Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Why do you bow hunt?

Yea, I know, a dumb question but would like to hear what was your real reason you got into it? For me it is a whole new challenge. I seem to have reached the goals of a firearms hunte (my opion) and am siked about getting close and personal or go without. I'm just nuts about all this new equipment to learn about. It is like a new frontier. 06

When I was a kid I could shoot the bow in the backyard a lot but not a gun and I learned about how to shoot that way. I learned to bowhunt as an adult. We can hunt in Oct. for deer and turkey with a bow and then in Nov. and Dec. with a rifle. I like archery and it extends the hunting season. I even hunt with a longbow now too besides the compound and like it a lot. Its a quicker draw and shot, less weight, and its even more focused on the animals than the compound bow. With the compound I'm focussing on pin, peep, form, then animal. With the longbow, I'm watching the animal the whole time.

06,<BR> I got into this sport the first time I got rejected for a deer tag. I was accustom to hunting every year, but to go a year without hunting deer, was going to kill me so I tried it. I am hooked for life now. I yet to bag a deer or elk with my bow, but I feel it is coming. I guess that is how I got into guiding, I just wanted to be in the outdoors. This gave me the opportunity to enjoy Gods gift and to help someone in the process. It also gave me a extended hunting season.<BR> Archery does give me a challenge and a different perspective on hunting so I am glad I took a chance and tried it.<P>86<BR>ps Javelina are fun to hunt with a bow.

ought six,<BR>I bowhunt for the challenge, native instincts(I'm part Cherokee), it's quieter, you get to see more animals, less expensive to shoot, longer hunting seasons and more animals available to hunt with a bow than a firearm.<BR> <BR>I feel at home with a bow in my hands. I've hunted with a number of different weapons, but always come back to archery. [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] <P>Good hunting, bowhunter57

I ain't a bow hunter but I couldnt resist telling you guys what my brother said about it.<P>"Them Indians woulda traded their arm, their leg, and their first born son for a good rifle. Now why would a sane man hunt deer with a sharp stick?" [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] <P>I used to hunt with a recurve, but never had enough confidence to try a shot. I sold the bow, and got into flintlock shooting. I may get a compound someday, but it's not very high on my list.<BR>7mm

You can deer with a bow in my part of the country from Oct. 1 through Feb. 28. That's enough reason to get started. I've been shooting recurves and longbows for 38 years. I tried to get the same feel with a compound but it never took hold for me. Most of my bow hunting buddies are all solo cam freaks. Nice bows. But for me, it's still the stick and string. <A HREF="http://www.buffalogapsports.com" TARGET=_blank>www.buffalogapsports.com</A>

i bowhunt because the adrenaline rush is awesome.

The main reason I bowhunt is to spend more time in the field chasing deer, rifle season in my state only lasts two weeks. The best places to hunt trophy deer in my state are closed to firearms hunting and have been for over 20 years. I live in one of the bowhunting only counties and hunters kill half a dozen or more P&Y whitetails every year. The archery state record buck was shot about 5 miles from my house, it scored over 170 P&Y points. Everytime I walk into the woods I have a chance at arrowing a monster. Can't think of a better reason than that.

A vary long, and good timed season (erly rut, biger deer). Mostly I do it becaus i can hunt more, but i do enjoy that it is a more chaliging sport. In my state(mass) you can hunt with bow during shotgun and muzzle loading seasons, and i know some people who do for the sport of if. I may this year becaous of a lack of a muzzle loader, but I will use a shotgun.

When I was 10 or so, I knew I wanted to hunt deer. The minimum age in Colorado then was 14 for big game, and so I began planning accordingly. Pretty soon I realized that in NO WAY were my folks (non-hunters) going to turn a 14 yearold kid loose with a highpowered rifle! Furthermore, they were not about to spring for one and quick math showed that I couldn't physically mow that many lawns.
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<br>Long story short, I bought a 50# Ben Pearson Recurve and a mess of broadheads at a yardsale for $15. I took hunters safety and bought a liscence. Couldn't hunt opening day 'cause of school but the second day of season I was there! Late that afternoon, I stalked and (miraculously) killed a forked horn muley at 15 paces with one arrow.
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<br>I was hooked!
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<br>Now, (15) years later, I hunt whenever I can. Rifle, shotgun, muzzle stuffer, and bow. Funny thing is, The bow is the most fun. And it's so fun because you can only take it so seriously sometimes.... Furthermore, the longer you stick with it, the better more diciplined hunter you'll be. And someday, that will pay BIG dividends!
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<br>ps. Never owned a compound, never will. It's just not for me. I'm having too much fun and too much success doing it this way. But archery and bowhunting-- no matter how you do it-- is that way!

Hey all !!!
<br>I'm new to this BB(first post). I'm new to computers(don't know what html is). I'm new to bowhunting(bought my first bow July '01) Please spare me some patience!!
<br>Why do I bowhunt?
<br>I think it is a natural progression for me. I began hunting quail and pheasants at age 11. Later, I got into turkey huntin'. A few years ago I bought a rifle and went deer hunting for the first time--pretty exciting but it lacks the up close encounters I enjoy when turkey hunting. I had been reading Bowhunter magazine for a couple of years, when I finally decided it was time to try something new. So, I went elk hunting for the first time last year. On the last day of the CO archery elk season, 4 1/2 hours after hearing my first bugle, I had a 6 point bull 30 yards below me. A cow called below and to my left. Using my turkey experience, I immediately called over the top of her. That bull came charging up out of there and stood less than 5 yards away!! I turned to draw. He busted me and down the mountain he went. Was I disappointed? No way!!!
<br>That was about the coolest thing I have ever witnessed with critters. What I like the most about it is the close encounter and the interaction with the animal. Just like turkey hunting I get to talk with the animals! Not only do I now get to hunt during the rut, but I will also have very little competition from other hunters. I feel like I have created a whole new world of opportunity--grunting at mule deer, rattling at whitetails, bugling at bulls, and this spring I will try to bag my first buck turkey with a bow!
<br>I am reading every thing I can about elk. I have made lists of things to do, things to buy, things to make, etc.
<br>I hope to be prepared like I never have been before.
<br>I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas!!
<br>I know there are a lifetime of close encounters and memories of such just waiting for me to experience them. I have finally found the true hunting spirit--or maybe it found me. Either way, I hope to experience what you all already have.
<br>And yes, ought six, having more toys to play with is a wonderful way to spend otherwise wasted time!!

I hunt with the bow only. I have no urge to pick up a rifle. Nothing against people that do, I just can't get interested in it. I think the main reason I hunt with a bow is because I want to get close to animals, time after time. I love the challenge, the pain, the smells, the sights, etc.....
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<br>I happen to hunt with a compound at this point. Looking for a long bow, and may switch, if I can get good enough. I'd like to post something that was posted on another forum. I just wish I could have stated this so well. Good reading:
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<br>"I was in Jackson last week on business. I took my wife with me and we spent a few hours walking through different shops. In one of the shops I saw a bow & arrows in a nice box with a glass cover. It had a very expensive price tag on it but I thought it was very intriguing, and ask my wife to take a look at it. I assumed that it was a replica of a bow made by an Indian. One of the sales people heard me tell my wife it was a replica, and interrupted me to inform me that it was a genuine product, and was not a replica. I have spent some time thinking about that since I saw it and it has helped me to realize something: Websters dictionary describes traditional as: "A practice passed on through generations". I have hunted with a recurve bow built by Ben Pearson in 1960 for more then 1/2 of my bowhunting career. I have watch archers and bowhunters for years at both state and national shoots, and I always check out the equipment being carried by every bowhunter I ever come across in the field. None of us can honestly say with a clear conscience that we are a traditionalist. There is truly nothing about the so called traditional equipment used by me or any other bowhunter in the field today that is worthy of being referred to as traditional. I would like to ask each of you as bowhunters to think about this, and lets totally drop the word traditional from our archery vocabulary. I know that won't be easy, but if we just quite allowing ourself to use this word, that is if nothing else a total disrespect to people who truly passed the heritage of bowhunting on to us, it would eventually go away. If we all spread the word we could actually eliminate this word from every aspect of archery, bowhunting, field, target, or 3D. It is my opinion that if this word did not exist in our archery world most of the contraversy on these threads could be eliminated. I don't want to step on anyones toes, and I'm not trying to ruffle feathers, but I believe this is the only way bowhunters will ever be united again. This one word is the cause of most cancer in bowhunting. As I have thought about this I realized that calling myself a traditionalist is truly serving no purpose other then to build my own ego with some kind of false understanding that I am more elite then someone else. I have realized that I am not traditional in any way to the heritage of bowhunting, and you won't find me thinking of myself or any other bowhunter as a traditionalist unless were packing a bow & arrows like the ones in the 3 foot case in Jackson. SH "

I first started because in Arkansas we have the longest bow season in the nation.
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<br>It starts October 1 and runs straight till February 28.
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<br>I kept doing it because its a challenge.

I love the quietness of the woods, and the up close and personal side of bowhunting. Besides it's allot harder to get to with in 20 to 30 yards of an animal than 100 yards or so. I would also have to say that I have never met a bowhunter that I didn't like but I have met some rifle hunters, well I will just leave it at that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I first began to bowhunt when I was when I was old enough to buy a tag. I have been shooting a bow since I can remember and just can't get enough. I like to practice and hunt. It's a challenge to me either way. Mostly elk hunting though. My dad took me out since I was old enough to keep up and be quiet.
I'm with RUTNUT on the rest. That first experience you have with a fired up bull (or any of the experieces) you are hooked. I love every day in the month of september and can't wait for it to be here again.
BowElkDwn

I took up archery and bowhunting 5 years ago because some friends were doing it, and I always thought I'd like archery... I'd hunted deer with a shotgun for 20 years or so, and between negative hunting experiences with so-called "hunters" on state land, and lack of opportunities, had pretty much lost interest in deer hunting... Well, bowhunting sure turned THAT around!!! I started seeing more deer than I ever had, and getting some close shots, to boot... The opportunities I get during bow season are unbelieveable - I get a whole month head start on the gun hunters, and have the pre-rut, and most of the rut to myself...

Since taking up bowhunting, I've learned more in those 5 years than I did in the previous 20, and have become a MUCH better hunter as a result... During that time, my bow has put more meat in the freezer than all my guns combined - I also hunt with a shotgun, rifle, pistol, and muzzleloader - so that's saying something... I see deer almost every time out during bow season - not so during gun season... And the close up encounters certainly are a RUSH!!! I've shot a handful of deer inside of 10 yards, and took a nice 6 pointer at 5 YARDS!!! The only reason it was that far, was because I had to let him get away from the tree I was in before I got a decent shot angle - he was working a branch on the tree I was in!!! That was really something...

It is nice to be hunting without hearing other people shooting up the woods - alot of gun "hunters" don't seem to realize that one well placed slug will put more meat in the freezer than the "spray and pray" method... The peace and quiet during bow season is nice...

- georgestrings

Let's see, Why do I Bowhunt? Well it's because Bowhunting is Real Hunting not like Rifle where if you can see it you can kill it. Bowhunting is quiet, up close and personal besides if you can become a good Bowhunter Gun hunting is a snap. Now before everyone wants to hang me to a tree, I have been a hangun and rifle hunter for years but Bowhunting, to me is the most enjoyable way to hunt. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I got into bow hunting when I was growing up in AR. Longest bow season in the nation, and it was fun to be able to shoot every day. I gave it up after joining the military, but when we got to MT in Dec. 01, mywife bought me a new bow. Wasn't able to bow hunt last year, due to not being able to shoot enough and get familiar with the bow. I'm hoping to return home from my current deployment soon, and spend lot's of time at the range. I am going back bow hunting this year, and I hope to score for a change!

hudge