New soon to be bowhunter
12-01-2011, 07:03 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8
New soon to be bowhunter
I've been rifle hunting for about 4 deer seasons now in NC, and I'd like to be able to get in on the early season bow hunting. I understand that there is ALOT to it, and I would like to get some newbie pointers on certain items such as gear, technique, tips etc. Any advice that I can get on starting out would be greatly appreciated.
12-01-2011, 07:30 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,925
My advice would be to shop around and find gear you feel comfortable with.Try different bows untill you find one in our price range you feel fits your needs.Have it professionally set up to fit you, draw length, draw weight, arrows, etc....Practice shooting it as much as you can and from as many positions as you can, standing, kneeling, sitting, elevated stands, etc... at various yardages.
Dont get hung up on name brands, doesnt matter who makes a bow if it isnt one your comfortable with, and any of them on the market will kill a deer just as dead as the next one.
Accessories are also a personal choice but with them you get what you pay for in most cases.You dont need to spend a fortune on them but at the same time the 10$ bowsight at walmart or the bargain bin broadheads probably are gonna break or fail at the worst possible moments.Personally I look at all of them and usually wind up with middle priced items.
Basically dont rush into it, shop around, and get a set up you can use, and afford, and it will last you a lotta years, at least till you get bored with it and want to a new bow
Dont get hung up on name brands, doesnt matter who makes a bow if it isnt one your comfortable with, and any of them on the market will kill a deer just as dead as the next one.
Accessories are also a personal choice but with them you get what you pay for in most cases.You dont need to spend a fortune on them but at the same time the 10$ bowsight at walmart or the bargain bin broadheads probably are gonna break or fail at the worst possible moments.Personally I look at all of them and usually wind up with middle priced items.
Basically dont rush into it, shop around, and get a set up you can use, and afford, and it will last you a lotta years, at least till you get bored with it and want to a new bow
12-02-2011, 09:02 AM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8
Thanks for the advice. Whens usually the best time to shop for bows? It seems like they never really go on sell. Usually you can expect deer hunting supplies such as camo etc to drop dramatically at the end of the season, but with bows that doesn't seem to be the case.
12-03-2011, 10:09 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Upstate NY/Prescott AZ
Posts: 129
Thanks for the advice. Whens usually the best time to shop for bows? It seems like they never really go on sell. Usually you can expect deer hunting supplies such as camo etc to drop dramatically at the end of the season, but with bows that doesn't seem to be the case.
You'll want a bow that has some adjustability built in.
Often, you can find ready to shoot packages for under $350, and thats new.
Find shops that will let you shoot the bows you're interested in. That way, you get exactly what you want. Be sure to BUY at the shop that lets you shoot, even if it costs a few bucks more. They spent time and money helping you. Help them by supporting them with a sale.
The margins are definitely NOT there on bows. Accessories, yes.
12-05-2011, 06:43 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,925
Speaking of 2012 bows coming out another thing to look at is the bows people trade in.You may not want a used bow but some, actually a lot of guys trade in bows that are only a year or two old and get the newest models available.If you shop around you often pick up a bow that a year ago cost twice what they want for it and theyre generally already set up to shoot.Theres usually nothing wrong with these bows except the owner wanted a new one.Just something else to consider, again shoot them first and make sure you like them.
12-05-2011, 09:02 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: At the bar
Posts: 192
Speaking of 2012 bows coming out another thing to look at is the bows people trade in.You may not want a used bow but some, actually a lot of guys trade in bows that are only a year or two old and get the newest models available.If you shop around you often pick up a bow that a year ago cost twice what they want for it and theyre generally already set up to shoot.Theres usually nothing wrong with these bows except the owner wanted a new one.Just something else to consider, again shoot them first and make sure you like them.
12-12-2011, 05:57 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 107
The first thing I would do is set you budget for how much you are able to spend. The second is to have a professional archery proshop help you determine your correct draw length...very important! As some of the other guys have said, a well maintained used bow could be the way for you to go, but you have to realize that the bow will not come with a warranty. You could also go with a starter or mid price range complete package and get everything you need to get you started. Do some research online and check out reviews of some of the different bows that you might like to buy and take some time doing it. Lastly, go and shoot every bow that you can get your grubby little arrow flingin' hands on! Also, be carefull not to let the archery tech talk you into spending more than you can afford! Sometimes they are like car salesmen. Good luck with your quest and post some pics of the new bow when you get it! 
