Bowhunting!

Guy Miner · Sep 17, 2016

Yesterday was the first real day of bowhunting in a long time for me. I've been practicing with the old bow, a 62", 53# Hoyt take-down, but hadn't hunted with it in a years. So, yesterday I took quite a walk in the hills with it, and dang, it felt good to be afield with a bow again! Went into a favorite area of mine in the Cascades, for mule deer. That didn't work out - but I shot a stump, and I missed a grouse in a tree, but didn't lose the arrow, so I'll call it a good day, a real good day.

Guy

bbearhntr · Sep 17, 2016

Sounds like an enjoyable day in the field. Take care that your rifles don't become jealous of your renewed interest in an old fling (pun intended)

alaska100 · Sep 17, 2016

Guy, sounds like you had an enjoyable day sir.

This is my next goal, is to take a grizzly with a bow. I have started researching equipment. Do you feel 25 to 35 yards is the appropriate distance or would you be comfortable shooting grizzly at longer distances with a bow ?

There is a fellow up here that has volunteered to work with me, I am looking forward to it Brooke

Guy Miner · Sep 17, 2016

I think I'd want someone who is a cool shot with a good rifle, nearby...

Bow kills are rarely instantaneous.

Guy

wisconsinteacher · Sep 17, 2016

Good for you Guy. I enjoy bowhunting a lot. What broadhead are you using in your recurve? I am using my compound this year, but next year, I might bust out the traditional bow again.

c. schutte · Sep 17, 2016

I know the feeling Guy,

This will be the first time in 3 years I have used a bow...vertical that is. Health issues then a frozen shoulder, always something when you get older???

Anyway, bought a cross bow and used it last year because of the shoulder but this year the therapy worked (on the shoulder, therapy on my brain will never work) and I am using a vertical bow again!

Africa Huntress · Sep 17, 2016

Guy Miner":3c84ylte said:
I think I'd want someone who is a cool shot with a good rifle, nearby...

Bow kills are rarely instantaneous.

Guy

(-:----without a doubt

brings to mind two stories Guy

1. when my father was hunting lion with a muzzleloader and had mum backing him up, he said he always made sure she wasn't mad at him before the hunt (-;

2. When mum was hunting Marco Polo a few years back, she literally covered herself in rocks and was hidden for a few hours from what I understand. Anyway my father and the guide was further away and watching her with a spotter. After a couple o hours my father said " I hope she is still alive "

anyway, back to your day Guy. It sounds like you successfully killed a stump and had a wonderful day in the mountains.

Charles, the health issues you faced down was not a walk in the park for you. We are so glad that you are back on your feet and hunting . We love you

Best Regards

Jamila

Guy Miner · Sep 17, 2016

wisconsinteacher":2iptrfg3 said:
Good for you Guy. I enjoy bowhunting a lot. What broadhead are you using in your recurve? I am using my compound this year, but next year, I might bust out the traditional bow again.

Zwicky, 2-blade. Seems to kill dead stumps just fine... :grin:

All - I'm pretty danged experienced with rifle & handgun, some with a shotgun.

With the bow? I'm re-learning old skills... Very much a novice, all over again.

And ya, the rebuilt right shoulder isn't as strong as it was. This bow is 53#, and I used to want another set of limbs, maybe 65 - 70#. Now, if I could even get new limbs for it, I think I might enjoy a set of 45# limbs...

Guy

Blkram · Sep 27, 2016

Guy, Shooting a recurve is so much fun! You'll be surprised how quickly the muscle memory will return to those old muscles! I too have bad shoulders and find that the traditional bow, while having no let off, does not have the same shock effect on the muscles and bones of the the shoulders that the compound bows do, making it more enjoyable. Glad to see you enjoying your old bow!

In setting up new shooters with traditional bows, I find that even though many guys can "pull" more than 40-50 # bows, they cannot draw them to a solid anchor point and hold for even 3-5 seconds without difficulty. This tends to lead to poor shooting form that will always lead to poor performance (read accuracy). In BC, the only animal that requires 50# draw weight is bison. 40# is legal for all other big game and will work wonderfully. I am reminded of a story that an old bowhunter in Grande Prairie shared with a fellow traditional archer;
He had been harvesting moose from his tree stand for several years with his 50# recurve, where the longest shot was 20 yards. He always had a complete pass through and had to trail his moose for 100-150 yards back into the forest to recover. One day, he grabbed his 40# recurve by mistake, and shot his moose with it. The arrow did not pass through the moose, and the broadhead's slice and dice work in the lungs as the moose ran away had the moose down within 40 yards. He did not have to pack his moose out as far, and in the next several years, his moose recovery averaged 25-40 yards, which meant less work for the aging hunter, which he greatly appreciated! A great lesson learned and shared!

My hunting recurve is a 40# Hoyt Dorado, but with my 31" draw length, it stacks to 50#.

I was able to harvest a few grouse with it 2 weeks ago, and got my second blue grouse with it this past Sunday! A big grouse that can go 4.5 lbs, it took three solid hits to the chest with a snaro point, before succumbing to a headshot.

Brooke, 30 to 35 yards with a bow is doable, dependent upon your draw weight and total arrow weight (resulting in kinetic energy) and your confidence level with your equipment. Are you going with a compound or traditional bow (recurve or longbow)?

As Guy suggested, having someone backing you up with a rifle on a grizzly bow hunt is good advice, especially if you are spot and stalk hunting versus being 16 plus feet up in a tree stand. If the bear is aware of you, the arrow strike may incite a charge.

Bruce Mc · Sep 29, 2016

Zwickey two blades are deadly. I usually carry a couple of judo points for those stumps that jump up and for small critters.

A few years ago we came across this oddity on a mountainside in Colorado. We wondered about how it came to be there. It appears to have been there a while.

JD338 · Sep 29, 2016

Bruce Mc":1jlhyg7j said:
Zwickey two blades are deadly. I usually carry a couple of judo points for those stumps that jump up and for small critters.

A few years ago we came across this oddity on a mountainside in Colorado. We wondered about how it came to be there. It appears to have been there a while.

Looks like the Kentucky Windage was a little off.

JD338

super-7 · Oct 1, 2016

This Weather cycle we have been stuck in , in Alberta continues. Which is not very helpful to me in my line of work , as just as in haying season the rain makes harvest here very tough. And when a window opens up for guys to get grain in the bin they have been going full bore ... Which means the break things lots of things lol which means even on rainy days I'm ussually wrenching on a combine, tractor , or baler.. With the odd auger and grain truck thrown in for good measure.
I have been throwing a few Easton's down range at my Glendale Buck in any spare time I have .
Taking the good with the bad I made it out twice with the Mamba for elk.. And one of my customers seen a herd of 2 bulls and 16 or so cows. About typical for my AO so this would be from the same herd we got my dads cow out if a couple years ago.
I haven't closed in on them yet , but have found a dug out they seem to be drinking from by the tracks . Next free day( tomarrow with any luck) I'm setting up the ground blind on the south west side , should be good for our typical trade winds out of the NW or SE..
Hope everyone else has a good bowhunting season , great thread GUY..
My parts should be in for a combine this afternoon , so back to the grind .. Lol
I did get a grouse on the way home the other day..
Tasty treat for supper.

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Our fall in full swing.

super-7 · Oct 1, 2016

Sitting out before last light in some cool property over the Vermilion River.

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DrMike · Oct 1, 2016

Lovely country, S-7! Any movement to speak of?

super-7 · Oct 2, 2016

I haven't closed in on the elk yet,,
The guy that runs the pro shop where I get my bow tuned just arrowed a 200" no typical mule buck a day or two ago.

Guy Miner · Oct 2, 2016

super-7":39ttbl01 said:
I haven't closed in on the elk yet,,
The guy that runs the pro shop where I get my bow tuned just arrowed a 200" no typical mule buck a day or two ago.

Nice!

I'm done bowhunting for a few weeks now... But there's still a late season.

Regards, Guy

Powerstroke · Oct 4, 2016

Great set-up Guy! Just something about a stick and string in hand, not to mention a great time of year to be hunting.

salmonchaser · Oct 4, 2016

I guided a fella last summer for silvers. He took a nine foot grizz with his bow last spring. The bear walked by at 8 yards, looking at the blind. He let the bear get out to 20 yards and looking away before he shot. He said never shoot a bear that's looking at you with an arrow.

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c. schutte · Oct 5, 2016

salmonchaser":29xa6dl0 said:
I guided a fella last summer for silvers. He took a nine foot grizz with his bow last spring. The bear walked by at 8 yards, looking at the blind. He let the bear get out to 20 yards and looking away before he shot. He said never shoot a bear that's looking at you with an arrow.

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Or if you are with a back up or guide at least point at "him" if the bear looks your way? :shock:

tecumseh · Oct 6, 2016

Great wY to spend the day in the woods! Here in OH I bow hunt more than gun given how our hunting seasons are structured, I'm hitting the woods for the first time this weekend with my new Hoyt.