MattR77

Everybody,
I posted earlier today in the Deer Hunting forum, but this forum seems to fit better.

I am in Iraq, and should be home by late fall. I'm in the Army andstationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas, and am looking to get back to the woods and start hunting. I've never bowhunted, have beendeployed two years and some changeout of the last 3. In other words, I want to bowhunt, but have no idea how to get into it. I will have about a month left in season when I get home, and desperately want to be a successful bowhunter. I have a bow in country with me and can hit a 4 inch circle at 30 yards consistently. I am looking for advice on everything (cold weather bowhunting camo, broadheads, calls, etc).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Matt

Rickmur

Much too involved to try to inform you here in writing. Most of what you want to know can be found in previous topics which can be found by using the search engine this site has. Just enter a key word and. But, might I add that with a month to go in the season when you get home I think you should probably wait till next season to enter the woods with bow in hand. Visit the pro shops and digest everything you can in this upcoming off season and enter the woods fully confident next year.
Ant thanks so much for your service to this country and it's citizens and come home safe.

bowman15

I would tell you to give up hunting this season and look forward to next. It takes alot to learn how to shoot a bow proficiently enough to hit a deer's kill-zone at an unknown yardage. There are a few different diciplines you'll need to be really familiar with before you should try to take an animal with bow and arrow. I shot for well over a year before I went into the woods after deer.

Jusy my .02, but I think others will agree it's sound advice. And I don't mean to burst your bubble; bowhunting is not easy and getting close and being accurate is the name of the game. It takes time to get there and we owe it to the animals we pursue to be as effective and efficient as we can so we make good shots and they suffer as little as possible, or not at all.

Good luck, and thanks for serving our country. We appreciate it!!

Phil from Maine

Most areas like the here require a hunters safety coarse with just about anything you hunt with.. So I would first check and see if you need one there. I am guessing you can read compass or a GPS unit as you would need one of those as well. As others have stated you should read up on it as much as you can. I do not see any harm in walking out in the woods looking for 1 however. Just remember that a good camo will help you and once you find a decent spot staying as still as posible. Deer pick up movement rather quickly and would run off or you may not even see one. Anyhow good luck to you and Thanks for serving our country as well.

ron3775

My advice is well you already have the camo, just was them in a scent blocker/uv blocker soap. Broadheads, well thats up to you. Mechanical or fixed, I shoot Rage 2 blade broadheads so thats what I would recommend, but its your choice. You shouldn't have any problems getting a license if you can prove that you hunted in the past. I don't know about a bow hunters safety course though. They are not required here in PA. You don't need to go out and buy any tree stands. You should be able to pull it off from a ground blind. Keep shooting and what you may want to do is close your eyes, walk out on the shooting range. Open your eyes and tree to estimate the distance to the target. That way it will build you confidence to be able to identify different distances.

Thank you from a former service member and our thoughts and prayers are with you for your safe return.

jimmy28303

i agree with another post on here. i think you should forget about hunting this year. You would need to scout, hang stands and continue to practive and thats just to much to do in 1 month. You have a bow in Iraq with you? that sucks man, i spent two tours there and tried to take mine the second time and they would not let me.

jjlemm001

Not to join the band wagon, especially since I am new to bowhunting myself, but you may want to forget this season and look forward to next. maybe do the rifle season, and enjoy being home.

sturmenater

i say go for it limit your shot distance and have fun bow hunting is not as dificult as everyone makes it out to be. for broadheads go with rage 2. as for calls use a rattle bag early season, practice a burp grunt to use all season. and get a bleat can for during the rut. you said you can shoot good at 30 yards well for now just consider that you limit and set up some markers aroung your spot so you know. camo your in the army. invest in some earth cover scents and stay on the ground for the first year and you will do alright.

Sliverflicker

Matt, First off glad you will be home soon. I dont belive you could be stationed at a better place than Ft Riley if you are a bowhunter. Shoot me a PM, I will be in the Ft Riley area around mid Nov and will help you all I can.
John