I was thinking while i was hunting that maybe i should try bow hunting. Its warmer and maybe the deer move more. I have never held a bow. I told my husband i was thinking about it and he didn't have much to say. i kept bringing it up. Watching bow hunts on tv does make it look easy but i know its not. Christmas was getting closer and with all the talking i was doing i just assumed i was going to get a bow. I was so so wrong! he normally buys pretty good stuff for me. NOT THIS YEAR! I got crap from him, he grabbed stuff from around house just so i would have something to open. Although last year i didn't get anything only a promise. I also needed stuff for the Harley for my next trip. Well it finally came out...he doesn't think i would be good with the bow and that i wont have time to practice. And that i also might get hurt with it or doing it. Before i met him i was a good shooter and i didn't even know him a year when he bought me my first gun, how does he i wasn't going to shoot his ass with it? I really want a bow more than ever just to prove him wrong at how good i would be but what if he is right and i don't have time. I don't know what to do about this except make him miserable until i decide.

i got 2 deer in my day. 1 with a gun (1st kill) and 1 with a bow. Ill never forget my 1st kill. but the coolest thing ever was my bow kill. I really felt like a hunter that day. Go buy yourself a bow. its GREAT

2nd'd

paula.
i hunt for 14 years..
killed a few deer..
i love my rifles and hunting with rifles and wouldnt trade them for the world
this was my second season that just passed with the bow..
i was unable to actually come close enough to get a ethical shot off which is one and prob. the only downside of bow hunting. It is def fun to shoot..

i enjoy targeting more with my bow than my rifles..
if you buy one , buy it for yourself, not just to prove it to him and make a point that you were able to do it because after you prove it to him, youll have no reason to use it...

targeting is def more fun but hunting can be frustrating because you will see them most of the time just outside of your reach (60-70 yards) .. but that isnt a bad thing.. .its just another reason why you should have been practicing your grunting all pre-season along with scouting and paying attention to your hunting area as well...

all in all , picking up the bow will make you not only a bowhunter but a better hunter as well..

besides.. it gives you much much more time in the woods .. and that alone is worth the money..

i do have some advice before you totally make up your mind..

i think you should goto a range and pick up a bow and actually fire the model you were thinking about buying.. have the dealer set it up and show you how to shoot... see if you even like it before you buy it..

and here is where I went wrong...

alot of people will tell you to get a "Starter Bow" and that is what I did.. i went cheap on the bow, release, arrows, sight , etc..
all that did was buy me a few months before i was already looking at the bow i knew i really wanted....

if your anything like me dont make this mistake... spending the extra 150-400 bucks up front will actually stop you from buying a whole new setup as soon as you really learn how to shoot and feel comfortable and spending another chunk of change...

i went and spent alot of cash on my starter bow... and "outgrew" (and i did quote) my first bow very quickly..

Cash is always an issue especially now a days.. and believe me, im laid off myself.. but if you do it .. shoot a few till you find the model you want , if you can t swing the cash for it now.. then hold off till you do.. .dont waste it on a "Starter Bow" ..

If I had not wasted my $$ on that starter than I would already have the bow I really wanted now...

Along with the bow, you will need Lighter Clothes, bow, arrows, release, sight, rest, quiver, case, scent concealer, (more than ever) , broadheads , and lots of practice....

like i said though.. it is a big big investment if you look at the whole picture but more time in the woods, easier weather, fun fun fun , and feeling of hitting a bull when you practice is priceless..

if ya got it , then go for it !

GOod luck

Thanks A6, i never really thought about the $ as much as i just wanted what i wanted. I was planning on a starter one. I just really need to think this through much more.

We'll, I agree with Marco. I always had the attitude "if your going to do it, do it right" but when I was buying a bow I wasn't sure if I'd like it, I was new to hunting. I had just finished my 1st hunting season. Just got my 1st deer with a gun.

I wasn't about to spend $800 on a bow and realize I don't like it. So I bought a used bow. Spent about 300 for every thing. Used it one season and sold it. Got me a Mathews DXT. I love it. I got a deer that following season.

Paula, you already hunt, you like being in the out doors. So that part is set in stone. Go buy a good bow. Mathews, Bow Tech, Hoyt they are all good bows. You going to hear lots of different opinions. Some will say "bow tech sucks", "Mathews is loud" "hoyt is nothing but a door stop". Paula they are all really good bows. It depends on what you are looking for. The way it feels to you when you fire it.

Goto a real bow shop, not Dicks or cabelas. Price around, do lots of research. In the mean time You're saving the money. Take your time, its not a race. When you finally know what you want, go buy it.

A good bow will cost around 800-900 bucks strip down. That's with out a rest, site, arrows, case, release, etc. By the time your done your looking some where around 1200 bucks.

Good luck, any questions we are here to help.

Just an addition - You can buy a VERY good Hoyt bow for around $500, and finish it up with accessories for around $700. The Hoyt Powerhawk/Turbohawk bows are their value models, and the people I know who own them love them!

wow that is alot of money! had no idea of the cost. maybe thats why i didn't get that for Christmas.I will look around. We only have dicks and gander around here.

Look for a real bow shop. Places like Dicks sell shit bows and most times they don’t know any thing. You’re are better off with a bow shop. 99% of the time its the same faces working in there for years. they get to know the you and your bow. its more of a 1 on 1 experience. there is a place in NJ that me and Rob go to. They work on your bow right in front of you. you watch him work on it, he talks to you as he’s doing it, he explains what he’s doing. you learn allot. if you can find a place like that near you. even if you have to drive 45 min to an hour, its worth it.

George, when they work on your bow, does Rob watch?

where is the shop in jersey.... I need to change my string soon.

SPORTSMEN'S CENTER Highway 130, Bordentown, NJ

http://www.sportsmenscenter.com/

No. I only watch when George works on it himself.

Sportsman's Center would be the place to get it done. Or if you're just changing your strings/cables, I can do them for you.

When I first read this, I read it as "I only watch when George works on himself" LMFAO

Paula, from what I remember, you have a rather large yard, so you probably can shoot right at the house.. You'd be surprised at how much shooting 10-20 minutes a day will improve your archery.. I shoot at home here & I only have a 75 X 150 lot.. I just make sure I line my target up with my or the neighbor's shed behind it to CMA. With today's compounds, almost anyone can be hitting a dinner plate at 20 yards within 30 minutes of picking up the bow, if it is set-up right by someone, in person with you to observe you shooting it..