Luck.

Deleted User

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scow

I'd say you have some problems with tuning and shot placement. I too am a lefty and shot a righthand PSE for two years. I found that with a little practice I was grouping just fine (also leard that tight groups are expensive when you slice off fletching) Folks who are right handed didn't grow up having to adapt to the right handed world and sometimes think different is wrong. I now have a lefty Hoyt and think it shoots far batter when everything is on the correct side.

Get a NEW bow that FITS! Get it tuned by someone who takes pride in his work and then shoot it plenty. Take whatever measures it takes to reduce noise too. A deer can cover enough ground when he hears the arrow release to make a perfect shot hit the hindquarter.

Then study the layout of deer vitals. The 3-D targets you see at the store have the parts in the wrong place most of the time. A slight quartering away shot placed toward the rear of the ribcage will dispatch a deer quickly.

Just my thoughts