Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting How to begin

I have hunted with rifles for the last 35 years. Am ready to move on to new challenges.<BR>Should I by first an "entry level bow", learn with it to become a real good shot, and then later by a "serious bow" or should I buy right away a top level bow and learn to shoot it and be done with it?

i am relatively new to bowhunting (this will be my 3rd season), so keep that in mind.<P>my girlfriend bought me an entry-level bow to try out, see if i liked it. i took that bow to the local archery shop to have it set-up and show me the hows and whys of bow operation. the owners spent a ton of time teching me the ropes, and some of the finer points of shooting a bow.<P>the entry-level bow let me find out firsthand if i would take to bows or not, and did it cheap. this is the route that i would reccomend to you. if you enjoy the sport, then you can easily move up to a better bow. if you don't like it, then you are out, what, $150 minus whatever you sell your tackle for. not really a big deal.<P>if you start w/ a real nice bow, and don't like it, you are out a lot more than that.<P>the thing that is nice about an entry level bow is it will really help show you what you would like in your "big" bow. eg: i learned that i wanted wood grips (the syn. grips got awfully cold in december), shorter bow (not too short though...), and as light as i thought my bow was, i learned that a lighter bow would be in order.<P>bowhunting is very different than gun hunting, and is very challenging, but i believe it is at least as fun, maybe more so.<P>------------------<BR>Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It is much more important than that.

Shrike: the best adviceI can give you is to go to an archery shop.I bought mine at a sporting goods store.Only one guy knew anything about bows and when he's not there I can't get help.There are 2 pro shops here in Calgary Jim Bows Archery formerly of Edmonton and Archery Center.You can pick a bow off the wall and shoot it at JimBows and get the feel for it.IMHO you should buy the best outfit you can afford,because if you start at entry level and find you like it and want to trade up you still have to shell out for it.<P>Do you ever hunt the zones around Rocky Mtn.House 326,324? Istill haven't hunted up in the Nordegg area and I hear it,super elk country.I used to hunt 420 until it got turned into a draw zone for 6 point bulls.Seen some huge freakin bull moose in there but wouldn,t want to pack one out,that country is staight up both ways.<P>later, mike

Shrike, how long did it take you to figure out that you weren't happy with out-of-box rifles? <P>You probably were satisfied with them until you experienced a nice, crisp trigger pull and noticed the way it improved your shooting. Now you have to have trigger jobs with all new guns, right?<P>My point is you won't be sorry for getting high quality stuff. If you don't like bowhunting, you can re-sell it. If you start with bottom-rung stuff, you won't get the experience you deserve.<P>I say to buy quality, even if it's second hand. From then on you can put your money into actual hunts, not into better tackle.<P>Good luck. By the way, if I had to do it all over again, I would start with a Mathews MQ32 and a good release. That's where I am now and where I plan to stay.<P>Keep pullin' Talus

Shrike, something I forgot --DO go to a good shop. PAY THEM the difference between what they ask for a good bow and what you can get it from a catalog for. Then expect them to set it up and tune it for you.<P>Do not let a jackleg bowyer near your rig! Don't try to do it yourself! <P>Be advised that most shops will try to sell the brand they carry the most of, though. Draw as many as you can before you commit. Unless you plan to shoot competitively, you will probably end up with a short, light bow.<P>Talus

Talus, Magnum Freak, Big Time,<BR>You all listed good points. One thing for sure, whether it will be entry level or a few steps up, I will do so only after shooting a number of them, before plunking down my cash. <BR>Thanks for your advice. Although I am a retired biologist, I will be working for the coming month for Fish and Wildlife doing bird surveys all through Alberta. I will have a whole month to think about what you suggested and how to spend the money I earn with this contract. Magnum Freak, I never hunted in the zones around Rotten Monkey House, I mostly hunt in 346 for bear elk and moose, in 200 and 201 for deer, and 118 for mulies and antelope. I also have to shop for a tree stand. Now I can sit for hours watching an area as long as I am warm and comfortable. Warm is supplied by my high quality clothing. Now a comfie tree stand with a seat that does not give me a numb rear end within the first hour, and also big enough to give me some wiggle room. I rather pack in a somewhat heavier stand where I do not mind sitting 3-4 hours, then a lightweight that cramps me up and forces me to constantly shift position. Any suggestions? I will go to Trophy book archery in Spruce Grove and Wholesale Sports in Edmonton to shop for tree stands and bows.

i usually hunt from the ground. i hunted from a treestand 1 season, but i prefer to hunt from the ground. i think you are on the right track, though w/ your line of thought.<P>if you have access to private land, then you can easily get a bigger and heavier treestand and hang it well before the season starts and let it stay there until you are done for the year. i wouldn't do this on public land: good chance it won't be there next time. good luck!<P>------------------<BR>Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It is much more important than that.

If Wholesale Sports is anything like the one in Calgary don't bother buying a stand from them.They are all small and cheap looking.I purchased a Kong from Jim Bows and they have the largest platform in the industry.The seat is 4 inch foam and is removable so the squirrels can't chew it.It comes complete with safety harness,2 inch webbing and backpack straps.The steel frame wieghs in at 16 lb.and cost $136,the alum is a few lbs. lighter and cost around $189.I see the kong is out in bigger size now and am going to look at it tomorrow.You might want to look into a self climber,looks like an easychair but are very pricey and I think they are limited to what type of tree you can use,no limbs.Hope this helps.<P>mike

I met more people who tried bow hunting and hung up their bows after a few attempts than people who have stuck with it.My opinion, buy a bow from one of these bail outs at a reasonable price and find out if you truely have what it takes to participate in the sport of bow hunting.<P>Lots of used Mathews running around out there if you look. Reason being 700-1100 bucks for a rig is allot for a guy who doesnt have the patience perserverance and commitment it takes to take game with a bow.I would never reccomend you become one of them.Buy a mid range modern solo cam bow there are plenty available new and rigged for under 400 see if you like it for a season and if so go for the gold. Once the archery bug bites you nothing irritates you more than an untunable cheap bow!<P>Another point that has already been said is take your new found friend ( your bow) to a excellent Bowyer) and have it tuned and set up for you. It makes all the difference in the world in your shooting and confidence. I promise if you dont have confidence in your set up you will blow that shot when it presents itself. Good luck and welcome to the world of archery.<P>John Coit

shrike , i noticed everyone just expected you to get a compound , have you ever thought about a recurve ? they are harder to learn to shoot but that just takes practice ,once you learn to hit what you are looking at they are a lot of fun .you can pick up a used one for around $100 u.s. . a compound can shoot farther and you can shoot quarters at 20 yds but in the field on a deer you just have to be able to put one in the boiler room .this is just something to think about , the most important thing is to have fun !!!!! ------ herb

Shrike, hatracked and recurve make good points.<P>I have been bowhunting for many years and knew I wouldn't regret paying for the Mathews. If you are right handed, there are used bows to be had. You won't regret getting a good one, one which can be tuned well. Again, this is where a good tackle shop comes into play.<P>If you can or want to front the cash, I think you won't regret the Mathews. But there are others out there, and you can resell anything you don't like.<P>As to recurves, be advised that there should be quite a bit of romantic benefit to be gained before you opt against modern bows. Recurves and longbows are much more difficult to master. They are much more difficult to shoot game with, as they offer the same draw weight at full draw, and full draw is where your game will often hang up on you, or step behind a bush, etc.<P>If you are the kind of guy who really likes recurves or longbows, by all means go for it. <P>If you are not, the reality of their disadvantages will rapidly erody your hunting/shooting experience. It is not difficult to buy a well-set-up cam bow and shoot well enough to kill at 20 yards very quickly (read days or a couple weeks, depending on your physical condition). I mean well enough to keep all your arrows well within a pie plate.<P>Don't get me wrong, bowhunting demands great discilpline when it comes to avoiding out-of-range shots. You must know how far out you can hit the vital area, no matter what you shoot. What I'm saying is that this skill will take longer to perfect with more traditional equipment.<P>I tried instinctive shooting with my compound and never learned to hit well. I reinstalled my pin sights.<P>Several years after my old bow got broken, I helped a friend pick out a hunting bow. He got pin sights and a release. He is right handed.<P>After not shooting for years, and using his new bow right handed (I shoot left handed), I was able to shoot all my arrows into a 4 inch group at about 15 yards. I am trying to illustrate the comparitive degrees of difficulty here, which should be obvious because noone would brag about that feat!<P>All of my bowshots at game have been at less than 20 yards.<P>So do whatever zings your string. It is very rewarding to see and take game up close with a bow!<P>Good shooting, Talus

Typo alert: above should read "rapidly erode". Sorry.<P>Talus