Looking for Help for BowHunting after Broken Neck

Texas Bow Chick

New Member
November 30th of 2019 my boyfriend broke his C1, C2 & T6, and had to have C1 & C2 fused to C6,
He is lucky to be alive for sure. He is now 7months post surgery, and 1 month post 4 months of Physical Therapy. He has been an avid Bow hunter all is life, and the one that turned me on to Bow Hunting, and gave me a new found Love for Hunting again.
He has been practicing for a few months on a bow he turned way back, but is within about an inch of being able to move his head enough to look through his peep sight. He is now trying to teach himself how to shoot within looking through the peep, and so far has not been successful. (He Literally tries Every Single day)….Right now I feel like he is starting to feel Defeated, and my concern is he may give up trying to get more movement back. His only Real Hobby/ Passion is Bow hunting…….Is there some kind of really good Laser sight that he can use , until he can get to that point that he can move his head enough.

Any advice, besides switching to Crossbow would be appreciated…(This is Not a negative, everyone has their preferences, and ours is a Compound bow)
 

uturn

Senior Member
There are a couple of lasers that I know of, Garmin makes one and I believe Burris has one too?

As an archery hunting and all around bowfreak and addict myself I have ponders not being able to physically shoot a bow and I have also battled thru an injury to continue shooting..nothing like your man tho!

Keep rehabbing all he can is one thing I’d say to be very important, more so than I can say...I have a friend that is a physical therapist and avid archer and he uses archery and shooting a bow in his therapy with his patients. I will ask him if he has experience with anything like your man and or any thoughts to pass along! If you would like to PM me..I will let you know what I get from him privately.

One thing I will say is tell him...DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

And I will add, be patient as best he can...time is an amazing healer!!

Best of luck! He’s a lucky man in more ways than one!
 

Pig Predator

Useles Billy’s Fishel Hog Killer ?
Maybe look into a bow fishing laser? He will likely be limited on his yardage of shots unless he sets it up at mid range and shoots high and low for longer and shorter shots. Good luck to him
 

antharper

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “
Staff member
I’m no help but good luck ! And I know u said he isn’t interested in a crossbow , what about a recurve , longbow or something similar ? And it’s not as fun shooting in the backyard but I love hunting with my crossbow
 

Bubba_1122

Senior Member
November 30th of 2019 my boyfriend broke his C1, C2 & T6, and had to have C1 & C2 fused to C6,
He is lucky to be alive for sure. He is now 7months post surgery, and 1 month post 4 months of Physical Therapy. He has been an avid Bow hunter all is life, and the one that turned me on to Bow Hunting, and gave me a new found Love for Hunting again.
He has been practicing for a few months on a bow he turned way back, but is within about an inch of being able to move his head enough to look through his peep sight. He is now trying to teach himself how to shoot within looking through the peep, and so far has not been successful. (He Literally tries Every Single day)….Right now I feel like he is starting to feel Defeated, and my concern is he may give up trying to get more movement back. His only Real Hobby/ Passion is Bow hunting…….Is there some kind of really good Laser sight that he can use , until he can get to that point that he can move his head enough.

Any advice, besides switching to Crossbow would be appreciated…(This is Not a negative, everyone has their preferences, and ours is a Compound bow)

I’ve sort of been in his shoes. After Irma came through in 2017 I helped folks cut up and haul off trees (I was 62 at the time). Tore up my neck. Have never hurt like that. Actually lost much of the muscle in my left arm - tricep - bicep - muscle in forearm and pec on left side. Noticed the problem with muscle loss because I couldn’t pull back my bow. Doc’s concern was I would permanently lose the use of my left arm. Thanksgiving week 2017 I had surgery to fuse C5-C6 and C7. Long road but doing well (never got all the strength back in left arm but good enough to function).

I was able to use a 410 with TSS to kill a turkey late that spring (2018 - had to mount shotgun on a Bog Pod and couldn’t let the recoil of a 410 rest up against my shoulder). Started trying to shoot my 67# Hoyt that fall, and it was too much. I also didn’t want to shoot a crossbow (I just don’t like the feel of them). I ended up at our local bow shop, talked to the bow pro about my situation and asked if he had any thoughts on how to get back in the bow hunting business. At his suggestion I shot the guy’s wife’s bow (which was at like a 45# DW). Not a problem drawing it back. And dang it was nice to shoot a bow again.

I ended up buying another bow and had draw weight set at 54# (with huge let off - can’t remember what let off is on a Triax but it’s a lot). Have had problem seeing through the peep. No flexibility in my neck (and honestly, didn’t need to try to “stretch it out” - it’s bolted together - if it gives there’s a problem). I’m now shooting at 57#. It’s plenty to kill a deer. Peep sight was a bit of a problem, but I worked with the bow pro to adjust my shooting style. Heads a lot more upright than it was before.

* One reason I lowered my draw weight was the stress that a higher draw places on the neck. My PT folks constantly reminded me that the stongest part of my spine is the 3 vertabrae that were fused. The weakest part of my spine is the portion of my spine directly on either side of the fused vertabrae. I protect that (not really wanting to have to do this again).

All that’s a lot of chatter to say that every problem has a group of possible solutions. There might not be a perfect solution available, but there’s almost always a best available solution. With something like this situation we have to objectively evaluate them and pick the best possible and roll with it.

I’d suggest he find a good pro that not only works on bows but that understands shooting technique and that has a lot of empathy and patience. Challenge him (or her) to help find a way. I went to see Jeremy at Life Outdoors here in Valdosta. He helped my get my bow hunting back. Not sure I’m quite as accurate as pre-surgery, but I shot this afternoon for the first time in a while and I’d be very comfortable hunting with my bow right now (and will continue to hone it in between now and mid-September when bow season starts).

As uturn said, Do Not Give Up! (Where theres a will there’s a way (I hunt turkeys and ducks with a 28 gauge because of my neck. Can’t shoot anything heavier. I load my own shells - TSS is the great equalizer on both turkeys and ducks (blended TSS and steel on ducks). Not cheap but very effective. I studied recoil charts on deer rifles. Ended up trading a 30-06 for a 7mm-08 because of less recoil.

Be realistic. Be safe. Be persistent. Never give up.

Sorry for the super long answer, but dang, this situation is close to home for me.

Best wishes to ya’ll!
Bubba
 
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bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
I like what bubba said and maybe a way down tuned bow will help. A Good bow at 35# will sling an arrow plenty fast enough. A laser may be a good option if you can find one. Best of luck to you both and he is a lucky guy!
 

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator
Staff member
Some folks shoot instinctively with no sights.
 

cowhornedspike

Senior Member
I know you said no crossbow but you might ought to at least look at the mini vertical bow by Hickory Creek. Shoots arrows...not bolts, and shoots like a bow other than it has the mechanism to keep it drawn while you aim and pull the trigger. None of the strain of holding the bow drawn is there so that would probably take a lot of strain off of his neck and may allow him to bend a bit more and look through the sight. Just a thought. I switched to it a few years ago and have not regretted it at all. Loved my Helium bow but hunt with the mini now. I hate a regular crossbow an this is not like that at all.
 

GRT24

Senior Member
My father had the exact same injury and it was fused together then had a fusion done in his lumbar spine a few weeks later. He just keep his strength up and within a couple months he was fine. Been shooting a bow since. Rarely picks up a rifle. Hangs lock-ons, uses a climber quite frequently. All side effect is range of motion in his neck isn’t as good as it used to be. Tough ol bird he is. Good luck tell your husband to stay after it and eventually he will be back to his normal self.
 

BamaGeorgialine

Senior Member
I had C3 and C4 fused together 10 years ago. Just had an appointment last Thursday and I'm going to have C5 and C6 fused at some point. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I've been bow hunting and hanging stands and all the other stuff but, it's getting harder and harder. Matter of fact, I'm hunting hogs with my bow right now. I'm just going to hang in there as long as I can. I'd rather be in pain than sit in the house
 
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