How to start archery hunting.

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jogforfun

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Hello looking at testing the waters of archery hunting.
Would most likely start with black tail deer next season. What is a good entry bow what do need to invest in where do I start. What is a reasonable investment to get set up. I hunt already so have calls, boots, clothing, knifes, Backpack range finder....
 
Depends a lot on what you want out if it. The best place to start is a good archery shop where you can get advice, try out different bows and get it set up and tuned. You’re looking at minimum several hundred dollars for a bow (or crossbow) set up with arrows, broad heads and accessories. Once you have this, you need a target or two of your own and a place to shoot or membership in a club. You will also do well to get some instruction either from an experienced friend or by taking lessons. It’s much easier to learn right once than unlearn bad habits. From there you need to build your skills until you are ready for hunting (opinions vary on this, but all your arrows into a roughly 4” group at a given range is often used to set your max distance).
It can be a serious rabbit hole if you really get into archery, but worthwhile if you are serious and committed. No matter what size it is your first bow kill will be well earned and memorable.
 
I'm an old fart who got into bow hunting a few years back. We get an extended season here in Ontario if we hunt with a bow. Old injuries made a crossbow my only option and I got a good deal on a used Barnett Quad 400 though I upgraded the scope with an Excalibur model. This thing will put one bolt on top of another (1-1/2 to 2") all day long out to 50 yds. I use 125 gr. heads. It's heavier than I thought it would be and more awkward to carry than a rifle, but once you're in position or in a blind that really doesn't matter. My only complaint is with Barnett customer service. I contacted them regarding a replacement arrow retention spring and they never bothered to get back to me. If I was in the market again for a bow I'd get an Excalibur.
 
I hunt Google quite a bit for information on Entry level stuff or when beginning a different sport- plethora of information!
it would even tell you where the closest archery shop is in your town! :)

maybe for some of the species you guys have, bow would be awesomee in the ruts but damn it looks like hard work on really cautious deer?!?!
 
I am also making the transition into archery hunting but have not had enough practice time and am very hesitant...... call it procrastination LOL
Have taken it out a couple times and did try some spot and stalk and treestand but had no bucks in my sights either time.
I also went with an excalibur crossbow as my shoulder injury prevents me from drawing and holding a decent hunting bow.
Years ago (90's ?) I got into archery with a Barnett Demon compound crossbow. A friend knew this couple that were Archery competitors and awesome sources for advice.
It got stolen in a home break in and I didn't have renters insurance so was SOL on getting any replacement .
These days I have a treestand in a black tail spot I've hunted now for almost 20 years and a crossbow would be great but I fear that the shooting angles are somewhat wrong for archery. I have my rifle set for a 70 yard zero in that spot and strive for clean head shots as the animals are rarely presenting level broadside shots.

I am also very curious to learn more and get the confidence to use my crossbow on BC Moose hunts but I don't understand everything I need to yet.
Like optimal ranges , broad head types and weights..... I'm just not there yet and have no mentors in the archery game these days.
 
I started Archery when I was living in Moose Jaw, bought a used bow off a friend and got some good advice from a local guy who was running an archery shop out of his rural property there.

Decide what your intentions are as far as what type of equipment turns your crank. Long bows and recurves are a lot different shooting than compound bows.

Get some decent advice and get properly fitted! Best to see a certified instructor, usually he will work in an archery shop, esp. if the shop also has shooting lanes.

Don't try to be a he-man and buy the baddest, fastest, heaviest poundage bow you can get. 45 (min poundage legal in BC, IIRC) pounds will put an arrow through a deer and most of the way through a moose or elk, usually. The faster bows shoot flatter, but they usually trade that off for magnifying any errors the shooter makes in technique. Better to get an easier shooting bow, work on technique, then if you feel the need, upgrade later.

Practice! Remember that when hunting, it's going to be that first shot that counts, not how well you shoot after warming up a while.
If you can, go walkabout out in the bush, stump shooting. Not necessarily stumps, but at about anything that you can pick out as a target. Buy some Judo Points for that. I have had terrible results with the copies, and will only buy the real originals. Found that the copies shedded the wire 'kickers' too easily. They work a treat on gophers and grouse too. But I have gone out and shot at golf balls, beer cans, dandelions, picked a tree branch, whatever. Estimate the range, and take the shot. It builds muscle, and muscle memory.

Rangefinding and practicing estimating ranges! If you have a rangefinder, use it, if you don't, make your best estimate, and practice until what you se matches where your arrow goes.
 
jogforfun said:
Hello looking at testing the waters of archery hunting.
Would most likely start with black tail deer next season. What is a good entry bow what do need to invest in where do I start. What is a reasonable investment to get set up. I hunt already so have calls, boots, clothing, knifes, Backpack range finder....
Click to expand...


get a compound bow with adjustable draw weight like Bear Cruzer G2 or Bear Legit
start under 40lbs until you are comfy shooting it and then increase the weight
once you are able to consistently hit a 4" 30y bullseye at 40lbs or more you're ready to hunt

Additionally you need to do extensive scouting for a spot where there's a high-ish chance to meet a buck under 30yds
 
equipment:
- RTH (ready to hunt) bow package (Bear Cruzer G2 is currently on sale at Cabelas)
- release. Blackout Twilight also on sale at Cabelas (it's a rebranded Truglo)
- arrows. Blackout X3 Hunter Carbon Arrows (start with 400 spine) or Stalker Extreme 55-70
- arrow points. My recommendation: 125gr weight. For hunting you will need broadheads.
- some kind of target or archery range membership.

lots of practice
 
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Best way to start is to head down to an archery shop with a budget in mind. Somewhere with a range, preferably. Get measured up and sling some arrows until you find the right bow - the shop should keep 'em coming until you're happy. I went through 6 models and ended up on the Bear Species LD - it felt noticeably more "solid" to me and I was hitting yellow consistently at 20 yards before I even paid for it. They put 6 arrows together for me and 6 field points. Then we grabbed a pretty basic trigger release that fit well and 3 each of fixed and mechanical broadheads. I had literally everything else except a target and bow case.

Since then I've been slinging arrows in the garage to build strength and accuracy and will enjoy skipping out on the live fire exercise known as "general rifle season" this year. Archery for deer, save my ammo for bear and turkey :)
 
trevj said:
I started Archery when I was living in Moose Jaw, bought a used bow off a friend and got some good advice from a local guy who was running an archery shop out of his rural property there.

Decide what your intentions are as far as what type of equipment turns your crank. Long bows and recurves are a lot different shooting than compound bows.

Get some decent advice and get properly fitted! Best to see a certified instructor, usually he will work in an archery shop, esp. if the shop also has shooting lanes.

Don't try to be a he-man and buy the baddest, fastest, heaviest poundage bow you can get. 45 (min poundage legal in BC, IIRC) pounds will put an arrow through a deer and most of the way through a moose or elk, usually. The faster bows shoot flatter, but they usually trade that off for magnifying any errors the shooter makes in technique. Better to get an easier shooting bow, work on technique, then if you feel the need, upgrade later.

Practice! Remember that when hunting, it's going to be that first shot that counts, not how well you shoot after warming up a while.
If you can, go walkabout out in the bush, stump shooting. Not necessarily stumps, but at about anything that you can pick out as a target. Buy some Judo Points for that. I have had terrible results with the copies, and will only buy the real originals. Found that the copies shedded the wire 'kickers' too easily. They work a treat on gophers and grouse too. But I have gone out and shot at golf balls, beer cans, dandelions, picked a tree branch, whatever. Estimate the range, and take the shot. It builds muscle, and muscle memory.

Rangefinding and practicing estimating ranges! If you have a rangefinder, use it, if you don't, make your best estimate, and practice until what you se matches where your arrow goes.
Click to expand...

Good advice, especially to not overbow yourself.

The legal minimum draw weight for a vertical bow is 40# at the archer’s draw length ( meaning a traditional bow drawn to less than the length at which it is rated will be less than listed).
 
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