by Jackson | Oct 10, 2014 | Hunting Tips
Going out hunting can be a fun experience and having a good first experience can really help you love the experience even more. I’d like to share some bow hunting tips for beginners that should help you have a better first experience. I’m sure you already know it’s going to be a challenge, but there are lots of people who have great successful hunts all the time so you should feel confident that you can too.
These are some tips that are really good for beginners. I know that it would have helped me out when I started bow hunting. It’s definitely different from using a gun and other forms of hunting so if you’ve hunted a different way, there are some differences that you need to know or think about. Now, let me present some tips for a better first time, or first few times as it often turns out.
My bow hunting tips for beginners
Know your effective distance – It’s important to practice shooting and make sure that you can make a good shot when it counts. The other part of that equation is knowing how far you can shoot and have it be a really good shot. Let’s say that you’ve practiced for a while and the farthest you can shoot a really good group is at 25 yards. When you’re hunting, you should not shoot at anything that is beyond 25 yards. Making a bad shot is much worse than not taking a shot in the first place.
Use markers for everything – I recommend using a marking system for lots of things. First, I use it to know distances to spots around the hunting stand to help me out. You can mark trails so you don’t get lost or can at least find your way back. You can use something to help you figure out what direction the wind is going.
Take a practice round – If it’s your very first time, your on your own, or just want to see how it will go, then I highly recommend this. Go out to your hunting stand and take a target, then set it up where you expect the deer to be and go through the motions of getting in your stand and taking a shot. The entire experience could be better if you’re more comfortable and have a better idea of what to expect. I’d really recommend this if it’s your first time using a tree stand too.
Make a small goal you can get – The goal is to harvest an animal with a clean shot. If it’s your first time or you’re trying something different, then make a small goal for that day to be something a little easier. Some goals could be, just seeing the animals, making a quiet entrance and exit, or practicing moving silently in a spot and stalk. Hunting will use many skills so you can practice more than one thing while your out.
Get a guided hunt – There’s nothing like helping your chances by getting professional help. You can get a better experience, really good information, and better chances of a successful hunt. If you are either an absolute complete newbie or will only hunt 2 days out of entire year, then I think guided hunts are a really useful thing to look into to make your time more rewarding.
Have an exit plan – It’s funny how many people have a plan to go hunting and get a deer or turkey, but have no idea what to do once they’ve actually got an animal. Be sure to plan on how you’re going to prepare the animal out in the field, how you’re going to get it out of the woods for processing and where you’re going to take it. You can either process it yourself or take it to a processor.
Try something different – By this, I don’t mean crazy different. I’m talking about common sense changes or approaches that can expose you to more opportunities. If you normally go hunt in the evening, then try going in the morning. If the wind changes directions, then try entering your hunting area from a different direction. Try building a second hunting blind location. Try patterning the deer in your area if you’ve never done that. Deer act differently based their environment and so should you.
As always, use common sense, be safe, and enjoy the great outdoors. It’s the only one we have so we have to take care of it. I hope you’ll find these bow hunting tips for beginners useful. Starting your journey can be quite challenging and that’s why I’m here to help.
photo credit
On a side note, If you found this useful, I’d really appreciate it if you would take a moment and share it with your friends or someone you think might find it useful.
by Jackson | Oct 3, 2014 | Compound Bows
The Diamond Infinite Edge is a compound bow that’s set up to cover a wide range of shooters from very young to adults. Now let’s be clear up front. I’m talking about the compound bow package, not just the bow by itself. I’ll do my best to be balanced and don’t forget that this bow sells for about $350, so this is a complete bow set up for a very good price. Arrows not included.
Infinite Edge Bow Package
– Here’s a link to see it on Amazon for yourself
Let’s get down to it.
Bow specifications
- Axle to Axle – 31″
- Brace Height – 7″
- Weight – 3.1 lbs
- Draw weight – 5-70 lbs
- Draw length – 13″ – 30″
- Let off – approximately 75%
What’s included
- Three pin Apex bow sight
- Hostage XL arrow rest
- Octane Deadlock Lite Attachable quiver
- Tube peep sight
- BCY D-loop
Not included
- arrows
- trigger release
- bow case
- target
Special notes
- This is the Ready to Shoot Package version.
- Easily adjusted with Allen wrenches
- Comes in right and left hand options, depending on where you buy.
The pros
The pros for this bow really shine when you see how big a variety you can get. This bow can be adjusted for a huge range of shooters and the fact that you can also adjust the draw weight in such a large-scale means that you can use the same bow for several years, several people, and use the same bow for all of them.
The bow is light, smooth, and delivers a good solid shot. Make sure that you tune it properly or go have it tuned to make sure that it’s set right. Don’t forget to inspect your bow at purchase or on arrival to make sure it doesn’t have any defects. There are some left hand models out there of this bow, just double-check when you’re buying.
The cons
The cons for this bow are going to be the same problem that most bow packages have. The accessories are good, but most of the effort goes into the bow itself and that means that the add-ons can suffer. I don’t feel like they suffered that much though. The arrow rest isn’t as durable as I like, but it should last several months of use and you’ll be able to decide what to replace it with in that time frame. The bow sight is a pretty standard 3 pin sight that does a good job as is. You’ll only really need to change that if you want something better.
I would add some dampeners or a stabilizer to reduce shock and help with your aim. The bow is a little back heavy, so the stabilizer would do the most good.
All in all, you’ll find that for the price range around $350, it’s a complete shooting system that can be adjusted and still give you a great winning combination for less than $500.
Infinite Edge Bow Package
I do use affiliate links to Amazon in this post.
by Jackson | Sep 23, 2014 | Reviews
There’s a certain elegance and joy shooting a one piece wooden longbow that gives you great satisfaction and just feels good. I have shot a PSE Sequoia for years and I’ve really enjoyed it. It might not be a custom bow, but when you’re interested in a traditional longbow, you either end up with one of three things. A beginner bow that is very weak, a mid range mass-produced bow that is a solid and very good bow, or a very expensive custom handmade bow. Today, I want to talk about that mid range where you want more than a beginner bow, but you don’t want to throw down several more hundred dollars for a custom handmade bow that may or may not be what you’re looking for.
The bows here are some of my favorite mid range, mass-produced, one piece wooden longbows. These aren’t beginner bows, these are the real thing with heavier draw weights that pack a huge punch and are real weapons. Most are around 40-55 pounds, well at least that’s what it’ll be rated for at 28 inches. What you’ll actually be pulling back will depend on your draw length. So let’s get started.
5 great wooden longbows
October Mountain Products Ozark Hunter Longbow – This smooth shooting traditional styled longbow. The grip isn’t too big and it comes unwrapped, so you can do that if you want it. The laminated woods make it look and shoot like a custom-made bow. Be sure to check your packaging for the bow-string as some people haven’t gotten a string with the bow. A quick call will fix that problem. Draw weights for this bow are between 35-50. This is an excellent bow and priced around $220-280, you get a smooth shooting high quality bow.
Bear Archery Montana 64 Longbow – The first thing you might notice about this bow is how light it is. It may be light, but it sure is strong. It shoots arrows smoothly and quietly with its FastFlight string. The reflex deflex design really help lower the weight of the bow while still maintaining excellent power. The draw weights range between 50 to 60 lbs. Priced around $350-400, this is an excellent high quality bow that works very well.
PSE Wolverine Bow
– The dark finish on this bow plus the thicker riser gives you a solid and powerful design that is a offers a very strong bow. This bow can handle long draw lengths easily, which is a huge problem for many archers. There is a big logo on the bow, but that doesn’t affect its performance. This bow has draw weights between 35-60 and is priced around $200 which makes it an affordable and excellent choice for a mix of quality and price.
Martin Archery Savannah Stealth Longbow
– A beautiful wood grain finish complements the power and speed that this bow delivers. It’s a top of the line bow and feels much more like a custom bow than a mass-produced one. Don’t forget to buy a pad for the arrows shelf, that’s about the only thing missing. The reflex design on this bow really helps it store a lot of power and it delivers as a very high quality bow. Draw weights are from 40-65 and it’s priced around $420 to $550.
OMP Sierra Longbow
– October Mountain Products Sierra 68″ Longbow for the classic longbow archer with an eye on quality. The Sierra is of high quality and crafted from maple and walnut woods, with a custom finish. Features clear fiberglass limbs with reinforced limb tips. Available in your choice 45 or 50-lb. draw weights. Priced around $250
These bows are real power houses and make no mistake, these are not toys and they’re also not beginner bows either. I always recommend trying out bows in person at first. A traditional bow has a personality and feel, much like an old car, and you’ll find that certain bows match you perfectly. I wish you the best in finding your ideal bow.
Some of these links go to Amazon so you can check out the product and make your own decision. These are good products and you can read all the reviews on Amazon as well to help you decide what you would like.
photo credit
by Jackson | Sep 4, 2014 | Archery Education
Archery is a sport that I love and have been doing for a very long time. I’d love to tell you stories of me traipsing through the woods and making Robin Hood shots from extremely long distances, but I’m not going to do that.
I’d rather talk about you and how I’d like for you to be the one that has those stories. I’ve got plenty of my own, but let’s talk about you. Have you been interested in archery or are new and don’t really know where to begin?
I have the solution for you.
You can get Archery Lessons Online through my Beginner Archery Course.
Click here to get the archery course.
I’ve put together a video course along with extra material to help you go from a beginner to a very accomplished shooter in a short time.
You’ll learn what types of equipment is available as well as what to look for in a bow.
I’ll definitely cover the most important part. How to shoot a bow and do it well. You’ll learn how to use a bow correctly and how to start getting extreme accuracy from the beginning.
Need more than just archery lessons online
I’ve also added a personal coaching section that you can get for a discount with the course. I normally charge $20 just to help you once with archery, but I’ve added a special deal for those of you taking the course.
You can get 2 coaching emails for the price of one. This is where I’ll help you with your technique or any part of picking a bow. You can take a video or picture of yourself shooting and I’ll help you out.
The other option, which is by far the best deal that I’m offering is an unlimited email coaching for 3 months. You only get this when you buy the course and there isn’t any other way to get this. If you really want to progress quickly, then this is the fastest way to go and I’ll help you out as much as possible
Click here to Get the Archery Course and Coaching Now
No animals where harmed in the writing of this article. Why are you reading this? Just click that link!
photo credit
by Jackson | Aug 28, 2014 | Reviews
It’s time to get serious about getting a compound bow. I’ve been really looking to the best compound bow packages out there. There are lots of great options and I almost feel like I could just close my eyes and pick and I’d do alright, but I don’t want just a “good” bow. Nope, I want the “best” and I think that’s the way it should be. After all, there are tons of super smart people making these things and I sure don’t mind benefiting from all their hard work.
I’m not going to rank these because they’re all really good and will fit each person a little different. But, throwing all that aside, I’m going to look for the durability, quality of the bow, and quality of the accessories to come up with what I think are the best compound bow packages. There’s no point in getting a bow package if you’re going to have to turn right around and buy parts to replace the accessories. So that’s a bit of what I’m looking for.
I’ll put a link to the products to go where I found a good deal on it so you can check it out for yourself and read the reviews and what not there. I’m also a big fan of getting plenty of information, so that’s why I do that.
Just so you know, none of these bows come with arrows. None of the adult ready to shoot systems come with arrows so don’t expect it. The bow package is only the bow and it’s accessories that are attached to the bow. You’ll have to get your own arrows and if you want some help, then here are some of the best carbon arrows.
Best compound bow packages
Infinite Edge Bow Package – The amazing versatility of this bow is so cool. It can literally be set to work for almost every single person out there. It’s only missing a stabilizer and bow sling, but neither of these are necessary to have a great shooting experience. I’d recommend checking this one out for sure. I didn’t rank these, but I might put this in the top two. The accessories are good for a bow in this price range. You can always upgrade if you want. Priced around $320-350, I like it a lot.
Bear Archery Apprentice Bow Package – The perfect Ready to Shoot system for anyone getting a first real bow or someone with a smaller stature. The max draw length is 27″, but don’t let that stop you from thinking this isn’t the real deal. The only accessory it doesn’t come with is a stabilizer and bow sling, which isn’t a big deal at all. Priced around $250-290, you can do lots of growing with this bow.
PSE Ready To Shoot Surge Bow Package 
– This is another one of my favorites. Packed with all the features you’d need and the replacement to the very successful Brute series, you’ll find that this lighter version packs all the punch you need and an adjustable draw length out to 30″ makes sure it will fit almost everyone. The accessories are good and you get all the things you’d need. All that’s left to get are arrows and you’re ready to go. Priced around $475-500, you’ll get everything you need.
PSE Ready to Shoot Stinger – One of the RTS systems that showed me the light. This bow package is a great lower budget bow that packs lots of punch and delivers with good accessories to make for a good shooting experience right out of the box. Priced around $320-400, it’s a very good and solid shooting platform.
Diamond Archery Carbon Cure RAK Package
– This compound bow package has two great features. First, the bow is adjustable over a good range to let you tailor it to your needs. The second is the accessories are pretty good with this bow. You get a 3 pin sight, whisker biscuity rest, stabilizer, peep sight, and bow sling which means you’ve got everything you need to start shooting good groups from the beginning. The whisker biscuit style rest isn’t the best one ever, but it is pretty solid. Priced around $550, you do get a complete system.
These are the best compound bow packages for beginners and experienced shooters. Most of the ones that are being made now have the amazing adjust-ability built-in to help them fit each person and increase their skill with little to no effort. How’s that for an awesome experience.
The last note I want to make about these bows. You can always find better pieces and accessories if you put together your own bow from scratch. I’m interested in finding the best bow that you don’t have to go find extra parts or replace things from the beginning. None of these are perfect, but these are all very very good and should definitely be given a look to see which will work best for you.
photo credit
