Is it worth it?

[SmellEsox]

It's fun if you practice religiously, you wound that drop tine 12 pointer and that's exactly the reason I don't bow hunt, I would have a tough time climbing a stand again if I wounded and never recovered him. I don't have it in me to say oh well I'll get the next one and then the what if the next shot creeps into my head and shooting at targets won't be the same as 16 feet up in a tree with the angles, there's much more to it then grabbing a 2015 bow off the shelf and now you're a bow hunter. So start dedicating practice time from the ground and different heights and angles so by next Sept. you're as comfortable with it as possible, then you'll have fun!

There is a lot of truth to your statement here.  You do have to practice a lot and become familiar with the different angles.  Practice how you will hunt.  Get a deer 3D type target and shoot at it from a tree.  I think a big mistake new bowhunters make is they don't shoot deer when they have opportunities.  New bowhunters need to shoot deer to get familiar with doing it.  Even with a 3D target, when a real animal is below you, and your heart is racing, it isn't easy to make a good accurate shot until you've done it a few times.  So new bowhunters who pass up deer because they want to gun hunt are only making it tougher on themselves when an opportunity does present itself with bow in hand.  A new hunter needs to get a few kills under the belt.

[nofishfisherman]

I have a cardboard deer target that I bring to a local outdoor bow range with me.  I'll set it up on a 20 or 30 yard target and when the range is quiet I'll work my way up and down the line shooting the target from various shooting positions.  There is also one set target that is set up at a quartering away target so I can set the deer target there and get an even larger range of shot options.  This helps me see different types of shots and visualize the different angles.  I still need to figure out a place where I can practice shooting from an elevated position, preferably from the climbing stand I'll be bow hunting out of. 

[woody1975]

I'm divorced and have 4 kids from one in the Marines to twins that are 9 years old.  Time management is virtually impossible.  I love to fish and love to hunt.  Time in the woods bowhunting is the most precious time I have.  Truly a time to relax and reflect...It is me and the woods.  I learn to notice little things that are many times missed when rifle hunting (I get 5 days to rifle hunt and it is just not the same) smells, sounds, critters going about their business, not to mention that the level of excitement when a deer walks in and I have a bow in my hand is second to none.  The amount of time we get to hunt with the bow (long season) allows me to hunt when I can.  As Paceman said, there are a lot of things that I do for bowhunting that I don't get a chance to do with the rifle (rifle hunt 5 hours from where I live), like scouting, hanging stands, checking cameras....these are things that I can do with my kids.  Bottom line is that I definately think it is worth diving into bowhunting.  Just plan for the fact that you are not going to get to hunt as often as you would like or maybe you will find you enjoy it so much that other activities may take a back seat, but you have to give it a shot...

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I got into archery about 4 years ago after thinking about it for at least 15 years, and now wish I had started way sooner!  I was a bird hunter since I was 12 years old, but have pretty much given that up.  Bow hunting isn't as action packed as bird hunting.  You'll spend 99% of your time sitting there listening to the squirrels, but that 1% is what brings us all back!  

Personally, I'd have no problem with never rifle hunting again, other than the tradition.  The hunting itself is way more peaceful, with very few other hunters, and the deer are much more relaxed compared to gun season.  I've seen way more deer in 3 seasons bow hunting than 20 years gun hunting.  It gives you the opportunity to be selective, and can force you to be selective when those deer pass by at 50-60 yards vs smoking anything inside 300 yards with a rifle.  I've gained a new respect for the intelligence of deer   

[O.T.C.]

I just know muscle memory will help all bow hunters, all this bow talk I dusted off my 1991 Bear bow and heck I don't need to hunt with it I just want to shoot it at targets etc. and have fun with it again, in that way it is still worth every penny. Man, my release and peep sight and arrows and such sure looked outdated lol my word lol. Might be a collectors item lol, hey I'd say go for it and it's your best bet for seeing plenty of deer and trying to figure out their tendencies and pattern for that moment of time in the fall, that's the main thing that keeps me going after them, trying to put a plan together and finishing the deal and not getting a deer in 2 years is actually a good thing, not for my freezer but for looking ahead at the challenge it is. And don't think rifle hunting is a snap, I do that in 4 counties as well as muzzleload and if you truly are passing on 1.5 and some 2.5 year old bucks a challenge it truly is as pressured as they are there's 4 seasons of pressure, bow, rifle, musket and trailcameras depending on location of them, some are intrusive cams and some fencepost corners lets say are not lol.   

[Ohboytimmy]

You need some mental discipline and dedication if you want to be proficient in archery and to put down deer. Don't defeat and doubt yourself before you are even on the field. I guarantee that once you dig into that commitment, you will find/make time, passion will develop and then you will question yourself of why you even questioned picking up the bow!!!!

[1eyeReD]

It's worth it, but beware, you may get addicted. I started off chasing mule deer and elk out west. Not a whole lot of scouting was involved. We went out, walked ridges, located bulls, chased them. Moved to the midwest and got into a healthy obsession over whitetail hunting from treestands which was new to me. The whole game of scouting to get yourself on their exact trail is much more time consuming than I ever imagined. Out west, I was able to finish the 1 month season of elk archery season and then proceed to my other passion, waterfowl hunting. I even threw in some upland game bird hunting. Here in the midwest, my shotgun rarely gets any play time because anytime I am out, I am bowhunting... It's something I've come to accept. I do miss wingshooting though. I should probably prioritize a little more time for duck hunting. At least get 2 or 3 hunts in per season. I used to get every other weekend in from open til close because by then bowhunting season is over (elk and mule deer that is). Here, my season usually goes opening weekend, rest the weekend after, then kids' birthdays, then another sit early October, then full on hunting last week of October through first week of November. Maybe hunt WI before their gun opener... After gun season is time to try filling those remaining tags. I just love it.

Edited December 14, 2015 by 1eyeReD