Need help

[countryboy123]

Hey everybody i need some help i am new to bow hunting but not to rifles or shotguns i want to know if you need a different mind set? are you supposed to hunt from a tree or does it matter? What can you hunt with a bow? what is the best draw weight? thanks!:gunsmilie:

[hunterbobb]

Welcome to the forums. Those are a lot of questions to answer.

Some of the simple answeres are in my opinion Bow hunting is all about scent control. (Except with turkeys cause they can't smell.) You have to get close to your target. So look into scent control products. Do some research and buy what seems logical to you. I wash my clothes in scent free soap and then they go into a special scent eliminator bag. I shower with scent free soap. I chew gum that eliminates scent from your breath. Supposedly 80% of your scent comes out your mouth. I don't know if it's true but I believe it.

You can hunt from a tree or from the ground it is up to you and depends somewhat on what you are hunting.

Whitetail deer is probably the most popular animal hunted with a bow. Turkey and Black bear would probably be next. Then there is Elk, Cariboo, Antelope, Fish and others. If you can hunt it, someone has shot it with a bow. I have even seen guys bow hunting for upland birds.

I guess 50 lbs is the average draw weight for a hunting bow. Make sure you practice and you should be able to keep all your arrows on a 9" paper plate at what ever range you plan to hunt at.

Good luck you have a lot of work to do. Bowhunting takes much more commitment to the sport than hunting with a rifle or a shotgun.

:gun2:

[Tominator]

Yep, good advice there. Watch the wind more than anything. You have to get pretty close to your game when you bowhunt, typically within 30 yards. There are some things like movement and scent that you can get away with when hunting with a gun, that you can't do when you're bowhunting. Overall, bowhunting is more challenging IMHO.

Welcome aboard.

[countryboy123]

Thanks guys that helped alot! And I will look into scent control.:disolve::disolve::disolve:

[redkneck]

Welcome to the forums.... where you from?

[countryboy123]

Walker county georgia. You?

[Doc]

Hey everybody i need some help i am new to bow hunting but not to rifles or shotguns i want to know if you need a different mind set?

A different mindset from a firearms hunter? ....... yes indeed. The biggest difference that I can think of is getting used to the idea that bowhunting is all about distance. Yes, under extreme cases, you had to worry about distance with your rifle and shotgun, but never to the extent that you will with a bow. The prime change in mindset is the emphasis on the need to get close (REAL close). You will find that your knowledge of whatever animal you are hunting becomes an essential ingredient that is the most important part of your efforts. With a bow you cannot shoot what you cannot get close to. And you cannot get close to any wild animal that you don't have an extreme intimate knowledge of. So the first thing you need to work on is not necessarily what bow you should get, but what knowledge and tactics will allow you to get as close as possible to whatever it is you intend to hunt. That is the major mindset difference between a bowhunter and a firearms hunter.

Another difference in mindset is the understanding of how an arrow works as opposed to a bullet or slug. Arrows have no "knock-down" power. Their killing theory is based completely on lacerating vital arteries and organs so as to cause as much lethal bleeding as possible. Shock-power has no importance in bow hunting. So the ability to place an arrow in the proper and exact kill zone will make the difference between a humane quick kill or a wounding loss. That's not to say that you needn't worry about such things with firearms hunting, but the exactness is certainly more critical with a bow.

A third mindset difference is in the way you view the element of challenge. Those that have taken up the bow, do so primarily with the idea that they are purposefully putting the odds more in favor of the animal for the purpose of feeling a greater sense of accomplishment when they are successful. This means that a lot of the high-tech harvesting equipment is being left behind in favor of a weapon that requires a higher degree of skill in the area of hunting abilities and shooting disciplines. true, if you look at today's modern archery equipment, you have to wonder about this idea of forsaking high-tech equipment. But as space age as the most exotic of archery equipment appears, it is still not even close to being a match for even the cheapest rifle.

With even the highest tech, wildest looking compound bow and accessories, there still are the same basic requirements of archery to master as there have been for centuries. Their are physical disciplines that an archer must train his body for. There is a required consistancy of form that is required for shooting even the most exotic of today's bows. There are specific muscles that will have to be developed. You will need to become aware of how to properly execute such things as stance, anchor, back tension, follow-through, head position, and all of these things will have to be done with perfect repetition and consistancy. These are all things that no rifle shooter is ever confronted with. Some of these things are extremely difficult to master and any one of them can cause an awful lot of trouble. You will also find that success with a bow will require extensive practice (not that firearms do not require some practice), but because all of the above mental and physical disciplines need to become second nature and flawless, archery practice is even more demanding and important.

So all these demands of bowhunting do require changes in mindset. Bowhunters purposefully create challenging hunting environments that require thattheir emphasis be put on much different things than firearms hunters. That in itself is a major mindset change and is what the basic essence of bowhunting is really all about.

Doc

[RangerClay]

Another difference in mindset is the understanding of how an arrow works as opposed to a bullet or slug. Arrows have no "knock-down" power. Their killing theory is based completely on lacerating vital arteries and organs so as to cause as much lethal bleeding as possible. Shock-power has no importance in bow hunting. So the ability to place an arrow in the proper and exact kill zone will make the difference between a humane quick kill or a wounding loss. That's not to say that you needn't worry about such things with firearms hunting, but the exactness is certainly more critical with a bow.

Another mindset that falls into this catagory. Be in the mindset to let a monster buck walk. For example, the buck of a lifetime is suddenly standing near you. Before you can get a shot, it starts to walk away. A poor bowhunter may let common sense go out the window and make a poor shot. Now you have possibly lost this animal forever. A rifle hunter with a scope could possible put a shot in the back of that deers head. A bowhunter has to know his limitations.

[countryboy123]

Thanks guys yaw really helped

[earnhardts12000]

alot different then gun huntin alot closer i shot my 7 point 2 yrs ago on ground in middle of swamp at 7 yrds i've shot deer out to 40 yrds its all bout wind and shot selection i agree 50 pds about all need

[mikebohio]

wish i was on this sight 20 years ago could have saved myself alot of learning from my mistakes. what a knoledgeable group of people

[sskybnd]

A different mindset from a firearms hunter? ....... yes indeed. The biggest difference that I can think of is getting used to the idea that bowhunting is all about distance. Yes, under extreme cases, you had to worry about distance with your rifle and shotgun, but never to the extent that you will with a bow. The prime change in mindset is the emphasis on the need to get close (REAL close). You will find that your knowledge of whatever animal you are hunting becomes an essential ingredient that is the most important part of your efforts. With a bow you cannot shoot what you cannot get close to. And you cannot get close to any wild animal that you don't have an extreme intimate knowledge of. So the first thing you need to work on is not necessarily what bow you should get, but what knowledge and tactics will allow you to get as close as possible to whatever it is you intend to hunt. That is the major mindset difference between a bowhunter and a firearms hunter.

Another difference in mindset is the understanding of how an arrow works as opposed to a bullet or slug. Arrows have no "knock-down" power. Their killing theory is based completely on lacerating vital arteries and organs so as to cause as much lethal bleeding as possible. Shock-power has no importance in bow hunting. So the ability to place an arrow in the proper and exact kill zone will make the difference between a humane quick kill or a wounding loss. That's not to say that you needn't worry about such things with firearms hunting, but the exactness is certainly more critical with a bow.

A third mindset difference is in the way you view the element of challenge. Those that have taken up the bow, do so primarily with the idea that they are purposefully putting the odds more in favor of the animal for the purpose of feeling a greater sense of accomplishment when they are successful. This means that a lot of the high-tech harvesting equipment is being left behind in favor of a weapon that requires a higher degree of skill in the area of hunting abilities and shooting disciplines. true, if you look at today's modern archery equipment, you have to wonder about this idea of forsaking high-tech equipment. But as space age as the most exotic of archery equipment appears, it is still not even close to being a match for even the cheapest rifle.

With even the highest tech, wildest looking compound bow and accessories, there still are the same basic requirements of archery to master as there have been for centuries. Their are physical disciplines that an archer must train his body for. There is a required consistancy of form that is required for shooting even the most exotic of today's bows. There are specific muscles that will have to be developed. You will need to become aware of how to properly execute such things as stance, anchor, back tension, follow-through, head position, and all of these things will have to be done with perfect repetition and consistancy. These are all things that no rifle shooter is ever confronted with. Some of these things are extremely difficult to master and any one of them can cause an awful lot of trouble. You will also find that success with a bow will require extensive practice (not that firearms do not require some practice), but because all of the above mental and physical disciplines need to become second nature and flawless, archery practice is even more demanding and important.

So all these demands of bowhunting do require changes in mindset. Bowhunters purposefully create challenging hunting environments that require thattheir emphasis be put on much different things than firearms hunters. That in itself is a major mindset change and is what the basic essence of bowhunting is really all about.

Doc

couldnt have said it any better, pretty much sum's it up

[hunterwebb]

ya what every body say but the one thing they left out is the rush you get when you release the arrow it is unreal you cant compare it to pull a trigger i love it even on a doe your heart fells like it coming out of your chest

[Bob LeBlanc]

Bowhunting requires a higher degree of dedication, and attention to details...which pretty much sums up Doc's answer above.

I particularly like Doc's answer and RangerClay's...it is a hard thing to do to watch an animal walk away...but knowing your limitations, and adhering to them are paramount in being an ethical bowhunter.

But there ain't no drug that'll give you the 'high' a successful bowhunt gives you...the adrenaline rush will put a grown man on his knees.:tt1:

Bob

[Rhino]

The mindset issue sure has been covered very well here so I won't go into that except to say practice enough to where shooting form is automatic. When a deer steps into range your shooting form needs to be on autopilot. The emotions you will go through at the moment of truth (the rush) can be overwhelming to say the least.

Tominator touched on wind. Playing the wind is not just simply having the wind blowing away from in front of your stand. It's also having the wind blowing away from the direction you expect deer to approach from. Keep in mind where your scent cone is blowing because the further away it is from you stand, the winder the area your scent can be detected.

The more you learn about the general habits of the deer you're hunting, the more successful you'll be. Since you've been a firearm hunter, chances are you haven't paid much attention to early season deer patterns. Deer are more interested in food and security during the early season than anything else. Choose your stand sets for both including being between feeding and bedding areas. Before you do though, spend some preseason time learning the early season tendencies of the deer your hunting. Also, after getting a good feel for what those deer are doing, set up some stands before the season opens allowing enough time to pass for the deer to get over your disturbance from setting and preparing your stand sites. With that said though, scouting is an ongoing thing for bowhunters. Preferred natural food sources can change from week to week. Also simply watching deer from a stand will clue you into some new stand sets to consider or even have you moving a stand to adjust to the deer. As the season progresses toward rutting activity you will need to adjust for that change.

OK, let's talk about stands. Most of my bowhunting is from treestands but I also bowhunt from ground level too. Both are effective. Typically you are limited to hunting in 1 general direction at ground level. Why? Because you absolutely must have a full background to hide your silhouette when your hunting up close and personal with eye level deer. For that reason the vast majority of my ground level bowhunting is near field edges. BTW...there's nothing like being at eye level to deer when it comes to being up close and personal. To me it's a more intense rush. Treestand hunting is more versatile. It allows to to view a larger area along with the advantage of an aerial view. You can also have deer right under you without being detected. Obviously height is an advantage but you still need to use cover to hide your silhouette as much as possible.

I'm old school when it comes to ground hunting. By that I mean I've been making natural ground blinds and killing deer from them long before commercial blinds were made. I still do that. When using commercial blinds I believe they need to be set in advance and have some brush added around them to help them blend in allowing the deer some time to accept them as part of natural surroundings. How much time depends on how much human disturbance and hunting pressure there is where you hunt. The more time the deer have to get used to it the better but typically I'd say a week or so, especially if a blind is set after opening day.

Treestands basically come in 3 different types...climbers, hang on stands, and ladder stands. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Climbers are more versatile. They can easily be carried in with you to hunt from trees that are relatively straight. Their main disadvantages is the difficulty in picking trees with good cover and finding trees you can climb that aren't crooked or have large limbs below the height you need to be when hunting a spot. You will make more noise climbing a tree than you would with the other 2 types of stands. Ladder stands are easy to get in and out of silently. They can also utilize any available limbs for cover growing on a tree. Obviously you have more trees to pick from with a ladder. Their main disadvantages are they aren't very portable and typically they are not height adjustable. Hang on stands are height adjustable and can be used on almost any tree. A few feet one way or the other in height can make a big difference in being able to utilize the available cover. You can get in and out of hang on stands quietly. They can be carried in with you to hunt but require more time and effort than a climber to set up. I personally set mine up in advance but I'm not a spring chicken. I know guys that wag them in and out for every hunt. The main disadvatges of hang on stands is the gear you need to set them up. Along with a hang on stand you have to have a means to get in it. Depending on the tree you choose you may need a stick ladder, strap on type sticks, screw in steps, or a combination of any of them. Even though I'm getting up in age, I still prefer hang on stands for bowhunting over other types. I use all 3 types though. Most hunters choose their treestands based on cost...I don't. The most important thing to me is comfort. The more comfortable I am the less movement I'll make and the more apt I am to stay in the stand longer. I'd rather have 3 comfortable stands than 5 that aren't. I have a lot more than that. When I hit the road going to the midwest to bowhunt I carry 1 climber and 3 hang on stands.

Whole chapters in books have been written on stand position strategies for bowhunting. I won't go into that or I'd be here for hours. Stick around...as we get closer to bow season there will be a lot of dicussions about picking stand sites here.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Rhino