Got a my first bow! Now what.

[ATX_Shawn]

So I did a trade and ended up with a practically new hardly used Diamond Outlaw. I've got no real solid bow experience but I'll be practicing quite a bit once I get settled into a new place. I'm not a huge hunter, but that's not by choice. I'd like to start hunting more, but I don't know when, where or what you can hunt with a bow. I've done some varmint hunts, and predator hunts with 22's and what not, but never any deer hunting or hog hunts.

I appreciate any advice you have for a rookie with a bow...

 

[Jon Payne]

It's not a bad idea to visit a bow shop with an indoor range. At the shop we have in Bridge City TX, Precision Archery, if you buy arrows and accessories from them they let you use the range. They'll also set the draw length for you and give you some helpful tips. Hope this helps. Btw, bought the same bow for my son last season and he took his first deer with it.


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[General Zod]

Cabela's has an archery range.

As for what you can hunt with it...depending on the arrowheads you've got, you can hunt anything from rabbits (with blunts) to deer (with broadheads) to bear (with a death wish). And then there's bowfishing...

 

[ATX_Shawn]

It's not a bad idea to visit a bow shop with an indoor range. At the shop we have in Bridge City TX, Precision Archery, if you buy arrows and accessories from them they let you use the range. They'll also set the draw length for you and give you some helpful tips. Hope this helps. Btw, bought the same bow for my son last season and he took his first deer with it.


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Thanks for the info, I do need to swing by the local archery range and get it all tuned and fitted for me. Thanks!

Cabela's has an archery range.

As for what you can hunt with it...depending on the arrowheads you've got, you can hunt anything from rabbits (with blunts) to deer (with broadheads) to bear (with a death wish). And then there's bowfishing...

Lol.. "I dont have to outrun the bear.. i just have to outrun you." Bowfishing is actually what motivated me to get a bow.. I am a shitty fisherman, with a rod and reel, and figured I'd give it a try with a bow. I guess if it doesn't work out, Ill use electricity next.. j/k.

 

[TheDan]

rabbits (with blunts) to deer (with broadheads) to bear (with a death wish)

lol... Ted Nugent used to have a bow hunting show on outdoor channel. Dunno if he still does, but I remember one episode where they were hunting moose with a bow. One of the guy's he was with damn near got killed. The moose charged him and the dude shot the moose in the chest with his bow at all of like 3ft. It stopped the moose in his tracks but realize that it did not kill it right away. It wondered off to die, but if it wanted to keep pressing it could have easily stomped that guy to death before expiring from the arrow wound.

 

[TundraWookiee]

I bought a Diamond Fugitive this past year and after lots of practice I think I'm going to try deer hunting with it next season. I mainly just read up on it at texasbowhunter.com and practiced in the backyard.

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[Pilgrim]

Lol.. "I dont have to outrun the bear.. i just have to outrun you." Bowfishing is actually what motivated me to get a bow.. I am a shitty fisherman, with a rod and reel, and figured I'd give it a try with a bow. I guess if it doesn't work out, Ill use electricity next.. j/k.

Just tape a stick of dynamite to the arrow if you get frustrated with "traditional" bowfishing. Works every time

 

[matefrio]

Get some arrows that are tuned to the pounds and pull length of the bow. What kind of sights does it have?

 

[ATX_Shawn]

lol... Ted Nugent used to have a bow hunting show on outdoor channel. Dunno if he still does, but I remember one episode where they were hunting moose with a bow. One of the guy's he was with damn near got killed. The moose charged him and the dude shot the moose in the chest with his bow at all of like 3ft. It stopped the moose in his tracks but realize that it did not kill it right away. It wondered off to die, but if it wanted to keep pressing it could have easily stomped that guy to death before expiring from the arrow wound.

**** that shit... lol Ted Nugent is one crazy hillbilly.

I bought a Diamond Fugitive this past year and after lots of practice I think I'm going to try deer hunting with it next season. I mainly just read up on it at texasbowhunter.com and practiced in the backyard.

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Nice, yeah I am without a back yard at the moment, but I am working on that. Have you done any hunting with it yet?

Just tape a stick of dynamite to the arrow if you get frustrated with "traditional" bowfishing. Works every time

hahaha... hahahaha.. TNT is now on my shopping list.

 

[ATX_Shawn]

Get some arrows that are tuned to the pounds and pull length of the bow. What kind of sights does it have?

It has a single pin peep sight.. Yeah I went and bought some cheap ass arrows for my first time out with the bow. I bent 4 of the 5 shooting into a mound of dirt. lol.. It was the best arrow catch I had available and I bought them knowing I was gonna **** them up.

They were the right poundage, but they are way thicker and about an inch shorter than the high end carbon arrows the guy gave me with the bow.

 

[General Zod]

A hay bale really does make a decent target, and Academy has a lot of fairly inexpensive "real" targets.

Remember, for fishing you'll have to compensate for refraction in the water when aiming. Those fish won't quite be where they look like they are.

 

[Younggun]

I would get a cheap target from academy. I have sent arrows through square bales, ESP if they aren't baled real tight and even the tight ones loosen up over time.

 

[Tgoody14]

Practice, practice, practice
Get on texasbowhunter then
Practice, practice, practice

A 2 sided (1 for broadheads, 1 for practice tips) square target by bone collector has lasted me 3 years and it was only $30

 

[ATX_Shawn]

I am gonna get a target, maybe two, once I get set up at my new place. (Finally I get a yard)

 

[Tgoody14]

Yea, good thing about a bow is you only need a 20 yard stretch of open area to get started. No need to go any further until you start building some confidence in your accuracy. May wanna start out at ten just to make sure the sights aren't too horribly off... Just a thought

 

[Big country]

Make sure you have a good safe back stop behind your target especially if your backyard is in a neighborhood. You will miss When you start out and That's OK. Also don't try to push it to hard on your practice sessions. When your arms and shoulders start to get tiered stop shooting for a wile or you will teach yourself bad form. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube about form, practice good form now and it will stay with you practice bad form and it will stay with you also. Above all have fun shooting your bow.

tap talked from a phone yeah im on my phone! it's crazy!

 

[Tgoody14]

Make sure you have a good safe back stop behind your target especially if your backyard is in a neighborhood. You will miss When you start out and That's OK. Also don't try to push it to hard on your practice sessions. When your arms and shoulders start to get tiered stop shooting for a wile or you will teach yourself bad form. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube about form, practice good form now and it will stay with you practice bad form and it will stay with you also. Above all have fun shooting your bow.

tap talked from a phone yeah im on my phone! it's crazy!

^ this X2
I started out doing 10-15 arrows every other day. First week was a workout to say the least!
Also, if you shoot and can't find your arrow ANYWHERE... look about an inch into/under the ground directly below the target...

 

[mkburden]

Go to walmart and at the desk you purchase hunting license at they will have the "Outdoor Annual". The TPWD issues it and it has all the hunting seasons listed. If you dont have a lease they offer around 1 million acres across the great state of Texas for Public Permit Hunting, which has another booklet listing what weapons can be used to take what game. I recently got back into bow hunting. Target shooting isn't the toughest thing imaginable, but taking a whitetail or wild hog with one is pretty tough starting out. Good luck, it's fun and damn near as addicting as firearms!!

 

[Big country]

It can be very addictive.
Another tip. Practice with both eyes open and get into that habit now, It will help when you move from targets to critters.

tap talked from a phone yeah im on my phone! it's crazy!

 

[ATX_Shawn]

Damn you guys rock!
Thanks for all the info, keep it coming.