Essential Accessories For Bow Hunting

by Jackson | Aug 2, 2015 | Hunting Tips

Essential  Accessories For Bow Hunting

You’ve got the talent, you can hit the bulls-eye regularly from your preferred distance. You’ve got the desire and have found your ideal hunting area and have identified your desired prey. To assist in locating your prey, you may choose to use trail cameras or other optical accessories. To learn more about these read my review here.

However you can’t really succeed at bow hunting without the right types of equipment. The key to hunting is not only skill and technique, but ensuring that your equipment is appropriate for the type of hunting you’re doing. Do you need a blind/hide or tree stand or are you going to try the stealth approach to your prey? These are some of the questions that you need to answer before you head out for your hunt. Think outside the box and be try to think like an animal. What would you do in order to hide from a hunter? What places may seem secure and undisturbed by hunters? To these questions and more you’ve found the answers in the right place.

Camouflage Clothing

The most important thing with regard to bow hunting is the ability to remain undetected by your prey. Whatever camouflage clothing your get it needs to blend in with the environment that your are hunting in. The main thing is to break up the human shape and not to alert your prey to your location, whether by movement, sound, smell or sight. Therefore your need to have a plan to cover all these areas.

For camouflage clothing suited for a woodland environment consider the following. Look no further than the Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity pattern or the Realtree Xtra pattern, these are available for a variety of manufacturers.

Scent-Lok Men’s Head Hunter Jacket, Realtree Xtra

Scent-Lok Men’s Commando Crossbow Jacket, Mossy Oak Infinity

If you are hunting out in the open then maybe a ghillie suit will be a better solution. Turn from human into ground cover within seconds, and they come in a variety of color ranges from snow to woodland. It’s the ultimate in 3D camouflage concealment. To read more about ghillie suits and hunting with ghillie suits, have a look at bestghilliesuit.com

Ghillie Suit Woodland Camo

Walkie Talkies

Walkie Talkies are a perfect edition to your bow hunting kit, this is especial the case when hunting in pairs. It can be essential to stay in contact, particularly if your hunt is covering some distance.  You may want to consider a long range walkie talkie something suitable to talk over a vast miles and cover mountainous terrain. Reporting back to your group or the ability to radio for help could literally be the differences of a life or death situation in the outdoors.

Animal Callers

Why wait for the animals when you can get the animals to come to you!

Walsoon CP550 Outdoor Wireless 10W Speaker Turkey Decoy Bird Caller The Walsoon CP550 Outdoor Wireless 10W Speaker Turkey Decoy Bird Caller is perfect during thanksgiving and delivering a special fresh turkey to the dinner table. Not only does it take care of turkey’s, but has more than 400 sounds of different animals and birds that will make the job so much easier. Wireless remote control, both in synchronization, react sensitively, work up to more than 250 Yards.

But there is a simpler choice for those who are less experienced and aren’t ready to fork out a lot of money.

Summit Zillions Deluxe Animal Caller The Summit Zillions Deluxe Animal Caller is just one simple breath to create nature sounds and bring those animals coming. There are only 10 sounds to choose from, but it’s a way of easing into the world of hunting. On the plus side? It looks like a Viking horn. So Game of Thrones fans, get excited.

Scents and Baits

Another course of action to take is to try and bring the animals to you,  by the use of scents and baits. These will have the benefit of luring your prey to a certain spot. If the area looks to be animal-friendly or you have identified animals in the area, leave bits of food and find somewhere to hide and wait. Depending on your intended prey, ensure that you leave the right type of bait. It is however worth noting that leaving the right type of bait will ensure that you hunt only the specific animal you intended to. Some of the more popular varieties are:

Wildgame Innovations Acorn Rage Infuzed Deer Attractant

Evolved Habitats Deer Cane Mix, 6.5 lb

Or you could try a scent as you attractant

Conquest Scents EverCalm Deer Herd Scent Stick

For those that want to try some simple attractants from your home pantry, you could try peanut butter or vanilla extract

Tree Stands or Blinds

As we said at the beginning of this article, your success with hunting depends largely on your ability to remain undetected by your prey. Therefore a means to hide your presence is essential. You may like to look at the following blinds and tree stands as a means to achieve your objective.

Big Game Treestands Deluxe Universal Blind The advantage of this tree stand is that it can be used as blind at ground level if required.

Big Game Treestands The Charger Blind This blind for the size of it only weighs a tiny 11-lbs. It is also quick and easy to set up.

Summit Treestands Crush Series Peak Hang-On Stand Whilst there are cheaper tree stands out there, this one comes with a seat installed which you will appreciate if your are waiting up a tree for an extended period of time.

With all stands and blinds, it is worthwhile remembering how long you may lay in wait for your prey. Seriously think about a suitable seat to allow you to remain vigilant and comfortable. Remember your movement and sounds will also alert your prey even if you a secreted in your blind.

Conclusion

If you’re in a location that is renowned for its hunting ground, find a particular spot and lay low till you begin to hear any sort of rustling. Use your animal caller to seek out and bring it closer to you, but remember to lay low and hold your position. You may try this on a tree, rock, bushes, or near a cave site. The waiting game is always the hardest, and at the end of the day, you may leave with nothing. So be patient and keep trying. As they say, patience pays and all you need for a successful hunt is patience, apart from your bow and arrow.

When hunting in any setting, it’s a requirement to stay quiet, watch where you step, and ensure that there are no humans within the of your intended hunt. For example, as you come close to a deer, take deep breaths and remember to have your equipment ready. Aim as if you’re about to win gold in the Olympics. Take a deep breath and pull, steady yourself, and release the arrow at your target. Always remember to take that deep breath and release when shooting. It not only helps you stay calm, but the aiming process means you’ll be steady and not shaking or feeling the pressure to shoot.

Good luck

Beginners Guide To Bow Hunting

by Jackson | Apr 25, 2015 | Hunting Tips

A Beginners’ Guide to Bow Hunting

Bow hunting and archery are some of the greatest passions you can ever have in life. In fact, bow hunting is one of the fastest growing sections of the hunting industry. The challenge of successful bow hunts is unparalleled in the world of sports, and the reward that comes with a successful hunt is one that you’ll live to cherish forever. Bow hunting presents far more challenges than hunting with a gun, however, this means that it is so much more rewarding.

One of the advantages of bow hunting is that you get an earlier start to the season, that gets you out in the woods earlier . These are usually some of the prettiest times in one’s life, given that the weather is reasonably warm and the leaves are turning during bow hunting seasons.

Several states have opened their bow hunting seasons to crossbows, although there are usually some age restrictions. As a beginner, you may be tempted into following the easy route of hunting using a crossbow instead of learning to shoot a traditional or compound bow, given that the use of crossbows require little skill. As always you need to abide by the relevant by-laws covering bow hunting.

Bows for hunting

Using a bow as your weapon of choice when hunting, provides for much more satisfaction and enjoyment when successful in bagging your prize. This is because the skill level of the hunter needs to be so much greater than when using a gun. This is mainly because of the range of the weapons used and their accuracy over the normal distances that hunting occurs. Learning to shoot with a traditional or compound bows opens up numerous hunting possibilities, some of which are denied to those who make use of a crossbow only.

The compound bow, for instance, allows you to shoot accurately enough to hunt within a matter of some few weeks. However, the more practice you have and the more proficient with the bow you are will greatly improve your accuracy when taking that all important ‘kill shot’. The best part about modern bows is that you don’t have to train and practice for months on end in order to become sufficiently proficient in hunting with a bow, again some practice in the off season remains important to maintain your skills. This is where 3D shoots or even practice down at the range becomes very handy. As with all new skills, practice is always the key to top notch performance. And even though you may find that you are shooting quite well most of the time at the very beginning, you’ll have to make it a habit to shoot consistently well and to shoot well under pressure is all important. This provides the consistency that is necessary to harvest game more regularly and humanely.

Before making the commitment to learning bow hunting, it would be best to know what you are actually getting into. Here are some bow hunting basics you ought to know as you pursue to acquire and sharpen your skills.

Wild turkey toms: photo by Vicki DeLoach

Bow Hunting Basics

There are three main types of skills you’ll have to develop as a bow hunter. They bear a high degree of importance and will help you in becoming a great bow hunter. They are as described below:

Before the shot– In order to acquire the opportunity to even take a shot, you’ll have to get close enough to your target and remain undetected. You should ascertain that you’re in a position where you can get a clean, unobstructed shot. A high level of accuracy, in terms of range estimation, is required. You should make sure to train to consistently and accurately judge the range. You can opt to make use of a laser rangefinder to help you in getting accurate shots. To read more about laser rangefinders click here.

Making the shot– Developing a good technique of shooting is the key to success, regardless of the range distance. Click here for techniques and tips on how to improve your accuracy. Regular and quality practice will certainly enable you to develop an appropriate technique. One single shot executed with solid technique is worth more than a hundred bad shots. So when practicing it is important that you view each shot as if you were actually hunting. Also it is good to practice beyond your own maximum range and focus on using the correct technique at all times. Longer shots will make shorter shots seem much easier.

After the shot– This welcomes you to another new aspect known as blood trailing. Making the shot accurately does not end the experience of bow hunting. Whilst we want every shot to result in a clean kill, unfortunately that is not always the case, sometimes there is a need to be able to track the animal. This process starts with blood trailing which involves observing the blood on the arrow to enable you determine the part of anatomy you’ve hit. Different colors will mean different organs. Getting knowledge on blood trailing helps you hone your hunting skills as you broaden your hunting opportunities.

Selecting a Bow

Majority of bow hunters make use of compound bows since they offer an extensive list of benefits, making them superior to other designs. They utilize a series of pulleys to create what is known as ‘let-off’. As you draw the string way back, the weight will let off, allowing you to hold the bow a lot longer at full draw, most compound bows have a let-off of around 70%.

Bow Hunting by Kansas Tourism

To read more on choosing your bow click here. You can also check out our reviews of various bows and equipment that we have carried out.

Tips for New Bow Hunters

Now that you’re rigged and ready, it’s important to get off with your shooting form on the right foot. Below are some tips for new bow hunters that will prove handy as you seek to sharpen your hunting skills.

Relax– you should learn to relax all muscles that are not required in holding the string back fully to ensure that your sight stands the best chance of settling on your target and isn’t jumping around.

Focus on your follow-through – Keep the bow intact in the aiming position till the arrow hits the target. You may not be able to do it entirely, but the mere effort of trying helps keep you on your target better, maintaining a more consistent follow-through.

Finding a good trail– You should keep it simple when hunting. You can find a good trail between a bedding and feeding area which is in a location you know you can get to and from without being detected.

Know your effective kill range (EKR) – This is the magical distance that you are sure to hit your target even under extreme pressure. This distance varies from individual to individual. It is thus up to you to find out what your EKR is. Once you limit yourself to this distance, you’ll be ultimately confident to always succeed.

How to Improve Your Bow Hunting Success

As a bow hunter, you’ll always feel challenged to bring your A-game. Lots of things will tend to cross your mind as you anchor and aim an arrow. Most of such things will be right. Some may be perfect. This one split-second culminates months of preparation, practice and planning. Here are some things you should take into consideration. With them, you’ll know be able to know how to improve your bow hunting success.

Accuracy is paramount– This is the aspect that matters most. Not the given bow’s accuracy, but your accuracy with a certain bow. The first trick to this is finding a bow that you can shoot accurately with, and then shooting it until you’re perfect. You should not even think of giving up accuracy for speed.

Speed– Once you’re able to shoot accurately, you’ll find that a faster bow bears several major benefits. One of them is that you’ll now enormously simplify things in the field. It also grants you the ability to shoot a heavy arrow sporting a heavy head without giving up a lot in trajectory. This guarantees more momentum and better penetration.

Accessories– It is much easier to accessorize for accuracy if need be. The right accessories will improve your shooting regardless of your skill level. The choice of accessories you get to pick depends solely on your preferences.

Proper stand placement– Every bow hunter ought to be aware of the basics involved in choosing a stand site. Placing your stand directly on trails or over scrapes is not always advisable. As you seek to select a proper stand site, make sure to check for secondary, paralleling trails.

Training to make better shots– Bow hunting requires proper planning and hard work in order to execute accurately. However, all these may be futile if your body can’t handle the ultimate test of accurately shooting your bow. You should tune your body to properly shoot a bow.

Final Note

Tradition is the biggest part of this sport. Every time you are in the field with a bow, you are taking time, money, effort and the mystique years of archery evolution has given us. On the field, you get to represent what many would consider to be the purest form of hunting. It is imperative that you take the above points into consideration, especially if you’re hoping for success in bow hunting.

If you want to learn more on either the basics of bow hunting click here, or even check out our reviews on archery and hunting equipment

I hope you have found some useful information from this beginners guide to bow hunting.

Happy hunting

Rainy Day Archery Story

by Jackson | Mar 17, 2015 | Hunting Tips

It’s been rather rainy and cold over the last several days.  After being stuck inside so much, sometimes it’s just nice to get outside and do something and to stretch my legs.  It was one of these moments just a few days ago that I had a small revelation and joy that I wanted to share.

I was out walking around a lake that’s very close to my house and I was just going around and hiking.  I’m a fan of hiking and it’s an easy way to get out a bit and relax.  As I was going, I saw some tracks in the mud.  I’m always a bit curious when I see tracks because I want to know when they were made and what kind of animal it was.

There are lots of places where you can go to learn this information, but it’s pretty neat looking back that I could figure out what kind of animal it was and what direction it was going in.  Later on when I was hiking back out I found some more stuff that was neat.

I found a bedding area and then also an area that had been recently scavenged through with all sorts of grasses bent and moved out of their normal place.  I’m not an expert by any means, but I do know that this is one of those fun skills that you can do and keep entertained all year-long and you don’t think about getting better at it, but when it comes time to put that information to work that it’s really helpful.

Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign

The above link is to a book on tracking.  I briefly read through bits here and there over the course of a year.  I never really went in-depth on studying it really good except to tell the difference between hogs and deer.  It’s kind of neat what you pick up though.  To look around for damaged limbs, scat, or scrapings that can help you figure out what happened is a neat skill to pick up.

It sure makes me feel like I’m a better outdoorsman.  I really don’t think I’d ever need to know how to survive in the wild to live there, but then again, no one ever plans on being forced to.  Without being forced to study it, I liked it and when I found something that I didn’t know, I could just come back and take a quick look to see what I thought it was.

So that’s my rainy day archery story.  Sorry if it wasn’t super exciting, but I really enjoyed being out side walking around and felt that just the smallest bit of extra knowledge made it more enjoyable.

Anyways, just a thought on how doing small things throughout the year can help you learn more and be a better outdoorsman with just a few minutes a month.

photo credit