croc2116

I have always wondered why people would bowhunt instead of gun hunt! Thought gun hunting was easier. Now that I have been bowhunting for a year, I see why. Not only do you see more deer, its a higher quality encounter, you learn more about behavior, its more of a challenge, it gets my blood pumping, you see more animals in general and I enjoy being in woods more when bowhunting. For all bowhunters out there, thank you.

not the dogs

I wondered the same thing until last year. I still have alot to learn but I'm having a great time with it. I finally got my 1st one, a doe this year. There is truely nothing like it. I actually hate to see gun season come in now lol. It's amazing how many deer you see when no guns are going off or no dogs are chasing them.

croc2116

Congratulations on your first bow deer. I am still working on it, but it has been a great season. I am in Maine and there is only around 250,000 deer in the state, lol. I should have started bowhunting when I work in NC.

halfbakedi420

right on guys, i'd say keep at it, but we got you hook line and sinker now.
remember to keep practicing, dont just grab yer bow at the beginning of next season thinking everything is swell, and it worked out last year so i'll be ok.
put twice as much practice at it if you can.
hang in there croc, you learn from every stupid mistake...more to come too lol... range finder makes a world of difference...a 5 yard pin is the difference between an over or under shot vs a bulls-eye. hope your practicing in the clothes you'll be hunting in, surprises when a world record walk out will haunt you forever.
practicing with field points isnt the same as a bh...sometimes close, but never the same.
wish i could talk yall into a magnus snuffer fixed bh....i think it would save ya some heart ache later. 6 for $35...use 3 for practice, 3 for hunting...might never have to buy another pack..easy to sharpen...i shot 1 into a 6X6 cedar post to see what it would do and it barely bent it.
keep at it.
-haf-

sdhunter11

halfbaked is right, always use your mistakes as a learning experience and never lose your determination. A bowhunter much wiser that i once told me "a determined bowhunter is a sucessfull bowhunter."

not the dogs

Oh I definetly made alot of mistakes the first year and I'm sure I'll make several more. Your right on the broadheads and fieldpoints being a little different. Luckly I do practice with my bh too. I really learned alot on this forum that saved me from a headache. Still got alot to learn but I think that I'm a little better than last year. Gun hunting I never really paid attention to the deers behavior. That and practice seems like a big key to bow hunting. I may have to try them fixed bhs.

bookfire1238

Great thread,Thank you to all those who posted...., keep them coming : )

croc2116

I start practicing in march in the barn at work, because up here in Maine its still snowing until end of April sometimes. I love just shooting its great for the upper body and fun recreation. I tune and shoot with my broadheads starting in end of July/early august because are expanded archery season starts 2nd week of september. I also practice all possible scenarios ie.. treestand, blind twisted torso, back of treestand, moving quietly window to window in blind. My girlfriend thinks im crazy lol.

iamyourhuckleberry

I'd say, a determined and confident bowhunter is going to be "more"... dedicated, tired, emotional, purserving and a whole mess of discriptive adjectives which will eventually equate to "success". Never stop trying and learning! And never let anyone say you cannot do it with a bow! If you are determined and confident, then it is simply a matter of time! This bowhunting gig is a game of connect the dots. The more you experience, the more dots you gather. It becomes easier as you begin to add dots to your reservoir, or "bag of tricks". As Half said, practise and more practice is the first step-know your equipment. It should be an extention of your soul...be humble enough to know your limits.

Good hunting.

not the dogs

Yeah I won't draw my bow unless it's within 30 yrds. With my set up that's all I feel comfortable with. Maybe in the future with a different setup and more practice I may be able to reach out a little farther but for now 30 yrds is what I feel comfortable with. There is so much to learn. Guess that's why I love it so much. Everyone kelp telling me to get a crossbow but that just didn't appeal to me. I did shoot my cousins crossbow but I just wanted something more challeging and boy did I find it. There's nothing like waiting for that perfect moment to draw the bow. And when you do get to full draw and know that it's about to happen, now that's when you have to calm your nerves and and make it happen. Last year I did draw back but somehow the deer felt that something was wrong and decided to run about 10 yards away from me. He was sill only 20 yards out but I decided that since I had been in the draw position and my nerves were a little out of wack, not to take the shot. Not to mention he didn't seem to be as calm as I thought that he should've been. I don't regret making that decision because even if I'd let the arrow fly, there's no telling what would've happened. This year I felt comfortable with the shot I took and the deer never know what hit her. It's an unbelievable feeling.