PICTURES ( bought a Silvertip last night )
03-01-2007, 08:14 AM
#21
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,381
RE: I can't help myself ( bought a Silvertip last night )
guys, for those of you who don't know me, I've been bowhunting for 20 + years, compound for all but the last 4 of it. I've killed elk, mule deer, antelope, whitetail, varmits etc - I'm a pretty lucky hunter (hate to call myself good) but bottom line, I aint no rookie to hunting or killing animals
I killed a 130+ " 11 pointer in KS my first trad season. Its all been downhill from there though and I don't know why. I practice a LOT, I practice RIGHT and my equipment is tuned well. My shot selections have become more and more picky, I've made a lot of changes to my hunting .......... and I'm still not getting it done.
I felt a LOT of pressure this season, no doubt. I was determined to NOT wound and lose an animal - to the point that NOT wounding an animal was more of a foucs than killing one if that makes any sense. I passed shots on bucks ya'll would slap me for - and the one shot I did finally take ? Gorgeous arrow flight, perfect shot - high back hit, lost deer [
]
I have absolutely lost faith in my bow, and my ability to kill deer with it. Would a different bow help ? IT certainly can't hurt ! I can't help but feeling I need more poundage, more arrow weight, more UMPFFFFHHHHH behind my shots to power that broadhead.
I'll not lie - I bought my Dad's Q2 when (at 72 years old) he went to a crossbow a few weeks back. I have a bow now I can kill deer with and not lose deer. Yes, I'm THAT confident shooting it.
Will this Silvertip be a bow I can believe in my shots like a compound ? I don't know - but I do know this ...... I HAVE to make changes to my equipment, to my hunting because I will not continue to wound and lose animals. I can't do that. If going back to a compound is the answer, so be it. Maybe though this SIlvertip will be it too ....... I have 6 months until my Colorado elk hunt to figure it out though.
I killed a 130+ " 11 pointer in KS my first trad season. Its all been downhill from there though and I don't know why. I practice a LOT, I practice RIGHT and my equipment is tuned well. My shot selections have become more and more picky, I've made a lot of changes to my hunting .......... and I'm still not getting it done.
I felt a LOT of pressure this season, no doubt. I was determined to NOT wound and lose an animal - to the point that NOT wounding an animal was more of a foucs than killing one if that makes any sense. I passed shots on bucks ya'll would slap me for - and the one shot I did finally take ? Gorgeous arrow flight, perfect shot - high back hit, lost deer [
]I have absolutely lost faith in my bow, and my ability to kill deer with it. Would a different bow help ? IT certainly can't hurt ! I can't help but feeling I need more poundage, more arrow weight, more UMPFFFFHHHHH behind my shots to power that broadhead.
I'll not lie - I bought my Dad's Q2 when (at 72 years old) he went to a crossbow a few weeks back. I have a bow now I can kill deer with and not lose deer. Yes, I'm THAT confident shooting it.
Will this Silvertip be a bow I can believe in my shots like a compound ? I don't know - but I do know this ...... I HAVE to make changes to my equipment, to my hunting because I will not continue to wound and lose animals. I can't do that. If going back to a compound is the answer, so be it. Maybe though this SIlvertip will be it too ....... I have 6 months until my Colorado elk hunt to figure it out though.
03-01-2007, 08:39 AM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Spring Grove, Pa. USA
Posts: 2,120
RE: I can't help myself ( bought a Silvertip last night )
Buster--I know what you're going thru.For awhile,I was on a roll-filling tags with my 'curves and longbows every season.then about 5 seasons ago,I hit a nice 7pt a little far back(actually gut shot him).I wound up losing that deer-1st one I ever lost.For the next 2 seasons,I couldn't even draw back on a deer.I hunted hard,saw alot of deer and had many in my comfort range,I just couldn't pull that string back on them.I kept thinking,"what if I do that again"?
Then the one season came-opening morning-and a nice 8pt came in at 18yds.I mouth grunted to stop him and when he stopped,without hesitation,the bow arm came up,I drew and anchored and released.What I didn't realize wasmy brace height slippedand the bow twanged real loud.The buck flattened out and the arrow went right over his back.
The point is,I knew I had a good shot,I was ready to take the shot and there was no 2nd guessing myself.When the right shot presentation comes along for you-you'll know it and be confident to make it
Then the one season came-opening morning-and a nice 8pt came in at 18yds.I mouth grunted to stop him and when he stopped,without hesitation,the bow arm came up,I drew and anchored and released.What I didn't realize wasmy brace height slippedand the bow twanged real loud.The buck flattened out and the arrow went right over his back.
The point is,I knew I had a good shot,I was ready to take the shot and there was no 2nd guessing myself.When the right shot presentation comes along for you-you'll know it and be confident to make it
03-01-2007, 10:48 AM
#23
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,381
RE: I can't help myself ( bought a Silvertip last night )
.When the right shot presentation comes along for you-you'll know it and be confident to make it
I don't have that confidence anymore ...... and don't know what to change to get it back. LBR is right in that I need to kill some animals ....... I've got a hog farm buddy who's going to bring me a couple of pigs in the coming weeks. I'm going to put them into a pen, and shoot them.
Why ? I want to remember what its like to kill an animal, to focus on a spot and send the arrow there. As weird as this "practice" seems, I'm gonna do it
03-01-2007, 02:30 PM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: I can't help myself ( bought a Silvertip last night )
Buster, IMO, from your posts, it really sounds more of a mental problem then equipment problem. Your new bow is a beauty and I'm sure it can kill deer. But, mental preparation is very important in our sport. Please don't over look it as a possiblity of an underlying problem.
03-01-2007, 03:14 PM
#25
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,381
RE: I can't help myself ( bought a Silvertip last night )
BobCo19-65 Its absolutely a mental issue. WHY I have it I don't know though. I shoot well, its not target panic to the best of my self evaluating ....... its focusing. I can't seem to keep the focus on THE SPOT .......... for whatever reason.
That said ....... the last two shots were both killing shots - with a compound. The impact, angle of arrow = dead deer, but my 52# longbow and 525 gr arrows wasn't enough to get it done IMO.
58# recurve, 625-650 arrows ....... that will bring more to the table, and an added mental feeling that hey, with this bow, I CAN do it.
I know that might sound stupid but I don't know what else to do. Well, I DO know what else, and its a Mathews Q2 I already bought - but truthfully I want to shoot trad - I love it. But I will not continue to wound/lose/miss like I have the past 2 years. Its unacceptable in my hunting world.
That said ....... the last two shots were both killing shots - with a compound. The impact, angle of arrow = dead deer, but my 52# longbow and 525 gr arrows wasn't enough to get it done IMO.
58# recurve, 625-650 arrows ....... that will bring more to the table, and an added mental feeling that hey, with this bow, I CAN do it.
I know that might sound stupid but I don't know what else to do. Well, I DO know what else, and its a Mathews Q2 I already bought - but truthfully I want to shoot trad - I love it. But I will not continue to wound/lose/miss like I have the past 2 years. Its unacceptable in my hunting world.
