RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I've had deer &quot;retire&quot; plenty of arrows before. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

The first deer I took broke the arrow, but I would have retired it anyway. I used her hooves to make two bow racks, one of which holds the bow I used, and the mended arrow.

I did, however, &quot;retired&quot; the one I shot my 10-pointer with this year. I cleaned the blood off, even from the feathers, and it hangs on the antlers. The arrow's in perfect shape, except for the slightly messed up feathers.

(Tip: a spin tested and a blow dryer will fix wet feathers great)

I retired one practice arrow this past summer. It was the cedar arrow I used to hit a $50.00 bill folded in half with a home-made bamboo-backed osage longbow at the Compton shoot, from 100+ yards away. (lucky shot to say the least)

I did have a favorite arrow last year that I used to put four deer in the freezer. It's still in good shape and hangs in my bowrack, but is overspined for the lower-weight limbs I'm using this year.

JRW

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I do end up with a favorite arrow during my practice. I do not retire the arrow until something happens to it.

That being said if I shoot the next world record buck you will be able to reconize me holding my arrow beside the beaman representative with the big contract.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot; Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad&quot;

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I retire the arrow. Each has a special memory and sometimes when I'm dinking around in my shop I stop and take a look at them and remember the hunt.

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I wash it and use it again.

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I used to save them all--with blood on them. Now--if they're straight--I wash them, put in new blades and spin test them before placing them back in my quiver. One of my arrows already has 2 kills this year.

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

When hunting in West Virginia, we have a tradition, started about 18 years ago when there was just two of us, of saving the arrows from deer we've killed and putting the arrow(s), blood and broadheads included, in the antlers of a nice rack that was hanging on the wall from many, many years gone by.

We now use a 9 pt buck that my good friend, Jim, killed about 12 years ago. Its antlers are starting to overflow, though. So we will have to put arrows in the old rack again at some point in the not too distant future.

Bill

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Praise the Lord, He is worthy

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

killed three deer this year with the same arrow, changed broadheads

THWACK!

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I recycle arrows, just change blades in the broadhead, after checking and making sure things are still straight. Only ones that get retired are the ones that the deer break/bend.

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

I retire them if they're damaged and I do clean them up. However the 8 pointer I shot this year broke my arrow into three pieces. For some reason its still out in the woods. I need to go back and pick that one up. What was I thinking!

If undamaged they are cleaned up and used again.

RE: Do you retire your arrow after a kill ?
 

So far my belief is to clean them up and use them again if they're not damaged. I have to admit though if I ever shoot a monster I will retire the arrow.

Dog....I grew up shooting instinctive. When you do that, you definitely get favorite arrows, not to mention favorite gloves, hats, jackets..ect. you might even call it superstition<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>