who hunts with an arrow nocked?

[BOWHUNTER45]

I never just walk around with an arrow nocked  Once I see what I am after and get within reasonable range then I will nock an arrow .. 

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I think there is a time and a place to hunt with an arrow knocked.

 

Also these guys walking into their buddies are like guys who have a rifle barrle pointed at their buddies back with a finger on the trigger,  not smart.  I treat a broad head like a muzzle, always pointed in a safe direction, down and away from others.

[mtbiker]

I think there is a time and a place to hunt with an arrow knocked.

Exactly.  Just use some common sense and pay attention.

[BOWHUNTER45]

yeah its all up to you... but I sure would hate to trip or something 

[adamR]

Exactly.  I hunt alone with an arrow knocked and I carry the bow by the string, arrow always pointed at the ground

I was hunting this way a couple years ago watching for animals and not what I was doing.  My hand got tired so I went to switch hands and had all three blades on my broadhead go across my palm and fingers.  Walked out of the woods with a bloody rag on my hand and my arrows in my quiver, took 13 stitches to fix it.  Now I don't keep the arrow knocked.

[TheHunt]

I have never kept one knocked...  Just could not think of archery as a jump shooting sport.

[washelkhunter]

I hunt with a recurve and half the time ive got an arrow up and ready to pull back. i am keenly aware of it however. The arrow inadvertenly in the back was a real wakeup for folks. another incident i heard about was a friend of a friend hunting along and when he crouched down he stuck the broadhead into the top of his foot, and wasnt even aware of it until his boot filled up with blood! Stuff happens, thats why its good to have a partner close by.

[jechicdr]

Most of the time I do not have arrow nocked.  If I am sitting down waiting, definitely have one nocked.  If I'm in "elk" and terrain is easily navigable, I may nock an arrow, but then I am extremely careful with each foot plant.  If I feel like moving faster, or have to navigate obstacles, the arrow goes back in the quiver.  It's pretty rare for me to encounter an elk where having an arrow nocked made the difference between getting a shot or not.  Nocking the arrow when an elk presents itself gives you a chance to calm your nerves and think about the distances and the shot.

[Button Nubbs]

If I get that feeling or I'm in an area with a lot of sign I will, or if I'm rounding a corner I can see around I will. When I'm in the treestand, always.

[Miles]

I will depending on if I know I'm close to something or not.  Here's a little story though...   I was elk hunting in the NE corner of the state and had a bull screaming back at me from about 40 yards.  He was below me and in some thick brush.  I nocked an arrow and got ready.  He started moving and in order to get to an opening and have a chance I had to move about 10 yards to my right.  I stepped up onto a fallen log, and as I was stepping off my boot lace got caught on a broken limb.  My body was already in motion and I started falling...  I had to throw my bow off to the side as I didn't want to fall on the arrow or broadhead.  I scratched the hell out of my face and put some good holes/cuts in my hand from the landing, but avoided getting stuck with an arrow.  After that fall, I'm really cautious about walking around with a nocked arrow.   Oh, and the bull lived to see another day.

[PolarBear]

Only if I am sure that it is a buck or bull that I want to pursue and if I am within reasonable stalking range, otherwise it stays in the quiver.

[dfresh96]

I will if terain allows, usually never in the elk woods unless i'm sittin, but where i deer hunt i will have an arrow nocked most of the time but if i hunt with someone else only if there is action.....

i actually got poked by a broadhead from a former hunting buddy in the back of the knee due to his buck fever, luckily it didnt break through my clothes or skin but i never went out with him again and he no longer hunts with us....but i immediately cursed his way and scared the crap out of the buck......

[Todd_ID]

I fall down too much to even think of trying it until the final moments before the shot.  In a treestand, then it's always on.

[dreamingbig]

   I agree with Todd.  I have an arrow nocked when sitting and waiting (treestand, ground blind, or waiting for that bull to walk in) but you won't catch me still hunting with one nocked.  The last few yards of a stalk make sense but not the entire time.

Be careful out there!

[trophyhunt]

I hunt with one nocked.  Hunt mostly alone and still hunt though an area.  If I go into heavy brush or steep terrain I put the arrow away.  This is always a subject that gets a lot of different opinions just like hunting with a round chambered.

:yeah:Count me as one that hunts with my gun loaded (safety on of course), cap on the muzzy (safety on also) and an arrow noc'd.