First off, archery is totally different from gun huntingas I’m sure you know. Two of my hunting buddies hate archery because of the chance to wound an animal. That’s where being careful to only take high percentage shots is a great thing to learn.
Look at putting a B-stinger on your bow. You should be able to try it out before buying.
I use the Rage on hogs but refuse anything but a rear quartering shot. Like the old commercials said: like throwing an axe through an animal haha! I do know that it will shoot through stuff that would collapse a muzzy. For elk I’d look at the Zwickey (sp) or maybe Shuttle T’s. Whatever you choose, make sure your bow shoots to point of aim with them and SHARPEN THE SHIT OUT OF THEM! Lol.
Bull elk is my bucket list too. Killed cows but not a bull.
Also make sure point of impact doesn’t change with the quiver off. That cost me on a hog with a Martin bow. (Noisiest friggin’ bow)
That is PRECISELY what separates a bow hunter from a rifle hunter. You can’t just blast away with a bow and arrow and expect to hit anything. I believe it is more sporting with a bow and takes a more skilled hunter. You damn sure have to practice more !
This is debatable as gun hunting is simply different. The ethical hunter IMO isn’t the guy that practiced his 1,000 yard groups so he can gut shoot a deer at 800 yards. He’s the guy that gets up close and shoots em in the lips haha! I’ve taken guys out hog hunting and stalked in so close I offered to swat one on the ass! True story. He won’t go with me any more lol.
Gun hunting vs. bow hunting- debatable maybe but they’re polar opposites as well. I do both and I can assure you I better have my A game with me when I’m bow hunting. To have one within 30 yds, them not smell you or see you or hear you when you draw back? That’s an adrenaline rush for sure!
As far as wounding game? That is done with both gun and bow. It’s not what any hunter wants but it happens.
@TxGrowman you were asking about broadheads? When we were talking about an elk hunt last year I started looking into a different broadhead. I’ve always used 100gr 3 blade Thunderheads until a few years back I started shooting the 100gr Slick Tricks. I really like them but thought I’d need a little more on an elk. Wound up buying a pack of Shuttle-T’s and a pack of Viper tricks. I liked the vipers over the shuttle-t’s. Just my opinion. Check out some of “Scout look” videos on their broadhead tests. The vipertrick took 1st in 2016 it’s really what you feel confident with, shot placement has to happen first!
Oh yeah, you asked if I used the Can or grunts. I do but I don’t seem to have much luck here in Ms. I called in this one down in Tx. when I was working in the oilfield.
That’s a nice buck. The group I was hunting with all scoffed at the Black Rack and the Extinguisher but stopped after I called in two bucks that they had never seen in the area. I had seen them twice in my few visits.
I especially like the Extinguisher as I can use it for Fawn, Doe, Buck and Rutting Buck. The guys were amazed when I was just sitting there and called in even a pair of does with the fawn call. My lungs make it hard to get the wheeze down but I can do a fairly good job. Don’t want to use it if I know a big one is coming in as I sometimes cough after I do it, not a good thing if you are trying to call bucks.
The Primo esterus doe call is simplicity in itself to use. One of the smaller bucks came right in and did not even look left or right, all he wanted to do was breed ! I couldn’t shoot him, I already had my 13" plus big buck. He was too young to shoot anyway, only about 2 1//2 to 3 years. He is gonna be a nice one when he gets mature. Hope I am there when he gets mature.
Have you had any of the scents work for you? I have never used them but am wondering if they are worth it ? I would not even know what ones to use.
Just found this thread. Hunting and fishing are my other loves in life. I got this one this past season. This is my biggest yet and he is a the taxidermist. This thing weighed 175 pounds field dressed give or take a pound. It was a huge body for a mature buck here in OK. Got him with a combination of my new ar15 and my dad’s 308 finished him off as my ar was a little off. He came in pissed off because we were rattling and using grunts and bleats
@Beans there is really no debate possible on the difference in killing potential between a gun and a bow. If bows were better we’d never develop firearms. Yes, they require far less training. The way we hunt, the implement used is just a tool. I like out smarting my game which is NOT shooting them at 500 yards.
I hunt and kill deer and hogs with a bow so I know what you mean. But! I shot a deer through the heart at 10 yards with a Rage 2-blade and that guy trotted 500 yards before expiring. If I’d plugged him with a 243 he’d have dropped in his tracks. I’ve had arrows fail to penetrate the plate on big hogs and had bullets bounce off!
Hunting and fishing is another true love of mine and bow hunting was at the top of the list. Where I live there was no gun season (bow only) so we have some really nice bucks here. @TxGrowman.
I do all the usual stuff depending on the time of year.
I am a fly angler (trout mostly but will try to catch anything that swims), bow hunter (whitetail almost exclusively), and on again off again crossfitter.
I took up golf about 3 years ago and usually get out once or twice a week during the warmer months.
I’m also an a PC gamer (first person shooters mostly), build my own computers, and recently started dabbling in Arduino stuff (related to my growing, really).
I don’t think there is a debate between guns and bows either. It is just what you like and most likely grew up with.
I started hunting with bow at 16 years old with an old Shakespere Sierra recurve and some old wooden arrows with fixed broad heads, Wasp heads, and never went back to shotgun, couldn’t use rifle in my part of NY state. I became addicted to bow in one season. The thing I like best about archery is that it is quiet and one-on-one. I think it is harder but more rewarding.
Now I am just happy to be able to get in the field at all. Old injuries have a way of slowing ya down pretty quickly. I am trying to convert my son to bow at least so we can hunt together. He bought a nice bow (got it for $200) with case and arrows. Haven’t had a chance to see it yet but he said it was in good shape.
We start practice after his promotion test on 2/6/18. W are going to build a blind on their lease. Can’t wait.
You said it exactly right. I think bows and hogs were meant for each other lol. Until you run into hogzilla; done THAT more than once haha! It extends seasons and brings hunting into the suburbs too, back east. Of course, if suppressors were legal we’d all be using them.
@TxGrowman, @Myfriendis410, Two more bites the dust. We were driving back from town last night and noticed the car ahead of us did some funky swerving and ended up in the weeds on the side of the road. I figured it was a deer but nope, it was a family of hogs. We pulled up and to my surprise the woman was upset over the dead pigs. She didn’t say a thing about her front end damage. She took 2 of them out and I remember I was wishing it was more. There’s no telling how much damage those critters do to our place. We ended waiting until her husband pulled up to take her home and he got out of his truck. looking at his front end and said Martha, why didn’t you kill them all? With this much damage you should have killed at least 10. Damn hogs.
The lady that I killed that big pig for called and said she will pay me to come out with a crew and shoot all the hogs I see on her and her neighbor’s land. Her daughter got attacked yesterday in the front lawn.
This is not a bow type hunt, this is 30.06 and blast 'em into next week at ranges up to 250 yards. I have a bunch of 180 grain boat tail cartridges and it is about time to use 'em up. Got my son and his AR and my other son with his .300 Win mag to come along ! It’s party time - rifle style.
Her leg got torn up really bad and she got about 65 stitches in her left leg. The pig got his, her neighbor happened to be home (He’s a over the road driver) and dispatched him with Extreme Prediguce ! Shot him three times in the head with his pistol. Took all three shots to kill it.
Guess I’ll chase crappie now and maybe a long beard or two!
