Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

I think it would be fun if everyone can share a few tips and tricks with everyone here.It will be a great learning experience,maybe even make alot of things easier,and cheaper in the long run:)

for starters-----Everyone has broke an arrow at one time or another right.Well if you like to use scents at times then stick the broken arrow in the ground,saturate a gun cleaning swab with your favorite scent and stick it into the nock.Also works great for range estimation as well:)

Another is if you use the tm prong style rest and really dont care for the rubber shrink tubing,then use a little of the wifes clear nail polish,give the prongs a good 2 or 3 coats and away you go:)

If i can think of anymore off the top of my head then i will be sure to share them with you:)
Anyone else have some great tips to share?

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Well i have alot, but its probably stuff that every veteran hunter may know already.......atleast i hope they do.lol.

Heres one: When its cold outside and your walking to your stand, bring an extra pair of socks along and change them when you get were your going, it helps keep your feet from freezing and stay warmer longer.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

If you're a turkey hunter and are anything like me, you may like this one.

I always manage to lose one or two of my decoy stakes every season. I don't know how I do it, but I do. This past season it happened the very first day! Well, I was bummed that I was going to have to go out and buy new ones. While sitting around the house I remembered that I had a few arrows lying around that I had split the ends of the shafts. I cut each arrow down to about the size of a standing turkey, and wouldn't you know it - cheap decoy stakes! Now every time I bust one of my arrows, I bring it home, cut it down and stick it with my other stakes.

:D Enjoy.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

This is what I do, If you bow hunters are like me then you will like this one. I like to use light weight gloves when bow hunting, but it tends to get your hands cold faster, I will take my little hand warmer and put them in my glove on the back side of my hand, thus not interfering with my grip hand or my release hand, keeping your hands toasty warm! just a little something to think about.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Hunting spots- Always in conversation work in deer population problem. That will open up spots like you couldn't believe.

Hook up - Meet other bowhunters, make friends. They have spots you can hunt and who knows, one day you might be able to return the the favor.

Read this board - tons of good info and just maybe just a few laughs.:D

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

I'm probably going to hit myself after I get this answer, but what does tm stand for when talking about a rest. I hear this used often and I know what style rest it is but I don't know why it is called this.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

You can use women products for lures, and fella's you know what i am talking about, drop some tinks 69 on that thang and stick it to a tree or hang it,lol whichever u prefer

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Field Mouse....that's so perfect. Very nice.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

GKF "ToughMan" Series

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

When using a climber tie knots in your pull rope at 15, 20 and 25 feet -1,2,&3 knots at each location. This way when you set your deck to hunt you can know how high you are by judging where the knots are in your pull rope in comparison to your stand.

You can also use a surf fishing weight as a grappling hook if you should ever need to retrieve a dropped item while already on stand. Just keep the prongs bent in while in your stands pouch until needed. When needed tie it to your pull rope, open the prongs to resemble a grappling hook and your ready to retrieve.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Be sure your safety belt/harness is secure before leaning over to pull up your bow.
Draw your bow at least once immediately after getting on stand.
Keep a bottle of real Vanilla handy, take a sip once every hour ,swish it around in your mouth before swollowing.
In the dark, take a seat. Stand when first hunting light arrives. Stand for 30 min. sit for 5. When you move on stand, do it as if a hugh buck was 20 yards away.
Draw a detailed map to your stand, leave it with your wife. (ifn' your paranoid seal it in an envelope.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Here's one I'm sure alot of veteran shooters know but I'll post it for those just starting out.

After shooting vanes for awhile you will sometimes notice that the start to wrinkle and get wavy (from hitting the rest or each other). To fix this simply take a hairdryer and use the highest setting and go over the vanes with it. This will straighten them right out.;)

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

if you have to get some where like i do walking through marshy areas, and you dont like getting your socks and feet wet.. no matter how much i spend on boots i cant find water proof boots that really keep all water out. just take two newspaper plastic bags and put em over your socks with a big rubber band to hold em up, that way you dont cut off circulation OR dont even use a ruberband, and put that in your bootsand lace em up tight, the slightest amount of water splashed in to your boot will stay out of your socks and you will be comfortable all day long.

along with Fieldmouse's sugestions, talk to older guys... preferably older farmers in your area its easy and most of them will be more than willing to let you hunt their land or even tell you about any land that is available to hunt. its unbelievable how much information you can get from talking to the right people and some will even give you little hints and tricks to help you on your way;)

this one i am not so sure about it being correct i havent researched it much but it came from a reputable source, deer have yellow retinas that means tehy can see the yellow and other wave lengths that are close to that, so if you use yellow markers for distances change to a blue or purple or red. apparently they cant see those colors to well. again like i said the guy that i heard that from is a taxidermist so i have no idea if its truth or not but it kinda made sence. just like musky and walleye. they see teh yellows and shartruce (sp) colors better. :)


and the best advice i can give anyone would have to be "DONT EAT YELLOW SNOW!"

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

i laugh every time someone misses an animal due to branches even more so if the see them. its a common sense technique but it works to shoot through a hole if the deer is a 40 yards and there is a hole in the brush at 30 there is a way to tell just aim at the deer with your normal 40 yard pin then move up and check you 30 yard pin now you can shoot through holes rather than just hoping

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

That made no sense to me - nor would I shoot through a hole in a bush at anything.

Can you stand back in that picture a little more? that cat doesn't look quite as big as an elephant yet.;)

My tip is one I've shared a few times on this board...
If you believe in the scent elimination hype...
Fill a sock up with baking soda and keep it in your bowcase. When ur done with ur hat, gloves, and facemask, etc, put them in your bowcase. The baking soda will keep ur bow, arrows, and everything else in there scent free and dry!

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

i was going to say that too but i left it alone... clarification woudl be great and i think that cat looks too big... :D

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Leave the 4 wheeler at home or the other end of the property. Deer are not dumb and when they here that 4 wheeler coming they know why. You might park it a couple hundred yards from your stand but every deer within a mile knows you are there. It is amazing how many more deer I started seeing by leaving the 4 wheeler parked. I now take a mountain bike to my stand and leave the 4 wheeler at the truck just for deer retrival. Proof: I was hunting a little 300 acre track of land and most evenings when leaving the stand on the 4 wheeler I would see a nice buck at the other end of the property. After seeing that buck on the other side I began to hunt that area. I then began to see him crossing into the field at the end I first hunted. I kept chasing this buck from one end of the property to the other and he was always at the opposite end as I was. After many weeks of playing chase I came up with a idea. I would drive my four wheeler to the far side of the 300 acres and walk back across it to the other side and hunt. On my 3rd trip with this plan I came out of the woods with a 137 inch 10pt. I am a believer now. USELESS INFORMATION: It only takes 10 dollars worth of camo tape to cover a entire mountain bike.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Here's another suggestion for "oral scent control.":

Eat an apple, or some other indigenious fruit, on your way to the stand.

BLACKTALON

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Check the wind often while on stand. A bottle of talcum powder is very effictive and cheap. The wind can be friend or foe. Play it smartly.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

i tie a very small piece of thread on the end of my stabilizer and watch which way the wind blows it for wind direction. works great when stalking also...

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

I always draw my bow 2 or 3 times as soon as I get out of the truck. Warms up my muscles and works any squeeks out of the Mathews before its go time.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

I take 35mm camera film containers drill a few holes in them and put a couple of cotton balls in it with some sent attractent and hang near my stand to draw them in. Works well for me

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Always bring toilet paper!

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Bahwaaaaahaaaaahaaaaa! :D

Kindest Regards,

-Will in Maryland

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Let me see if I can shed some light on bowhuntts tip. What he means is, say you are going to take a 40 yard shot and there are some limbs that you think you can shoot over or under at around 30 yards. If you look through your peep and your 30 yard pin is lined up with a limb...guess what that means? You are going to hit that limb. It is the natural travel of the arrow. Does that make a little more sense now? Hope that helps guys.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

I always stretch out after I get dressed in the field, this not only helps to loosen up my muscles, but also makes sure that my cloths fit well and aren't bunched up anywhere.

Also, in regards to your hunting gear, if it can break, bend or be replaced, carry an extra one (with in reason). I had a morning hunt ruined because the bolts on my tree climber were bent and I couldn't get it onto the tree.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Excellent tips and tricks everyone,im writing some down as im reading them.:)
Please keep them coming,i am sure everyone including myself is learning quite a bit:)

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Never pee into the wind.....


that is all I got!

Idaho

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Texaranimal- great idea, I've been wanting to do that with the bike also. HGow do you carry the bow to the stand? What kind of holders for bows are on the market and where can you get them?

I wear insulated windbreaker type jogging suits under my camo that I wash in the scent killer detergent. Seems to help on those cold windy mornings.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Always bring two screw in steps if you use a climber. Sometimes to be in the perfect tree you may need to start 6' up due to a lower obstical.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Always take....Extra rope, water, and a good cigar (which of course you leave in the truck for the aftermath of your victory).

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

GREAT IDEA FIELDMOUSE, THANKS. I tell ya fella's that e.z bow hanger from team realtree is a big plus too, or you can use a screw in, which is cheaper.;)

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Keep your scentlok outer layers in a scent free bag until you get like 60 yards from your stand. Keep your baselayers on though and take your time walking so you dont seat and contaminate them.;)

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Amodiom AD, leave the sh*tpaper in the truck!

Sharpen your knifes before the season.

Carry a good flashlight.

Don't forget your release! Done that one before.

Harvest your doe pee. Works good for the boots. Just don't brush your teeth with it!

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

washington hunter,

i do the exact same thing...sound like a guy wit similarities here :D

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

this may sound a lil weird but hey ya gotta do wut ya gotta do.i will take a tampon and dip it in the scent i wanna use then i hang it in the tree laugh if u want but it even comes with a handy string:D


if u dont have any scent free laundry detergent u can take a pillow case fill it up with leaves sticks pine needles or wut ever is around your hunting stand...then u want to get the pillow case damp,put it in the dryer with your clothes and in no time u will smell like the woods



another scent cover up idea that i use is take a punk like the ones that u light fireworks with (NOT AN INSCENCE) and dip it in the scent of your choice,let it dry and dip it again just to make sure it has the scent on it let it dry again and put it in a zip lock baggy and bring it to the woods when you are ready to go :D

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

The tampons are a well known but excellent tip. I also use them for dragging a scent trail of doe pee.

It does feel a little weird searching for scent free tampons in the female isle !!!

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

This isn't a tip but it is really useful to me.Buy a strapper gear retreiver,I got mine out of redhead mag.It is made for pulling your bow up a tree.But I have used it to pull my stand up the tree.It is small and handy.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

To reduce movment in my stand I don't wear a watch, instead I go to the local car parts store and by a little clock that has a velcro back on it. I stick it to the inside bottom limb on my bow. So instead of having to push my sleeve up to look at the time now I simply tip my bow ever so slightly and I can see the clock. Plus wearing a watch just feels uncomfortable to me.

RE: Lets share----Bowhunting tips and tricks
 

Eider that seems counter productive. If you held your bow all of the time that might be beneficial but it seems like it would still produce more movement, than simply sliding up a sleeve. I personally hang my bow on an easy hanger so it wouldn't do me any good.