Anyone have any good tips for a first time trad hunter? This will be my first year hunting with a trad bow and I was wondering if you guys had any tips? I plan on hunting from the ground a lot more this year so do you guys have any tips for that too? Thanks!
Caleb
Stand alot. Walk two or three steps and stand alot.
Keep quiet and hunt the wind in your face.
Use binos alot too.
If you hunt from a chair/stump, be very still and bring your patience.
Cover behind you is as important as cover in front. Let them get past you and draw when they are looking away or their head is down. Try to anticipate where the shot will be and get your bow pointed there.
When you decide to shoot, focus on a spot, burn a whole with your eyes, or pick a single hair if you can to aim at. Its easy to shoot at the whole animal the first time that you release an arrow.
Just have fun! good luck!
I have a tip. Don't get too wrapped up in success. Success is a simple as being able to get out and smell the roses, as seeing a deer, as sneaking close to one, as getting to draw (and miss), and yes, as getting one.
Seeing a skwerl acting goofy, seeing a martin, or other more secretive critter, getting to sit in the mid day sun and eat a sandwich and watch the birds. There is a lot to it, some of which is even killing a critter.
ChuckC
I talk to myself silently as I am preparing for the shot and repeat to myself.Pick a spot and follow through.Has worked for me.Kip
Get them close. Twenty yards and under.
don't confuse "scouting" and "hunting" - we scout at least 3 days for every day we stand or sit (hunt) - sometimes more - and we never sit or stand unless we expect to see game and get a shot and we never hunt if the wind is wrong.
Patience and have fun!!!
What all above have said.....treat everyday out in the field as a classroom experience........try to learn from each trip out. Be safe and have fun!!!
Two simple things, patience and if that pays off pick a spot.
Patience, don't try to make a shot oppurtunity happen wait for that easy no brainer shot.
From the ground hunt slow and mind the wind.
QuoteOriginally posted by Big Ed:
Patience and have fun!!!
Big Ed is right: Fun!!!!
And read Witchery of archery, that's the spirit
F-Manny
Find where some trails intersect and make a natural blind downwind, preferably in a funnel or pinch point. Do this in a few spots and every year go back and spruce up the blinds and sit them again. Having a few different spots helps with not over-hunting an area and changes the scenery to boot...
Sharp broadheads-patience-pick a spot-keep cover behind you-use the wind to your advantage and enjoy
Learn something from every blown shot opportunity, if the game population is good in your area there will probably be a few almost got a shot experiences, be critical of your mistakes and don't beat yourself up, slow way down, look way more, and longer, try not to stop when you're in the wide open,if you get a shot (and this was a big one for me) concentrate and be confident, I was still trying to sneak when taking the shot and wasn't coming to full draw and didn't have good form over-all, if you've made it to full draw without getting busted and the animal doesn't have eyes on you, you've gotten away with it and it all comes down to the shot, so practice and know your personal limits,GOOD LUCK.
Lots of good advice has been given here that should be beneficial to you. Some high points: Scout your area well, so you will have confidence that you will get shot opportunities. Be sure your equipment is well tuned and your broadheads are sharp. Shoot only within your effective range and always pick your spot. Hunt the wind and be mindful of noise and movement. Slow is good.Be patient, it takes time to reach your potential, so don't forget to enjoy the journey. All these reminders are very basic things that you have heard before, but expertise comes from being able to properly execute basic functions consistently.Pay attention to all that goes on around you. We often learn more from our mistakes than we do our successes. Good luck and have fun.
If sitting in one place, clear the leaves from around your feet. Back cover is more important then front cover, but both are good! Get a ghillie, even if it is a cheap one off eb&y and get it good and dirty. Don't put the ghillie on until you are at the spot you will be hunting.
1) The first step is to sense the animal before it senses you.
2) Always play the wind. Period.
3) Know when to hold'em. If the wind is fickle, the cover is poor, etc, don't blow your quarry out of the area by blundering a futile stalk. Just sit and watch until your hand improves or the game is over.
4) Define "success" as learning more about your quarry and yourself each time you are in the woods.
5) Don't get too worked up about gear and spending lots of $$$ for whatever bow or wool shirt people are raving about, just keep it simple and get out into the woods as much as you can. Time in the woods is way more important than gear. Work less, hunt more (do as I say, not as I do).
If you have experience hunting with other weapons, then "trad" bow hunting is not that different.
Assuming you are shooting without the aid of a sighting device, the actual shot taken at game demands a bit more from you in the form of mental discipline. The physical part is taken care of through dedicated pratice...but it all means nothing if you don`t use your brain in harmony with all that practice.
Believe it or not, SMALL GAME hunting was MY best teacher. More shot opportunities and when you can center punch a squirrel it bolsters confidence like nothing else.
My tip would be hunt squirrels or rabbits whenever you can...nothing teaches shot discipline on game animals like shooting at game animals. :D
Move slow, then go even slower.
take the first shot that presents itself
full camo especilly face and hands - you wear camo more for the animals you don't see than the ones you do.
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Pick-a-Spot
There was a lot of good advice already posted here and I couldnt disagree with any of it. I don't know how relevent this would be to your hunting area but I killed my first trad buck from the ground several years ago and I used a fence crossing to do it. If you find a spot like I did where the deer are crossing the same place every evening or morning and there is good cover close by and the wind is right it will work out. I shot that buck at 7 or 8 yards from my knees backed up against a big oak tree with some brush around me and it was an awesome experience. Full camo and patience waiting for him to get just passed me before I drew made it work out perfect. With that said I think th ebest advice is to just have fun. To me that is why I switched from modern gear to recurves then eventually to longbows. Good luck!!!!
Just get out there and do it!
QuoteOriginally posted by Cory Mattson:
full camo especilly face and hands - you wear camo more for the animals you don't see than the ones you do.
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I like that last part. In my mind most of the stuff you do is for the animals that you don't see. The animals that come by just out of sight or right after you leave.