advice for bringing out rookie bow hunter

[vandeman17]

I bought my girlfriend a bow for her birthday last month and she is hoping to hunt with it this fall. It will be her first experience big game hunting but she duck hunted last year. She wanted to try big game but wanted to do it with archery gear and not a rifle which I think is cool. My question is, assuming we get her compitent at shooting by then, as to how I should have her hunt. She wants to go for both deer and elk on the eastside. If she were rifle or muzzy hunting it would be a lot easier because she could hike around or still hunt but with bow, stand hunting might produce better results. She wants to hunt from a tree stand but I know that it is tough, even for me, to have the patience to sit in a tree stand for long. Last thing I want to do is have her be very bored and turned off to the whole thing. Suggestions?

[h20hunter]

Late part of the season in an area that is 3pt or better or doe? Maybe a better chance to get a shot?

[vandeman17]

I am hoping to put her in for a doe tag somewhere and then also hunt for elk in an area where cows are legal as well. My issue with deer is that most of my areas are whitetail areas and that is almost exclusively stand hunting.

[Doublelunger]

Could try a ground blind instead of a stand.  that way you could be in there with her.  May give her a little more comfort having you there...and if she gets bored maybe you could entertain her

[vandeman17]

Could try a ground blind instead of a stand.  that way you could be in there with her.  May give her a little more comfort having you there...and if she gets bored maybe you could entertain her

haha, she actually sat in a ground blind with me early season elk last year. The only problem is that it is hard to draw a bow in a ground blind but she might have an easier time with a smaller bow and her being smaller. I wouldn't mind filming it if we went that route too.

[h20hunter]

So the problem is that the equipment is to big..................sure buddy......sure........(they all say that you know)

[vandeman17]

So the problem is that the equipment is to big..................sure buddy......sure........(they all say that you know)

What can I say... 

[gasman]

Take her up to Entiat opening weekend and have her take a doe. Get her's over with and your golden 


But the best advise I would give, would be to follow behind her......she's a hottie 

 

[Special T]

Sounds kind of screwy, but i sometimes take a book with me up into the tree stand... Read a page, take a look around... Hell Tiffany from "The Crush" plays those damn pocket video games like video yatzee and solitare.   

[ELKBURGER]

I think it is great that she wants to hunt. Keep it fun...If you get too serious, the fun goes away. Dont expect immediate success...Some folks bowhunt for years before harvesting an animal. If you are too anxious to get your first shot you will probably rush it. Help her identify her comfort zone on distance and animal posturing. 1 bad shot and you have a wounded animal and probably a partner who may not want to hunt again. Patience, patience, and more patience. Enjoy your time afield with her................If the ground blind is rockin'............

[vandeman17]

I think it is great that she wants to hunt. Keep it fun...If you get too serious, the fun goes away. Dont expect immediate success...Some folks bowhunt for years before harvesting an animal. If you are too anxious to get your first shot you will probably rush it. Help her identify her comfort zone on distance and animal posturing. 1 bad shot and you have a wounded animal and probably a partner who may not want to hunt again. Patience, patience, and more patience. Enjoy your time afield with her................If the ground blind is rockin'............

I agree. I told her that failure in bow hunting is quite common and that I have yet to harvest an animal with my bow in my five years with it. I am going to keep it fun and just let her go at her own pace. If she gets cold or bored I will let her decide when to leave etc. I just told her I am going to be very jealous if she shoots an animal with her bow before I do. 

[Ripper]

Since baiting is legal for deer, I'd start this summer. Figure out where you want to put a stand or 2 then start the baiting process. If she gets bored in the stand, get out and walk a while then get back in the stand.  Good luck

[Todd_ID]

A two person ladder stand over a food plot or an apple pile with a 15 yard shot in an area with plenty of deer and does legal would be a great start.  I think elk hunting is a rough way to break someone into bowhunting.  If elk is open there, then that's great, but don't bet her enjoyment on an elk only hunt. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Have her build points in another state that actually has some trophy animals for later on when she has a few years under her belt.

[D-Rock425]

Get her to shoot as many 3-D shoots as you can.   You can do it together and it's a ton of fun.  I think its the best hunting practicing you can do.  As far as the hunt itself deer should be pretty easy if tou hunt a area open for doe harvest.   Start baiting early and it should happen.   Elk hunting is a whole different beast I know guys that have hunted a long time and still have problems with elk hunting.   Just remember 90% of the elk are killed by 10% of the hunters (I read that somewhere).  It seems like a small percentage of guys kill elk year after year and some hunt 10 years for there first.

[Johnb317]

Interesting.   You want her to learn to hunt, or is it all about the kill?  We all want to be successful but it's the thrill of the hunt, learning about nature and being a part of it.
Nothing like hearing a bull thrashing the brush, popping his teeth, and bugling.   

If you prefer to still hunt, teach her.     
Good luck!

[pianoman9701]

Interesting.   You want her to learn to hunt, or is it all about the kill?  We all want to be successful but it's the thrill of the hunt, learning about nature and being a part of it.
Nothing like hearing a bull thrashing the brush, popping his teeth, and bugling.   

If you prefer to still hunt, teach her.     
Good luck!

But you have to retain someone's interest if you want them to continue year after year. Especially in bow hunting, if someone's never taken a big game animal, it may not be many seasons before they tire of tag soup. I agree that for me it's the hunt, not the kill, but I've taken big game and lots of it when I shot a rifle. So, not scoring with a bow every year is not a big deal for me. It would be for someone who's not had that experience.

I agree with getting her into a kill as quickly as possible as long as ethics and regulations are in play.

[got2hunt]

Keep it fun, Don't get lost in trying to get her the shot. My wife joined me last year and it was one of the best times we have had together. You have to let them go at there pace and kinda let them do what they want, after all they are women and there is no tell-en them different. My wife was dead set on shooting a nice buck so i had to stand behind her in that even though she couldn't shoot more than 40 yards. It make you guys work harder together. I found some private property that i been wanting to hunt and when we pulled up there to pave his drive way there stood 5 decent bucks. So i asked can we hunt here he said the more the maryer. So try some private property and just say i have a new hunter that has never done it before and you would like to take them there.

[dmr400]

I'm in the same boat this year, my girlfriend is also going to be a first time bowhunter this year.  I've decided that I'm going to go against my natural instincts and try and stay hands off.  At first, I'm going to hunt the way I plan to hunt, and teach her as much as I can while we are at it.  If she decides she doesn't like treestand hunting, we'll go still hunting, and vice versa.  I'll let her set the pace, but at the same time I'm not going to try and ease her into a kill.  I'll let her set a personal goal and try and help her achieve it, whether that's the first deer that walks by a treestand or a 3 pt or better buck.  I think that making it too easy for them the first time paints a false picture of what bowhunting is really like.

   I will say that if you can get her on a bugling bull (in close) you won't have to try too hard to keep her interested, whether one hits the ground or not.  I highly recommend Paul Medel's videos...known as elknut on a lot of the forums.  He knows his stuff...I've been elk hunting for 14 years and learned a few things from  him. 

[vandeman17]

I was home late last week and this weekend for a funeral and my birthday so we saw a lot of my family and it was really cool because she mentioned to almost everyone about her new bow and how excited she is to hunt this year. That should make things easier on me because I won't be having to drag her out of bed in the mornings. 

[cedarriver]

Get her to shoot as many 3-D shoots as you can.   You can do it together and it's a ton of fun.  I think its the best hunting practicing you can do.
 
  Enjoy the time, tell her the different ways, pros and cons and let her decide.

[SniperDanWA]

I was home late last week and this weekend for a funeral and my birthday so we saw a lot of my family and it was really cool because she mentioned to almost everyone about her new bow and how excited she is to hunt this year. That should make things easier on me because I won't be having to drag her out of bed in the mornings. 

Vandeman,
Was that your grandma that passed away?  I think you sent an email that you were headed to see her.  Did you make it?

[vandeman17]

I was home late last week and this weekend for a funeral and my birthday so we saw a lot of my family and it was really cool because she mentioned to almost everyone about her new bow and how excited she is to hunt this year. That should make things easier on me because I won't be having to drag her out of bed in the mornings. 

Vandeman,
Was that your grandma that passed away?  I think you sent an email that you were headed to see her.  Did you make it?

Yes, that was my Grandma that passed. She ended up passing peacefully in her sleep on the 10th and we had her funeral services on the 16th. I was able to go see her a few days before and say my goodbyes which was hard but I am really happy I had the chance. It made the whole process much easier for me.

[BULLBLASTER]

I wouldreccomend whiteys over a bait pile from either a blind or treestand. Shoot me a pm and I may be able to help get you and your girlfriend into some pretty decent Whitetail bowhunting.

[vandeman17]

I wouldreccomend whiteys over a bait pile from either a blind or treestand. Shoot me a pm and I may be able to help get you and your girlfriend into some pretty decent Whitetail bowhunting.

pm sent