One of our daughters is into archery and wants to go bow hunting now that she’ll be old enough this year. I’ve been a life-long fisherman, and spend a lot of time outdoors, but have never gone hunting. I’m looking for good places to get information. I figure I can see if Cabela’s etc have bow-hunting catalogs, but I’m looking for suggestions on magazine subscriptions, books, etc that I can get her. There are a ton of them out there and I’d appreciate any recommendations. There is a local sportsman’s club nearby that I will be looking into, but want to get some reading and research done beforehand. Thanks.
I have been bowhunting but really didn’t care that much for it. I did however enjoy bow fishing. That may be a way to combine your’s and your daughter’s interests. Just thought I’d mention it.
I absolutely love bowhunting. The entire process is great, much more challenging and rewarding than rifle/shotgun hunting. If you have a local archery shop, stop in and pose the same questions to them. They will have terrific local knowledge and really welcome a new, young hunter. Also do a search for info on the web…the most interesting and informative articles I’ve read have come from general web searches.
As far as subscriptions, Bowhunter magazine is pretty good, and the only one I get that concetrates on bowhunting. Other like Field and Stream and Outdoor Life are good for general hunting and fishing info.
This is great, have fun with it!
I used to be a semi-competitive archer as well as a bow hunter - I got burnt out on both. The problem I had with it was that I could put arrow after arrow into the X on the range, but I ended up wounding/never finding 3 of the 4 deer I ever shot at with an arrow. I don’t really care how macho you think you are, that’s tough, unsettling and worse than any DNF you’d ever get in a tri.
Also, I would avoid the mail-order routine for archery stuff until you have all of your gear figured out. If you have a local Cabela’s, stop in there and talk to the folks. I would also strongly suggest the bow-fishing routine since most people, especially children, feel differently about a wounded fish swimming away than they would a wounded deer.
How old is your daughter? The bow fishing might provide you additional bonding time with her, whereas hunting requires lots of quiet time. Also, how comfortable are you with your daughter being 20+ feet up in a tree stand?
drew
As the others above stated, Bowhunter magazine is good. Also, agree that you should find a good proshop as opposed to inernet-mail order for your equipment. Tree-stands can be very dangerous. Read everything you can about using them safely, getting a harness, etc. Bowhunting can be an incredible experience. But it can be really intense as well. I’ve hunted for 20 years, but had one bad kill last year that still haunts me.
Bowhunter and/or Bowhunting magazines are a good start. You’ll want to look for a specific archery shop, they will have much more information and expertise, Cabella’s or other outdoor stores are good once you know what things you will need. Best of luck, if you have any specific questions, PM me.
I’ve hunted off and on since I was 14 for a lot of different types of game. I’ve never seriously considered bow hunting because of the fear of only wounding an animal and making it suffer or maim it.
I’ve been invited to different types of hunts and the question that pops up in my mind is what am I going to do if I get ? Deer, most birds, or small game I can deal with cleaning and then eating or finding someone who will. Bigger game like bear, elk, moose would be harder for me to justify. Then you have to also figure that if you kill a deer you’ll have to deal with at least 100 pounds of dead weight in the field. Field dressing and getting your kill out isn’t something that comes easy the first few times you see or do it.
“The problem I had with it was that I could put arrow after arrow into the X on the range, but I ended up wounding/never finding 3 of the 4 deer I ever shot at with an arrow. I don’t really care how macho you think you are, that’s tough, unsettling and worse than any DNF you’d ever get in a tri.”
I used to work in an agency responsible for hunting and fishing. It seemed like half the time of the conservation officers was spent tracking down some wounded deer with an arrow stuck in its flank. None of them that I knew ever bow-hunted. I don’t think they were worried about the slow and painful death of the animal, but that the meat is tainted when they die slowly and in terror.
I have been involved in archery for about 30 years and am an avid hunter. First if your daughter wants to hunt she will need to take a hunter safety course. This provides excellent education regarding big game hunting. Depending on your states regulations you may need a bowhunter safety course as well. Getting equiped with gear should not be to hard, find an archery store or if you are near a Cabela’s or Bass Pro go talk to the guys behind the counter. See if the clerks are aware of any archery clubs in your area. If you have some available check them out, it will give you a safe and legal place to shoot and also put you in contact with folks who could provide a hunting oppurtunity. FWIW if I were taking a first time hunter on a bow hunt I would probably want to try hunting in a ground blind. The ground blind hides your movement, can be made very comfortable, allows the second hunter good control over the situation and most blinds are extremly portable so you can get on the move if needed.
Yet another nod for Bowhunter magazine and for finding a good local archery store. If you can find a specialty store all the better as some of the chains, while they have bows and hunting sections, may not have experienced archers manning the counters. Cabela’s, Bass Pro and others likely will experienced bowhunters in the archery section (Cabela’s is the only store that I actually like to go to and actually make a pilgrimage there each year before the season starts.
I would also check out some of the bowhunting forums. Here are few to consider:
3D Shoots - http://www.3dshoots.com/forums/index.php - they have a bowhunting section, beginner’s, and how-to section
Cabela’s - http://forums.cabelas.com/index.php - they have big game and bowhunting specific sections
There is another forum, Archery Talk, but I do not visit the site, but I have read is a good site. These forums are great places to learn about topics like others have posed about ethical kills. Maiming an animal is never a good thing nor the intent, and watching your kill die is not always easy either. However, there are some rules of thumb that you can learn and others you can develop (like not taking a shot beyond 20 yards, etc.)
Like any sport or hobby, it is always good to seek out the knowledge and advice of others. They can help you avoid the mistakes they have made, and capitalize the years of experience they have. Hunters in general are always happy to see the past-time carrying on to a younger generation and hunting can be a great way for you and your daughter to spend time together. I wish you the best and hope that you find the sport to be a new passion and bond with your daughter, feel free to PM with any questions!
“have never gone hunting”
I like the fish hunting idea especially for your daughter. I live in a rural area where the deer hunt is nearly a religion. I hate the deer hunt for a variety of reasons but even many of the hardcore deer hunters in our area say they would not do it with a bow because of the potential of the animal suffering.
Bowhunting and rifle hunting are a lot like tri cycling and road cycling. Basically the same activity with a few variables and a ton of misnomers and confusion in those variables. Yes, it is possible to maim an animal while bowhunting, but it is just as easy to do so rifle/shotgun hunting. It is incumbent on the hunter to take only ethical shots, whether bow or gun hunting.
A lot bow hunters enjoy and appreciate the fact that you have to be much closer to the action (most shots are taken in the 20 yd range) than is required with a rifle. This increases the difficulty of the sport as deer have an amazing sense of smell and can “bust” a hunter @ 100 yds or more depending on the wind speed. Another advantage of bowhunting, especially for a new or younger hunter, is that the deer season is months long allowing for trial and error and without undue pressure to harvest in a small window of just a few days.
Thanks. This is all very helpful. For the record, my daughter is 11 (she can hunt legally here in a few months when she turns 12). So far, I’ve been successful in limiting her interest to turkey, rather than deer. I 100% agree with those who worry about wounding a deer and then not being able to track it (and/or having to kill a deer that you’ve just wounded which is suffering right in front of you). Not for me at all. I am assuming that wounded turkey would be easier to track, and less gut-wrenching to kill by other means if necessary. Let me know if I’m wrong about this. I will check out those recommended magazines and links.
I’m not sure that she fully understands how much patience is required for any type of hunting and I will be working on this in the coming months. Plus, she will need to understand that there will be a lot of days when we go out, sit in the rain and/or cold and don’t see a thing all day.
She really likes the idea of bowfishing, and we were watching a few videos of it the other day. Unfortunately, it seems that it is only legal (understandably so) for ugly fish like carp.
What pound bow can your 11 year old daughter draw repeatedly? Turkey are pretty tough to get close to. I used to be heavily involved in this stuff and found bowhunting tournaments (3D archer shoots) to be great fun. She can probably win a few trophys if she practices.
Where’s stevensondrive when you need him? This is one topic he might actually have a clue about. 
did someone call me??
Bowhunting. it can be the absolutely most boring sport ever conceived!! like was previously said, it is much more challenging than rifle/shotgun.
here is why I love to bowhunt. in Illinois shotgun hunting is like hunting in Beirut/Baghdad/etc. everyone is shooting! you simply wait till the unlucky animal gets in eye sight and then it is target practice. too much stress and hard to fall in love with it.
Bowhunting: you must learn to enjoy sitting in a tree and watching nature. you need to learn where the deer are. where they bed, eat, and walk. You can go for weeks without seeing deer. and here is the rush, then all of a sudden there is a 150-200+ pound animal standing right in front of you! deer are extremely quiet. beautiful animals. you would be surprised how noisy squirrels are in contrast!! Any day you are bowhunting and seeing deer is a good day. even if you don’t get a shot. I personally believe everyone should spend a couple of weeks sitting in a tree solving the worlds problems.
equipment: I have used cheap bows and I have used a Mathews. I presently use a 5 year old Mathews. They are considered the best. there are many good brands out there. The bow shop can help you. It needs to be something she is comfortable with. Camoflauge: I don’t think the $$ carbon suits are really necessary. However, SCENT ELLIMINATION is mandatory!! Deer have remarkable noses! think about it this way, if I was hiding in your house and I was a smoker, you would know it! Everytime I go out I spray myself down with the scent killing spray. Most critical areas are head, hands and especially the scent trail left from shoes.