any bowhunters out there?

One word, brother...Matthews. It's the best bow I've ever shot and I've been bowhunting since I was 10. I've had a Q2XL for about 7 years now and it doesn't matter what I'm doing with it (target or killin' - which I actually don't do that much of anymore, I'm more into shooting than killing these days for some reason). It's just been awesome and it's got about a 90% pull release when it breaks over so you can hold a draw all day if you need to. My uncle who got me started back in the day has always been a Darton fan so you might want to check into those as well.

As for arrows, I always go with Easton. They're sort of an oldie, but they've performed pretty well. You want to go with a carbon fiber arrow, but if your bow has the cajones mine does you'll probably want a composite arrow because the straight carbon arrows are so light that they'll flex like hell upon release and screw up your flight. I've got my draw wt set at 65# because any higher and I have to go with a heavier arrow which equals out the increase in speed I might have gotten from the extra umph from the bow. My broadhead has been Muzzy for about 10 years now.
 
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Those appear to be more money that I want to spend at this point. I also like the take down recurve design for travel and other reasons.

The bow you're looking at seems pretty solid...I didn't realize you were looking at recurves. I got into stick shooting for a while, but I've got a tricky left shoulder (my drawing arm) and they kicked my ass. You might want to try a long bow - sucks to travel with, but stick shooters are absolutely fanatical about them.
 
I've been a bowhunter for about 23 years. I started with Pearson bows but for the last couple years have been shooting Diamonds. My last was a black ice. They are less expensive than Mathews but still top of the line. It's really hard to go wrong with just about any of the bows out there now. Find a local archery shop and let them set you up. I have a patient that has an indoor range and he takes pretty good care of me.

You can actually save some serious quan by buying the bow on Ebay. Go somewhere and draw/shoot a few and then find the one you liked online.

And to get you in the spirit of the hunt, rent or buy Primos the Truth Bowhunting #3 - #6. These guys do it right.

As far as recurve goes, Bear makes a great line of take down models.
Have fun.
 
Bowhunting 25 years and only flirted with the wheeled contraption one season. I am just stick and string.

The recurve is easier to learn than the longbow, so a good place to start. Martin makes a serviceable bow and so also a good start. Like anything else, you'll want more and will spend.

If going recurve, compressed cedar shafts are the way to go, and shoot 4 feathers not vanes. Zwickey broadheads are a "gold standard." Bleeder blades are for looks.

50# is light, go heavier and don't look for speed with a stick, you want a massive arrow and momentum and SUPER sharp cut on contact blades. Speed is for gears a straight up bow doesn't work the same.

Takedowns are great, don't fall for shorter is easier. When learning, a longer length bow is much more forgiving of errors. I have a 29 inch draw and would opt for a 62 inch length bow. (My longbow is 68 inches long)

This is a comprehensive topic. My advice, get a 60# 62 inch bow and a Muzzy bow fishing "kit". Learn to shoot it and then go bowfishing for carp, this will tell you if you really want to dive in full tilt. If you love it, you will dive in to learning it with gusto.
 
have you seen one of these or heard any reports on it? http://www.martinarchery.com/jaguartakedown.php


Only just looked at the link. 55# 60 inch with that forgiving brace heighth will be an easy bow to learn. Well designed for sights and rest. Will work for instinctive shooting, but not the best for that situation. If going bare bow you want your hand as close to the arrow as possible.

Start with a simple stick on rest and shoot fingers with a glove or tab. Easton aluminums are a less expensive start, but al. arrows bend really easily so not as cost effective as cedar for the long haul. Don't start with a bow mounted quiver, you may gravitate that way......I prefer Cat quivers. They are back quivers.

IMO this would make an excellent starter and especially good bowfishing setup. I like bowfishing for beginners, it helps you decide if you really want to dive in full on.
 
IMO this would make an excellent starter and especially good bowfishing setup. I like bowfishing for beginners, it helps you decide if you really want to dive in full on.

Plus it's insanely fun...just seeing those tails out of the water with that lazy meander in front of STILL makes me smile.
 
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I love my job. I get to meet some really cool people that like to invite me places.
I just got the invite to go to Idaho bowhunting elk on a private ranch that borders the northern tip of Yellowstone! I just need to purchase my tag and get there, the rest is covered!
Anyone hunted Idaho before. Looks awesome!
I'm also wondering if my current rig is OK for the big bodies of elk. I was told maybe use a heavier arrow and bigger broadhead. Anyone?
 
I love my job. I get to meet some really cool people that like to invite me places.
I just got the invite to go to Idaho bowhunting elk on a private ranch that borders the northern tip of Yellowstone! I just need to purchase my tag and get there, the rest is covered!
Anyone hunted Idaho before. Looks awesome!
I'm also wondering if my current rig is OK for the big bodies of elk. I was told maybe use a heavier arrow and bigger broadhead. Anyone?

Never hunted Idaho, but have chased a lot of elk in MT, WY and 2x in CO. If you ask the locals, they might tell you the wolves have had a drastic impact on elk in that area.

My sister hunts on the upper Ruby in MT and she says they see less elk nowadays.

No matter, the Rockies in Sept with frosty mornings and screaming bull elk is the ultimate hunt IMO.

What is your current rig?

I would suggest heavier as well, even without knowing what you shoot. And start practicing from your knees and start running a couple miles a day. The mountains will kick your ass if you let them.
 
Dream Jobs! Great Guys!

I was waiting for a flight in Memphis yesterday and sat down right next to Keith Burgess and Kevin Meacham from Team Primos. These guys were on their way to Alaska for a moose hunt! Kevin pulled out his iPhone and shared a few pics of some incredible scenery with a couple big horn sheep he and Brad Farris shot while in the Northwest territories last week. They had been home to do some dove hunting over the weekend. During our talk, I could almost discuss every bow kill each of those guys have made in detail. They either thought I was a nerd or just a fellow enthusiast, who knows.

I asked them how did they get this job?! The response was Keith was a parts and maintenance employee and Will Primos asked him to join the camera crew. Kevin was a hunting guide in Mississippi and knew Brad Farris somehow and eventually met up with Will and he hired him.

Keith and I had actually lived and hunted some of the same areas of southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana through the years. We were just 3 country boys sitting there talking hunting. Except they now get to do it for a living and a nice one at that while I sit inside dealing with problems all day. I gave them my card and invited them for an ice fishing adventure and Keith thought that would be cool. "Team Primos on Ice". Maybe?
 
Dear Abby letter

Dear Abby,

So lately my wife has been working a lot of late shifts and the past couple of months she's been carpooling with a male co-worker. At first I didn't mind as it saves gas and in case she has car trouble or something like that, but it seems like they've become a little bit more than friends. You know....the phone calls that hang up, she starts wearing nice clothes to work and talking about him all the time...then abruptly stops leaving an uncomfortable silence.
If I'm out in the garage when she gets home (usually after midnight) he just drops her off and leaves, but if the lights are off in the garage and I'm in the house (they think I'm sleeping) they sit out in the car for about 20 minutes.

I asked her once what they were doing and she said, "Just talking". Whatever!

So, last night I decided to see what's really going on out there. So, I leave the garage door open and turn all the lights off. I go out in the garage and wait. In a few minutes, his car pulls into my driveway and as I'm hiding behind some of my hunting stuff the headlights shine through my garage and I see something that I just can't believe:

The string on my bow is fraying! Not real bad, but enough. How long should I let it go before I replace it?
 
Dear Abby,

So lately my wife has been working a lot of late shifts and the past couple of months she's been carpooling with a male co-worker. At first I didn't mind as it saves gas and in case she has car trouble or something like that, but it seems like they've become a little bit more than friends. You know....the phone calls that hang up, she starts wearing nice clothes to work and talking about him all the time...then abruptly stops leaving an uncomfortable silence.
If I'm out in the garage when she gets home (usually after midnight) he just drops her off and leaves, but if the lights are off in the garage and I'm in the house (they think I'm sleeping) they sit out in the car for about 20 minutes.

I asked her once what they were doing and she said, "Just talking". Whatever!

So, last night I decided to see what's really going on out there. So, I leave the garage door open and turn all the lights off. I go out in the garage and wait. In a few minutes, his car pulls into my driveway and as I'm hiding behind some of my hunting stuff the headlights shine through my garage and I see something that I just can't believe:

The string on my bow is fraying! Not real bad, but enough. How long should I let it go before I replace it?


Funny.....

I'm on my way to Buffalo County, WI for a two day hunt this weekend. For dos of ya dat don't know nuttin, google it in reference to white tails and you'll see why I'm smiling like a kid on Christmas morn.

Hey Kris, I'll let you know how this goes. Maybe we can get together for a hunt sometime.