TBH2012 Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 I am new to bowhunting, this upsoming deer season will be my first in fact. Are there any hints and tips y'all would like to give out? Thanks, Dustin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse555 Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Practice practice practice! Scout as much as possible also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Welcome to the forums both of you! Best advice I can give is to find someone to mentor you a bit. Get a shooting buddy and you will gain invaluable help with your form, equipment, shooting advice, shot placement, and so much more. You don't need to spend a ton of cash on equipment either, just a well tuned set-up and you'll be ready to smack one and be hooked for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBH2012 Posted May 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Rookie Bowhunting Awesome, thank y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 1st...Welcome to the forums. I assume you're aleready a firearm deer hunter but bowhunting is an up close and personal hunting experience so like John (redkneck) said...find a mentor and pick his brain with any questions you have. Practice to the point where your form and follow through is automatic. When the moment of truth arrives with a deer in your shooting range emotions run high so your shooting form needs to be on auto pilot. When you've determined what your self imposed max distance is, pratice shooting from odd ranges so you'll know where your bow hits at those distances. Deer rarely present shot opportuities at distances that are exactly where your pins are set. Now for scouting...scout sneeky and scout smart. You will certainly disturb deer some with your scouting but the less disturbance you make the better. If you can glass areas from a distance great. That will certainly clue you into stand placement spots. In the woods I personally prefer to hunt pinch points/funnels and hubs where multiple trails constrict movement to smaller area. If you have trail cameras use them as tools. They certainly help with IDing specific deer and activity but keep in mind they have their limtations so don't give up on a good potential spot based on trail cam hits. Hanging stands...When bowhunting I prefer hanging stands in positions that offer cover. It will help if you have to slowly move to position yourself for a shot. If you have to trim some limbs for lanes it's best to do it well in advance of hunting season if you can. If you hang stands during the season it's best to keep your lane trimming to a minimum. When choosing stand spots in the woods it's best not to set your stand right on top of a trails. Back off a bit. Determine what your predominant wind is and have mutliple stand options for that wind. Be prepared to hunt all wind conditions but I prefer having more options for whatever the predominant wind direction is for an area. Also resist hunting a stand when the wind is not right for it. There will be many more bowhunting topics discussed as we get closer to the season. Stick around and you'll have the opportunity to learn a lot more when more bowhunters are active in the forum. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailfreak55 Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Welcome to the forums! Like they said practice get comfortable with your setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacon Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Rookie Bowhunting Also new, looking forward to the info posted here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailfreak55 Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Welcome and I forgot to mention scent control is a big deal too every little bit helps when bowhunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Also new, looking forward to the info posted here I am new to bowhunting, this upsoming deer season will be my first in fact. Are there any hints and tips y'all would like to give out? Thanks, Dustin to both of you... welcome to the forums! there's a ton of information out there. you may find conflicting information, but that's because different people use equipment and location setups that has worked for them. you never stop learning tips and tactics, as well as new bowhunting gadgets. just remember to keep things simple. things happen while bowhunting just as quick as when gun hunting and most of the time quicker. simple setups in equipment and other stuff allow less things to go wrong and make for less things you have to think about during the moment when your trophy is spotted. ...but yea scout smart, don't cut corners on what you think you should do, and practice a lot. 3D shoots are great practice too. GOOD SOURCES OF INFO BELOW a show i like and feel teaches you a ton from scouting in the summer to tagging a nice buck (click on videos > main show... Bill Winke does more teaching in the main show opposed to the others which are also good hunting wise).... MW-OffSeason12.15: The Idiot-Proof Bow | Midwest Whitetail the last one is a good one that talks about a simple bow setup for hunting. there's drop down links to the right of "Other Videos" that let you view past season's episodes. to learn more about deer behavior to help you bowhunt them successfully, for a book, i recommend Charles Alsheimer: Store: Books (charles alsheimer's Strategies for Whitetails). it's not just another book telling you the simple stuff you may already know. there's a lot of good info in there based on research and real findings not Joe hunters opinion or wives tale beliefs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted May 31, 2012 Report Share Posted May 31, 2012 Practice and more practice...find a 3D course to go shoot on...find someone to go out with you shooting, hunting, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Welcome aboard. Watch the wind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted June 3, 2012 Report Share Posted June 3, 2012 Rookie Bowhunting Pretty simple rule. Don't force a shot. If you cannot make the shot 95% of the time in practice do not take the shot the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowhunter97 Posted June 5, 2012 Report Share Posted June 5, 2012 (edited) welcome to the forums but i didnt see anyone talk about patients so i will. I have been bow hunting for about 3 years and i got my first one with a bow last year. So i will say patients is key. You dont want to rush the shot. There is just as much room for error in bow hunting as gun hunting and to be honest there is more room. So just stay calm focus on the shot just like you would a gun. Wait for the opportunity; just like gun hunting. And remember you can put a bullet in more places than an arrow. So for example pretend a deer stops behind a bush 30 yards away and there is a small hole in the bush you could get a bullet in. That doesnt mean you can make a bow with that shot. You have arc to deal with. So wait for the deer to present a good shot. Last thing is dont think the first deer you see will be you last. Granted it might be but its better to pass one up than wound it and not find it. So if you have to let the deer walk, do it. Hope this helps. Edited June 5, 2012 by bowhunter97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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