Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting bow hunting a tough experience

Sounds like you need to "develop" your hunting spot a bit. Cut some shooting lanes. Trim some brush. I do it every year to make room to kill, and kill every year.

Love to bowhunt but yes, it's tougher than gun...for me also.

I have learned more about hunting deer while bow hunting though than I ever would have just gun hunting IMO.

My biggest fell this year to an arrow.

When I started bow-hunting about 20 years ago I couldn't believe how very little I actually knew about deer. I mean I really didn't know anything. I think the great thing about bow-hunting is that you get to sit and actually observe and learn what deer do.

Preseason study hall to know where they are, how long they stay and when they leave. Go in early, hunt the wind and the if wind changes move. Don't hunt the same stand morning and evening, but hunt the whole day.

I kill more deer during bow season when the other hunter are off the stand eating. Have 2 or 3 backup plans based on when they go nocturnal, because study hall goes out the door.

Luck really helps too.

I won't hunt the same stand more then twice in a week. Area's that I have several stands in I will hunt three days in a week but rarely need to.

you said a mouthful kiddo.

i do as much research as possible given my time restraints, but luck sure helps.

btw, same applies to salt water fishin' many times.

-ken

Archery hunting is very rewarding yet also can be very frustrating at the same time. I've gun hunted for over 30 years, and archery hunted for almost 20 years. I do both every year and certainly fill more tags with my rifle(s) than with my bow(s). But, its the challenge Im looking for. I think archery hunting makes you a better hunter over all since it requires you to really learn about your chosen game, how to hunt the wind, and on and on. And yes, it can be very difficult, especially early on when you're learning and having to hunt DIY on public ground. Get ready of some tag soup more times then not. I went to primitive archery in 2009 and I'm still trying to extend my effective range more each year to increase my odds of success. Its a lot of fun... but I still love to hunt with my rifles...

+1, missed my largest deer to date when he ducked my arrow



I've been archery hunting going on 20 years this year, first 10 didn't do very well. Wasn't able to hunt very hard some of those first years and took 3-4 deer.

Last 10 years I've gotten my act together and the last 5 years I've had a job where I can sneak out early a few days a week and sneak in late a day or two.

Think I've filled my tag every year, but a couple in the last decade with a mature buck and have taken four of my largest deer with a bow.

Nothing like the frustration when you set your sights on a certain deer and start to hunt just that one deer. You can have them in range and still not have a shot, but when it all comes together you know you've accomplished something.


This past year we only had two decent bucks on our land, last couple weeks before rifle season started I was out almost every evening and 3-4 mornings a week. I was pushing the flexibility of my job and my girlfriend.

Just couldn't get a shot, drew back a few times but didn't have a shot. Two different times I had does/fawns in front of me and the bucks would come in behind me and I couldn't move.

One morning I had one of them right underneath me before light. Could see his antlers in the moonlight, same morning walking out I about walked right into the other one feeding as I crested a small hill on my way back to my truck.

Finally on the Thursday before rifle season I picked a new stand and just as I was getting into it the larger of the two bucks and a couple dinks got up about 40 yards from where I had chose to sit and ran off. I wasn't even going to bother sitting there, but didn't have time to pick a different stand so got settled in for the evening.

Wasn't five minutes later and I caught movement a few hundred yards away. The other buck I had been after was following a doe and they were working up towards me. I had brought my decoy with me that evening and haven't had the best of luck with does seeing my decoy as they usually spook or just stand/stomp snort at it.

The path they were following would bring them right into the decoy and I wasn't very happy. For whatever reason the doe started off the path and I had to slowly move. The buck was about 20 yards behind her paralleling her and at the last moment changed his path.

I was in a terrible position and had to swing up/around to clear the tree and just as I was settling down and drawing he looked up right at me. My heart started to race, but thankfully he put his head down and I gave him one of those lovely slick tricks right in the heart.

Do many of you still hunt when bow hunting? I'm doing a slow switch from muzzleloader to a longbow, and since still hunting is all I know. I figured i'd continue to use it for bow hunting.

I sure like the month long season for bows instead of 9 days for guns. I'll start with deer, but would like to hunt for elk too. Does a longbow have enough power? I bought a 50# Martin Savannah.

Plenty of power for deer/elk... the 60" TD recurve that I hunt with is a 55# at 28"DL and I've blown all the way through elk with it. Just make sure it's tuned right (arrow spine and brace height) and putting as much energy as possible into the arrow, use a good heavy arrow that's got the right spine for your set up and a SHARP broad head and you'll be good to go.

Sounds good. Thanks.

I've done one Archery Hunt for Elk, essentially still hunting. Ended up getting a fair 6x6. We called in quite a few, but would always hang up out of range.

Called in one monster that about ran over me, but wasn't able to get a shot. The 6x6 we did get, we saw and called in.


Over the years I could have taken a few smaller bucks still hunting and have come close to taking a few real nice bucks but have never sealed the deal. Have always just needed a few more feet or another second.

Few times I've stumbled upon a nice buck walking in/out of my stand and those are the times I didn't have an arrow knocked or had my release on or there's been some other gear in my way. Seems like the deer always know when you're not quite ready.

Dude come hunt with me I've killed 3 in a week and can't even count the total I've killed with stick and string....taking one with tradition equipment is something to hang your hat on

I have had ok results with still hunting with bow. If I were living and hunting in CO like you I would do a lot more of it.

I think i'll try turkey hunting too. We have a spring and fall season that I can use a bow. More reasons to be in the mountains, and I like eating turkey.

If I can hit one with an arrow.

Love turkey hunting but nothing comes close to elk hunting. Good luck with the spring gobblers.

I too, am new to bowhunting and am going to try recurve, i had figured since shooting rifles and shotguns left handed as I am, i would bow shoot the same way. I had a minor eye surgery and had the dr check for dominance, turns out my right is dominant so I will learn to shoot right handed. my friends that bow hunt tell me since I am new to bow hunting it would be better to learn to shoot right handed.