So the last 4-5 days I've been feeling a little discomfort in my right shoulder. Nothing too terrible, but noticeable enough to somewhat bother me. I've been stretching it, taking ibuprofen etc... Went out to shoot my bow a few days ago to make sure everything was still cool and I could draw and still shoot good. Hurt a little bit, but everything seemed like normal and dialed in. After passing on probably more deer than I can ever remember in one season, this afternoon finally a good shooter buck made his way to me at 15 yards, wind in my face, perfect slight quarter away and stopped dead still. Chip shot! Thank God it finally paid off I was thinking. Lot of hours in stand for this moment. Went to draw and I couldn't get it back. Tried again and nothing. Just before let off and couldn't pull anymore. The buck was just standing there so I gave it everything I had a third time and felt a big strain and burn in my shoulder. Could NOT draw. Enough was enough I didn't even want to try again and possibly make a crap shot if I got it back. Sat in disgust watched him walk away. The third time I tried I grunted (in pain not at him). He had enough turned back around and walked away. Home now and it is absolutely killing me. Got ice on it and took some ibuprofen. Throbbing like crazy. Shoulder is on fire and numb through my bicep and up to my neck area. With a grand ole total of 5 days left for me to hunt during bow season I don't know what to do. Thinking about just bagging it until it gets better. My other thought is to lower the poundage to a tolerable level to draw and enough energy to do the job. Make absolute sure I will be able to draw without a problem and shoot. Limit my shots to inside 20 (which is pretty much everywhere I sit now anyway). Send some arrows tomorrow and turn the bow down. Problem is I already did that and thought I was good. How low would you go and be comfortable? Or would you just unfortunately call it a season? Tough to stay out of the woods this time of year. Pissed off, bummed and hurting. Sob story over. Good luck to everyone.
Personal decision for sure since you don’t want to do more damage in your shoulder. How low can your bow go? For deer hunting and shots under 20 you can probably go 40-45 lbs if your bow will go that low. Only problem might be your current arrow spine now may not work with lower poundage. At that poundage I would shoot a fixed blade.
Ken ya old bastard! How have you been??? Well, sans the shoulder… Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Hey Tony. Good to see ya around brother! Been doing well until today lol. More wall space anyway, the wife will be happy. How have you been?
All other factors (arrow, bh, your pain threshold, etc), pretty sure NY used to have a minimum draw weight - so there’s one consideration (I think it may have been 45 when I lived there many many years ago…it may have changed). I want to say Christine had or knew of success at a fairly low weight, maybe 40ish??? (Drop her at line on FB or IG, to confirm my recall, I don’t think she’s on her much anymore). But, would a cross bow be another viable alternative?
Sorry to hear of your situation. Turn the bow down for now and salvage the season if you can. 40lbs and a fixed blade head should do just fine with good placement. Best of luck.
Doing good! Finally got a few on the new property… you should get that looked at, brother… Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
That is really tough luck. Feeling that sudden burning and now the numbness is not a good sign. It sucks but I would be done with this season and get it checked right away. Don't want to damage it more and possibly wind up not being able to draw a bow in the future. I could see continuing before when it was just some discomfort, but now it is telling you something is very not right in there. I have some discomfort in my right shoulder happening too, started late this summer. It will get better to the point that I can't feel it anymore, but starts aching again if I draw my bow more than a few times. I backed off to 60 lbs and am hoping to get through the season as well, then will get it checked out. So far backing off the weight has helped to keep it from aching near as soon as it did when I was shooting 66 lbs. If deadset to finish season, I'd set it to the minimum the bow will achieve (as long as it meets any State minimum requirements) and use a good fixed head. Woman and youth get the job done all the time without drawing very much poundage.
I'm hunting with a pse omen at 51 lbs maxed this year. 2 deer, 2 pass thru. 435 grains at 292 fps, 515 grains at 265. That's 3 fos faster than my mathews traverse at 63 lbs. It feels like drawing a kids bow at 51 lbs
Update: Thank you all for the replies. Reluctantly I decided to put the bow away and call it a season. I was tinkering with my bow and got it down to 50lb. I wasn't able to draw. Came pretty close once and paid the price for it making my shoulder worse. I'm not about to go into the woods like that and draw on a deer. So it is over. I am bummed, but I did see and pass on more bucks than I ever have that was pretty cool. And I suppose I finally after all the time and work ended up putting myself in the position to win the chess match. Just couldn't shoot. MRI tomorrow to see what damage and then I'm sure PT. Best of luck to everyone on their seasons. See ya in 2023.
Keep in touch, bro.. maybe we can get together for a cold one before next season Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
