I’ve never been overly interested in archery, or to be more precise, in bow hunting.  Till recently, I considered all the practice and preparation necessary to be a proficient archer to be a waste of time.  After all, with my trusty rifle, I could get the job done near or far, in the brush or the open field.  There was, however, that problem of having to wait till gun season.  While I was waiting around, cleaning my gun, the bow hunters were in there getting after it.  I decided this year that I would find a bow and try to understand what all the fuss is about.  But wait, it’s not like I’ve never bow hunted.  I’ve owned a couple of bows.  The first one was some years ago, I think I gave $25 for it.  If I remember right, it was a Pearson.  No sights, no peep, no nothing.  I think I bought four arrows at Wal-Mart to practice with.  I don’t know how long they were or what they weighed, but they were shiny; I remember that.  I believe I gave it to someone.  I won my second bow in a poker game.  It was a Bear Blackbear.  It was somewhat newer than the first.  It had a peep sight and a kisser button, but I didn’t know what it was so I somehow took it off and threw it away.  Again I went to Wal-Mart and picked out some shiny new arrows.  This time I even bought a Cobra sight and a release of some sort.  I had no idea what I was doing, but I mounted the sight and tried to figure out how to adjust it, giving no thought to draw length, proper peep location, an anchor point or any of the other complicated jargon I had heard bow hunters speak of.  I tried practicing, and eventually took the sight off and had a go at instinctual shooting.  I could hit a pie pan at fifteen yards, sometimes.  I bought some broadheads and took this bow hunting a few times, more to scout than anything else.  I had no confidence that I could kill a deer with it, but at least I was in the woods during bow season.  It didn’t take long till this bow was hanging in the garage and once again I was resigned to wait till gun season.  I finally traded it for a propane tank for a barbeque grill.  I think I got the better end of the deal. 

A few years ago, Alabama legalized cross-bow hunting for everyone.  Up until this point, anyone who used a cross-bow while hunting was required to get a special permit, usually due to an injury or handicap.  I couldn’t afford one at the time, but had it on my wish list.  Then a buddy of mine bought himself a new Ten Point, and after shooting it, I could wait no longer.  I did a little research and finally decided on the cross-bow I wanted, the Barnett Predator.  I was all set for bow season now.  I’m not knocking cross-bows.  These weapons are easy to master and are deadly out to fifty yards or more.  I have hunted the last two bow seasons with it and, although I didn’t connect on a deer, was completely confident in its capability.  There were draw-backs.  Cross-bows are heavy and unwieldy and you can’t hunt everywhere with them.  What if Lee and Tiffany suddenly asked me to come hunt with them in Iowa?  What would I do then?   I know the chances of that happening are slim, but it could happen.  Oh, I was a true believer in my new archery equipment.  I even wrote an article on the ins and outs of choosing a cross-bow and stoutly defended the right of anyone to use them during the regular archery season.  After all, who needed to put in all that practice time when this horizontal bow could be mastered in no time at all? 

But something was still missing.  I’m not sure it was the challenge, as I’ve heard many times.  It is a challenge to have a successful deer season with a gun or a bow of any kind.  I don’t know that it was the satisfaction, as I have always been extremely satisfied with any hunt that put game upon the table.  Perhaps it was these things and more.  Maybe it was a yearning to master a skill that so far had eluded me altogether.  Whatever the reason, I decided this year that I would find a bow and try to understand what all the fuss is about.

I started searching the internet for a modern bow.  I had no preference for brand, as they are all advertised to be the best at what they do.  Some of the prices are very intimidating and almost make you want to forget the whole thing and stick to what you know.  But I kept looking.  I avoided the cheaper bows because I’ve learned over the years that you get what you pay for.  I also shied away from the super expensive models; after all, I’m just a beginner.  As luck would have it, a relative told me that he was going to sell his bow and upgrade to a newer one.  I had heard a lot of good things about the bow he was currently using, a Mathew’s Switchback, and if it could be bought for a reasonable price, this seemed to be a good place to start.

Long story short, after much haggling and some pretty shrewd negotiations on my part, I gave in and bought the bow for what he asked.  Little did I know that this was only the beginning.  I figured that since he and I were approximately the same size, I probably wouldn’t have to get any set up done on the bow, I could just shoot it as is.  I had read and heard enough though, that I knew the smart thing to do would be to take it to an archery shop and let those guys help me set it up to fit me.  When I got the bow, it was equipped with a peep and TruGlo sight, a Whisker Biscuit rest, a d-loop, and five arrows.  Although I knew next to nothing about proper technique or anchoring, I decided to try my hand at some target practice and immediately missed the entire target at twenty yards and spent the next half hour trying to find my arrow.  By using the old tried and true method of Kentucky windage, I was able to get a couple of arrows on the target at least, nowhere near the bulls-eye, but on the target.  I was now fully convinced that I needed to get to the bow shop. 

When I arrived at Todd’s Outdoors on a Friday evening after work, I explained to the owner that I was in need of guidance.  He watched me shoot a couple of arrows, and it was instantly obvious that the draw length was wrong, and the anchoring of my release hand needed some work.  He explained that the man I needed to talk to would be there Saturday and that I should come back then.

Saturday morning came and I walked into the bow shop, case in hand, ready to begin.  The archery expert on call watched me shoot a couple of arrows down range and agreed with the owner’s diagnosis, but explained that since they were not a Mathew’s dealer, he was unable to make the necessary adjustments to the bow to correct the draw length problem and that is where we needed to start.  They kindly suggested another bow shop that would be able to help me and sent me there before anything else was done.  Several miles later, I found myself in Wilborn’s Outdoors, talking to Frank, and again explaining that I knew next to nothing about compound bows and would greatly appreciate some help.  Again I was asked to prove my ineptitude and it was immediately clear to Frank that in order to adjust the draw length of the bow to fit me, the cam would have to be changed.  Luckily he had a cam that would work and in no time had the draw length increased to 30 inches.   While he was installing the cam, it was noticed that the serving on the cable was worn pretty bad, so I had the cable replaced as well.  When I then drew back my bow, it felt as if the draw length was now a bit too long.  This was remedied by replacing the d-loop to make it a little bit smaller, which seemed to bring everything together for the right fit.   After firing a couple of arrows it was evident that I didn’t have a consistent anchor so Frank suggested a kisser button.  Once installed and adjusted, this provided a consistent anchor point and my arrows began to group better.  With the longer draw length, the arrows that came with the bow were almost too short.  I only had five, so I had them make up three more while I was there.  I also picked up a new release, a Fletcher Flat Head.  A caliper type release, but with only one side that opens.  Supposedly, this makes for a smoother, more consistent release of the string.  We’ll see.  After what seemed to me to be a major over haul of my bow, it was time for Wilborn’s to close.  I paid my bill, thanked them for the help and headed back to Todd’s for more advice and practice.

 When I arrived back at Todd’s, I relayed everything that had been changed to William, the archery go-to guy, and he asked to see me shoot the bow.  He immediately told me that my arrows were now too short.  With the extra draw length, the bases of the field points were now touching the Whisker Biscuit arrow rest when at full draw.  The arrows I got with my bow were 29 inches long, it was decided that I now needed 30 inch arrows.  Six new arrows were readied and I began to shoot them, with William watching.  I was eager for any tips or advice and listened intently as William suggested this change or that to make each shot more uniform and consistent.  After several shots, I noticed that the Whisker Biscuit was really doing a number on the fletching of the new arrows.  I decided to do away with the old rest altogether and have a Trophy Taker drop away rest installed.  My decision was deemed correct by William and several other bow hunters who were there at the time.  The new rest took some getting used to, as a little more care had to be taken when handling the bow with an arrow nocked, but the draw and release seemed to be much smoother. 

Now I was set.  It was agreed that experience was what I needed the most now.  I was sent out on my own to practice, practice, practice.  I’ll let you know how that’s going.

By Miscellaneous Authors

This section is for articles published by a host of amateur authors. Some of these authors are former staff members but many of them are just regular people that had an article in their heart they wanted published. Here at TalkHunting, we believe everyone has a message and we try to accomodate that when possible.

Comments(5):

1. I remember the excitement of getting back into bowhunting after a very long break. Go get em!!!

   Saturday, May 07, 2011 Robert

2. bow hunting-the journey begins

   great article CH on getting started and can't wait for you to bag that first buck or gobbler with your new hunting style. congratulations on joining the ranks of bowhunters out there.

   Sunday, May 08, 2011 brad

3. Thanks for the article! Makes me want to go out and shoot something now! Good luck with the re-newed hunting opportunity!

   Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Anthony

4. You are on your way Brother!

   Awesome Job on writhing this Piece Cooperhead! I can see you are well on the way of being a official Bowhunter!

   Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Dennis

5. Very good article, Scott. Yeah, you're hooked now, brother!! Nothing compares to bowhunting. Best of luck this fall!!

   Wednesday, July 06, 2011 Jimmy