Thinking of rabbit hunting with my bow thjs year.We have a LOT of snow and I dont want to loose a lot of arrows. Any thoughts? I know hit the rabbit! But besides that.
Thanks Burt
where shooting in snow is concerned ..... luck. :)
Metal detector?
About all you can do is look for the hole in the snow that the arrow entered and kick around beyond it. It will be under there somewhere! :smileystooges:
I think I remember reading that someone used carpenter chalk on their fletching which leaves a little color spot on the snow to help find the entry hole. Might be worth a try.
Or come back in the spring. ;)
Best suggestion of all - buy some cheap arrows and make up a bunch. The best part about rabbit hunting is it often provides some great action and shot opportunities. Plus, the Trad Gang sponsor arrow vendors would appreciate the business! ;)
The memories of the fun you had chasing bunnies will make you forget all about a few lost arrows. :cool:
When I miss and its alot.I always carry a jurnal and log where its at and go back in the spring It's about all you can do.
Bright fletchings on old arrows, you find some you loose some you hit a bunny once in a while. If your worried about loosing arrows ya might just better stay home but if you want to have a good time go and don't worry about loosing a few. The memories you'll have will far out weigh any lost arrows, arrows can be replaced memories need to be made.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/JLMBH07091bunny.jpg)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/IM000417.jpg)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/IM000419.jpg)
Here's my son now, I can't imagine giving up those memories for a few arrows.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/100_0702.jpg)
Bigger than normal bright red flu-flu's and the cheapest wood shafts you can find. Rather than rub on stain and pretty sealers, just get some spray poly and give a dozen a quick coat, its not like they need a good hard coat for years of use! Red seems to stick out in the snow more than orange, yellow or white to my eyes. Blunts help keep them above the snow somewhat.
what type of points do you guy"s use?Judo,blunts,feild? Thanks Burt
I use judo points mostly. If I do loose an arrow after a lot of scratching in the snow, I mark the spot with a piece of flagging tape and go back in the spring and find my arrows.
Mike
I've only got one judo point, and the rest are those little star shaped thingies that go behind a field point.......I think they call them turkey spurs or something like that? They are relatively cheap and won't let the arrow bury up in the grass like a regular field point will.
I killed a squirrel with one this fall and it was dead right there.
As far as shafts go, here's my favorite for on the cheap.
Go to your local hardware store, craft store, or even Wally world and get some hardwood dowel rods. They actually don't even have to be hardwood for that matter.....I made some out of pine. I sort through the whole box of 5/16 dowels and roll them on the floor to check for straightness. Sort out the straighter ones and put the rest back. Now look for any bad defects on the straightest ones and put those back. Now you have about a half dozen of the best ones in the box. I paid .57 cents a piece for mine at Wally world and with a tip and fletching, little bit of polyurethane finish....I'm out less than $2 bucks per arrow. Use bright fletchings.
Of course, I also put an arrow wrap on mine for visibility reasons and use bright orange feathers that I cut from full length stock to end up with 4.750" shields.
Just build them like you would any normal wood shaft and pay attention to the grain as much as possible. I didn't need to do any spining down of the shaft for my #48 Bear Grizzly they were right in the ballpark already, and they fly quite well believe it or not.
Dip your arrows in bacon grease and take my dog :)
Jim is right. Arrows are replaceable good times only come through once in a lifetime.Shoot Ace Hex heads at them and it will help a little.Im about as amped up for bunnies as I was for deer at the beginning of the season.
No MATTER WHAT HAVE FUN.
Wow....you guys can hit rabbits? You are good. :notworthy:
All good advice up above, from cheap arrows to just getting out there.
Not much more fun can be had with a bow in hand than chasing bunnies with friends.
On a side note, I prefer to use regular blunts or hex heads. I find that the judos will sometimes grab the brush and deflect the shot....sometimes for bunnies you are shooting through a hole the size of your arrow. It can make a difference.
I've hot a hard enough time finding them without being buried in the snow. I would bring alot of arrows and plan on losing them.
Rabbit hunting is the best time you can have with your bow and some friends. Unless you take your bow into the bedroom with the mrs. I guess that would be a close second.
You're gonna lose some arrows, and you may get your bow caught up on some brush, but you will want to do it over and over again. Just some of the shots you'll take will have you laughing your head off. I assure it. But you will lose some arrows. Just do it. Most of us have junker arrows we test with. Start with those.
Hunted rabbits for nine years with the longbow before i had to put odie my beagle down.Don't care for blunting animals so I used my favorite small game broadhead a three blade bodkin.Seemed to skip less then a two blade.Also shoot flu flu four fletch.Hill style back quiver and your ready for a great sport1
sounds like great fun in the snow. but alas me and snow dont get along to darn cold. :campfire: :campfire:
Our snow left (for now) but I went today anyway. It is tough to see the little buggers without the snow! We had between 8 - 12" depending on where you were and the wind had drifted it pretty deep in places. We had a warm up and rain this past week, which took away most of the snow. Today was around 55*, light winds and lot of sun.
We have a lot of rock - some large, some smaller and some hidden in all the sage brush. I use .38 Special brass cases on wood shafts with rubber blunts over the brass case. This saves the arrow many times when rocks are hit as evidenced today. The arrow weight is around 600 grains and will flat go through a cottontail - if I don't missssss! Had a lot of those today. Still it is a blast and arrows are our ammunition, so plan on shooting and not always retrieving some.
A couple of pics:
(http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u329/rayginID/Archery/SunsetHillBowQuiver.jpg)
(http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u329/rayginID/Archery/NorthSideofSnakeRiverCanyon-Kimberly.jpg)
I use old broadheads and the zwickey broadhead stopper, or the kondors, or if screw on heads go with the blunt claws or put a flat washer behind broadhead does the trick, kicks the arrow up and easier to find.
I love to hunt rabbits even in the snow. Bright colored feltchings and crests go a long way. Even giving a rattle can job the entire shaft with a bright color. Judo type heads don't seem to dig in as deep if you miss but old broadheads put them down quick. I have have donated quite a few shafts over the years chasing bunnies but it was worth it to me.
There's and old saying.Scare money never wins.Same go's with loseing arrows.If you'r worrying about your arrows.WELL
It's little like the lottery, "you gotta play to win!".
It's more than worth the potential loss of an arrow or two.
There are some positives about having a bad memory, one is I don't remember how many arrows I lost last year at the 1st annual Mid-Missouri bunny stomp but I do remember having a blast with the other guys chasing the bunnies and flinging arrows.
I am already starting to get excited about our upcoming 2nd annual. Everyone is invited!!
God bless,Mudd
I agree with Jim memories are worth a million bucks and last forever and arrows don't last long anyway. For my kids I get the cheapest youth arrows I can find and for me I try to pick through the worst of our practice arrows and if i lose them ones i dont feel all that bad about it.
I try not to shoot at them running if I can help it, but I haven't got behind a beagle yet with bow in hand. I'm gonna try that maybe today? My neghbor's beagle is constantly running a rabbit and all I got to do is follow him around and I'm sure to get a few shots!
I know for a fact that "Biscuit" the beagle is slow, so I'm sure he doesn't push em' too hard?
I need to get me a new pair of beagles.
My favorite rabbit hunting is around the brushy edge of beaver ponds in wooded areas. Big ol' swampers like to sit there. With a companion to help, when you jump one you can circle around in the open woods to get ahead of the rabbit, so your companion can then slowly push the rabbit to you. They will follow the edge where there is better cover. They usually don't move very fast if you go slowly, and make for easy shots. We take turns pushing. Sometimes you can spot them first, going slowly and looking closely. We learned to always check hollow logs, too.
Bright flu flu's on old arrows. I will not spend more than a minute or 2 looking for a rabbit arrow....that's a minute or 2 that could be spent hunting another rabbit!
QuoteOriginally posted by Stone Knife:
Bright fletchings on old arrows, you find some you loose some you hit a bunny once in a while. If your worried about loosing arrows ya might just better stay home but if you want to have a good time go and don't worry about loosing a few. The memories you'll have will far out weigh any lost arrows, arrows can be replaced memories need to be made.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/JLMBH07091bunny.jpg)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/IM000417.jpg)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/IM000419.jpg)
Here's my son now, I can't imagine giving up those memories for a few arrows.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y275/420W/100_0702.jpg)
Did you guys attend the muzzy shoot? I've seen you guys somewhere but where I don't know where????
I agree with you Stoneknive,memories are more imporant than arrows.
Burt
Where should I look to get some cheap woodies?I make my own but need some shafts.Burt
You can't make new, old memories. New arrows are easy.
Just a suggestion, get a pointing dog and train her on rabbits as well as upland birds.
Memories with kids and dogs are better than money in the bank.
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r243/7Lakes/Dog%20Pictures/100_1968.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/065bunnies.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/06sunsetbunny.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/07_WY_HOPESNOWSHOE_e.JPG)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/blacktailjack07.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/BnWsnowbunny.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/corralljack1.jpg)
On Monday the Michigan muzzloader season will be closed, and Daisy and I get after the rabbits!!
OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Please don't get me going!!! 2013 guys!! We, I believe have already set a world record for largest trad bunny hunt, and we will surely break that in 2013. At one of our hunts we had over 450 shots taken(09)lots of lost arrows but who cares!! Shawn
Charlie is my hero!!
Charlie is the Bunny Thumpin' Man! :help:
OK. You're gonna think I'm crazy, but....
Take some light black sewing thread and tie it around your arrow at the nock. then wrap it opposite your fletching twist so it unwinds in flight. Maybe 3-4 feet of wrap. Maybe longer. Don't tie it off when the thread is used up in wrapping, just wrap it loosely. Upon arrow release you'll have a trailer to follow. You can use small rubber bands like you get at Equine supply places for horse manes and tails. When you get and arrow out of the quiver slip off the rubber band from around the thread and have at it.
If you do not lose or breack arrows your not shooting enough. Go get them waskels. Whats snow?
Get a doz non weight matched POC,a can of orange spray paint.Paint the shafts orange,and seal them up with poly.
If you're shooting in the snow use orange or black fletching.
If you're shooting bare ground use orange or yellow fletching.
Cut in self nocks and use wing nut heads.
That's about the cheapest I think I can make a bunny arrow.
If you want to go with aluminums(Metal detector for the strays)buy some used shafts or get the Easton blues or jazz shafts.
I lose arrows in the best of conditions !! Sunny days with lovely warm weather and beautiful green scenery. I figure: It's archery; :laughing: arrows are going to break and arrows are going to stray.....
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o244/2crazyboys_photos/IzzyNoahRabbit.jpg) Memories are forever!!! A good day I wouldnt trade for anything.
Some great ideas here :D
I thing I tried about all of them and the next thing I knew, my inventory would have looked good for an end of year tax break.
:banghead:
All and all, bright fletching does help a little.
Mr. Lamb's top photo shows some real devotion. Not everyone's willing to hunt until they're up to their knees in half frozen quicksand!
Oh yea forgot to say, that Mr. Lamb seems like one serious bunny hugger.
Great job on those rabbits.
bsv
If you buy P.O. in 100 lot bulk quantity from Rose City they will end up at about $29.00 to $30.00 doz. for shafts.
http://www.rosecityarchery.com/POC_Shafts.htm