What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

I was just reading a post, (about who has harvested deer with their archery gear) and it made me wonder... what or who influenced you to become a bowhunter? There's a massive amount of knowledge on this board concerning the sport we all love, but what made you choose it over say another form of hunting? Mine came by way of a hunting friend with an open mind and great skill, both with his bow and knowledge of the woods. Here's how I got involved...

So, how 'bout you?

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

The art of hunting made me go to the bow . I really enjoy being in the woods even if I do not take a deer , it is not always the kill that matters, i learn something everytime I go bowhunting about deer movement and just deer in general, who could ask for more ?

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

My dad and uncle bowhunted together. I used to get to go along and sit in the tree with dad when I was pretty young. I loved it . My first season was when i was 12. I've tried Slug hunting it's fun but for me just doesn't compaire to bowhunting.

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

I too grew up in an anti-bowhunting household. "Bowhunter's just wound deer" was my dad's favorite line.

I had always said I wanted to try bowhunting, but always came up the the excuse "I just don't have the time". But I always enjoyed listening to all of my friends talk about what a good time they had bow hunting.

Last year, I decided I didn't have the time because I wasn't making the time. So my father-in-law gave me an old bow, and a quick trip to the pro shop and I was on my way.

I started practicing around the first of August for that upcoming bow season (Oct. 1st). I was shooting around 300 shots a week AND DID I LOVE IT!!!

The first day of the season, and I was in the tree for the first time, was I pumped. About an hour after first light, I had a button buck walk 5 yards from my tree stand - I WAS HOOKED.

I took a shot at a real nice 8 pointer later that night, a clean miss. That was the only shot I took all season. I had more fun that season then in the 13 years I had been gun hunting.

Well, I got the bug and from the second the season was over with, I was looking forward to this years season.

This year I have a brand new Bowtech Liberty a dozen ACC arrow's and about 6 more tree stands up and I CAN'T WAIT!!!

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

I grew up in a anti hunting household. Not anti Bow....anti HUNTING.

My parents aren't activists or anything like that but my dad still asks me...."How can you kill them?"

He doesn't get it but know it makes me whole and for me it's like church so he lets it lay now.

I love the bow for a couple reasons.
1. Proximity
2. Challenge
3. I love archery and shooting...much more fun than shooting a gun to me.
4. Solitude.
I can hunt 50 yards from another bowhunter all season and we'll never know the other is there unless we're tracking or bump into each other on the way in or out. Silence is golden.;)

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

Some of you youngens won't know who these people are, but Howard Hill and Fred Bear got my blood flowing, and that was the early fifthies and it still does. Rich Good Hunting

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

What a great thread, Jollyarcher.
For me, the decision to bow hunt came about for several reasons:
1. More time in the woods, meaning more peace and quiet, more deer to observe, and more fun.
2. More of a challenge than gun hunting can ever guarantee. I would imagine that killing a doe can be a bigger rush for me than it was when I was 11 years old!
3. A chance to catch "Mr. Big" chasing a doe during the rut, since the prime rut is always over by the time gun season rolls around in Maryland.

I'm ready for something new this year. Sure, I'll hunt during opening day of rifle season, but this year, that won't be the beginning nor the end of my season. :)

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

Have a cousin that was, to me, the true hunter. He was an excellent archer and use to allow me shoot when I visited him. He gave me an old Bear recurve when I was 12 or 13 can't really remember. My Dad couldn't understand why I wanted to use a bow when a gun was much more effective. Never had a chance to hunt deer with a bow until I was about 18. Just feel in love with the technique of hunting close and what bow hunting taught me.

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

To be honest, I got myself into bowhunting. My grandfather used to take me hunting with him when I was too young myself. He'd take his double barrel 16 gauge, his bird dog and me.....we'd grouse, pheasant and rabbit hunt and I was excited. When I turned twelve, my grandfather had quit hunting, there was no male figure in my life, my mom sent me hunters safety course and I passed with a 97%. I would take an old fiberglass recurve out to the woods with field tipped arrows trying for small game. I didn't even consider deer. I would ride my bike for miles to the farm carrying a 16 single barrel just to wing shoot doves.

When I was 15, out of the blue my father entered my life for a short term but when asked what I wanted for my birthday I said, a compound bow. What I received was a Fred Bear, Black Bear II, shiny black flecked painted compound bow set at 50 lbs....I was amazed. I bought some arrows, full length Easton Eagles 2117 and tipped them with 160 grain Thunderheads....talk about underspined...OH MY GOD. I'd ride my bow to hunt deer in the same woods I hunt today. When I turned 16, I expanded my bowhunting grounds because I could drive.

I used that bow for the next 8 years eventually raising the poundage to 60 lbs, shooting matched arrows and switching to 100 grain Muzzys. I shot fingers, off a flipper rest and added a sight. I shot at deer every year for 8 years and never "recovered" a single deer until that last season when I was 23.....I think back and shrill at the thought of my ignorance and think...what if I had all those seasons back with todays knowledge.

At 23 I received a Jennings Carbon Extreme XLR, a release, all new equipment, matched arrows and knowledge...I started competing in 3D tournaments. With practice came skill....I was picked up by a dealer of Hoyt bows at 25, added to their national shooting staff and started my long career of tournament shooting and Hoyt bows. Of course bowhunting never took a back seat....the first year with my Jennings I took my first buck with a bow.....since then and so many bows later I sit here as a veteran of over 20 years of archery, bow shop staffing, teaching, coaching and still learning everyday. I love this sport. I love to bowhunt and I will until the day the good Lord calls me home. I pray there is bowhunting in heaven.

RE: What influenced you to be a bowhunter?
 

My brother-in-law and getting bored with shooting a gun.