Jump to content

Back into bowhunting!

outdoorstom

By outdoorstom,
in Bow Hunting

 Share

Recommended Posts

outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
Posted

6 seasons ago I lost a buck I shot with my bow. I took the next day off from work and spent 9 fruitless hours searching.  I tried to find a tracking dog in the area, but there were none. I was so disgusted with myself I sold my bow and gave up bowhunting. I got licensed and bought a tracking dog. I now have two and have been successful at helping other hunters find their game.
A friend invited me to go to Idaho on an otc public land elk hunt this September.  Hunting out west has been on my buck list, and at almost 65 years of age, I thought if I don’t do it now, I never will. I bought a bow months ago and have been practicing daily, and I feel very good about how things have progressed.  Sept 6 we fly out for two solid weeks of camping and hunting the Rockies. I’m pumped!

  • Like 29
Link to comment
Share on other sites
BowmanMike Experienced

BowmanMike

Posted
Posted

That's awesome Tom,an elk trip is on my bucket list too. A lost deer should not stop you from hunting. No one wants that to happen but it does. Feeling bad about it is a good sign in my opinion,but it wouldn't make me quit. I had a bad season a few years ago and learned from it and have become a better hunter.

Good luck out west and I hope you get one!

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Moho81 Mentor

Moho81

Posted
Posted

Talk about dedication to finding a lost buck. 9 hours of searching then quitting bow hunting only to have the time and dedication to train a team of highly successful trackers!

That’s a real hunter and if anyone should be able to enjoy an elk hunt out west it should be you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

Posted
Posted

Best of luck to you on your Idaho otc elk bow-hunt this fall.  Your odds of some good action should be very good at that time, when the bulls should be responding to calls.

Are crossbows legal to use in that season ?   I know that feeling which you described, having lost several deer myself over 35 seasons of bow-hunting.  All of my bad hits resulted at least in part to "string-jump".

My last deer kill with a bow was in 2012, and fortunately that buck's  "back and down" duck, put my arrow right thru his jugular.  He bled out 40 yards from where he took the unplanned neck shot.

I put down my bow after that kill, and have not hunted with it since crossbows were legalized in NY in 2014.  Since then, my archery season deer kill percentage has been 100 %, with 5 bolts, tipped with mechanical broadhead, shot at bucks, and all 5 ending up in my freezer.  4 of those died within 40 yards of taking the bolts.

Similar to my own personal experience, a scientific study of deer recovery percentage (posted here by culver), showed a significant advantage of the crossbow with mechanical broadhead, compared to crossbows with fixed, or vertical bows with either type broadhead.

If it turns out that crossbows are not legal on Idaho elk hunts, I would be inclined to go with a vertical.  Elk are not nearly as jumpy as whitetails and they have considerably larger kill zones.  They are also very tasty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
  • Author
Posted
11 hours ago, Moho81 said:

Talk about dedication to finding a lost buck. 9 hours of searching then quitting bow hunting only to have the time and dedication to train a team of highly successful trackers!

That’s a real hunter and if anyone should be able to enjoy an elk hunt out west it should be you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the kind words.  Tracking is So much fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BowmanMike Experienced

BowmanMike

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, cdbing said:

Good luck Tom and thanks for the service you and the pups provide. Besides your recovery services, you've helped me (and probably others) make better decisions after the shot. So again, thank you.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

Yup,i couldn't agree more. Reading your stories played a big part in me recovering my two archery does last year. I had a good idea what to do after the shot on both. So i think according to the karma credit score you more than made up for having lost that buck six years ago.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
  • Author
Posted
10 hours ago, crappyice said:

While I am excited for you to be back hunting I wonder how Luna and Kunex feel about it!!! Their efforts are my favorite posts all season


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They’re going to be wondering where I am, that’s for sure. Bear season will be open when I get back, then northern bow opens 5 days later!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
  • Author
Posted
9 hours ago, 2012_taco said:

Good Luck Tom! You deserve this trip. Are you taking the dogs with? An elk hunt out west is on my bucket list too, at 67 it's starting to look dim. How long are you practicing your shots? I heard it's nothing to shoot 70yds at an elk. 

Pups are staying here and preparing mentally for tracking season. I will not shoot beyond 40 yards....if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
  • Author
Posted
9 hours ago, wolc123 said:

Best of luck to you on your Idaho otc elk bow-hunt this fall.  Your odds of some good action should be very good at that time, when the bulls should be responding to calls.

Are crossbows legal to use in that season ?   I know that feeling which you described, having lost several deer myself over 35 seasons of bow-hunting.  All of my bad hits resulted at least in part to "string-jump".

My last deer kill with a bow was in 2012, and fortunately that buck's  "back and down" duck, put my arrow right thru his jugular.  He bled out 40 yards from where he took the unplanned neck shot.

I put down my bow after that kill, and have not hunted with it since crossbows were legalized in NY in 2014.  Since then, my archery season deer kill percentage has been 100 %, with 5 bolts, tipped with mechanical broadhead, shot at bucks, and all 5 ending up in my freezer.  4 of those died within 40 yards of taking the bolts.

Similar to my own personal experience, a scientific study of deer recovery percentage (posted here by culver), showed a significant advantage of the crossbow with mechanical broadhead, compared to crossbows with fixed, or vertical bows with either type broadhead.

If it turns out that crossbows are not legal on Idaho elk hunts, I would be inclined to go with a vertical.  Elk are not nearly as jumpy as whitetails and they have considerably larger kill zones.  They are also very tasty.

They do have an any weapon season in which you can use a crossbow.  Unfortunately, that’s not during the rut. I’m very anxious to experience bulls bugling!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
outdoorstom Rising Star

outdoorstom

Posted
  • Author
Posted
7 hours ago, cdbing said:

Good luck Tom and thanks for the service you and the pups provide. Besides your recovery services, you've helped me (and probably others) make better decisions after the shot. So again, thank you.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

Glad to hear I’ve been helpful. You’re welcome!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...