Bow Season Practice
 

I have become addicted to this bow I purchased a few months ago. I shoot a round of arrows (8), several times a day. I have never shot a bow until my purchase, so my goal is to stick something come this seasons.

I'm shooting out to 30 yds....I know it's not perfect but I think I can hit one at 30 yds....Attachment 35823

Get ready cuz it's addictive. Pure adrenaline rush.

U picked a very addictive habit!!
I started shooting a bow 2 years ago; fell in love!!
I usually shoot 2 x week year round.
It's a challenge for sure; lots of accessories to add on.
Good luck this season!

That's what I hear......I have it bad..I wake up thinking about bow hunting. I want to get a season under my belt, then travel to Kansas in 2013 for a white tail hunt. That's my plan anyway.

Yes, I just like to shoot. It's not near as easy as they make it look on tv. My grand daughter is 3 but I hope to spark her interest in archery.

Never used one for hunting but went bowfishing a few months ago and that s*** is awesome!

You can shoot bullzeye on a target all day long but it's a different story when the target has a heartbeat. My Heart is beating, can't control my breathing and my knees are shaking out of control. Then you shoot and it gets even worse. That's why I do it.

Lol....I get that way with a rifle so I can only imagine a bow.

Be sure and practice out of your stand and in all directions. Save some vacation for January and come with me to tensas if I can still walk then

Vacation is not the problem. Finding time to take it is...lol.

Headed back to ok this year to sling an arrow through a good one! Can't wait!

It is highly addictive!! My first shot at a young spike I was shaking so much I blew it. Second chance was a mature doe and it was the best rush I have ever got out of hunting or fishing,period. Can't imagine sticking a nice buck,hopefully this year! Keep practicing I need to do the same.

All I can say is make sure your harness is well attached to the tree because you will be shaking so much when you SEE a deer bowhunting that you might fall out! Then once you make the shot and hear that THHHHWACK!!!! You will have to sit down ASAP because your knees will have started bruising from beating together at 100000000 beats per second! Lol

It's by far the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever had! And to think my first and only bow kill so far has been a small 5 pt.

And as far as practicing goes, when you think you got it nailed and everything is perfect, practice even more!

A few of my bow kills....Attachment 35828
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Very nice

Craig, unless your very good at estimating distance, I would invest in a rangefinder.

Awesome kills man!

Here's my one and only

Nice. I still get as excited as I did the first.

I have one.....and I'm shocked at how far 25 yds is lol....I also have some tips that have a few spring loaded arms around it. I shoot at ant piles and things on the ground to practice distance also. Those arms grab the grass and your arrow will flip a few times and stop. Good practice also.

Nice deer guys.....What is the average shot distance wise?where I hunt at I don't think you would get more than 20 yds or so.

26 yds is my longest. Past that, I see it as guess work and too many variables.

99% of my shots are under 20 yds

Years ago I was told 12 yards.

Thanks.....I've always wondered that....

Any suggestions on a harness system? I don't mind spending for quality and safety.

I would say that is probably a good average. One thing bowhunting will do is make you a better hunter. Instead of being within site of a deer, you will need to be in his house without him knowing. And that ain't easy. Or you can hunt a corn feeder.. lol. That works too.

I like the muddy outdoors harness. Tree spider makes a nice one too.

The fun part for me is letting one walk right under you, knowing you could smoke him but, you let him/her walk! Unlike rifles, you have to be more stealthy than them!

Finally someone on here talking bow hunting. Average shot in Louisiana is around 12-15yds last I heard but its all about stand placement. You will be addicted after ur first kill so get ready. I have just under a 100 bow kills and still get excited

This post is only 7 hours old....... and ya'll have just about said it all.

I got started Deer hunting almost 30 years ago. After killing 5 with a shotgun in the first 2 seasons, I got into Bow hunting to make it more challenging. I also bought a rifle. I shot long bows as a child, but shooting a compound was different. I borrowed a bow for a few months and them bought a second hand bow.

Bows back then were not nearly as good as today's bow and to make it more of a challenge, I shot "fingers" for about 10 years and the bow had a draw length that was ~ 2" too long for me.

After about 5 years I bought a new PSE, and put an overdraw to increase the speed. I took the overdraw off after 2 years.....it was too hard to shoot good groups shooting "fingers".

Then 4 or 5 years later, I decided to "give in" and bought a release. IMO.... shooting a release is like changing from shooting an old "smoke pole" with iron sights to shooting a rifle with a scope.

In the early years, I would practice for an hour or more each night [I had lights set up to see]. Now the practice time is way way down, but the killing is a lot more consistent. I think I have made Public land bow kills in each of the past 4 seasons. Here are a few pictures.

Oh, lighted nockes are way cool to watch the arrow hit the deer. I got some last year.

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Welcome to Saltycajun.

Most of the members fish, but there are a fair number of Deer hunters. Hunting is not all about the kill, it is the experience.

Where do you mostly hunt?

I hunt mainly down here in the marsh but also have places in north LA and Texas. Also make trips to Kansas and Missouri when I can

I bought my first bow earlier this year as well as a used Summit climbing stand. I look forward to having a whole extra month to hunt this fall before it is time to switch to long guns. I have been seeing a few bucks on the trail cam at my grandma's. I am hoping they are still hanging around on October 1st.

x2 on the Muddy, I love mine. It's super light and doesn't get in the way.

Why did you all have to start talking about bow hunting!!!! I'm trying to concentrate on fishing. It was hard enough switching my mind from bow hunting to fishing in mid-February this year.

This past season was my first year bowhunting and my first year on public land. I was able to get 3 deer with my bow. I completely agree with what you guys have said. Getting so close to the deer and not having them know you are there is such a thrill...doing it on public land where you can't bait is even more thrilling. It takes hard work to learn the patterns of the deer and then try to figure out what trail and feed trees they will be using and then trying to set up your stand correctly for them. AWWWW MANNN I'M HOOKED. I doubt I'll be doing much trout fishing in October since it's hard to catch a trout sitting in a tree!!

I have the Hunter Safety System but I bought it when it was the only harness system that was on the market. That Spyder one looks pretty sweet the way it gradually lowers you if you would happen to fall.

When it is warm out I wear my muddy harness. I also have a Rescue One harness and it is pretty cool. I only where it when the temps are a bit cooler as it is kind of heavy. If you do fall out of your tree you can pull a cord on your shoulder strap and repel down. Plus you can reload it yourself. All other brands you have to send back to the factory and have them reloaded.

Another thing to invest into is a pole saw and spend some time picking out trees you can climb in the 25ft high range to help your smell during those warmer hunts and use the pole saw to start clearing some paths, remember it takes alot less to throw a arrow off

I appreciate the comments and suggestions.

Next question is, do most of yall bow hunt out of a climbing stand or what???...and if you do, give me some pros and cons and types.....

I have hunted out of all but ground blinds, as far as brands I like the old style ol mans but thats just me, millenium lock ons are very comfortable but pricey, practice shooting while sitting down to the front and both sides it will help in the long run. The thing that helps bow hunters become succesful is pre season prep, get in the woods and find a solid comfortable tree to climb, if you have private property acces this is easier to go ahead and put a lock on on and leave it but if your going to be climbing go ahead and climb it up to 25-30ft cutting any obstruction on the tree off get used to being that high up, most gun hunters never go over 20ft so 10+ft will be a new feeling. go ahead and find a way to attach and keep secured a rope to haul bows off the ground once your secure, get a pack started with extras (release, extra string to pull up bows, cover scents, plenty of water for those warm hunts) just my .02 on this im no professional but passing on from my experiences,

I hunt out of a climbing stand. I started off last year hunting out of a lock on with the muddy climbing sticks. I have to say that the muddy climbing sticks work great. However, I eventually starting using my climber and I like that better for most situations because I can get higher with it....when the tree allows. One bad that about climbers is that when you hunt a swampy area with trees that have buttressing (widder at the base). It makes it difficult to climb because your stand will be pinting downward by the time you get higher in the tree to a hunting height. To help this problem I started carrying one of my muddy climbing sticks with my climber and I can put the muddy stick on the tree at the base which gives me an extra 4-5 ft up before I put my climber on the tree.

Thanks....I will start scouting some trees.

I think a climber is what I'm after. I have used them before and feel safer in a climbing vs a lockon.

Climber is best bet. I have lock ons ill hunt in set areas i been hunting for years. But ill usually be bouncing around in my climber. Summit Viper best climber for the money. Can sit in it all day long. Been hunting out the same one fOr abOut 5-6 years.

That is what I went with for my first climber. I received a lot of feedback and it always pointed towards the Summit Viper. Look around and you can find one used in the $100-$150 range.

I have been using lone wolf climbing stands for the last 10 years. I've tried others but you can't beat a lone wolf for ease of setting up, climbing, packing & weight. They are a bit pricey but well worth the money.

http://www.summitstands.com/climbing...mit-goliath-ss

You won't be sorry.

I looked at the Viper, Titan and this one. I'm getting a big one so my fat azz will be comfortable.....

I don't like heights but the 5 or so times I hunted out of a climber the heights didn't bother me and I was able to jack up 20 ft.....but I never used a safety belt....I'm changing that.

Have had mine about 5 or so years. Love it. I ain't no small guy.

This guy knows alot about bow hunting. Don't know if he still is but use to be manager of archery dept of Lafayette Shooters. Just realizing it's you Andrew through your pics. Im Seth Dupuis. Worked at Shooters in college around 2002. HB and I worked there we been hunting together since we were kids. So I'm sure u have tried out all the climbers.