Ideally, I wish nobody bowhunted, and I was the only one.....a step further, I wish I was the only hunter, period...no competition, less folks in the woods, and less experianced deer.

Since that' s never going to happen, thank god....the more the merrier. The more folks in the stores buying " stuff" the more money into out " field of interst" ...the more new gadgets, the more research into new products... Most of those " last minute guys" .....will only hunt a few times....a smaller percentage, will have an experiance that causes them to dig into our sport and learn....yep, some will wound deer...most folks that hunt with a pointed stick, have wounded a deer....but most that stick with it, will probably learn something from that wounded deer.....then you' ve got somebody that has learned something first hand....to pass that along ..... I don' t want anybody to wound a deer because of a stupid mistake....but we aren' t playing golf....a mistake in our sport doesn' t result in a lost ball. I' ll bet our native americans wounded a few deer...except, they had to get good at it or starve, those folks out there buying last minute equipment....can walk away if they stink, get bored or have a bad outing.

But......I wish most of the folks out there took it a seriously as most of the folks here on this website....

Matt,

Althought, I too share most everyone' s frustrations in regards to people who buy a bow a day or two before the season, I think a lot of folks are heading in the wrong direction to your post!

Let' s all turn back the clock a little - I remember when I bought my first bow. Granted I was 13 and didn' t have a clue, let alone a place to shoot at a deer with it, but I would have jumped out of my shoes at a chance for someone (neighbor, relative, anyone) to invite me over and give me some pointers. You don' t have to rag on the guy, just ask him if he would like some advice after he sends a few over the target. My guess is he will very receptive to your input and be very appreciative.

You never know, this guy could have or his family could have a gold mine, piece of property stuck back somewhere that no one has ever hunted and the guy might return the favor by asking you to help him scout and hunt the area (stranger things have happened!!!).

IMO the more newbie bowhunters WE help the better off ALL of us are going to be. I help guys all the time when I shoot at my local archery shop' s indoor range. Usually, you don' t have to initiate the conversation - they will, after they see you slam 6 bulls in a row!!

I had to register just for this message I' m usually checking out information. However I can buy any bow with a resonable speed and be shooting groups tighter than bisquit at thirty yards in less than a few hours. But it doesn' t mean I' m ready to go bowhunting. A person has to become one with his bow. Know it inside and out, be comfortable with it. But a person who buys a bow a few days in advance can usually get the bow tuned and ready before he hunts. In fact my new bow bought about a month ago is a High Country Carbon 4 runner extreme and I have never shot as good with any bow as I do with this one. In one months time frame I can at thirty yards put a 6 shot group less than a 50 cent piece. However because my arrows are in excess of 10 dollars a piece I tend to only shoot three shot groups and hope I don' t destroy a previously shot arrow.

Don' t knock the guy' s buying new equipment it could be better for the deer. Older outdated equipment upgraded with something new could make a person shoot better. However for those new to archery that are buying weeks or even days in advance is a huge mistake.

Good Luck to you all.

I do believe there are people on this board who can purchase a bow and be ready to hunt with it in a few days. But, I do not believe the majority of the last minute shoppers have the skill, understanding or desire do what it takes to be ready. This includes, but not limited to: Sighting in the bow, tuning the bow, making sure the broadheads fly right, and hit the right spot, shooting with hunting clothes on, mask on, gloves on, from an elevated position, at unknown distances......you see what I mean. Thats alot to get perfected in a day or two. Hitting paper plates is one thing, but as all you guys know, things change when its a living animal.

In case you are wondering I dont think Im one of the people who could be ready. With my current rig it took me a month before I felt comfortable shooting an animal, and Ive been shooting for 20+ years.

I agree with Dalejb, excellent point. I was there once also. Bought my first bow at 14 from a gun store, bought 6 of the cheapest arrows I could find, they were not all the same spine, and went to shooting. I would have loved to have had some help, single parent family and I knew no bowhunters. Bowhunter magazine and I figured it out. I was one of these morons we all love to bash, I didn' t know any better and I didn' t have anyone to show me. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Its not the guys buying bow that scare me, it' s the ding-dongs that go to a store the night before season opens to get new broaheads that they have never tried before, and plan on screwing them in that night to hunt the next morning. Been there, seen that, don' t want to be near those types.

I hunt with a couple guys like this...well...sorta. Every year theey seem to be able to out together a good group from the ground, but when its time to hunt, we ALWAYS either never get their derr or find it the next day with a terrible shot in it. These two are the only ones we have a problem with, every one else practices all year and fine tunes their bows from a treestand. It drives me crazy, they just don' t seem to care. Well, I' m going up tonight so I' m sure tomarrow I' ll be tracking their deer all nite!!

I would just give the guy a friendly invite to come over and shoot, just make sure there' s nothing of value near or around the target until you get him on the right track. I heard the guy at the local bow shop say that his biggest day in sales is the day before opening day of archery season. He said these guys come in and buy a total package go out and shoot for a little while and hit the target at 20yds and are in a tree at first light hunting. Then they spend the next several days searching for the deer they wounded It' s sad but it happens. Whats the guy at the shop suppose to do he' s in the business to sell archery equipment and he does. I guess he could offer lessons and i' m sure he probably has but his time is money and most folks wouldn' t pay to learn how to shoot, besides how hard could it be they do it everyday on the outdoor channel and videos and it looks easy enough, right? NOT! I even hear guys saying they can' t go hunting today so they' re gonna let john doe borrow their bow even though it' s not set up for them and they' ve never shot it. It makes me mad but i try to keep my mouth shut. Maybe we need more hunter education, i don' t know.
I can recall when i first became interested in archery about 22years ago, i didn' t know anything or have anyone to help. After about 3 years and lots of missed opportunties i learned what i needed was lots of practice and learning what my equipment would do and to face the fact that when bowhunting you have to set limitations. Fortunately i can say that during that time i never wounded a deer because all my shots were just plain misses. I' m surely no expert and i' m not a bow technician because i learn something new everyday but i try and help anyone the best i can that wants my help in archery. I also learned that not everyone wants your help because they already know everything there is to know so for those i just leave them be.
I don' t claim to be a great or perfect hunter and i' ve lost deer before and will again i' m sure as long as i continue to hunt, but rest assured it won' t be because i picked up a bow the day before the season and went and got in a tree. Sometimes things just don' t work out and there' s nothing worse for me than to wound an animal and not recover it but it happens to the best and thats a fact.
I don' t know about everyone else but when i take an animals life it leaves sort of a sad feeling inside and if it didn' t i would quit hunting. I think we owe it to the game we seek to harvest that animal in the most humane and quickest way possible. Just my thoughts!

I am considering myself one of these yahoos at the moment. I have been shooting my bow for months and months, practicing daily in every way i can, but when it came down to it this morning there was nothing between me and a big doe except lack of preperation or lack of experience, im not sure. I misjudged the distance and missed. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!! was perfect except my shot placement. luckly i missed badly enough i didnt hit the deer at all. maybe im being to hard on myself but between 6:30 and 7:30 AM today my confidence level fell like an idiot in a broken deer stand. I am going to sacrafice a lot of hunting time this weekend tho and practice some more. And i have to find a way to mark my distances in the feild. Ive never had much trouple judging the distance but i guess the fever took over me today [:' (] moral of the story, if there is one, you cant be prepared enough.

What could be worse than a person picking up a bow a couple of days before opening day without practicing. Someone picking up a rifle for the first time and going out for the opening day of gun season. On public land. Scary.