How to get started with Bow Hunting

[BUCKHUNT]

I'm thinking about getting a compound bow set up for christmas, but I'm a rifle hunter and have never attempted bow hunting. From what I hear, it sounds like a lot of fun, plus it seems like there's a lot more opportunities for bow hunters to be in the field as opposed to just the MF general deer seasons. My problem is that I know nothing about the sport, and I don't want to get started with the wrong gear. Some of the questions I have are: what makes and models of bow should I be considering/staying away from, what are some accessories that are more or less necessary to have, is it necessary to buy one of the top brands or are there decent bows that are affordable, what should I know about the different types of arrowheads? I'll keep doing some research on my own, but i figured this would be a good place to start. Any other information regarding the sport would be very helpful also. Thanks,

BUCKHUNT

[Special T]

http://washingtonarchery.org/about-us/clubs--shops/
Find a good club near you, and if you cant find a club find a shop. Start shooting 3Ds in the off season. Range estimation is key. there is a list of 3ds on the WSAA site as well.
http://washingtonarchery.org/forum/uploads/7/2013_Official_Calendar_WSAA.pdf
Shooting foam is almost as much fun as shooting the real thing.. Great practice... Good luck and welcome to the sport!

[seansfire]

Mathews or Mission bows i highly recommend which are the same company just looking at both gives you more to choose from. Also look at the Diamond bows. My wife has the Razors Edge and likes it alot and i hear alot of guys shoot them too and like them. Like alot of other people on here say find a GOOD bow shop and hold and shoot them till you find one YOU like and that fits YOU.

Good luck and welcome to the club.

[Todd_ID]

If you're trying to find a bow to suggest for the wife to give you for X-Mas, then I'd say have her go with a Visa gift card instead.  That way you can take the better part of a day shooting the different bows that different places offer.  Once you get the feel for shooting a compound, then you'll find one of the makes and models just simply feels better to you.  That's the bow you should be shooting.  Brand or model makes very little difference any more.  Anything you buy will be an excellent choice as long as it is the one that "speaks" to you.  It will feel like an extension of your arm instead of something you are trying to adapt to.

Once you get the basic setup that fits you and you spend a few months practicing with that stuff, then you'll be much more informed about what other stuff will be "necessary" versus "cool/want".

The basics to get started with a compound: bow, peep, sight, rest, wrist sling, hunting stabilizer, release, arrows, field points, target.  The shop will hopefully give you the info to make an informed decision about each of those.  Beyond that is a lot of fluff and expense for minimal gains.

[BowForElk]

  Its all about how it fits you! But most are about the same. +1 for diamond (owned by BowTech) They are good bows and affordable. I shoot a BowTech Tomkat but have shot and owned lots of PSE's. Personally I think that once you get good and comfortable shooting you should be able to pick up any bow and group arrows (given that its remotely close to what you shoot as far as draw length..) And maybe I'm just frugal or cheap or what have you but I've never owned a Brand NEW bow and Ive bow hunted for 12 years. Find a model you like and look for a used one you can save all kinds of money that way.

The other things that come into play like releases sights rests are what you prefer. Try a bunch of releases on pull the triggers. Sights come in all different shapes and sizes and # of pins. What I look for in a sight is #1 durability. its a bad day when you eat sh*t on a log and drop your bow and break your sight off....  Other then that is how many pins do you wanna be looking at when your trying to arrow a deer thats not wanting to stick around? I shoot a 3 pin. and RESTS! again find the one you like but Ive had great success with the WhiskerBiscuit rather than a drop away rest. Its really nice cause your arrow NEVER falls off the rest. ever. and you can have an arrow knocked while your bustin through brush or anything and don't gotta worry. Very Sturdy too!

[Arnbo]

Try to get out to a few different shops and see what is out there.
Ask alot of questions.

Some great bows At  a lot of different prices.

[archeryantlers]

Most places that sell primarily archery equiptment are very helpful and informative. I would go to several in one day, then go back to the ones that you like or trust the most. It's like finding a good mechanic to take your car to; you want someone that isn't going to sell you things you don't need. In general archery people are all about helping each other. Find a set up that works for you and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

After becoming an archer, I have zero interrest in rifle hunting. In fact, I don't do it at all if I can help it. Good luck to you.