So, this is my first year as a tradition bowhunter. Back in February I purchased my first trad bow, a Shrew Classic Hunter. It's a beautiful bow purchased from a long time Trad Gang member. (I'm super grateful by the way)
Anyway, I'm curious what advice you might give someone who will be spending his first season in the woods as a trad hunter? The kind of advice you wished someone would've told you when you were starting.
I apologize if this kind of thread has been up here before. I searched and didn't find it. I sure appreciate the time.
You must have your shooting form down right... Get out in the woods and stump shoot... Hunt the cover and keep your shots at deer close... Most of all, enjoy yourself.
... mike ...
There is a ton of stuff. As above, I hope you don't listen to all the competitive crap out there and just go be a part of nature. Enjoy yourself, don't compete to kill a deer ( or anything else), smell the roses and you will like it. You don't need all the gear being offered today to make things easier, not at all. Use the force...
ChuckC
If you hunt from an elevated stand, practice, practice, practice from an elevated stand. You will still probably shoot over the deer's back. Then practice , practice, practice from an elevated stand. Then, you'll probably shoot over the deer's back. Then, practice, practice, practice, etc, etc, etc. I know I'm not the only one this has happened to.
Then don't give up. Because when you make that first shot, seeing the arrow dissapear right where you were burning a hole with your eyes, the flood of emotion is better than any gun or compound kill you heve ever experienced.
Focus on a hair, not the deer.
No real advice for when you hit the woods. The advice I wish I had gotten a long time ago would be - "Hunt with traditional bows". I've wasted so many years hunting wheels. I know some of you will say those years weren't wasted, but in comparison to the experiences with a recurve or longbow, they feel like they were. I'm having so much fun these days, it's hard to describe.
Okay. I will offer some hunting advice after all. And it's "Don't take shots farther than your comfort range".
Congrats on your choice!
it's a harder path...but so much more rewarding.
As said above...practice how you'll hunt. If using a stand..practice from a stand..or roof..lol
I hunt from the ground and shoot from my knees 95% of the time.
so..I practice shooting from my knees more than any other position.
Also...I don't know what your bow hunting experience is...but with compounds you can pull back to the let off and wait for a long time for that deer to come in.
...kinda hard to do that with trad gear.
So you find yourself having to pull back at the moment of truth..( WHAT A RUSH IT IS!)
I found myself letting good shots go by just because I was afraid to spook em when I drew.
Took me 2 years of walk by's to say "the heck with it..I'm pulling back come hell or high water"..lol
Now I wouldn't pull back if the deer is looking right at me..BUT..it's pretty surprising how you can pull back and not spook a deer when they're only 10-15 yds away.
Just keep it smooth.
Gotta draw if you're ever gonna shoot.
Have fun! :thumbsup:
I misread the topic, deleted my post...
A thing to remember I've learned through the years nobody really advised me is - Archery is give and take, such as speed for stability, weight vs speed for penetration, etc....
Usually if you gain something in archery, you loose something elsewhere...
Welcome from Kentucky!
The advice I wished I would have had back would be get some diamond sharpening hones and don't try and use stones. For years I thought I was a complete idiot when coming to sharpening. Then after talking to Ron at KME (kmesharp.com) I got some diamond hones and after they arrived in a matter of minutes I realized that it was my equipment not me.
Most of us put a lot of time and effort into hunting and skimping on sharpening equipment is crazy. My broad heads are all now scary sharp and I can most definitely tell a difference in the leaves on the ground now.
Good shooting blunt arrows that you dare to lose, can be the most valuable arrows you own.
Good question! Apart from learning to shoot to shoot a traditional bow which is a journey in itself ! Here are a few things I wish I had paid more attention to:
1:Arrow tuning/Broadhead flight... I missed my first shot at a dandy buck at unmentionably close yardage due to the fact that I did not understand bare shaft and paper tuning.
2: timing the shot and draw sequence. This just takes time and effort but shooting at moving targets can be very helpful
3: don't start out overbowed...yea, start out with less than you would like to hunt with
4: and probably the most painful lesson I learned early on:
Pay attention to deer movement after the shot. Animals react to traditional bows, especially recurves and loud longbows and the slower speeds mean you have to anticipate this. The only deer I have lost with the traditional now have been those that reacted to the shot in my early years.
5: get a partner! It's much more fun that way, and let me know if you're interested in hunting with me.
Sorry double post
"DON"T SHOOT AT ALERT DEER".... They have won the first round. Learn from it. A bad wound and a lot of tracking is not fun for you, or your buddies giving you a hand. Jeff
I used to wander around too much looking at all the deer sign , when you only need to see it once to know the deer are there.
I wish someone would have told me to just pick a good spot and stay still and wait for the deer to come to me,..... I could have killed some monsters if I wasn't up walking around spooking them all the time.
I have learned to hide and wait.
good luck on your first trad year.
All this advice is so great. Thank you all for taking the time to write. I am really grateful.
Highlow x2....
Don't overthink it. It's meant to be simple, and it really is if you have properly tuned equipment, practice how you hunt, and believe in your abilities. No piece of technology can take the place of the fluid sense of movement and intense concentration of a seasoned trad hunter.
Live for JESUS in everything especially in your time in his creation.
This goes along with practice how u hunt, but practice in your hunting clothes. Also, shoot some 3d, shooting a dot is different then picking a hair on a deer. Good luck !
Get a Century to begin with, that alone would have saved me THOUSANDS !
I guess if I had to pick one bit of advice that I wish I would have known sooner that would be a properly or poorly tuned arrow can make or break your hunt tune your bow and practice your form :thumbsup: have fun this fall stay safe and shoot straight where all rooting for Ya
In practicing: Back tension is one of the most important aspects of form.
In hunting: proper scouting and stand location, with particular attention to the wind. Or to put it another way, find a good place, put your nose in the wind, sit still, be quiet, and, when you shoot, PICK A SPOT.
Hunt the wind!
When I was new to traditional archery, I wish someone would've told me to:
Buy a lightweight bow, like 20-30 lbs and master proper form before moving up to hunting bow weight.
Give up trying to be an instinctive shooter once you realize you're not any good at it, there's no shame in being a gap shooter or using any other type of aiming method.
Bareshaft tune right off the bat. Don't spend a year shooting arrows that aren't the right length or spined correctly.
Get a Bitzenburger fletching jig and make an arrow cutoff saw. It will pay for itself and start saving money faster than you think.
These are just a few off the top of my head.
This goes along with practice how u hunt, but practice in your hunting clothes. Also, shoot some 3d, shooting a dot is different then picking a hair on a deer. Good luck !
Practice good form now, so that it is 2nd nature in the moment of truth. Read the "Shooter's Form Forum" here on Tradgang A LOT! And when the moment of truth arrives, remember to PICK A SPOT!
BTW, welcome to the 'gang, from one Okie to another.
Slow down! Enjoy yourself.
It seems I gain a lot more and see more deer when I dont try so hard. Hunting smarter, not more will gain most sightings. This is because when I try to hard, I miss the small important stuff.
Its kind of like Chinese finger cuffs.
I wish I had someone to teach me about arrow spine and what good arrow flight was.
Enjoy the journey
Im on my 3rd year in traditional archery and i wish someone would have told me its hazardous to my health to sleep in the woods with my longbow. No kills yet and the deer i see are far away but man do i get some of my best sleep!!!, thats when im on the ground.
Get professional coaching, even if it's only one hour. Money well spent.
We practice blank bale shooting, form etc. But archery is largely a mental game once you have your basic form down.. Keep that in mind and practice the mental part as much as the physical.
Don't stare down the deer..if he's looking at you cut your eyes either left, right or even close them slowly. Some deer don't like to be stared at, especially if your close to them.
Don't worry, you will make mistakes, learn from them. Only time afield you will discover this.
Have fun with this stick bow stuff.
Good luck.
Take what you learnt as a rifle or compound hunter and magnify it 10 times, scent awareness (not scent control), concealment, compression of movement, etc.... most important enjoy the woods/plains and admire the animals your hunting success will come. Biggest successes seem to come when hunting becomes secondary to everything else.
"watch the arrow all the way until it hits the target."
QuoteOriginally posted by 4runr:
If you hunt from an elevated stand, practice, practice, practice from an elevated stand. You will still probably shoot over the deer's back. Then practice , practice, practice from an elevated stand. Then, you'll probably shoot over the deer's back. Then, practice, practice, practice, etc, etc, etc. I know I'm not the only one this has happened to.
Focus on a hair, not the deer.
You aren't! :D I came in to say pretty much the same thing.
advice for a new Traditional Bowhunter,,
just have fun and don't get caught up in the whole "Mine is Prettier than yours" or "this is better than that".
some heads gets so big they forgot how to be successful in the field, it more about the gear and look than it is about the actual hunt, avoid thinking like this its not good for the concentration.
Make sure your gear is ready, broadheads sharp, good flight, string is new.
Make sure you know your accuracy distance and respect it.
Practice from the the tree if you intend on hunting from one.
enjoy the sport.
Best advice I could have been given; "Don't marry that Ebers girl she will turn out to be a tramp".
OOPS! wrong advice topic.
As for your question; Don't buy into anything commercially marketed as the latest and greatest, camo, scents, calls, treestands or overpriced trendy bows. It is all just like buying fishing lures, made to snag the buyer instead of the fish.
Secure all ladders.
I've missed out on 2 hunting seasons and looking at missing a third all because I didn't secure a ladder. Almost lost my leg, still might.
A quick climb isn't worth the pain of a long fall.
Well, I got the good advice, but followed the bad advice instead.
Don't overbow yourself. It's much, much better to start at 45 lbs than 55 lbs.
Being overbowed will cause all sorts of problems that may take a long time to fix.
"A quick climb isn't worth the pain of a long fall."
Stuart - Feel for you, wish you the best...
Do you mind it I use that quote?
I fell last November 5th and got busted up pretty good, ended up in hospital and left shoulder still isn't right... Happened during peak rut here and missed the rest of bowseason, and as said still ain't right and likely be bother with my shoulder the rest of my life...
Again, best wishes and good luck...
It has been mentioned before but can not be over emphasized. You don't need 80 ponds to kill a deer! Another and perhaps most important to me, "its about the journey and not the destination..." particularly with traditional archery the little victories along the way should be appreciated. Shooting and hunting with a longbow is an never ending process of learning and growing. I first picked up a traditional bow 45 years ago and every year I learn something about shooting, and hunting and myself.
Don't overbow yourself and shoot a good two blade broadhead you can get razor sharp. Good arrow/broadhead tuning is a must, not something to be taken lightly. Be very picky with your shot selection, if it's not right don't shoot. Shoot as much as you can and stick with one bow while you get your form down. If they ever have one near you, a weekend at one of Rod Jenkins clinics is well worth the time and money.
Here is one from a frustrated father, said to his son while looking for a lost arrow in long weeds at a 3d shoot. "If you don't try to hit an exact something, most of the time, you will miss everything." We did help him, and found that arrow.
QuoteOriginally posted by Zbone:
"A quick climb isn't worth the pain of a long fall."
Stuart - Feel for you, wish you the best...
Do you mind it I use that quote?
I fell last November 5th and got busted up pretty good, ended up in hospital and left shoulder still isn't right... Happened during peak rut here and missed the rest of bowseason, and as said still ain't right and likely be bother with my shoulder the rest of my life...
Again, best wishes and good luck...
Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Oh, and you can use that quote. I'll be praying for your shoulder as well as my ankle.
I wish someone had told me about eye dominance before I invested all that money in righthanded bows, quivers, tabs, etc., since I'm left eye dominant.
1. There is no magic bow.
2.Shoot a bow that feels good to you. It will be the one that shoots best.
3.Its not a sin to miss. It happens..get over it.
4. Spend time learning to be a woodsman. The better you are at it the closer your shots will be.
Anchor point. I grew up anchoring first finger corner of my mouth. Even in wheel days. Shot recurve long time same way first finger corner mouth and I shot good.
Tried anchoring second finger corner mouth, wow, my groups tightened so quickly and my yardage extended as well.
Very weird after 30yrs shooting same way but it is worth the effort to switch.
STUMP SHOOT! It is the best practice you can get into. 3Ds too but I don't like shooting with folks - just one or two buddies is all and stump shooting really fits the bill.
J
RC and Eric Krewson! Great advice -
Do everything your pastor tells you to do... He is always right!
Really?
Interesting thread. As you would imagine, there are different ways to skin this beast.
There is some great advice within this thread. But some of what is here I heard early on and found it to be bad advice. I make a point to make sure I don't pass on those myths. The ones that concern me most regard shooting form. These myths are in part why 70% of archers develop "target related issues" that run them right out of archery.
I'll elude to only one: If you leave the bow arm unmoved until the arrow hits the target you will be fighting what the active bow arm muscles "want" and should be allowed to do during follow through. The bow arm will eventually collapse (if not immediately) unless you keep it active.
The first order of business is to select proper equipment to learn to shoot. Then learn to shoot. Determine your personal effective range and stay under it when bow hunting. Don't expect the Accuracy Fairy to make a visit on a shot that is beyond your practiced and proven effective distance.
Your challenge is to determine the the right from the wrong.
I really like Michael Arnett's list on page 1.
Hunt the wind. To get on a buck, hunt the does. Pick a landmark after a hit to know where the blood trail starts (especially if you gun hunt), don't look a deer in the eyes, a deer will commonly flick its tail before raising its head, that dark loamy fluffy soil attracts bucks for some reason, smell your arrow before taking to a blood trail (bumped a few bedded deer not hit well in my youth). Sit still, let the young fellows who can't sit still push deer to you. Lol!
1) Don't over think this or get too technical. Even here on TG I think we make it too difficult at times.
2) Shoot at animals. Shoot small game and the first deer you get a chance at. Get some harvests under your belt.
Dan in KS
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but practice in your hunting clothes. Not doing so will cost you the shot and may lead to a long fruitless blood trail. (It did me)
Randy
Have the time of your life!
Lots of good advice here.
Terry
1. Clear all the leaves from your ground blind or the base of your tree.
2. Walk into your stand like a deer moving through the woods. Walk and stop... walk and stop.
3. Deer don't seem to look in waterways. If you can hunt in a ditch or stream bank, give it a go.
4. Don't be afraid to get out of trees and hunt in the brush. Use an old scrub tree/bush to hide near.
5. Look with your eyes BEFORE you turn your head.
6. Many deer know where you like to set up and will literally stand totally still/silent 70 yards away just scanning your usual areas to see if you are there.
7. Using a climber, drop the seat to your feet after you have climbed to your desired height. Then lean against the tree and the deer are less likely to spot you up there. You can always bring the seat up to sitting level for a few minutes if you absolutely need to sit.
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
1. There is no magic bow.
2.Shoot a bow that feels good to you. It will be the one that shoots best.
3.Its not a sin to miss. It happens..get over it.
4. Spend time learning to be a woodsman. The better you are at it the closer your shots will be.
and hunt where the deer are!!do your scouting-don't waste time!!
Aim small, miss small.... don't look at the animal, find a tuft of hair behind the shoulder or a shadow line in the shoulder blade point.... PICK a SPOT and take your time. Don't rush the shot.
I think another good tip is watch the ears and tail. Those are sensors telling you if they are at full alert, or relaxed. Tail up, ears forward... you don't have a shot mate. They'll jump the string every time.
Don't overbow yourself.
Enjoy Yourself.
Lots of good advice here on this topic...If your shooting is good and you can get into deer then I would say "get aggressive when it comes time to shoot" If the critter gives you a good shot opportunity TAKE IT don't wait on a great shot opportunity because it may not happen. This plagued me when I started as a teenager with a compound and for the first two years with my longbow...Maybe I'm too passive but I got to block out all the "what if's" and just go for it...BeauJ
don't put off that hunt time waits for no one you wont always be healthy enough to climb that ridgeline.
QuoteOriginally posted by highlow:
Really?
Don't worry highly, he is my pastor. The one who is responsible for me kicking the wheels.
Thank you all for the awesome advice. This has been a really cool experiment and I can't wait to put it to work.
Don't over bow yourself is without a doubt the best advice so far. It creates all kinds of bad habits that are hard to break later on. It even tore up my shoulder. The male ego is a terrible thing. Find a cheap 40# bow, learn to shoot it and work your way up. This is just my opinion, but it is exactly what happened to me. We didn't have a Trad gang then, It was just the school of hard nocks.
Pretty simple really...hunting the first year you start shooting is probably not very ethical
DDave
As everyone has said, have fun, that is most important. That is easiest if you are doing what you want to do and not what others think you should do.
Adding to this, remember that opinions (1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty. 2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.) are the authors only used to support what they are doing. It may be factually wrong (whether verifiable or not).
So if you choose to incorporate someones opinion into your shooting/hunting process, make sure it fits your desires, believe system, objectives, etc. and you will have a much more rewarding experience.
A lot of great advise , I started bow hunting alone before the Internet or hunting/ shooting videos and made alot of mistakes , I'd say like others have, get a bow you are comfortable with, get it tuned with hunting weight arrows, learn to sharpen heads razor sharp, shoot at milk jugs out in the yard ,or something in addition to your standard target, and stump shoot as much as possible ,Like Dan said earlier, get some kills and gain confidence! Take the first GOOD shot presented and avoid shooting alerted deer/critters . Don't get discouraged and pick up the wheels , stick with it and you will be glad you did
I didn't know any bowhunters when I started in the early 70's. But I'd like to add a few opinions I've developed that I believe are helpful:
1. The arrow is the most important thing in the accuracy equation. If its not strait, well tuned to the bow and matched to your other arrows you will not shoot to your abilities.
2. Set your trophy goals on what you want and where you hunt - not on what you see in the magazines or what others tell you is a trophy.
3. Time in the woods is more important to your success than the equipment you have.
4. Don't be afraid to do it yourself on an out of state hunt. Guides/outfitters are not required if you can't afford or don't want one.
5. A properly sharpened $4 zwickey (or several other brand) broad head is just as effective as the multitude of $20 heads available. (This applies to a lot but not all of your equipment choices so under stand what you are paying for when deciding.)
6. If you do not have the skill or time to properly sharpen the $4 head, buy the expensive pre-sharpened head, i.e., spend money to save time if you want.
7. finally, I would like to repeat an earlier comment - generally everything is a trade off - to gain in one area be aware of the cost in other areas.
Practice shooting extensively with the broadheads you will hunt with prior to hunting season.