Just wondering how many Iowa hunters attempt to take deer with a long bow or recurve? For the past 3 years I have been practicing with a long bow...mostly for backup purposes. Last year was the first year I felt confident enough to try and harvest a deer. I was successful after many many hours sitting and waiting.... I harvested a very mature doe at 4 yards (I only hunted from the ground and only using a gillie suit I made). Last year however, I stuck to my bread and butter (a compound) for my bow buck. This year I have decided to set the bar a little higher, and have yet to take my compound out of the case. I have shot all summer with my recurve and am feeling very confident to 25 yards... It is going to be very hard to watch the mature bucks walk at 30-40-50 yards...but after the rush I got last year with a long bow kill I think it will be worth it.... I do want to mention I am only using wooden arrows, real fletchings, and hopefully flint heads (if my friend gets time to make some for me). Anyone else out there like to make hunting a bit...more fair?
TheKingsDeer.com
Whitetail-Images.com
The last sentence could liven up this thread so I better help you out since I have shot a recurve for 20 years.
Choice of weapon is up to the individual and I know some will find that statement a bit of a yawn.
I actually started with a compound, went to a curve and actually hunt with a pretty nice Mathews bow. Not new either.
Why do I shoot both but only hunt with one now? For me, it's about percentages, I want the best chance to kill a mature animal that I can at 50 yards or less.
Yes, I have shot mature animals with my Schafer Silvertip, I do love the romance of the curves and the tradition but even Paul Schafer switched to Aluminum shafts because of durability and strength. If you don't know who Paul was and you really want to get into tradition, just read about the best Bowhunter on the planet - Google him. RIP Paul Schafer
Most here shoot modern equipment, and as far as it being "fair" oh hell I am to old to go on about what's fair in life and what's not.
I live in Iowa, we have a great herd, I hope and pray I get a chance at a good buck. I still have to sneak to my stand, make sure the wind it right, draw when he isn't looking and put it where it counts. Forgot about the all year scouting it takes to find him.
Hope I have helped.
Choice of weapon is up to the individual and I know some will find that statement a bit of a yawn.
I actually started with a compound, went to a curve and actually hunt with a pretty nice Mathews bow. Not new either.
Why do I shoot both but only hunt with one now? For me, it's about percentages, I want the best chance to kill a mature animal that I can at 50 yards or less.
Yes, I have shot mature animals with my Schafer Silvertip, I do love the romance of the curves and the tradition but even Paul Schafer switched to Aluminum shafts because of durability and strength. If you don't know who Paul was and you really want to get into tradition, just read about the best Bowhunter on the planet - Google him. RIP Paul Schafer
Most here shoot modern equipment, and as far as it being "fair" oh hell I am to old to go on about what's fair in life and what's not.
I live in Iowa, we have a great herd, I hope and pray I get a chance at a good buck. I still have to sneak to my stand, make sure the wind it right, draw when he isn't looking and put it where it counts. Forgot about the all year scouting it takes to find him.
Hope I have helped.
Alright, maybe fair was not the right word...More difficult. I guess one of the reason's that I am switching this year is because of how hard EHD hit my main hunting ground. Last year I had 23 confirmed dead whitetail on my 140 acre farm. This year, we have had some new deer move onto the farm which is good to see. But the numbers and size of deer has greatly diminished. I love shooting 4-5 year old deer, but this year there are none that I have seen (at least on camera). With a compound bow my size limit is 140-150 inches, but with no deer that size around, and me still wanting to harvest a whitetail, I feel a 130 inch buck with a curve is respectable.... I have my sights set on a 140ish whitetail with double brows. I don't feel I would be happy with him if I got him with my compound, but with my recurve It would be a different story...
TheKingsDeer.com
Whitetail-Images.com
All whitetails are trophies and taking one in the traditional fashion makes it even cooler. My old hunting buddy is the best instinctive shooter I know. He shoots wood and in all honesty off the shelf my Schafer will only shoot wood. I put an elevated rest on it and shoot Aluminum and plastic vanes. Big Ern shoots feathers and always will, he says birds have feathers so should arrows! Anyway, he missed a big SE Minn buck last year with his Mathews. He told me he doesn't want to range find the next one, worry about triggers, etc. just shoot him. At 0 to 20 yards I agree. My problem is my last 3 bucks have been between 30 and 50 yards and although I am not too bad with a recurve I just won't take the chance. High percentage odds is what I want now.
I got sick of the commercialization of bow hunting a couple of years ago and swore off compounds and bought a recurve. Fast forward to today and I have a new bowtech assassin (couldnt resist). So now I use my compound for bucks and will try to stick does from the ground with my recurve.
Since 1995 I have only shot my own home made wooden self bows and an old Ben Pearson recurve. This year I have been forced to make some changes but will still be shooting a recurve, but it will be an Excalibur recurve crossbow. My shoulders just won't let me shoot even the 45lb Pearson recurve very much and certainly not enough to be confident hunting with it. I bought this crossbow last spring and have shot it quite a bit over these last months. I know the general regard that crossbows are held in by many on here and so won't try to promote or defend them. I will say that after shooting a good amount that off hand I can shoot a 3 arrow group of around 2 or 3 inches from 30 yards, where I do much of my practicing, but I know many compound shooters who do that well or even better with their modern equipment.
I am still a traditional kind of guy and have built, shot and sold over 400 selfbows in the last almost 20 years and several gross of wooden cedar arrows. I believe in traditional archery but sometimes circumstances dictate that we do something different. I am now doing something different!
I am still a traditional kind of guy and have built, shot and sold over 400 selfbows in the last almost 20 years and several gross of wooden cedar arrows. I believe in traditional archery but sometimes circumstances dictate that we do something different. I am now doing something different!
TheKingsDeer.com
Whitetail-Images.com
Still sell bows? Got a website? I have several, I started with a takedown Martin and took a 70 inch antelope in Nebraska with it and like I said I shoot a Schafer made by Paul now. I have several hand made that I collect and shoot all summer. Most of the summer shoots I use a recurve. Don't have any longbows though, just liked the curve and takedowns mostly.