Archery – Hunting with a Bow – The 8 Essentials

March 23, 2009 by Bowhunter
Filed under Bow Hunting Essentials

Most of the hunters out in the field any given season will be hunting with firearms because they require less practice prior to use in a live hunt. They also have the advantage of being able to bring down game at a much greater distance. Archery Hunting with a bow is up-close and personal. Bow hunting requires highly trained hunting skills like stealth and tracking. If you're willing to practice and train, archery hunting with a bow provides a primal hunting experience like no other. Bow Hunting is an art that isn't mastered in a few days. True mastery is a lifetime commitment. It's not for everyone. But if it is for you, welcome to the brotherhood!

Naturally, you will need to find a place to practice. Even if you live on a large property, or near open land where you can practice, you should also join a local archery club. You can easily search for them online. Besides the fact they will surely have a club practice range, you will have the advantage of the other members who will certainly be eager to help you improve your skills.

Here are the eight essential tips for Archery - Hunting with a Bow--

(1) Carefully check all your equipment before every hunt. Be sure you have time to repair/replace/refurbish any equipment that isn't performing in top-notch condition. Of course the key to keeping your gear ready to go at a moments notice is always clean it and inspect it thoroughly after every hunt before you store it. Top hunters are always ready to go no matter what time of day or night the phone rings with the news that the hunt is on. Discovering that your bow is seriously out of tune when you're on-site is for tourists.

(2) Get and use a decent rangefinder. Maybe you have the perfect abilty to judge distance by sight and maybe you're smart enough to know you don't. If you're hunting from a tree stand or a blind, a ragefinder will allow you to set the sights on your bow with extreme accuracy and help insure a perfect shot. If you're stalking prey, a ragefinder will will help you guage how close you're getting to where you need to be to make the shot.

(3) If you're hunting from a tree stand or blind, use the rangefinder to determine the exact range to significant landmarks in your field of fire. Carefully chosen rocks, trees, branches, etc. can provide you with pre-sighted distance markers and help you quickly take advantage of opportunities as soon as they arise. Do this pre-sighting as soon as you get settled in your position. You don't want to miss a shot because you were too busy fiddle-farting around in your blind to be ready.

(4) Don't forget that accuracy will always count more than speed when you are hunting with a bow. Make sure your bow has a draw weight you can easily handle so you can take your time to sight your shot and not have to worry about holding the draw. If you hunt from a tree stand, you will be drawing from a seated position which makes drawing the bow more difficult so don't forget to adjust for this when choosing and setting-up your bow before a hunt.

(5) Archery hunting requires patience. If you can't sit quietly and calmly for hours at a time, bow hunting may not be for you. Even if you choose to actively stalk game instead of waiting in a stand or blind, it will likely take you several hours to catch up with any game tracks you find. Once you have sighted your target, you will need the patience to move into position with slow and easy movements.

(6) Deer are the most common game sought by bow hunters and the game I personally recommend for archery hunting beginners. You should try for a broadside shot to the heart or lung. If you can wait for a shot when the deer's head is hidden behind a tree, but his shoulder presents a perfect shot, you're in the best possible position! Deer are quick and wary and easily spooked so you'll need to practice changing positions in a calm and quiet way to be ready no matter where the game shows.

(7) Change your location every hunt. Repeated visits to the same location will only increase the amount of human scent you leave behind and game animals will quickly alter their habits to avoid your scent.

(8) The worst mistake you can make when archery hunting with a bow is missing the target kill zone. You must know the target kill zone of every animal you hunt. If you only manage to wound your prey, you are causing a lot of needless suffering, so practice often before a hunt with targets marked with the appropriate kill zones.

By preparing carefully and practicing often, bow hunting can offer a uniquely rewarding and primal hunting experience like nothing else you've ever tried.

Tags: archery, Archery Hunting, bow, Hunting Bow

Archery Hunting Equipment Basics

June 27, 2009 by Bowhunter
Filed under Equipment Basics

Leave a Comment

To get started with Archery Hunting you will need some essential equipment, outlined here.

Compound Bow - Obviously you need a bow for bow hunting. If you are already a member of an archery or bow hunting club, you will probably have had the chance to see and test different bows and you probably have a pretty good idea of what you're looking for. If you're not a member of a club, I highly recommend you join one right away! They are great resources and your success is much more likely with help from experienced hunters and archers.

CrossBow - Crossbows are becoming more and more popular among sport hunters for their ease of use and compact form. They make a great choice for hunters who might now have the ability to draw and hold a long bow or compound bow for the time it takes to line up the shot.

Bow Sights - When combined with a good rangefinder, bow sights are invaluable for making a great shot. Using the rangefinder, you can use landmarks like rocks and trees as target distance references and know exactly how far away your target will be when they come into your blind's area of control.

Arrows - You'll need the right arrows for the game you'll be hunting and that usually means an assortment of broadheads. As you progress in the sport, your supply of arrows will expand. It seems like you can never have too many arrows.

Clothing and Protective Gear - Because Archery Hunting with a Bow requires you to get closer to your game, good camo gear is essential. Be sure to get something with good range of motion for the movements required to draw and sight the bow.

Quiver - You will absolutely need some way to transport your supply of arrows. It is always better to have plenty of arrows on hand and not have to leave the blind to retrieve arrows until the day's hunt is over.

Blinds and/or Tree Stands - Bow Hunting from a blind or tree stand and bringing the game to you is a proven strategy and you'll need the right gear to do it.

Scent Blockers - Because you can't control the wind, you need a good scent blocker in case you can't always stay down wind from your target area.

Archery Hunting is a great outdoor sport and may your next hunt be successful!

Here are the current eBay listings for bowhunting:

Hoyt Carbon Matrix Compound Bow

$710.00 (16 Bids)
Time Remaining: 34m

Top Gun Archery Nighthawk Sight RH 3 pin 029 NEW
	$54.95 Time Remaining: 38m Buy It Now for only: $54.95 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Black Gold Flash Point RH Standard 030 Sight
	$89.95 Time Remaining: 38m Buy It Now for only: $89.95 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Flambeau Hard Case for a compound bow SPECIAL LOWER START PRICE FREE SHIPPING
	$39.50 Time Remaining: 1h Buy It Now for only: $45.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

HOYT ARCHERY VINYL LOGO DECAL STICKER 2 x 6 HUNT ARROW MATHEWS
	$3.45 Time Remaining: 2h 9m Buy It Now for only: $3.45 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

BRADBOW COMPOUND BOW SIGHT
	$39.99 Time Remaining: 2h 44m Buy It Now for only: $43.99 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Browning Boss Mantis 2 ready to use bow has killed many deerdraw28 32 wt60 80
	$100.00 Time Remaining: 4h 14m Buy It Now for only: $130.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Vapor Trail Arrow Rest
	$55.00 Time Remaining: 4h 23m Buy It Now for only: $65.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Axcel Sight Armortech Pro
	$165.00 Time Remaining: 4h 32m Buy It Now for only: $195.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Live Coyote Calling On Cd Night Spotlight Gets Coyotes
	$6.99 Time Remaining: 4h 41m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Buckmaster Hypertech Bow
	$185.55 Time Remaining: 4h 51m Buy It Now for only: $250.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

E Z Fletch Pro Right helical Adjustable Cheekrest Sling New In Box
	$55.00 Time Remaining: 4h 57m Buy It Now for only: $55.00 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

PSE Spyder Compound Bow
	$51.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 5h 34m Buy It Now for only: $150.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Bow Tech LibertyTricked out Compound Hunting Bow PRICE REDUCED
	$599.00 Time Remaining: 5h 43m Buy It Now for only: $669.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

Nice PSE Graphite Mach Elite 4 Hunting Bow Carbon Fiber sights Arrow Caddie
	$199.00 Time Remaining: 5h 53m Buy It Now for only: $249.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

ATV TEK Clearview ATV Mirror w Vibration Isolator
	$24.99 Time Remaining: 6h 46m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Barnett GHOST CarbonLite CROSSBOW PACKAGE BOLTS SCOPE
	$999.99 Time Remaining: 8h 8m Buy It Now for only: $999.99 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

BOWHUNTER Sign bow hunter deer arrow hunt parking gift hunting hobby target
	$6.95 Time Remaining: 8h 31m Buy It Now for only: $7.95 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list

BOW HUNTERS PRO BOW SLING NEW IN PACKAGE SML
	$2.99 Time Remaining: 9h 2m Buy It Now for only: $2.99 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

CAMO CAP Ballcap Hat Reflex Bow Hunting adjustable New
	$9.44 Time Remaining: 12h 57m Buy It Now for only: $9.44 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Sweet Corn Block Mighty Deer Lick Inc
	$5.29 Time Remaining: 17h 59m Buy It Now for only: $5.29 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Archery – Hunting with a Bow – The 8 Essentials

Archery Hunting Equipment Basics

Here are the current eBay listings for bowhunting:

Bow Hunt

Bow Hunting – The Primal Way to Hunt

Bow Hunting Wild Boar — Bill’s Hog Hunt

Gear Search

Free Shipping On These Featured Items

Categories

ALLEN 4 ARROW COMPACT CAMO BOW QUIVER
	$17.50 Time Remaining: 18h 58m Buy It Now for only: $17.50 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Rage SlipCam 3 Blade Broadheads 100gr 15 3 pack NEW
	$34.95 Time Remaining: 19h 35m Buy It Now for only: $34.95 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Bear Archery Satellite Archery Set
	$1,499.99 Time Remaining: 19h 48m Buy It Now for only: $1,499.99 Buy It Now \| Add to watch list

Hoyt Katera XT 500 w Z3 Cams Compound Bow
	$500.00 Time Remaining: 21h 5m Buy It Now for only: $650.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now \| Add to watch list