New bow hunter here

[Highplainsdrifter]

Been lurking for awhile,thought I'd join up finally. This is my first time deer hunting. My coworkers been bow hunting for years and got me into it this year. I've been practicing since January and am comfortable shooting up to 45-50 yds. I'm lucky to have a coworker letting me hunt his place in Brooks County. I've also been researching WMAs and hunted River Creek 4 days last week. Saw 3 does but stayed out of range (80 yds). I enjoyed it and learned alot despite not getting a deer. I know I've just scratched the surface and have alot to learn still. At 49,I'm seeing if old dogs can learn new tricks. We have a great bow shop here in Valdosta that's been great getting me set up with info and gear. Was lucky enough to pick up a used Mathews Triax. Hope to get some deer soon....need deer sausage for chili this winter lol.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Been lurking for awhile,thought I'd join up finally. This is my first time deer hunting. My coworkers been bow hunting for years and got me into it this year. I've been practicing since January and am comfortable shooting up to 45-50 yds. I'm lucky to have a coworker letting me hunt his place in Brooks County. I've also been researching WMAs and hunted River Creek 4 days last week. Saw 3 does but stayed out of range (80 yds). I enjoyed it and learned alot despite not getting a deer. I know I've just scratched the surface and have alot to learn still. At 49,I'm seeing if old dogs can learn new tricks. We have a great bow shop here in Valdosta that's been great getting me set up with info and gear. Was lucky enough to pick up a used Mathews Triax. Hope to get some deer soon....need deer sausage for chili this winter lol.

Welcome! But please don't shot at a deer at over 30ish yards. At least that's what I tell all the people I've mentored at first. Too much can go wrong with a live animal.
In bow hunting, seeing deer is a great way to define success as a new hunter! Well done

 

[Jim Thompson]

Been lurking for awhile,thought I'd join up finally. This is my first time deer hunting. My coworkers been bow hunting for years and got me into it this year. I've been practicing since January and am comfortable shooting up to 45-50 yds. I'm lucky to have a coworker letting me hunt his place in Brooks County. I've also been researching WMAs and hunted River Creek 4 days last week. Saw 3 does but stayed out of range (80 yds). I enjoyed it and learned alot despite not getting a deer. I know I've just scratched the surface and have alot to learn still. At 49,I'm seeing if old dogs can learn new tricks. We have a great bow shop here in Valdosta that's been great getting me set up with info and gear. Was lucky enough to pick up a used Mathews Triax. Hope to get some deer soon....need deer sausage for chili this winter lol.

Welcome to a brand new addiction. One that's good for you!

Shooting 45+ yards in practice makes the up close and personal shots much more likely to be of quality. Like DDD said, in the woods concentrate on less than 30 yard setups and less than 30 yard shots. Nothing at all wrong with watching deer just out of range. Watching and learning will be more useful in the future than slinging arrows. Dont worry about the mistakes you will inevitably make when a deer is inside bow range. They will tend to get a fella turned inside out.

Also dont worry about size of the deer. Shoot whatever is legal and whatever fits the parameters of the property you are hunting. After you get a few deer and handle the massive amount of adrenaline that comes with releasing the arrow, you will start deciding what if anything in range you want to let walk.

Make sure you have someone on hand that can help you learn to track blood. Some deer will go down within sight and some will travel. Some will leave buckets of blood and some almost none. A double lung shot will always result in a fairly quick death, but sometimes they run 100 or so yards in that 10 seconds. Anything less than double lung will sometimes (will depend on the shot location and what's hit) result in dead deer, but they can and will travel. When you release the arrow, try and be as calm as possible and watch what the deer does and mentally mark where you last saw the deer. Even if you see the deer fall over dead, still try and give it 30 minutes or so. If you dont see the deer fall, I would wait longer weather permitting especially if you havent learned the art of tracking blood. If you have someone on call to help, wait on them and relay everything you can about where (you think) the shot was and what the deer did and went etc. Wouldnt hurt to have a dog tracker or 2 on call.

All that being said, if you get deer close that's broadside take a breath, draw when it's head is away, settle in a couple inches behind the shoulder, breathe normally and squeeeeeeeze one off and follow that arrow all the way through.. Then settle back and shake like a leaf.

Aint nothing like releasing an arrow!!!!

 

[Thunder Head]

Welcome to the fire!

Do yourself a favor and heed the advise above. You will save yourself some heartache.

Can you kill a deer at that 50 yards. Of course. "IF" everything lines up perfect. At 50 yards a deer can easily take 2 steps before the arrow gets there. That will turn a marginal shot into a plain ole gut shot.

Everyones a little different.
Develop a pre shot routine. It will help you when your all blown up.
I say to myself:
Pick a spot
Follow thru

Ive taken somewhere north of 75 animals with a bow. I bet 95% of them were at less than 20 yards.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Ive taken somewhere north of 75 animals with a bow. I bet 95% of them were at less than 20 yards.

Same. I have zero issues with someone killing further than that. The bow will do it's part if I do mine, but way too much can happen in the woods for me to be comfy.

I've always likened to shooting at my bag target and being very good at it. Then one day the target decides it will randomly move a foot either direction during my shot. How accurate would I be? At 20 yards I would be much more accurate than at 40 yards

 

[Whitefeather]

Been lurking for awhile,thought I'd join up finally. This is my first time deer hunting. My coworkers been bow hunting for years and got me into it this year. I've been practicing since January and am comfortable shooting up to 45-50 yds. I'm lucky to have a coworker letting me hunt his place in Brooks County. I've also been researching WMAs and hunted River Creek 4 days last week. Saw 3 does but stayed out of range (80 yds). I enjoyed it and learned alot despite not getting a deer. I know I've just scratched the surface and have alot to learn still. At 49,I'm seeing if old dogs can learn new tricks. We have a great bow shop here in Valdosta that's been great getting me set up with info and gear. Was lucky enough to pick up a used Mathews Triax. Hope to get some deer soon....need deer sausage for chili this winter lol.

Welcome aboard lots of good info above. My advice is this...

1. Hunt the wind first. This is the most important factor in bowhunting. Nobody is 100% scent free. I've killed my fair share, with the vast majority being inside 20 yards.

2. When you do stick one... if you don't see it go down or hear it crash after the shot, do not rush recovery. If it's dead it isn't going anywhere. If I don't see it or hear it go down I wait a minimum of 1 hour before even getting down. Even in the dark. Take a good mental picture of where it was when you shot it, and the last place you saw it. It sounds pretty basic but that is the most important thing to do after the shot for a successful recovery.

3. Enjoy the show. There is nothing to compare to letting an arrow go, seeing it bury behind the shoulder blade and hearing that THWACK. If someone could bottle it, they'd be millionaires.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Welcome aboard lots of good info above. My advice is this...

1. Hunt the wind first. This is the most important factor in bowhunting. Nobody is 100% scent free. I've killed my fair share, with the vast majority being inside 20 yards.

2. When you do stick one... if you don't see it go down or hear it crash after the shot, do not rush recovery. If it's dead it isn't going anywhere. If I don't see it or hear it go down I wait a minimum of 1 hour before even getting down. Even in the dark. Take a good mental picture of where it was when you shot it, and the last place you saw it. It sounds pretty basic but that is the most important thing to do after the shot for a successful recovery.

3. Enjoy the show. There is nothing to compare to letting an arrow go, seeing it bury behind the shoulder blade and hearing that THWACK. If someone could bottle it, they'd be millionaires.

Man I think number two gets most people. It’s amazing how many people just black out once they pull the trigger.
Where was the deer? I’m not sure…
Where did you hit him? I’m not sure…
Which way did he go? I’m not sure…

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Discipline yourself to wait for the shot. Newcomers ( and some experienced hunters) will rush the shot. If you have the patience to wait just that second or 2 longer.....you wont have to do near as much tracking. Like stated above, you will hear alot of them crash if you hit them right. Always make a mental note of where the deer ran past a tree, bush, creek or whatever gives you a good location to pick up the blood. Always stay with the blood when your tracking, grand daddy long legs will show you the blood at night. They hit it like a vampire does. A main thing to do is keep practicing a couple evenings a week, some guys quit when season comes in and their shooting suffers.

 

[Whitefeather]

Man I think number two gets most people. It’s amazing how many people just black out once they pull the trigger.
Where was the deer? I’m not sure…
Where did you hit him? I’m not sure…
Which way did he go? I’m not sure…

I’m not sure has caused a lot of deer to be lost. Got to keep your cool and keep your wits. It’s hard sometimes

 

[Highplainsdrifter]

Appreciate all the tips. Luckily I work with bow hunters with many years of experience between them...one guy with over 25 years and a couple with over 10 years each. I definitely enjoy hearing advice and ideas on how to improve.

 

[mwood1985]

In my experience a deer past 40 yards can duck a arrow from hearing the sound. Keep it inside and you'll stack the freezer

 

[dang]

Welcome aboard lots of good info above. My advice is this...

1. Hunt the wind first. This is the most important factor in bowhunting. Nobody is 100% scent free. I've killed my fair share, with the vast majority being inside 20 yards.

2. When you do stick one... if you don't see it go down or hear it crash after the shot, do not rush recovery. If it's dead it isn't going anywhere. If I don't see it or hear it go down I wait a minimum of 1 hour before even getting down. Even in the dark. Take a good mental picture of where it was when you shot it, and the last place you saw it. It sounds pretty basic but that is the most important thing to do after the shot for a successful recovery.

3. Enjoy the show. There is nothing to compare to letting an arrow go, seeing it bury behind the shoulder blade and hearing that THWACK. If someone could bottle it, they'd be millionaires.

Good advice. To take it a step further…first thing I do after I shoot is pull out my phone, snap a pic with my finger in the picture of where the deer was standing when i shot. Everything changes when you get down, especially in thick cover. Helps to have something to go back and reference when you’re on the ground.
Example from this past weekend

 

[Whitefeather]

Good advice. To take it a step further…first thing I do after I shoot is pull out my phone, snap a pic with my finger in the picture of where the deer was standing when i shot. Everything changes when you get down, especially in thick cover. Helps to have something to go back and reference when you’re on the ground.
Example from this past weekend
View attachment 1107244

Good tip

 

[alwayslookin]

Slipped one in there eh Dang. Nice.

It's a good idea to range a bunch of areas around your stand when you first get in it to get a feel for yardages.

Sounds like you've got some good mentors, highplains...good luck!