A little disgusted with bow hunting.
11-17-2003, 08:33 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,695
A little disgusted with bow hunting.
Hi everyone, first off this is a great site with tons of information.
Well i started bowhunting about five years ago and I made the mistake (didn' t know) about broadheads not flying like field point and made a bad shot on a doe. Hit her high and far back almost a spine. Looked for days and never found her.
Took alot of small game with the bow since then but no shots on any deer. Well last week I decide to harvest a doe with my new bow shooting mechanicals.
Made a shot on a doe a little high on the vitals. Again no luck on recovery, searced for days found only 2 drops of blood, looked everywhere, nothing. I,m pretty sad at this point. Well I go out and buy a string chaser and practiced with it and found no arrow affect out to 20 yds, this is where I keep my shots too. well i' m in the stand this week and have a nice bobcat within range. I wanted to mount one since I have never shot one (didnt want to) but figure this would be a trophy with a bow.
Let the arrow fly and appeared to be a perfect shot, arrow hits the ground bobcats leaps around and swats at the arrow all in a fraction of a second and takes off.
String comes out for about 5 seconds then stops. Get down to look at my arrow and the string had been cut near the shaft I figure the blades did it when the bobcat swung ang swatted the arrow, no blood on the shaft but lots of hair and a little blood on the head mixed with dirt. I know the cat has the string in him, I leave my bow at the stand go back to camp and wait an hour or so. I' ts dark now, we go track him now, follow the string for more than 200 yds and I' m saying he only pulled the string for 5 seconds or so, thats a lot of ground he covered in that time. Well I get to the ende of the string and it appears it had pulled out of him. Didnt find blood for more than a 100 yds. Theres some blood at the end of the string and start tracking, lost blood and decided to pick up in the morning. Well no luck either couldnt find him at all. I am pissed, sad, upset,all kinds of mixed emotions. Oh I also had a turkey fly away with my arrow placed perfecly in the chest cavity. I am so disgusted with myself and am seriously thinking of not bowhunting anymore. I just seems it doesnt kill quickly enough for me. Man I need something encouraging to hear. (ps yes the mechanicals are opening)
Well i started bowhunting about five years ago and I made the mistake (didn' t know) about broadheads not flying like field point and made a bad shot on a doe. Hit her high and far back almost a spine. Looked for days and never found her.
Took alot of small game with the bow since then but no shots on any deer. Well last week I decide to harvest a doe with my new bow shooting mechanicals.
Made a shot on a doe a little high on the vitals. Again no luck on recovery, searced for days found only 2 drops of blood, looked everywhere, nothing. I,m pretty sad at this point. Well I go out and buy a string chaser and practiced with it and found no arrow affect out to 20 yds, this is where I keep my shots too. well i' m in the stand this week and have a nice bobcat within range. I wanted to mount one since I have never shot one (didnt want to) but figure this would be a trophy with a bow.
Let the arrow fly and appeared to be a perfect shot, arrow hits the ground bobcats leaps around and swats at the arrow all in a fraction of a second and takes off.
String comes out for about 5 seconds then stops. Get down to look at my arrow and the string had been cut near the shaft I figure the blades did it when the bobcat swung ang swatted the arrow, no blood on the shaft but lots of hair and a little blood on the head mixed with dirt. I know the cat has the string in him, I leave my bow at the stand go back to camp and wait an hour or so. I' ts dark now, we go track him now, follow the string for more than 200 yds and I' m saying he only pulled the string for 5 seconds or so, thats a lot of ground he covered in that time. Well I get to the ende of the string and it appears it had pulled out of him. Didnt find blood for more than a 100 yds. Theres some blood at the end of the string and start tracking, lost blood and decided to pick up in the morning. Well no luck either couldnt find him at all. I am pissed, sad, upset,all kinds of mixed emotions. Oh I also had a turkey fly away with my arrow placed perfecly in the chest cavity. I am so disgusted with myself and am seriously thinking of not bowhunting anymore. I just seems it doesnt kill quickly enough for me. Man I need something encouraging to hear. (ps yes the mechanicals are opening)
11-17-2003, 10:18 PM
#4
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Grants pass,Oregon
Posts: 161
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
I have shot three deer and one elk with my bow. The first one was a doe that was somewhat of a bad shot too far back, and it was pouring rain, didnt leave much blood and we looked and looked and finally came across her at some point she must have circled around and was well within sight of were I shot her in the first place. The second was a little buck, I made a poor shot I think due to skipping off of a limb but stuck him through the neck and it didnt affect him he kept chasing this doe and came back then I hit another limb and missed and the doe stayed so I waited and he came back a second time then I hit my mark and he went 25 yrds. Then this year I am not sure how excatly I did it but I got a cow elk and a really nice blacktail, both of which I got in the base of the neck right in the spine. I am not exaggerating they dropped in their tracks never took another step. The cow flipped a bit and broke the arrow but the buck still had the arrow sticking up out of his neck. I seen it happen on a bear hunting video that I have called " Callin Bears" And never thought that I would have dropped something like that with my bow but I did and I did twice in the same year. Someone was looking out for me this year.
But I have a friend that has shot a few and we have never seen them again. He still hasnt recovered an animal yet.
Dont give up yet though look around here I have read many posts that some of these guys have waited like 7+ years before taking anything home.
But I have a friend that has shot a few and we have never seen them again. He still hasnt recovered an animal yet.
Dont give up yet though look around here I have read many posts that some of these guys have waited like 7+ years before taking anything home.
11-17-2003, 10:29 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Burleson TX USA
Posts: 6,455
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
I think the main problem here is equipment not being tuned properly and the user not being tuned to the equipment.
But no need to give up after a few frustrations there is a learning curve that every bowhunter has had to go through.
Learn more about tuning your equipment and your form.
Join a 3d club and shoot 3d over the summer months most guys who shoot 3d are great and will help you all you have to do is ask.
But no need to give up after a few frustrations there is a learning curve that every bowhunter has had to go through.
Learn more about tuning your equipment and your form.
Join a 3d club and shoot 3d over the summer months most guys who shoot 3d are great and will help you all you have to do is ask.
11-18-2003, 06:09 AM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: CWD Central, WI.
Posts: 2,062
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
I think you' ve either gotten some bad advice along your learning curve, or you always choose the easy way out. Now before you get pissed, pay attention.
You miss badly with fixed broadheads, you slap on some mechanicals.
You can' t bloodtrail, so you slap on a string tracker.
Thats how I read it anyway. I think you need to stick around this site and the technical forum for a bit. Ask lots of questions on form, practice, tuning, ect. There is a lot of information to be gained from hanging around here. The more you put into it, the more you' ll get out of it.
You miss badly with fixed broadheads, you slap on some mechanicals.You can' t bloodtrail, so you slap on a string tracker.
Thats how I read it anyway. I think you need to stick around this site and the technical forum for a bit. Ask lots of questions on form, practice, tuning, ect. There is a lot of information to be gained from hanging around here. The more you put into it, the more you' ll get out of it.
11-18-2003, 06:21 AM
#7
New Sheriff
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Arkansas
Posts: 4,591
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
I' ll back up what Nub said with this,
Even a moron can find a dbl lunged/heart shot deer. It takes a better than average tracker to find marginally hit deer, and then sometimes they still don' t find em.
I can' t tell you to quit or stay but if you are gonna keep at it, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
Don' t shoot at another animal until you are confident you are gonna dbl lung it, then go get your animal.
Even a moron can find a dbl lunged/heart shot deer. It takes a better than average tracker to find marginally hit deer, and then sometimes they still don' t find em.
I can' t tell you to quit or stay but if you are gonna keep at it, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
Don' t shoot at another animal until you are confident you are gonna dbl lung it, then go get your animal.
11-18-2003, 06:40 AM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ripley TN USA
Posts: 284
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
Zrex
How confident are you with this bow? You know what I mean. Do you have any doubt and mixed feelings about the bow. If you have any doubt it will surface when it is time to shoot. I had this same problem with a bow. I was' nt confident 100% of its accuracy, sometimes it just did' nt shoot right. I got rid of it, went out and bought a high end bow. I believe you pay for what you get. I shot the thing all spring and summer, the dang thing was so darn accurate! it boosted my confidence level 100%. When I walk in the woods I have no doubt in my ability to take game cleanly with it. After this year if you still want to bowhunt get rid of the bow and go out and buy a new bow, don' t scrimp on price. Look at all the top brands Matthews, Bowtech, etc. Yes they are higher priced than other bows but you pay for what you get. These companies sell tons of these bows why? because they are the best, if they were' nt they would be out of business. Also when you look at sights and rest buy the best again don' t buy cheap stuff. You may spend alot of money at first but it will pay off in the long run and in the end you will be glad you did!. You will walk out in the woods feeling 100% confident in your abilities and equipment.
How confident are you with this bow? You know what I mean. Do you have any doubt and mixed feelings about the bow. If you have any doubt it will surface when it is time to shoot. I had this same problem with a bow. I was' nt confident 100% of its accuracy, sometimes it just did' nt shoot right. I got rid of it, went out and bought a high end bow. I believe you pay for what you get. I shot the thing all spring and summer, the dang thing was so darn accurate! it boosted my confidence level 100%. When I walk in the woods I have no doubt in my ability to take game cleanly with it. After this year if you still want to bowhunt get rid of the bow and go out and buy a new bow, don' t scrimp on price. Look at all the top brands Matthews, Bowtech, etc. Yes they are higher priced than other bows but you pay for what you get. These companies sell tons of these bows why? because they are the best, if they were' nt they would be out of business. Also when you look at sights and rest buy the best again don' t buy cheap stuff. You may spend alot of money at first but it will pay off in the long run and in the end you will be glad you did!. You will walk out in the woods feeling 100% confident in your abilities and equipment.
11-18-2003, 07:02 AM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 823
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
zrexpilot - For most people, theres a learning curve to archery and animals will be lost - cold hard facts. After setlling in and learning what bowhunting is, those losses become few and far between (or they should)
You could give up bowhunting, but is giving up in your blood ? If it isn' t, LEARN your equipment, and I mean spend tens or even hundreds of our in the offseason practicing and tinkering.
Will your setup shoot a bare shaft as well as a fletched one ? Can you place your arrow, first shot, in the kill zone just about every single time ? How many types of arrows and broadhead (combinations) have you tried in the offseason ? Do you 3D shoot ? Do you own a McKenzie target or practice at a bag ?
Bowhunting requires dedication to the sport - more so than a lot of people give IMO. Lack of dedication - or understanding of what bowhunting is - or a combination of those things (like your first experience with broadheads not flying like field points) results almost always in lost animals.
BTW - I shot a 250 pound live weight whitetail 3 weeks ago - with a longbow, 425 grain arrows and a Thunderhead and he dropped in 60 yards and 8-10 seconds dead as a hammer. Place a broadhead into an animals lungs and they WILL die faster than anything imaginable - much faster than rifle shots.
The arrow is amazingly lethal IF you put it where you' re suppose to.
You could give up bowhunting, but is giving up in your blood ? If it isn' t, LEARN your equipment, and I mean spend tens or even hundreds of our in the offseason practicing and tinkering.
Will your setup shoot a bare shaft as well as a fletched one ? Can you place your arrow, first shot, in the kill zone just about every single time ? How many types of arrows and broadhead (combinations) have you tried in the offseason ? Do you 3D shoot ? Do you own a McKenzie target or practice at a bag ?
Bowhunting requires dedication to the sport - more so than a lot of people give IMO. Lack of dedication - or understanding of what bowhunting is - or a combination of those things (like your first experience with broadheads not flying like field points) results almost always in lost animals.
BTW - I shot a 250 pound live weight whitetail 3 weeks ago - with a longbow, 425 grain arrows and a Thunderhead and he dropped in 60 yards and 8-10 seconds dead as a hammer. Place a broadhead into an animals lungs and they WILL die faster than anything imaginable - much faster than rifle shots.
The arrow is amazingly lethal IF you put it where you' re suppose to.
11-18-2003, 07:35 AM
#10
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Mauston Wisconsin
Posts: 61
RE: A little disgusted with bow hunting.
Practice, practice, practice..... cant be said enough. I dont think there is anything wrong with your set up. You may need it better tuned or have your self in better tune. If you have any doubts with your form, or something your doing go see a professional. Practice doing something wrong doesnt help anything. Practice doesnt make perfect....PERFECT practice makes perfect. Dont listen to anyone telling you that you need a new bow, release, broadheads or anything else. Will a new Mathews, or Hoyt or whatever be a little more accurate and a little more consitently accurate....no doubt in my mind it will. But you have a very large kill area on a whitetail or any other game animal that is much larger than the accuracy you will lose with your Bear bow. 3-d is an excellent tune up and alot of fun. You can make a nice day with your buddies wagering on shots, hassling each other on blown easy shot etc....dont get caught up in the money game of it....lol I did that for too long and spent way more than I ever earned and I never had to buy a bow, but still was expensive. If you give it your honest best effort and you still feel that Bowhunting isnt for you, than maybe it isnt....different strokes for different folks. If you feel that way you will never be confident enough.