Looking to get into bow hunting this fall so I dont have to wait until rifle season but I have one dilemma. I have limited time and locations to hunt. If I dont have the several hours to wait then track a deer after the shot, then why should i bother in the first place? Most likely i'd be hunting public lands so i wouldnt be able to leave and come back. What do you guys think? I am eager to get started.

At least you're honest with yourself.

While we'd love to have ya......bowhunting brings with it certain responsibilities (as does gun hunting). Weigh them,carefully......then make a decision.

Good luck.

Welcome to the forums!

Hopefully, you would make a double-lung shot and just have a 30 minute or so wait on your hands. If not, why not leave it over night? Theres always the chance that someone/somethingmight steal your deer but its better to wait for the deer to die rather than pushingit farther and never give yourself a chance to find it.

Good luck

Welcome to the forum. I agree with GMMAT make the right decision...

one thing to think about is how much time do you have to become consistent with a bow? A bow is not like a rifle.

i would definitely do alot of practicing in my back yard before going out and would not take a shot that i didnt think would kill the deer.

1. You should never shoot one that you do not have the available time to recover.
2. Why couldn't you come back to public land? That is the beauty of public land, you can come and go as you please.

find some bowhunters in your area

I agree with huntingson's response. If you can't dedicate the time to make a maximum effort to recover any animal, you probably should stay at home. I always welcome new bowhunters because I love the sport, but there are things to consider with archery that are different than gun hunting. First off, it is not as easy to become proficient with a bow as it is with a scope sighted rifle. Secondly, you don't get the shock with an arrow that you get from a bullet. In any event, you need to allow any animal shot with gun or bow, that does not drop dead in front of you, the time required to bleed out. Any wounded big game animal that is pushed and gets the adrenalin flowing can be virtually unrecoverable. I would suggest you do some real soul searching and get your priorities in order before you hunt anything.

IF YOU DO NOT FEEL YOU CAN PUT 100% INTO IT THEN YOU SHOULD WAIT UNTILL YOU CAN. I HOPE YOU DO TAKE UP BOW HUNTING ITS THE GREATEST!! GOOD LUCK!!!!