Learning Curves of Bowhunting

lukew

Administrator
Jul 1, 2019
241
258
Hey guys! Question for you guys... What was your biggest learning curve when you started bowhunting? And if you had any bad habits to beak, what were they?
 
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mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
Learning when to draw my bow.

I learned a long time ago to draw my bow and hold it if I have to.

If you wait to draw your bow too late 90% of the time you will regret it because when an animal is in the "Eminent range" your odds in getting busted are about 6000000X greater....

Learned this the hard way MANY times.

Dont draw your bow when an animal is standing still if they are already in "Eminent Range"....wait until they are moving.
 

Maxhunter

Veteran member
Apr 10, 2011
1,291
849
Wyoming
Learning to slow down when walking and be as quiet as possible. I always use the still hunter method of stop look and listen.
 
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BrandonM

Active Member
Nov 9, 2011
193
215
Hey guys! Question for you guys... What was your biggest learning curve when you started bowhunting? And if you had any bad habits to beak, what were they?
Getting busted when trying to draw my bow when deer would fake feed to get you to move. Busted me big time the first year I bowhunted when ambushing some mule deer.
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,796
2,162
Eastern Nebraska
I missed several shots as a kid because I didn't learn to control my emotions or have a pre-shot routine. Once I developed the pre-shot routine my hunting accuracy improved dramatically.

Mine is a very simple pre shot mental checklist that I force myself to go through.

Anchor
Grip
Breath
Pick a spot
Hold on target for 3 count
float and release

There is more to it of course but that is my mental list I go through in seconds that has helped me a ton.
 
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archeranthony

Active Member
Dec 10, 2018
461
327
Texas
Learning proper bow balance is something I’ve been working on perfecting. I always used to think my bow was too light or too heavy and never really understood what the front and rear stabilizer are for
 

dan maule

Very Active Member
Jan 3, 2015
987
1,210
Upper Michigan
Shoot a draw weight that you can draw from any position comfortably such as sitting. I blew many opportunities as a teenager because I was pulling too much weight. At last light when it's very cold coupled with buck fever, I simply could not get my bow to full draw without extreme movement. I started backing down my draw weight 3 or so pounds about two weeks before season.
 

HuskyMusky

Veteran member
Nov 29, 2011
1,321
172
IL
Learning when to draw my bow.

I learned a long time ago to draw my bow and hold it if I have to.

If you wait to draw your bow too late 90% of the time you will regret it because when an animal is in the "Eminent range" your odds in getting busted are about 6000000X greater....

Learned this the hard way MANY times.

Dont draw your bow when an animal is standing still if they are already in "Eminent Range"....wait until they are moving.
Yup!
I remember waiting and waiting to decide if a buck was a shooter, usually too late...
also a lot is happening, buck comes in hot....moving.... gotta draw.... aim... figure out distance...
 

hunttrap

Active Member
Jan 22, 2016
219
85
Eastern Nebraska
Knowing when not to hunt. For whitetails on the river bottoms of eastern Nebraska in the early fall the wind stops and thermals swirl, spooking any deer within a few hundred yards. Not hunting these nights sucks but limits pressure making for more opportunities later. I haven't hunted the last couple nights grrr.
 
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Rich M

Very Active Member
Oct 16, 2012
758
566
I'm about legally deaf and wear 2 hearing aids. The amount of noise to spook deer at close range is a lot less than I can hear at all. Squeaky equipment has ruined cumulative - multiple years worth of hunting for me.

Had a doe bust out when i drew when her head was behind a bush - wife said a shrill squeak from bow, turns out buddy borrowed it and left it out in the rain. Another time buddy told me he could hear my tree stand squeak every time I moved - had used that thing for at least 5 years without a kill from it. Then I knew and threw it away.

Its the little details.

Also know that deer can duck or dodge your arrow any time it wants if it knows it is coming, sometimes not. I had an antlerless duck a 350 fps crossbow bolt at 30 yds this past Saturday. Have had deer duck arrows at 20 yds too. Dang things move quick.

I hate bow hunting. Of 5 deer I've lost, 4 were w bow and 1 ML. Never lost a deer w rifle. But bow hunting isn't about the kill, it is about the adventure. ;)
 

Kodiak

Member
Oct 27, 2014
111
137
Lots of good stuff in this thread guys. Thanks for sharing.

My addition is knowing where to set up for calling in elk. Don’t set up behind a tree thinking you will be out of sight, you can never get drawn and get a clear shot. Don’t call in a giant opening, they will likely hold out of bowrange until they see what was making the noise. Don’t try an slip an arrow through brush or grass. It rarely works about and can leads to long days of tracking.
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
Solid advice. I was in the middle of a bench crouched by a log when I killed my bull. Was going to run right by me at less than 5 yards.
 

cnalder

Member
Dec 30, 2011
63
2
Idaho
For elk, Knowing when to be aggressive and when to be patient either calling or stalking. Don’t watch the videos as the only ones published are the few successful attempts at being aggressive. Ask yourself how much film do they have where it was unsuccessful. Over the years I’ve taken more animals while being patient, not just out hard charging. This year I got my 9 year old son out 4 days the first week, every time we spotted or heard elk he wanted me to call or us to run after them. We tried an area I’ve learned over the years 3 separate times, backing out the first two because conditions weren’t right. There were lots of animals but it was warm, wind wasn’t right or they were already bedded. 3rd was the charm. But I would say you can only be patient if you’ve learned an area and how the animals use it.
 

RickyOdoda

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Jun 3, 2020
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4XBOWHUNTER

New Member
Sep 26, 2018
47
21
Wisconsin
I believe most may have been mentioned, but mine was and still is learning the area you wish to hunt and how the game uses it along with learning how the wind/thermals work.
 
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