First Time Bow Hunting

[TheGuy]

I would like this to be my first year bow hunting for deer. I've been reading a lot about it the last year and have been getting all my things in order for it. I have many questions on it but the first one is when do I need to buy my permit? Should I ask the DNR about what areas I can hunt? The reason for asking this is that ther is a game refuge by our cabin and I heard that you can bow hunt in it. Does this seem correct? I want to make sure of the areas I hunt!!

[bigbucks]

You can buy your license as of August 1st. It depends on if you're going to just bow hunt or do firearm as well. I bow, shotgun, rifle, & muzzleloader hunt so have bought the All-Season License the last few years, which is around $75. With that license anwhere that's open & doesn't require a special permit is good to go. That's pretty much true of the archery license as well, it's just that in some areas (a lot of them) you can take several deer, up to 5 (only 1 buck). The big game laws are on the DNR HSOforum, so you can look for that reserve to see if any special hunts are listed or trying calling the Chamber of Commerce for the city it's closest to, or a local hunting shop, or email the DNR from their site.

The Metro Bowhunter's Resource Database site lists all of the special hunts they control as well.

[bigbucks]

One more thing, you can by your archery or All-Season license during season, but I believe you have to wait either 3 or 5 days to hunt if you purchase it after opening day, September 18th.

[TheGuy]

Thanks bigbucks, I'll check it out.

[TheGuy]

For hunting private land how much do you have to have? How fare away from houses do you need to be? Can I hunt 80 yards from our cabin and about 125 yards from the neighbors if I talk to them about it?

[bigbucks]

Sure, as long as the deer come there who cares how close you are. A couple years ago I was hunting in somebody's back yard while they were mowing lawn. I shot a deer there.

[TheGuy]

Well, I got my spot about 30 to 40 yards down our driveway. There is a deer trail that crosses over the driveway and last year there were lots of scrapes and rubs. If they are back this year, I have my spot. That sure would be nice to just go right out back of the cabin!!!

[rtwills]

juat remember, if you bow hunt and rifle hunt to buy your "bonus " tags for bow.
If you shoot a buck with a bow you cannot rifle hunt unless you get a doe permit.so buy the bonus tags and fill with does first,but do not use your main bow tag

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If people weren't supposed to eat animals.
Why are they made out of meat??
FM Stickersl

[TheGuy]

Thanks [YouNeedAuthorization]!
I shotgun hunt in southeastern MN, just north of Iowa. Some great land down there and we see lots of deer. In the last 3 or 4 years we have been able to shoot 5 deer down there. We never do this, I would say in the last 15 years only 1 or 2 years have we got more then 1 deer a person. We have 11 in our group and share the deer we get. Once we start to get 10 to 12 deer it starts to be a big ordeal on burtchering em up. Some of the guys only want a little meat anyway. I got a bow from a friend and I'm taking it in on Saturday to check out the draw langth and to see what I need for it.
With all the deer up North by the cabin area, I would be happy just to get a shot at a doe. If I see a big buck I would try for it if it is a clean shot and if it is not too fare away. (with-in 20 yards)

[jlm]

I would check with the rule book, I know there is a law about hunting near houses and other structures. Not sure how far but I remember something about it. Better safe than sorry!

[TheGuy]

Thanks Jim, I will make sure I look into it some more. I want to make sure I know what the book says.
We have had deer come right up to the cabin and eat the plants by the cabin. Can you hunt with a bat just inside the windows?

[hanson]

Bowhunting is an absolutely fantastic sport! I've only been bowhunting the last 3 years and I'll probably do it the rest of my life now. I usually only get in a couple weekends, the rest of the weekends are for hunting ducks.

Anyway, I think I've got some good advice for a beginner since I still consider myself a begineer.

1- Practice, practice, practice. Practice standing up. Practice sitting down. Practice out of a deer stand. Its very important to adjust to hunting out of a stand where you are up in the air and shooting down towards the ground.

2- Don't get a big ego over how heavy a draw weight you can pull back. My bow is set to a very comfortable weight but when that buck was standing 20 yards from me and I was trying to slowly draw that thing back, I just about couldn't do it. Talk about buck fever! Heart is pounding, legs are shaking, and I can't get my bow pulled back. Yikes!

3- Only take the shot if you are comfortable with it. My opinion- if you don't think you are going to make a good clean shot, don't force it! The deer will probably present you with a better shot if you have a little patience.

4- Oh, did I mention practice!

This all seams very basic but when it comes down to crunch time, you'll find out in a hurry if you prepared yourself or not.

[bigbucks]

I agree on the practice thing, I don't do it enough myself, but am improving in my discipline. The main thing is to get lots of different sessions in, even if you only shoot a few arrows every day or two, that's better than shooting 15-20+ arrows once a week.

[jlm]

Great post Hanson! Some good advice for the novice as well as expert!

[TheGuy]

Thanks for all the good info. Seems like I need more practice.
Got to go and practice!!!

[bigbucks]

Hanson,

Please don't take this as a rip, it's not, but you either need to get out more, find new spots or more spots, or play the wind more. The first few years I bow hunted, when there were a lot less deer than there are now I had trouble getting shots & went many outings without seeing deer. I went two seasons at one stretch, with one possible shot at a fawn in September, I didn't take it. It got to the point I was kicking myself for not taking it. When I finally got a shot at anything other than a spotted fawn after that I drilled it & have been shooting two deer a year with the bow ever since, save one year when I lost the second deer.

Since the population's gotten so high & I've learned to play the wind better & what crops they're feeding on at what times. I get tons of shot opps every season. I do get out usually over 30 times, for 2-4 hour outings, but I must have had over 20 opps last year alone. Now maybe you were only talking about chances at nice bucks (2 1/2 year-old bucks & up), which is a whole different thing. I can think of a half-a-dozen or so in the 12 years I've bow hunted. Three or four were last year & I blew them all. Either missed or got caught before getting drawn, but that's hunting.

Anybody else tried to make a shot with two nice 10 pointers and 3 basket racks, 4-8 points, all in view at the same time? Man is that nerve racking, I'll NEVER forget that! Of course one of the smaller ones would have been dead at maybe 8 yards, but I didn't want him. Okay, all this talk has got me pretty much beside myself with anticipation.

One tip I just thought of: No matter what make sure you hunt somewhere the first night there's any appreciable amount of snow on the ground, the deer move like crazy.

Sorry I'm so long winded.

[hanson]

Bigbucks,

I just need to get out more! I have had pretty good luck seeing deer and actually alot more bucks than when I'm rifle hunting which is what I like about bowhunting. My 2nd year out I had a nice little buck coming into this clearing I like to hunt and he picked me out of the tree. We stared at each other for awhile and then he turned around and went the other way. Last year I had another nice buck coming into this same clearing and I drew back on him just as it was stepping into a great shooting lane and it stopped dead in its tracks not presenting me with a shot. It too stood there for a little bit, turned around and I watched him walk away and then continued to watch him walk around the back of my stand for another 10-15 minutes.

I've decided its going to have to be a pretty nice buck or I'm going to pass on it. If I just put a little more time in, I'm sure I would have some better results.

[TheGuy]

I have 5 or 6 areas that I feel are going to be good, all depends on the wind, time of day and what time of the year it is. Along with temps and snow. I'm not sure how much time I will be able to spend bow hunting this year but I would hope to get out at least 3 to 4 weekends.
I will take anything without spots if it gives me a good shot. The only exception is a small buck, if I shoot a buck it will have to be a big one. Just my personal thing with the buck.
I don't want to spend a lot of money on a portable stand so is there one that any of you would suggest? I have looked at a few and would like something under $100 if I can.

Thanks for all of the replies that I've gotten on this. I'm so excited about bow hunting this year and I have scouted the areas for the last two years. I just have not gotten set up to bow hunt until now. I have seen some nice 10 and 12 point bucks with some heavy racks and I'm not sure what would happen if I got with in 20 yards of one. I understand that a lot of things have to go right just to shoot a deer with a bow let alone shoot a nice buck.

[hanson]

I'd like to add to my previous post some reasoning behind my tips.

My first season archery hunting, I wasn't prepared as well as I should have been. It was either my 2nd or 3rd day on stand and I had a nice 8pt buck come into a clearing in front of me. The sun was starting to set and that deer gave me the absolute best shot I'll probably ever get bowhunting. This was by far the biggest buck I've ever shot at, bow or gun! I had hung scent wicks out on little trees in the clearing in front of me so I knew where my 20 & 30 yard shots would be. This is the time where tip #2 becomes a factor. I got the bow pulled to full draw but it was a struggle. Perfectly broadside, about 25 yards out, I split the difference between my pins and let the arrow fly. I hit the deer but was it ever a high shot. It hit about 2-3 inches below the top of his back. I was so mad at myself. The deer took off through the brush and busted off half the arrow. I spent the rest of the evening and half the next day looking for blood or a dead deer. Nothing. Nothing at all.

I was just sick to my stomach and said I'd never climb into a tree again until I was 100% sure I could make that shot. Three years later, I still haven't gotten another shot at a deer with my bow.

[BLACKJACK]

TheGuy, you have the right thought, shoot a couple of deer before you say 'only a buck'. Even does are tough, they teach you about mistakes in your draw, aiming/shooting, stand placement, clothing, etc. The biggest mistake I made when I started was saying 'I want only a buck'. I passed on a few does, consequently I had bowhunted 4-5 years before I shot my first one.

One more thing, practice, practice, practice. Nothing worse than having a wounded deer that you don't find drive you back to the practice butt!!

Hanson, you're right, you need to spend more time in the stand. I don't see deer every time out, it takes time in the stand before you hit the right combo of wind, deer movement, time of the year. Good luck all!

[bigbucks]

What I've found is gender doesn't have much to do with how difficult a deer is to kill with a bow. It's mostly age, it's hard to kill a doe past 2 1/2 with the bow. Think about it they're used to watching out for themselves & 1-3 other deer besides. I suppose part of the reason it's harder to kill really big mature deer is they make up a lot smaller percentage of the herd, but the other reasons are because they're smart & very wary.

If you haven't shot any deer with a bow or even if you have, but haven't shot a buck, shoot a couple of small ones & then worry about the big boys. That's still an experience every bow hunter should have. You almost need to do it to convince yourself that you personally can harvest a buck with the bow. That's just my perspective.

[Hossienda]

I just thought I would throw out a little tip I got from an older hunter. It never hurts to draw back on a deer you don't intend to shoot. If nothing else, it gives you practice for when the big one comes around.

As far as the stand, I use the Rivers Edge Lite Foot. A nice sized platform with a foot rest that I find invaluable. They retail around $100 and I have seen them on sale sometimes for about $80-90.

-Hossienda

[bigbucks]

Forgot to put my .02 on the stand thing. I have a Rivers Edge Gator Jaws climber, I think it was $80 on sale at Fleet Farm last fall. There are quieter climbers to put together, but once you get up there, it's very safe & quiet. I had good luck with my first one until someone stole it... Much safer stand to go really high.

I've got a couple of ladder stands that were both around $100 or less. The newer one's also a Rivers Edge. I'd recommend a 15' over a 12', I have one of each. I've had a few deer spot me on the 12' as your feet are probably only at 9'.

I also have a couple of hang on stands, can't remember the brands, but all were $100 or less. I'd stay away from the ones that the floors have wire mesh over just a few bars, they make your feet tired & tend to squeak easier. My newer hang on has a ratchet strap mechanism mounted right on it, which is really nice. Also that one has like 4-5 adjustments for platform angle, which allows you to put it on trees that are pretty crooked. I think my father-in-law got it at Cabelas, it was a Christmas present.

I like having all three styles, as they all have spots they shine in. The ladders are great where there's some brush to hide them & not a lot of bigger trees to put other stands in, plus you can really move them quick to adjust to deer travel patterns. The climbers are great in popples, not many branches & can often just break them off. The hang ons are the best, but take a lot more time to put up, so they tend to stay in one spot all season, or maybe get moved once, depending on how productive they've been. I hunt a lot of permanents though too.