monoped

A archery pro shop could save alot of working out "bugs"for you. Getting an idea of what bow fits you and your technique,(shooting with fingers or a release for example )a reputable shop is interested in helping the sport,of course sales help but even if you don,t buy a bow you may return for other items or service over time. Them watching you shoot can avoid bad form/habits too.
I hope to bow hunt again next year,same bow i bought in 81! Same 20 yard limit and quartering away shots or straight down.
Un harried deer interesting to watch and hunt. Shooting a bow takes focus enough to actually be a relaxing break from every thing even in back yard. Good luck should you try it.

iamyourhuckleberry

I guess you need to ask yourself, "What is the pinnacle of hunting for me?" Is it the same court, same game, same outcome...? I would find the "same"...same experience, same mountain, same folks running through my hunt, etc...extremely boring. That's just me.

With the utmost respect for wildlife, I believe hunting should abound with challenge and lack guarantees. For me, that feeling is enhanced as a bowhunter. It puts me and my prey on a more level playing feild. It's a sense of control I enjoy. Moreover, the longer seasons allow me more time to engage. For me, it's just a matter of time...

With that said, it seems to me you are looking for more control in your endeavors. If this is the case, then why are you hesitant to take on risk? If you race and never crash, are you really racing?

Bob H in NH

To buy your first bow you really need to have someone with you who knows about bows, or a trusted shop. Assuming you don't know much about them.

Bows have to "fit" you. If it doesn't you will never shoot it well. Some shops are GREAT, some are terrible.

Buying used online is a great way to find deals, however you have to know what you are doing to make sure the bow will fit you or can be adjusted to fit you.

I'd say talk to a good shop in your area. Be honest, tell them you want a good/used bow, but will buy all the accessories from them. They should help you.

Terasec

cant recall specifics
but think a fairly recent one was i believe in MI,
where they banned(or were trying to) on a certain forest,
and promoted bowhunting over gun hunting
the opposition claimed the noise from firearms took aways from the peace and tranquality for for non hunting visitors, hikers/day trippers, etc..

other more common issues is where they shorten gun seasons to accomodate other seasons, such as bow.

i am not bashing bow hunting
i bow hunt and love it.
just when you are given the oppurtunity to bow hunt from the state
just be wary your gun rights arent being diminished by it

SmokinSD.243

Thats a good statement, bow hunting I believe bring challenges to the HUNT. You have to be more stealthy rather in gun hunting you got some distance to shot from. Not saying thats always the case. You do get close shots with rifle. If your a person who likes to take on challenges and try new things do some bow hunting. Plus you wont have to deal with the cold. Also you get to hunt in rut!! best feeling ever.

timmyzimmy

The last couple of years my dad and I have grown fond of our new little saying,

"Deer hunting isn't about the deer....."

This is even more true for us during bow. To me gun hunting is a science; bowhunting is an art. The forest is alive when the season begins in Sept. There's is always something to take in. But as stated earlier, its different for everyone. If your really not sure, hunt with a camera the first year. The whole experience for me has now evolved to the point where, just being out there and sharing it with people is accomplishing my main goal. Everything after that is just gravy.....

Damon

Okay, I will say this the best I can...I gun hunted for over 20 years, small game to large game, I have many a story to share while doing so. While I did this, I never thought of the "explosion" that it took to drop the game, i thought of the placement it was going to take, to take the game home to put meat on the table. Although there are shots that a Bowhunter wouldnt (shouldnt) take that a person with a gun may, it doesnt make one more ethical than the other. I gave up gun hunting long ago, if you ask me why, usually my respnose is "anyone can shoot a deer from 300 yds out", and I firmly believe that, I done it. Everyone has posted reasons why and I agree with most all, so I am not going to debate them. When I read "shot" "explosion" etc, I am reading that you, sir, dont belong in bowhunting. You are looking for a different avenue in which you can have a more successful season, thats not the life of a bowhunter, we go several seasons, at times, without a kill, which in the end substansiates the love we have for what we do.So, in the end, you have to ask yourself...."why do I love deerhunting?" not," how many deer can I kill?" or "is bowhunting something I should consider?" When you take up a Bow you are all in, here is no in between, thats we we love about it!

7.62NATO

Damon: You, "sir", obviously lack reading and comprehension skills. But of course I expect such a response from an archery snot. And I don't categorize a bowhunter who will only hunt with a bow and can't imagine hunting any other way like that, just people like you respond to with your nose in the air and your head up your butt (not sure how that's possible, but you managed it) to someone who is interested in bowhunting.

The first thing I think about as a responsible gun hunter, with regard to my weapon and its use, is, "What is the most accurate bullet I can find for my particular weapon that has the best terminal performance on the game I will be hunting?" Whatever your reason for hunting is, the bottom line is that when that trigger is finally pulled, its going somewhere. I owe it to the game I am hunting to put that bullet right where it needs to go and have it perform as it should on that animal, every time. I do that even with squirrels, which is why I put that little .22LR right in the head, every time. I never said "explosion", and I'm not thinking about blowing deer up. Once the bullet selection has been made and the rifle zeroed where I want it, the only thing I think about once the crosshairs are on the deer is bullet placement. I have heard and read enough stories of lost deer due to poor bullet performance that, yeah, it's a consideration...and what it does to the animal is just the reality of thinking it all the way through.

"Anyone can shoot a deer from 300 yards out." Well, not anyone. But even if everyone could, is that why everyone who gun hunts does it? Am I gun hunting so that just in case I can't figure out where the deer are, I can just "explode one" (as you probably think I'm thinking) from 300 yards out? Or did you not know that people can impose limits on themselves? Maybe people can use the same instruments as others for different purposes in order to accomplish different goals. If you read my post, the last four deer I have killed have all been in bow range. Do you think I haven't seen more deer than those four within gun range? If so, you'd be wrong.

And, again, if you had actually read my post, you would understand that what I love about deer hunting is ruined by many of the tactics that are employed during the general firearms season. The man drives with all their hooting and hollering, trying to get the deer up. The dogs running and barking and disrupting the peace of the woods, running through that spot you worked so hard to find and so hard to get to undetected. The standers moseying in well after day break without any stealth whatsoever.

Your presumptions are all wrong.

And if I decided to take up the spear and loin cloth, would I then be "more" "all in" than you??

7.62NATO

To everyone else, your responses have been helpful and thought provoking. I think the thing to do is to go to an archery shop and have them help me find what I need, get the bow and just start practicing. I am certain that I will love shooting the bow to the point of obsession. If I love something, I tend to immerse myself in it.

While it is true that you always have the option not to let the arrow fly, my biggest concern is the imperfect shot when it comes time to let one go. I guess I will find out in the moment whether or not I am willing to take that chance.

sdhunter11

Best of luck to you NATO, I hope that you will enjoy this branch of deer hunting as much as alot of us do. Another aspect that might help you is this, Bowhunting up here in the dakotas has led to more opportunities on private land, Landowners around here Are not as worried about bowhunters as far as "driving all over the land" and seem to be more comfortable about letting you close to the cattle. I dont know if it is like this where you are from but just something to think about.