A couple basic gear questions....

[FLOYD]

After spending about 20 years of having waterfowl be a passion for me, I think the time is coming for me to change directions a bit. Upon seeing numerous NR license plates on every midweek scouting trip since early October, it is just not that fun anymore. I find myself really wanting to give bowhunting a try. While scouting for waterfowl I find myself annoyed by other people more than enjoying the drive most evenings, so it must be time for a change.

Obviously there are way too many things to try and find out at once but I guess a starting point would be whats the best way to choose a good bow? For reference I am 6'5" with about normal arm length, maybe a touch long....is this going to be a problem with fitting most bows? I suppose brand/model recommendations are about like rifle opinions?

Also if there are any portable treestands that are a cut above for stability and safety I would appreciate the info.

Feel free to add anything else that would be helpful, but I certainly don't expect it...and if you would rather PM that is fine.

Thanks

[ImpalaSSpeed96]

You will probably have some issues finding a bow to fit you. Most likely going to have to be special order stuff.

Lone wolf makes some quality stands. My personal favorite is the new stand from millennium. It hangs on a bracket and you can buy numerous brackets. Oh, and its the most comfortable out there.

[barebackjack]

As for bows, go to a shop, shoot lots of bows. Get advice from friends that shoot, and from shop staff.

As for stands. Most stands promoted as highly portable give up some in the stability department. Id rather have stability over portability. I like the big game brand, older gorillas, older API, loggy bayou, and rivers edge. I DO NOT like lone wolf hang ons. HIGHLY over priced for starters, not very comfortable, and not very stable. They are portable though.
Stay away from anything riveted too, if it aint welded, it will squeak.

[omegax]

I'm 6'4" with extra long monkey arms. My draw is 31.5". There were only a few bows that worked for me. I really like the Mathews Drenalin LD I shoot. I was just starting out this year, so by no means am I a zealot for any brand. I also liked the Hoyt Alphamax 35. I shot the Bowtech 82nd Airborne. It was OK, but it wasn't as smooth to draw.

Go to someplace that sells a lot of different brands. Each individual brand isn't going to have a lot of options for you, but as long as you're not picky about brand, you should have some choices. You ought to be able to buy something off the rack, but you're not going to have a ton of options.

[Colt]

This is hillarious. You are giving up duck hunting because of the NR issue. That cracks me up.

As far as a bow, you might want to avoid short axel to axel bows and look for 34" or better yet 36".

Arrows might be real tricky for you though. It's gonna depend on what your true draw length is.

I'm an avid longbow guy myself and I'll say this much. If you have a hard time finding a bow with training wheels that fits you, don't be afraid of trying a longbow or recurve. If you have good hand to eye coordination, you may find it easier than most. Don't let anyone kid you, in the hands of someone who knows how to use them, stick bows are deadly.

As far as NR are concerned, if you become an avid bowhunter, you are eventually gonna want to go on an out-of-state trip. Probably for elk. That would make you a NR. THINK ABOUT THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT NRs!

[buckmaster]

I'm 6'5 and shoot a 29.5 in draw. One way to find out what your draw length is would be to stand with your back against a wall put your arms out parallell with the floor have someone mark where the ends of your fingers are on the wall then measure it. the standard measurement is if your wingspan is 73" that equates to a 29"draw length. For every 1 inch of wingspan above you add 1/2 inch of draw length. The same applies going the other direction but subtract 1/2 in for every in. I would recommend an axle to axle length of your bow to be above 30 inches. It's not that you cant shoot it but your string angle gets really steep (for tall people) and can cause some issues. I shoot a 31" axle bow presently, but probably looking for something longer. The longer the axle length typically the better you will shoot it. target archers shoot bows with up to 40" axle length. The problem you run into with long axle bows is they are normally heavier and are not as handy when you are hunting with foilage or in a ground blind. So there are a couple of trade offs. For inexperienced shooters look for something with a 7" brace height. They typically are not the fastest bows out there but they are more foregiving to form flaws, also you will have less issues with the string contacting your coat or arm on release of the arrow. There are a lot of great shooting bows out there and to decide what one is the one is personal preference, so go shoot a lot of them side by side then make your decision on which one to purchase. Some bows have adjustable draw lengths some are draw length specific. The biggest thing I would make sure of is to not shoot a bow with a draw length that is too long. You will shoot better with your bowarm slightly bent at full draw. My personal opinion is that the average bowhunter is shooting a draw length that is too long. Bow's don't hold their value very well so if you can find something you like it is possible to look to online classifieds to find used bows discounted. Hope this helps

[FLOYD]

This is hillarious. You are giving up duck hunting because of the NR issue. That cracks me up.


As far as NR are concerned, if you become an avid bowhunter, you are eventually gonna want to go on an out-of-state trip. Probably for elk. That would make you a NR. THINK ABOUT THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT NRs!

Colt,

I never said I was giving it up, just might not be as into waterfowl in the future. But thanks for your input.

If I go out of state, do I stand a good chance of seeing a couple of other hunters stalking every cow elk I see? LOL. You have a nice day now.

Thanks to the rest of you for your input.

[Colt]

FLOYD,

I'm sorry your duck season was a bust, but it wasn't my fault. As we discussed in another thread, I rarely see any other duck hunters where I hunt. That means I probably didn't see you, and if I didn't see you, I didn't screw up any of your hunting.

IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOUR SEASON HAS SUCKED.

Now I have tried to help you. So let me try this one more time, PM and I will tell you where I hunt ducks.

Best of luck with your bowhunting adventures.

[FLOYD]

Its obvious your reading comprehension scores were never the greatest. Now would you please excuse yourself from this thread? I don't appreciate your attempt to hijack this thread. Bye now.

[FLOYD]

I checked out my wingspan, and its between 78.5 and 79 inches. So basically I take that to mean I'm probably looking at a 31.5 or 32 inch draw length.......thanks for the info.

[szm69]

There are alot of great bows out there in all price ranges. I have a shop in SE ND, if you are interested I would be happy to show you the differences between bows and help you figure out your draw length.

[FLOYD]

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind if I am ever in your neck of the woods.

[barebackjack]

I checked out my wingspan, and its between 78.5 and 79 inches. So basically I take that to mean I'm probably looking at a 31.5 or 32 inch draw length.......thanks for the info.

Depends on your shooting style.

For that wingspan, 31" should be about right. Your gonna need a REAL stiff arrow.

The old "wingspan" method of determining draw length is more suited to stick bows.

[ImpalaSSpeed96]

My wingspan is only 74 inches and I shoot 31 somewhat uncomfortably... I'm only 5'10, but I got some long arms i guess. Def go and draw some 31 inch bows and see how they feel. I think they'll be to short for you.