idahoelkinstructor

Well the time has come for my wife and I to teach another round of Archry Education Classes for the year. Our next class starts next week, April 7, 8, and 9th. This makes our 5th year of teaching archery education, I don't know how many students we have taught but its a lot. We average at least 5 or so classes a year up to 9 classes, with between 25 to 30 students per class. You would think that the majority have been kids, but that has not been the case at all. With quality rifle elk hunts getting more difficult to come by, more and more hunters are picking up a bow and giving chase. Most of our students are between 25-35 years old. Anyway I want some advice that you would give to a new bowhunter. Maybe its something just simple like a blood trailing trick, or a unique hunting strategy that has helped you with success in the field. I hope a lot respond to this thread and give some good advice, I plan on printing out this list and giving it to my students. I also will refer them to this forum and others for future bowhunting advice. Thanks in advance. Jason

PS. After reading the thread about the bowhunter throwing away his arrows because his fletching were ripped, I know why I keep wanting to teach and help out new bowhunters. Just think how much money this bowhunter could have saved, if someone had simply told him that he could refletch his arrows. That's the type of advice I hope people will post, helpful and simple! It might seem too simple and obvious to anyone with expreience in our sport. But remember we were once in their shoes and any info was new info. I am editing this in hopes more people will respond. Thanks again

TerryM

I think one of the most important things a bowhunter needs to learn is that after a shot, good or bad one has to leave the animal enough time to stop moving and expire without pressure. This is something that is also important in rifle hunting but typically the wait times are not the same. One has to learn to resist the temptation of following too quickly. A wrist watch has to be part of every hunters gear.

Sniper151

One, if not the most important portion of our training is treestand safety. The correct harness and instruction on how to utilize this valuable tool.

mdbllung

Respect of their quarry.If the cant find an animal to be patient and put the time in to recover it.2-3 hours isnt enough if it takes afull day or you have to return then do it.Stress persistance.I hear guys at work who if its not within 100 yards pretty much give up.Makes me sick.

nodog

25-35 year olds may be new to archery but probably not to hunting so I wouldn't give them any hunting tips. They should already know how to be safe too. Archery is what they need to know. Tell them to become their own pro shop learn the math and require themselves to complete some form of continuing education regularly. An improperly tune bow with arrows that don't fit the setup for a shooter that there not set for is like driving a car in need of an alignment with different size tires. Doesn't make for an enjoyable ride.

I don't know why this says "In reply to MDBLUNG". Didn't mean to direct it at you. Just wanted to reply. Sorry about that.

adams

IMO ethics and patience are two very important virtues that shlould be heavily be stressed to new bow hunters. Archery tackle has it's limitations and the hunter needs to understand this before ventureing into the woods. Unfortunately I don't think either ethics or patience can be taught. The best you can do is guide them in the right direction because once they are a field it's completely up to them.

I'm sure your course probably already hits on these but IMO they can't be stressed enough.

Len in Maryland

With all due respect, if this is an IBEF Certified course you're giving, there is an extensive lesson plan that should be followed. We have a hard time getting the full curriculum into our alloted time without gearing it towards 'other' issues.

As a 'case in point', since crossbows have recently been added to the Maryland hunting scene, we now have another issue to cover.

I can understand/appreciate your wanting to be thorough, I just can't understand how you're going to cover all the necessary topics properly and add others into the time frame.

And, I will watch this thread to see what responses you get that would differ from the format.

Charlie P

Bowhunting is about killing animals in close.Not how far you can shoot.

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idahoelkinstructor

Len in Maryland, yes it is a IBEF Certified course. I don't plan on going over this list with them in class, line by line, I agree that would take way to much time. I will give it to them towards the end of the class, and tell them this is simply a list of advice from other archery hunters that have been already bow hunting and have expreience. Some a long long time and other are fairly new too. I will let them know if they have any question about any advice on the list (or any other question about anything in the class that did get answered for that matter) that they can call me at home and I will do my best to help them and find a correct answer to their question. Len, I get the feeling that you disagree with what I am doing with this list? There is a saying that wise people learn from their expreience, but super wise people learn from others expreience! Thats the purpose of this list, to help them learn from others. Yes some advice will have been already covered in the class, but as you know with bowhunting thier is way too much info out there about our sport to learn in a 12 hour class. Len I don't know if you are an IBEF, instructor or not? I do know you own your own pro shop but I don't know if you or someone else teachers the class. Either way I would welcome any advice or know how that you have to offer. Please feel free to PM me and let me know your thoughts. Thanks Jason