Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting How long have you been seriously shooting a bow?

Started with a Ben Pearson Ambusher in 1971.

Hey, I have one of those. Got another Browning too but can't remember the model name.

Reading about the bows used through the years is entertaining. I started with a used Ben Pearson compound. It had round eccentrics and fiberglass limbs that eventually split. Got a Pro-Line Typhoon XT (made in MI) and made my first bowkill with it. Then I shot it to pieces with too-light arrows trying to keep up with my buddy and his Jennings Carbon Extreme. So I bought my Darton Lightning (made in MI), the fastest bow on the market four years running. It is a beast in the hand but I killed a lot of deer with it. I still have it. Then, while shooting indoor winter 5-spot leagues, I stood next to a guy that was shooting an Oneida Aeroforce. I was intrigued with the unusual appearance and function of the bow, and I asked him to shoot it. It was MUCH smoother than my Darton and had 80%(!) letoff, so I determined that I must have one. So I got the Oneida (now made in MI) and killed a bunch of deer, punched a lot of spots, and stabbed a lot of 3-D foam with it. I still have it. It is an amazing machine. But the Oneida is rather long and quite heavy, so I determined I needed a shorter, lighter bow. I bought a Parker Buckhunter Pro. This is one of very few bows made at the time that had two cams instead of one. There were a couple cam-and-a-halfs around, but no dual cammers that I was aware of, although I understand they are coming back. I shot a few deer with the Parker, then I met-up with a friend that had a used Pro-Line Corsair (made in MI) for sale. I think it was one of Pro-Line's first single-cam models. I shot it and fell in love with it, so I paid him the $100 price and set it up for hunting. This bow has a riser with a set-back shelf, so no overdraw is required to shoot very short arrows. I tuned it for a 29-inch 2512 aluminum shaft with 100 grain heads. I don't know the precise velocity, but it is very fast. This is the bow I killed my buck with this year.

Somewhere in there a friend turned me on to traditional archery and I started buying and shooting recurves for fun. Then I got my first longbow, a Bear Montanna (formerly made in MI), and fell in love with it. I started shooting leagues and other competition with it, actually competing quite well. Eventually my confidence with the longbow increased to the point where I was comfortable hunting deer with it. The first buck I killed with it weighed 200 lbs dressed and scored 120 inches. He is the only shoulder mount I have and hangs on the living room wall. I have and have had other longbows, but that Bear Montanna is near and dead to my heart.

-

Some of these guys have some serious experience!
I got my first bow in 1985 at the age of 15, a PSE Laser. A couple months later I upgraded to a Bear Black Mag that had the wheels hanging down below the limbs on metal brackets. A lot of compounds and a couple of recurves thrown in for good measure over the years.
It is amazing how fast, quiet and efficient these new bows are compared to 20 years ago. What will the next 20 years bring?

PSE Laser... hey somewhere I still have 2 laser mags hanging....

Hotsoup, There's a Nomad Stalker on my sofa, about 12' away right now. It is still one of the smoothest short 'curves I've ever owned. I couldn't begin to count the deer I've taken with this bow.

I shoot it almost every day, to keep my callous in shape, I shoot it bare finger.

As to the original question, 40 years this spring.

I got my first bow a PSE Magnaflight X-Mas '91. It fit me terribly, but it's what I basically started out on.

First year hunting was '92. Think it was '94 when I got my first deer. I missed a few the following years. After college I wasn't able to hunt much for 3-4 years.

Jump to '01 and I really started getting into it and doing well and would say I finally got my act together.

The past six years, excluding this year because we don't have squat around for deer I've focused down to 1 or 2 deer and just hunted them. That's where I've had the most enjoyment trying to play guessing games and make our paths cross.

Back in 1987, I bought a new Oneida Screaming Eagle

IMO, these bows started the "need for speed" craze

Holy buckets, the list of "first bows" on this thread sounds like a reading of the archery equipment "Hall of Fame."

As for me, I have been shooting a bow for about 1/3rd of the time I have been breathing.

i started back prolly mid 70's with a bear compound. i think it had 4 wheels & shot 50-60#. i now own an older browning mag hunter which i've got for at least 12 years, maybe more. i took a deer with it 3 days ago.

Started with a Bear "Whitetail Hunter" when I was about 13 or so. I guess that means I have been shooting and bowhunting for 28 years or so. Wow that makes me feel old.

Been shooting stick bows since 1966.
Cat

Same age. That would make it 41 years. Recently went back to shooting recurves a bit - got a left hand Bear Grizzly in primo conditition for 5 bucks at a yard sale! Turns out, I'm still pretty good instinctively , with a recurve.

I bought a Hoyt Rambo in 1986 and tried it for a year. My friend who was into bowhunting moved and I quit. I bought a crossbow in 2004 and hated it. I got serious in 2007 and bought a Bowtech Allegiance, and now prefer bowhunting to gun hunting.

23 years for me

started with a high country sniper in 97 when i was 12. shot doe buck doe in 98, 99, 2000 only three years i hunted. picked it back up this year for turkey season and bought a used reflex. sittin in the stand now with it lol! guess i have some years to put on to contend with most of you!