Bow for deer

[jscusmcvet]

Hey all, I am an experienced rifle hunter for white tail deer. I am looking to also incorporate bow hunting this season, as the season is much longer and I would get an early start. I also like the perceived simplicity of the bow. Years ago I built a self bow and had fun shooting it, although it did eventually break. I am looking for some advice on proper outfitting, especially on what to look for in a bow. I lean heavily towards the traditional side, so if you have experience with long bows, recurves and the like I am happy to listen to your advice.

Thanks,

John

 

[robert]

I used to use a Jeffery Quick Take Down recurve. Nothing fancy to it; 54lb draw with a three arrow quiver on a detachable side mount, string silencers and an arrow rest. It worked just fine if I could keep from getting fidgety which I tend to do after about two hours. I gave it to a friend of mine who bow hunts after I broke my left arm for the second time (motorcycle wreck). You don't need a ton of fancy gear but it does require more practice to be proficient with it. You also don't need a heavy pull to stick a pointy stick in a deer, just realize your range will be slightly less or your holdover slightly greater with the reduced draw weight. My only other gear was an arm guard and a finger tab.

 

[jscusmcvet]

Thanks Robert. In researching I see that here in North Carolina there is a 40# draw weight minimum. So I am on the "hunt" for something. Looks like I can pick something up relatively inexpensive off ebay or craigslist. I appreciate your comment.

John

 

[JWP58]

Are you open to compounds?

 

[jscusmcvet]

Are you open to compounds?

I am not opposed to compounds at all. Just figured if I was headed in the bow direction I would go with something traditional. Why do you ask?

 

[JWP58]

Just curious, I know many are fanatical about traditional bows and bow hunting.

I'll tell you, whatever you want you can probably find it used on archerytalk.com for a good price. I just picked up a barely used 2013 PSE DNA for 450....thing is screaming fast!

 

[jscusmcvet]

Thanks I will check it out.

 

[Jerry Ward]

Hey John,
I've been a bowhunter for a few years now; strictly primitive and/or traditional. I've built several self-bows out of Osage Orange I harvested in the wild, constructed my own arrows from river cane, and knapped my own flint points. Not sure if you want to go that in depth, but I can tell you it's quite rewarding to harvest an animal using a weapon that was built using nothing but natural materials and your own sweat and blood. That being said, I have also killed deer with more "traditional" tackle like commercial built recurves and cedar shaft arrows with steel points. Still a very rewarding experience and a worthy venture in my opinion.
My heaviest bow is an Osage recurve- 42# at 28"; plenty of power for the average whitetail. I pack light; bow, red fox quiver slung over my back with 6 arrows tops, possibles bag with water bottle, IFAK, a few snacks, and a couple of survival goodies should I end up spending the night out. A finger tab and wrist guard round out my gear.
Be forewarned-shooting traditional and primitive archery tackle is addictive as you probably found out with your own self bow. Those rifles may sit in the safe collecting dust after you harvest your first animal. There are a couple of decent magazines on the newstand that I recommend; Traditional Archer and Primitive Archer. Both are great and packed with all sorts of useful information. Take care and good luck, Jerry

 

[zimm]

Practice practice practice. Bow is closing in fast and you don't wanna be one of those guys that sticks them in the leg.

 

[jscusmcvet]

Hey guys. I did pick up and older Bear compound. Just got a good enough deal on it to go with it rather than what I first had in mind. I have been following the advice of practicing and am good right now in a 10" circle out to 15 yards. May or may not hunt with it this year but am having a lot of fun with it right now. Thanks for the input.

John

 

[Jerry Ward]

Good luck John and keep us posted! Jerry

 

[vtlogger]

Bob Lee Bows .. I've used them for years

 

[jscusmcvet]

Good luck John and keep us posted! Jerry

Thanks Jerry. Tonight I took "bold" steps. I removed the quiver (stupid to mount on the bow itself in my opinion) and the sights. See I learned to shoot (as bad as I am) on my home made self bow... no sights, just a nock (sp?) and a rest. Result?
Better consistency. Sight by focusing on target (clear) and sighting down fuzzy arrow. I realize this may not work past a certain distance, but at 15 yards it is yielding more consistency. I am not trying to be SUPER bowman... I am trying to be a good enough shot to hunt. Thoughts for me?

John

 

[Jerry Ward]

Hey John! Sounds like you are leaning towards a more instinctive style of shooting. I do the same. Rather than worry about a regimen of proper stance, consistent anchor point, sights and other tech that are OK for targets; instinctive shooting is a more natural way to hunt with the bow. It's also the way our ancestors shot; very fluid and in tune with the natural environment. I recommend a little stump shooting. Grab your bow and a few cheap arrows with field points. Just like an afternoon plinking with the .22, walk around and safely shoot at random objects at unknown ranges. This will help you develop real skills at shooting critters in the field. Regardless of what the books and other folks say, the only thing that matters in the end is if you can hit what your aiming at. Good luck and God Bless, Jerry

 

[jscusmcvet]

Hey John! Sounds like you are leaning towards a more instinctive style of shooting. I do the same. Rather than worry about a regimen of proper stance, same anchor point, sights and other tech that are OK for targets; instinctive shooting is a more natural way to hunt with the bow. It's also the way our ancestors shot; very fluid and in tune with the natural environment. I recommend a little stump shooting. Grab your bow and a few cheap arrows with field points. Just like an afternoon plinking with the .22, walk around and safely shoot at random objects at unknown ranges. This will help you develop real skills at shooting critters in the field. Regardless of what the books and other folks say, the only thing that matters in the end is if you can hit what your aiming at. Good luck and God Bless, Jerry

Great idea Jerry. And yes I agree the only goal is to hit something. I am amazed at all the tech stuff that is available for a bow. To each his own I guess. Thanks for the stump idea.

John