How many here are bowhunters only?

[Ryan]

I was bowhunting only for years for big game aa a kid into my 20s. Then I picked up a rifle and realized for some game I enjoyed that. So I've come to the happy medium that I'm bowhunting only for certain species. I grew up in Tucson Arizona and to me javelina is bowhunting only and only on foot. I spent a lot of years chasing them without success. In my experience they're only dumb out of season. In southern Africa it was nyala which I have taken two with a bow. Blesbok was high on my list with a bow but that wasn't working out so I took my first with a rifle, then a day or two later one with a bow. Everything else, I play it by ear. In the end no one but me is going to care.

I've shot Hoyts, PSEs, XI, CP Oneida Eagle, Matthews, and an Athens. All were great bows. At the moment it's a PSE for my compound. Compound bows are basically like any other technology, they lose resale value fast but they'll keep working a long time. The ones I liked I had for no less than five years each (sold that Matthews in less than a years for the Athens). Recently I picked up an older Browning recurve which I'm getting into. I've got a long way to go until I'm comfortable with that, but winter is here and I have access to an indoor range so I'm shooting 7 dozen arrows every other day. Who knows, maybe I'll chase a moose with recurve some day.

 

[mrpoindexter]

Bowhunting only for me. Hit 51 years old today so I figure I probably only have another 20 more tears or so with the bow. Better get to it!!

 

[R eight]

I’ve never hunted with a bow and probably never will. I’ve got mates who bow hunt and from my observations they certainly do a hell of a lot of hunting….but not much killing

 

[zip4644]

I’ve never hunted with a bow and probably never will. I’ve got mates who bow hunt and from my observations they certainly do a hell of a lot of hunting….but not much killing

In bowhunting the journey is as important as the destination....

 

[mrpoindexter]

I guess one should ask if your hunting it limited by time or trophy fees. If fees are the limiting factor, then spend more days hunting.

I just prefer the hunting with a bow.

 

[Ragman]

I started bow hunting in my 20s as a way to increase my hunting seasons. Spent a lot of time hunting and not a lot of killing. In later years when I was 39 I got more serious about it as I could get an archery mule deer tag every year that I wasn’t drawn for rifle. I bought a Matthew’s Drenalin and never looked back. Bow hunting mule deer became my favourite hunt. I still haven’t updated that bow…don’t feel the need. Lately however it seems I don’t have as much time for it anymore. I will admit I’m primarily a rifle hunter. I love hunting with them.

 

[avon_7]

When i moved to Australia from NZ I did about 10 years of Bow Hunting only. I have slowly moved back to rifle hunting since I have started doing Expensive overseas and Guided Hunts. This is because I can't afford to come home empty handed for these types of hunts. If money was no object then I would stick with the bow as the Memories are certainly better.
I do love my rifle shooting and my reloading and I have always been a Gun Nut. The years I did of Bow Hunting have made me a much better hunter.

How many here are bowhunters only? How many will go home empty handed as opposed to changing hunting methods? I am not looking to stir the pot on the merits of Gun Vs. Bow, I am just interested in discussing how you came to be a bowhunter, as this is my preferred method of hunting

 

[barryk]

Grew up on Fred Bear....took a Springbuck in 2010 with a Bear Super Kodiak...traditional still works...just have to shorten your distance...its all archery...just a born traditional guy.

 

[Lee M]

It is funny how loyal bow hunters are to one brand. All my friends just shoot one brand and when they buy a new one it’s the same brand. I have bought 6bows over 40 year period and never the same brand. I shoot them all at winter shows and at bow shops and buy what feels good to me. I currently have a 15 yr old bowtech and a 6 year old Mathews. All brands are pretty good at this time and will shoot better then we are capable of doing. I do gun hunt but bow is just so much more rewarding, even if not as successful. I have a crossbow but it sits in my basement as it just doesn’t do it for me. Most people at my club are crossbow only. I have been to Africa 3x and do mix in rifle but have taken more with the bow. I have a recurve but don’t have the time to dedicate to practice.

 

[IdaRam]

September in the Rocky Mountain west is such a beautiful time to be out in the hills, and in many areas that means hunting with a bow. Rifle tags in general open up a bit later. That’s what comes to my mind when talking about bowhunting. Mule deer and elk in the early fall. The elk are bugling and the leaves are starting to turn color, mornings are crisp and cool... Pretty hard not to love it. And today’s compound bows are so dang good. I think it’s almost impossible to buy a bad bow. Shoot some, pick the one you like, make sure it is set up right and perfectly tuned, then practice.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Bow, Gun, Muzzleloader …. I do it all. For me it’s been about extending my season and drawing tags in certain units or areas.

I’m a Hoyt shooter. I haven’t been impressed with a Matthews since the Z7 and still kinda regret selling it.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Bow, Gun, Muzzleloader …. I do it all. For me it’s been about extending my season and drawing tags in certain units or areas.

I’m a Hoyt shooter. I haven’t been impressed with a Matthews since the Z7 and still kinda regret selling it.

What was your initial thought after shooting the shorter ATA Triax, VXR and V3X?

 

[avon_7]

Bow, Gun, Muzzleloader …. I do it all. For me it’s been about extending my season and drawing tags in certain units or areas.

I’m a Hoyt shooter. I haven’t been impressed with a Matthews since the Z7 and still kinda regret selling it.

Aside from the PSE carbon bow I recon bows in general have been getting heavier and more complex for not much net gain. The best period was around 2017 and it's been down hill ever since IMO.

 

[BenKK]

Quit bowhunting a few years back because of a health problem but as I’ve recovered this year I’ve gotten back into it again and loving it! Bought a V3X which is a massive advance over my longbows and recurves! Still going to try to get back into it with the Black Widow recurve when some lighter limbs arrive. A day after getting my V3X, it was Boxing Day, I dry-fired it and broke the cables. Too much going on! Expensive lesson. But I sent it away to Sydney and it came back better than new. So far it’s killed five buffalo and a huge sow, plus a feral donkey. A good mate also has a V3X and is successful on fallow with it. I shot his old VXR which got me hooked on Mathews.

Rifles are still fun, especially when trying to feed people or sort-out problem animals or for protection while fishing or bushwalking.

 

[Buffalo1]

Been bowhunting for 64 years. But, I own rifles and pistols and not opposed to using firearms for hunting.

 

[CRowe]

I’ve been strictly bow hunting for 27yrs. My dad split when I was about 10 and he wasn’t really a hunter. When I was 13 my little league football coach asked me if I wanted to go deer hunting with him and I said “Yes! But I don’t have a gun”. He said “Gun? Anybody can shoot one with a gun, we bowhunt.” So I borrowed a old bow from a guy my mom was dating and of course the draw length came back somewhere behind my ear. He gave me 3 aluminum arrows with bear razorheads to carry in my hand that had a piece of buckskin and a rubber band covering the broadheads. 2 weeks later I went on my first deer hunt and I’ve been obsessed ever since. As I was growing up I had a few guys force me to take their gun instead of my bow trying to help me get my first deer. I can remember setting there watching deer being mad that I had this damn gun in my hand instead of my bow. I’ve never fired a single shot at any big game animal. I think it took me 4 years to finally get one killed. To this day every time I’m successful I send my coach a picture and thank him for making me a bow hunter. His statement and taking me that first time all those years ago has been the reason for some of the best experiences of my life and I’m forever grateful.

 

[firehuntfish]

I been hunting almost exclusively with my bow for the last 20 years. The last time I shot a rifle at a game animal that wasn't a hog or coyote was in Scotland in 2009 for stag and only because bow hunting was not allowed. The necessity to be up close and personal with the animal is what appeals to me most in bowhunting. I have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows bowhunting, which I believe is due to the close proximity to which the action happens. I never got the same adrenalin rush shooting an animal at 200+ yards versus one a 30 yards when you can hear and smell them.

As far as bow go, I have never been brand loyal just for the sake of being loyal. I take every opportunity I can to shoot different bows, and I have shot a few different bow brands over the years as the personal features and technology have evolved. I select a bow based on it's performance capability for me personally and the style in which I hunt. All of the bows I have shot have had their pros & cons, but I have gone with the ones that have had the best overall characteristics based on my needs.

I shot a Mathews Z7 Extreme for the last 8 years and a Diamond Black Ice before that. Both of those bows were the smoothest and quietest bows I have ever shot. I killed a lot of animals with them over the years. I just recently replaced the Mathews for a Bowtech Solution mainly because of Bowtech's technological advances in their tunability. The bow is extremely easy to tune, but it is not as smooth as the older single cam models. I'm still getting used to it, but the accuracy so far is remarkable.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Bow hunt only here at home. Rifle in Africa. May take my bow this August on a SA ranch hunt

 

[SikaMDhunter]

Waterfowl and rabbit it's shotgun. Late season flintlock. For Wyoming it's rifle because archery tags take twice as long.

Everything else is the bow. Most my money is in the bow. Most my practice is in the bow. I consider myself a bow hunter

 

[Lee M]

I been hunting almost exclusively with my bow for the last 20 years. The last time I shot a rifle at a game animal that wasn't a hog or coyote was in Scotland in 2009 for stag and only because bow hunting was not allowed. The necessity to be up close and personal with the animal is what appeals to me most in bowhunting. I have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows bowhunting, which I believe is due to the close proximity to which the action happens. I never got the same adrenalin rush shooting an animal at 200+ yards versus one a 30 yards when you can hear and smell them.

As far as bow go, I have never been brand loyal just for the sake of being loyal. I take every opportunity I can to shoot different bows, and I have shot a few different bow brands over the years as the personal features and technology have evolved. I select a bow based on it's performance capability for me personally and the style in which I hunt. All of the bows I have shot have had their pros & cons, but I have gone with the ones that have had the best overall characteristics based on my needs.

I shot a Mathews Z7 Extreme for the last 8 years and a Diamond Black Ice before that. Both of those bows were the smoothest and quietest bows I have ever shot. I killed a lot of animals with them over the years. I just recently replaced the Mathews for a Bowtech Solution mainly because of Bowtech's technological advances in their tunability. The bow is extremely easy to tune, but it is not as smooth as the older single cam models. I'm still getting used to it, but the accuracy so far is remarkable.

I still have my diamond black ice. What a great bow! I think i bought it around 2007. I did well in SA with it on my first trip in 2014. It is also very light (3.6 lbs) compared to my Halon 32, but still very quiet. Glad to hear you also shot as your main bow for a while.