13 Years and still a rookie?

[RidgeHunter]

I'll stir the pot a little...........buy a crossbow. Problem solved.

I'll stir the pot a little...I thought the crossbow had no advantages over these here whiz-bang compounds people have the nerve to call a hunting bow? So that wouldn't make it any easier on him.

 

[oOVEGGIEOo]

Honestly, I had considered going the crossbow route, just for the sake of my harvest since I am primarily a meat hunter. However, taking a deer with a bow is simply an aspiration I have. I have no intent to give up on it because I think it would be "easier" with a crossbow (ie no torque, can use my rail on the tree stand to hold steady). Fact is they still have to be close with a crossbow. But this is one thing I won't budge on. I WANT to take one with my bow. 13 years is a long time to try. The past four I have been trying very hard. I WILL get one with my bow before I consider making my harvest "easier" with a crossbow.

 

[je4bowhuntin]

Shoot from a tree at your yardages everytime I hunt right before u get done. Helps with treestand form

 

[ruger461]

Same story here with my bow, but I started when I was 16 and am 36 now and just took my first one. On opening weekend of rifle I took my son out and he sat on another part of the place with his rifle and I thought what the heck and took my bow. It was evening and wind was like 30+ mph so just before dark I hadn't heard a shot yet and I got down out of the stand (which felt like it was about to blow down) and just went and stood next to a clump of trees to get out of the wind. Not 1 minute later out comes a nice young doe, 30 yd. shot quartering to. I let her fly and WHACK! This being my first deer shot with a bow I couldn't believe you could actually hear the arrow hit, I mean it was louder than the bow releasing. Was using the new cut in impact grim reaper whitetail specials. They did exactly what they were meant to do. Unreal, entry right in mid vitals, but because of the angle it passed through nearly lengthwise leaving an exit wound that had entrails hanging out. But their slogan was right, I could watch it drop from where I stood, ran about 40 yd and out like a light. Have 5 boys, 4 of whom hunt, so I'm usually nothing but the guide, not sure how it worked out that only my oldest went this time which left me the ability to actually set by myself. But there it is, after 20 years of off and on bow hunting, I finally got my first. All down hill from now on right?

 

[SMS]

Since you are just looking for tips and ideas, I'll throw a few out just to get the juices flowing. I'm no expert and I'm not saying anything I type is a guarantee of success...they are just ideas. I haven't dusted off my bow in a while.

If tree stand hunting isn't paying off, try getting out of the stand. I took my first buck with a bow while still-hunting on a very old, overgrown logging road....just enough of the path left for me to float along quietly through thick cover. A spur off that same road put me within a few feet of a button buck one year....he was so close I could hear him breathing. I let him walk....

If your practice tips shoot the same zero as your broadheads....load one in the quiver and make a habit of taking a practice shot from the stand before you leave. I used a small foam block concealed in the leaves as a target.