Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Considering bowhunting--cost breakdown for gear? Challenges?

Hey all,

I am in the midwest (spend most of my time in MN or WI). I'm currently in grad school and anticipate being here for the next... 4 years? Maybe longer if I decide to go PhD. I wouldn't define myself as an outdoorsman, although spending time outside is certainly something I enjoy (I try to do a Boundary Waters wilderness canoe trip once a year, try to squeeze in a weekend of grouse hunting in the fall, always make time for MN and WI rifle openers, and squeeze in ice fishing and regular fishing if I have time and friends willing to go with). However, these past few years, spending time outside has become something that I value more and more--breathing fresh air, seeing nature's beauty, etc. to me is much more exciting than sitting inside and playing video games or watching TV. I have done quite a bit of reading on hunting and am considering getting into bow hunting.

I work 20-30 hours per week (depends on my school schedule) while in school, so getting time off for hunting/fishing is kind of a pain. One of my motivations for getting into bow hunting (besides enjoying spending time outside) is that the seasons seem to be EARLIER and LONGER than rifle seasons. That means that I could go on a vacation in late August, to, say, SD to hunt pronghorn, or maybe further west and hunt elk. Having been in school for the last 5 years and now with more in the pipeline, I'd like to squeeze in hunting opportunities where I can so I don't regret it when I'm older!

Oh yeah, it also seems like I could hunt pretty much wherever (general gist that I've gotten is that most landowners are much more willing to give permission to a guy if he's a bowhunter and not rifle hunter, AND most cities allow bow hunting within city limits whereas they would restrict rifle hunting). I live in a metro area and it seems like the city & surrounding suburbs all have a bow hunting season for deer in public parks/private property.

That being said... What kind of costs is a guy looking at to get into bow hunting? I have some "OK" camouflage for deer hunting (Cabela's wooltimate windshear top and bottom), but I'm guessing I'd want something that isn't quite as warm during Aug/Sept/Oct. I did buy myself a nice rifle for graduation from college (a new Winchester model 70), but the reading I've done on bow hunting suggests that bows do not retain their value anywhere nearly as well as rifles. I'm guessing I'd be best off purchasing a used bow.

Aaand, last, but not least, what sort of considerations would a novice hunter need to be aware of for bow hunting? I read a lot about bow hunters spotting game and needing to close down the distance to ~50 yards or less to be reasonably sure about hitting and penetrating the target. I've also read that bow guys can be very anal about scent control. Am I missing anything else? Any general advice for bow hunting besides practice, practice, practice?

Hey - welcome to the forum. Best thing I'd do first is to find a good archery Pro Shop in your area, where you can shoot several different models and brands of bows. You'll find some bows, like rifles, won't quite "feel" right, and you can get an idea of what you want to shoot without the stress of wondering if you bought the right bow for you. Most of us will suggest a Pro Shop over the local box store based on our experience with the staffs and knowledge of their product.

Initial expenses, and JMO:

Bow - $200 up to $1K (bow prices are hard to predict, but used bows lose value fast, much more than rifles unless you have the right buyer)
Arrows - $60-$150 (cheap arrows usually fly like cheap ammo groups)
Broadheads - $25 - $40 for 3 broadheads, most buy additional practice heads, so $25 more
Sight - $60 - $120+ (quality durable sights with good fiber and easy adjustments can be expensive)
Quiver - $60
Release - $50 - $75

And a bow case is good to put it all in...another $50-$150 invested.

You can find bargain on all of the above and used items on Archery Talk, the quivers, bow cases, and sights don't usually wear out. You are looking for gear at a good time, as the seasons get later, the better gear deals are starting to appear.

You are probably going to be looking at a treestand investment as well, the urban areas don't usually like ground hunting, at least not in VA. I'd look at the camo wardrobe last...sounds like you have th basics covered. If you are chasing deer and elk, yeah, scent control is a factor.

Archery rule of thumb is the nine "9" inch circle, if you can keep your arrows (~3 shots) in the circle, you are at your max range. Most of us won't shoot over 40 yards, many are shooting much less than that range. Will depend on your practice habits, tuning set-up (Pro Shop), and the ability you gain over time.

Used bow

Shoot 10/20 yards more during practice then you would shoot on a animal

Any bow with a decent arrow weight and sharp broadhead will kill a deer.

The faster IBO will let you shoot flatter, which is better for those long range shots.

Shoot from odd number ranges... 33 yards, 17 yards, 52 yards. Don't shoot from 20, 30, 40... you get it.

Shoot from uncomfortable positions, I guarantee you will in the field.

Draw back and stay at full draw as long as you can, practice waiting for the right shot.

Don't try and use too much draw weight, find what is comfortable to you and rock on.

Think 64guy pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Find a good archery shop (not always easy) and get fitted properly, costs will usually be higher but if you find a good shop/help than spend the little extra there and help them out so they can help you out.

Archery talk is a great site for picking up equipment.

Another thing added is a portable stand or two and if you're limited to public land I believe most places you're not supposed to use screw in pegs.

Not many good trees for climbers her in the Midwest, but that's up to you and your tree choices.

Otherwise look for a good light weight/quiet as possible portable stand if you're hunting public ground. I mainly have cheaper stands, but leave them up over the season on private land with screw in steps. Have four out currently, have one more in the garage but really need to invest in some better/lighter ones as one of these days I'm going to break my neck hanging some of them up.

On the tree stand subject, my girl friends brother in law started using a tree saddle this year and while I haven't spoken to him about using it yet, he did take a real nice buck this year.


That's another thing worth some strong consideration (good safety harness)


Good Luck, it's a great sport

and don't think 50 yards is workable just because folks do it on TV... think much closer IMHO. You have to do a lot of shooting to get 50 yard proficient AND learn how to read the animals etc... hitting an orange at 50 yards ain't hard... making sure the "orange" you aim at hasn't moved while the arrow is in flight is a bit harder....

AH64 nailed it, but I'll offer up what I can.

I'm fairly new to bowhunting; I started the summer of 2011. I got a used bow (Mathews Switchback) that had everything I needed except arrows and broadheads. It was a steal at $350, but you could probably find one now for close to that price. If you've got the time/money to take an elk hunting vacation, you can afford to bow hunt.

I am a full-time grad student with a full-time job, and, like you said, finding time is a pain in the ass. Since you know you'll have to put in a lot of practice, try to find somewhere close to home to fling arrows. You'll save a lot of time if you can find somewhere within walking distance to practice.

Your time in the woods will be limited and you'll need to get any advantage you can. If you're hunting public land, try getting some hunts in during the week in the early season. The sun comes up early enough in September/October for you to get a 2-hour hunt in before going to work/school at 9. You'll definitely avoid the crowds. Also, get familiar with your stand if it's a climber. You should be able to set it up blindfolded. This will come in handy on these early mornings by keeping your entry quiet.

As far as camo goes, you'll be fine if you have a long-sleeve shirt, pants, and old tennis shoes. I like tennis shoes for bow season because I can move through the woods more quietly. If you want to try hunting from the ground, you might want to get a ghillie suit.

When trying to figure out what your effective range is, exercise and shoot your bow. Shoot it, work out, shoot it. I shake like crazy when I get a chance to shoot a deer, but I also practice getting calmed down. Shooting right after working out will teach you to control your breaths and focus on your form. The distance where your groups are unacceptable(>6 inches)will be your maximum range for deer.

Most importantly, just go hunt. Find an excuse to do it.

Another thought - and another point for finding a Pro Shop local...buying a new bow thru the Internet may void the warranty - mostly an EBay issue. Make sure you are buying from an authorized dealer, I learned the hard way that a new bow sale isn't always covered.

Example: Mathews bows must be purchased from a dealer, no Internet sales allowed on new bows. Yes, you'll see them for sale on the web, but be wary that the warranty may not be valid.

The Switchback is great starter, and the newer S2 is a good value as well, more good points made above.

Good Point... I've been archery hunting 20 years now, have practice a lot up to 50 yards and am/can be quite proficient at 50 yards.

Whole different story in the woods, much more comfortable 20-25 yards. Hate less than 10 yard shots. Did take one buck that at 42 yards which is my longest kill shot on a white tail, actually missed the same buck at less than 5 yards.



Always be prepared for another shot as well, I've taken two bucks that I screwed up the first shot with a 2nd arrow.



There's also nothing wrong with a 4-5 year old bow these days if you can find a deal on one, my personal opinion is they haven't changed that much in the last 5-6 years to really justify that hefty prices the bows are at now.

Not saying the newest/greatest aren't nice, but just not that big of a difference in performance versus a few years ago.


I'm using a Diamond Black Ice that I think I'm on my 5th season with, really have no desire to change to anything else. Does what I need it to do and I shoot it well.

I hunt on the ground mostly these days. All I can say about a 10 yard or less shot, its gravy and I'll certainly take it if I can get it. The only issue is drawing the bow, but in a good pop up or ground blind etc.... its not an issue.

I hate 18 yards. Seems like thats the distance I've had more arrows ducked, bad hits etc... happen at for some reason.

OTOH I've had some really good luck at arou nd 25 yards when I was still taking shots that long...

I don't much shoot past about 15 steps these days, just wait if its not right.


The overall issue I see here, a gun takes work to learn to shoot right and become confident. A bow takes many multiples of that time. And looks like time with a working student, is about the least thing he has.