Yes, what Matt said. Try and have realistic expectations. It's not as easy as most TV shows make it seem.
^^^^^Yeah what they said....also try to be specific with your inquiries almost to the point of technical....theres thousands of members with millions of opinions and theyre all great..... but it could get pretty confusing if you ask for folks opinion on stuff....I am not suggesting to NOT do that...but if you do just be prepared to hearevery end of the spectrum of answers and youll be more confused then when you started...maybe.... But theres always someone that will be able to tell you the angle on which to sharpen a broadhead...welcome aboard!!
Thanks for the reply's. As a beginning bow hunter, what are the common necessities to take on the hunt. I am just wanting a common list people take with them. I have been looking everywhere on what to take. I just want to know what everyone else see's as a needed item.
I take my quiver and my bow, I can walk to the house to get any else I need. That being said when I do hunt in other areas I bring a knife, a flashlight, compass or GPS water and TP. Be prepared but pack light
Necessities to me: Bow/arrows/release etc. Flashlight(s) Rangefinder(very useful) Knife Cellphone Safet Harness Other things I like to bring: Grunt tube Thermacell (if hot and mosquitos are out) Gloves/beanie warm clothes (if cold out obviously) Scent spray Rope
My advice...Shoot your bow...a lot...and then shoot some more. Always shoot with purpose and always treat every shot like it's the only one you'll get, even in practice. Shoot from the ground, shoot from the deck, even shoot from the roof! Shoot from your stand if you have that opportunity. Don't shoot so much in one session that you get worn out and start building bad habits but shoot lots of short sessions. Shoot in the daylight, shoot in the twilight, shoot til it's dark so you learn to judge how much light you need. Use your rangefinder to get the distance to the target (don't step it off). That way you are practicing with the same tools and accuracy that you will hunt with. If you don't have a rangefinder then get one and spend enough money to get a good one that compensates for your height in the tree. Keep track of your average group size at each distance (not the best...the average). Whatever is the longest distance that you can shoot a 5 or 6 inch group consistently...that will be your limit for bowhunting. If the deer is further than that, let it walk. There is a lot to learn about playing the wind, how to pick a stand site, how to come in and how to exit, how to reduce scent, what to pack, how to stay camouflaged, etc., etc, but if you finally do everything right (or get lucky) and you get that first shot, it sucks to the max to miss because you aren't proficient with your bow. It sucks even worse to wound the animal and never find it.
Thank you for that advice. I tend to shoot whenever I can. I normally shoot from 50 to 60 arrows without getting tired. My group size is getting better and better. At 20 yards my group size is 2 in and at 30 yards its 4. I am trying to find a place to shoot 40 yards cause my yard is only 35 yards. I am working on getting a rangefinder.
Sounds like you are well on your way! You have obviously learned to pick a small spot to focus on when shooting or you wouldn't be getting those groups. If your target has aiming dots try covering it with an old sheet or towel so you have to force yourself to imagine a small aiming point. Pick a wrinkle or a crease or some color variation or a shadow and drop arrows on that spot. Then treat a deer just like a towel.
Another tip, stick with it dont get discouraged and give up. Keep hunting even if your not seeing anything. And hunt whenever you can it only takes minutes to get it done.
All I take is my bow, water, scent spray, power bar, thermo cell, and orange marking tape. You'll kick yourself the time you shoot a deer, have to track it, and forget marker tape. Toilet paper also works well for marking blood trails and it dissolves with the first rain.
Wind indicator is good to have too. I use dead down wind chalk wind indicator. I walk in with light cloths so I don't sweat so much. In my pack I have a pen to fill tag I check it just before I go to make sure it works. I cary my knife and flash light. I bring two release aids with me just incase of malfuction on one.(or I drop it) I have my license and tags in my bag. I also bring rain gear at all times comes in handy for many things. extra gloves it sucks when you get one wet. I use bone collector spray's for my cloths and boots. I spray the bottom of my boots and work my way up. Read up on how to be sent free lots of good advice. Welcome and good luck.
Confidence is key. Make sure you're confident with your shot. Wounding a deer in my opinion is one of the worst things that can happen while bow hunting
