might get into bow hunting, help please!

[Stumpy]

i might get into bow hunting so i can take advantage of some public hunting lands and earlier deer seasons and such. any tips? picking the right bow? equipment needed? way to get started? i want an inexpensive bow that i can get started with and take to hunt deer, turkey, hogs, etc. im VERY new to archery and bow hunting.

 

[texas1willy2]

Find out your draw length before you buy a bow, stop by a bow shop ask question get fitted etc. Then make sure to get the right arrows to go with the bow, the shafts are different sizes, lengths and stiffness.

If I was going to try and save money I might look for a used bow. Recurve would be another option no sights or extra stuff just bow, arrows, broad heads and tab.

 

[robin303]

I had all my arrows cut down to fit me. You will like the compound bow. Do you have any idea how much you got to practice. It took me a couple years. Very fun sport.

 

[fnmedallion]

if and when you get fitted out the one thing is smell

 

[MR Redneck]

i might get into bow hunting so i can take advantage of some public hunting lands and earlier deer seasons and such. any tips? picking the right bow? equipment needed? way to get started? i want an inexpensive bow that i can get started with and take to hunt deer, turkey, hogs, etc. im VERY new to archery and bow hunting.

Go to Brush Mountain in Odessa. He is a bow expert and has lots of them in there. He will let you try em out to see what you like.
I wouldnt hunt hog's with a bow unless you have a big handgun on your hip.
Deer, you get the bets of the season. Turkey, I never did that but good luck.
About the only thing I would bow hunt for is deer. Hogs dont have a season so you can shoot them with anything, anytime, day or night.
Turkey are hard to hunt as it is, so a bow would require very good hunting skills.
Dont rule out crossbows. I plan on getting myself one before long.

 

[Stumpy]

Go to Brush Mountain in Odessa. He is a bow expert and has lots of them in there. He will let you try em out to see what you like.

ill do that. what do you think of Tejas Shooting Sports? should i check that place out as well?
and what about gun sport ltd? its been quite a while since ive been in there, and i cant remember if they have archery equipment or not.

 

[MR Redneck]

ill do that. what do you think of Tejas Shooting Sports? should i check that place out as well?
and what about gun sport ltd? its been quite a while since ive been in there, and i cant remember if they have archery equipment or not.

I couldn't say because I never been there. I dont think their much of a hunting type place. Brush mountain has a lot of hunting stuff and over half of their store is compound bows.

 

[steelfish]

Get a bow that feels good to you. Don't worry about the name or anything like that. I started out with a Hoyt PowerHawk and I love that bow. It's a great bow and is not to expensive. The most important thing is to get the bow set up for your body. I would go to a good archery shop that has been around for a while and let them measure your draw and get you set up. Next is practice, practice and then practice some more. Dont worry about how much weigh you are pulling at first. Pull a weight that is comfortable for you to draw back. Their are lots of guys that hunt with bows set below 60lbs and they do just fine. I made the mistake when I first got into archery of thinking I needed to pull as much weight as possible. My accuracy and ability to draw back smoothly and quietly while hunting suffered greatly. I finally lowered the pull on my bow down to something I could handle and it makes shooting much more enjoyable. You will get a lot of different opinions about bows and equipment but it all comes down to what works for you and what is comfortable to you. Good luck once you get started shooting a bow you will love it.

 

[Kyle]

The biggest deal with accuracy in a bow is the feel and balance. I am fond of Parker bows, they are low on bells and whistles and high on feel for me. plus the price is right. ive been bow hunting since I was 16 and just shooting bow since I was 12. some people have an easy time with it, other people have a hard time. for hunting I set my pins a 20 40 and 60 yards but if you are just starting out you are safest at 15 25 35 yard pin sets (compound bow of course) I like carbon fiber arrows, light and fast, I run muzzie broadheads, the have a wide cut to them and cause a ton of damage (I have had no runners yet!...*knocks on wood*). GET THE BOW FITTED TO YOU, along with the arrows. practice practice practice, dont go too heavy on the draw weight you only need 40lbs to kill a deer at 30 yards, I run about 65, I can hold it all day and there is no struggle to get it back. get a bow with a good percentage of drop off so when you pull back you are only holding a small percentage of the total weight of pull. makes those crucial moments easier when the deer turns and looks at you while you attempt to not move. There is no better feeling than taking a deer with a bow!

 

[Texasjack]

Bows take LOTS of practice. Also, there are BIG differences in trajectory if you are shooting up or down. (There are special 'pins' to compensate, but that takes some work too.)

Lots of fun - and you may be able to set up to practice at home with a really good backstop.

When you actually go to hunt, be sure to take an extra bow string. Friend of mine when hunting hogs. He put out some good, smelly corn (soaked in beer a few days) and could hear the pigs coming as he climbed up in his stand. Got his first arrow out and - {twang!} - cut the string with the arrowhead. One of the hogs actually scratched it's butt on the ladder to his tree stand and all he could do was sit there and fume.

 

[eagles_405]

Another place to get some great information, and where I learned a lot about bow hunting is Texasbowhunter.com. my best suggestion is get your draw length measured and then shoot alot of different bows and get which ever feels best to you. You can save alot of money by getting a used bow BUT you have to be VERY careful about checking the limbs or get a pro to check it to make sure there is no damage from dry firing it. hope this helps and there is nothing like shooting a critter up close and personal with a bow. It is lots of Fun!