Lighted Arrow Nocks

15316 Views 43 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Plainsman, Sep 29, 2008

joshua.jeffreys

Discussion Starter · Sep 23, 2008

I wanted to see what your thoughts were on using lighted arrow nocks in North Dakota. I know they are not legal for hunting in this state and i wonder why. They do not give you any advantage over the game you are hunting. Instead they would only help by allowing you to follow your arrow and see where you hit the animal which would help on the retrieval process. Let me know your thoughts on this issue.

If enough people agree with me i am going to bring it up to the Game and Fish. Thanks...

1 - 20 of 44 Posts

frosty2169

· #2 · Sep 23, 2008

I think they should be legal for the same reasons that you stated. Doesn't help in getting a deer, just helps you see better where you hit the deer and also to find your arrow after you shoot.

I shot a doe on Friday evening, took me about 20 mins to find my arrow in the dark with my flashlight, illuminocks would eliminate this imo.

Frosty

thurdypointer

· #3 · Sep 23, 2008

i'd say not to worry about it and use them anyways. If anything it makes you a more ethical hunter. Plus i dont know of to many Game Wardens that would actually give a damn about you using them.

joshua.jeffreys

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 24, 2008

The Game Warden probably wouldn't care but it doesn't make it right. I believe in doing things by the book but sometime some of the pages need to be re-written

Plainsman

· #5 · Sep 24, 2008

I agree, there is no advantage is hunting the deer, only perhaps in recovery of the deer. If you can see the hit better you can make a better decision on how long to wait before following up. There is absolutely no reason they should not be legal. Nothing negative, only positive.

USSapper

· #6 · Sep 24, 2008

Doesnt give the animal any more or less of a chance to escape, once the shots been fired, theres nothing that nock will do to help other than in recovery.

Turner

· #7 · Sep 24, 2008

Some might say that it will encourage more shots before or after legal shooting times since the arrow can be seen better. Once you approve lighted nocks then what's next, lighted sight pins? And use the arguement, since my eye sight isn't what it used to be it helps me make a more ethical shot placement, I still have to hold my bow steady...
If you are honestly saying you need them to see where you hit the animal why wouldn't bright florescent orange fletching or vanes work for you?

just some of the conversations I have had with other bow hunters.

USSapper

· #8 · Sep 24, 2008

Turner said:
Some might say that it will encourage more shots before or after legal shooting times since the arrow can be seen better. Once you approve lighted nocks then what's next, lighted sight pins? And use the arguement, since my eye sight isn't what it used to be it helps me make a more ethical shot placement, I still have to hold my bow steady...
If you are honestly saying you need them to see where you hit the animal why wouldn't bright florescent orange fletching or vanes work for you?

just some of the conversations I have had with other bow hunters.

That doesnt fly with me. You say whats next? Nothing.......You put your foot down. Lighted sights would encourage shooting before or after legal light as it lights up your pins to see in non-lighted situations. Lighted arrow nocks do no such thing to inhibit shooting during illegal times, just help you watch your arrow flight and retrieve your game. I use orange fletching and dont always see where the shot landed.

joshua.jeffreys

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 24, 2008

With todays bow and the speed they produce it is very hard to see were your arrow hits the animal at close range.

Turner

· #10 · Sep 25, 2008

You say that lighted nocks is all the further this will go. How about the next guy who argues he needs lighted sight pins because he hunts early season and the light conditions in his thick wooded area are poor and he can not see his pins well enough, or the guy who says he needs a magnified scope for his bow to make an ethical killing shot on game. I like technology as much as the next guy, I just think every time we add this or that to archery to help improve or aid in the taking/retrieving of game it makes most hunters lazy and they want to take the hunt out of hunting.

Csquared

· #11 · Sep 25, 2008

Are lighted sights illegal in ND? They're legal here in IL so I thought I would try to encourage you not to worry. I don't use a battery powered sight, but mine has glow-in-the-dark tape under the fiber optic wraps and it is just as bright as if it had a battery. You can see my pins in total darkness....from several yards away if I lay the bow down. My point is it has no affect on how late I can shoot. I still need to see the deer. Actually, the light from a pin that's TOO bright makes it even harder to focus on the deer, so I wouldn't worry about lights of any sort.

When I can't see twigs between me and the deer, it's time to quit...no matter what time it is or how well I can see my pin.

I can't believe you guys can hunt over a bucket of apples but not with a lighted sight

siouxhockey

· #12 · Sep 25, 2008

I think they should be legal. The only advantage gained is related to arrow recovery and KNOWING where your arrow went in. The deer aren't more vulnerable if someone has a light bulb on the end of their arrow. I shoot carbon arrows with Magnus Snuffer broadheads. Those suckers are not cheap; I'd love to be able put a lighted nok to help find my arrow after I took a shot. An arrow tells hunters a lot about their shot. Why not let them use lit noks to help find their arrow and decide how to go about tracking their animal.

One thing I thought of doing last weekend to stay legal but light up the end of my arrow was to drill a small hole in a clear nok and try and work out some was to insert a glowstick that we use when we shore fish the river early in the year. The law states you can't attach anything electronic to your arrow; the sticks aren't electronic, just some chemical reaction that produces light. I haven't messed with it but if anything worthwhile develops I'll post it if others are interested.

Also, I think it would be tough to argue in favor of lighted sights if lighted noks were legal. Using lit sights gives you an advantage and therefore puts game at a disadvantage. If your eyesight is too poor to see in the woods when it's getting dark, maybe you shouldn't be driving home from the woods late at night either.

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barebackjack

· #13 · Sep 25, 2008

If you can remember where the animal was standing when you shot and where you were standing when you shot, finding the arrow should'nt be that hard especially when shooting from a tree.

Orange is probably the worst color to pick up in low light besides the dark colors, it starts turning brown in low light. I like SOLID white or chartreuse yellow/green (none of that zebra stripe crap). Shows up the best in low light conditions, even in winter. And a 6-9 inch white dip or wrap improves visibility even more (dips are better as they don't add as much weight to the tail).

The problem with illumenoks, is they wreck your FOC. And most guys cant afford to do this as most are already shooting arrows underspined for their setup (hence why they need to shoot mechanicals to get decent broadhead flight).

And I do somewhat agree with Turner, first its lighted nocks, than lighted sights or lasers, etc etc etc. Heck, they've done it to muzzleloading, first inlines, now they want powered scopes. Someone mentioned "you put your foot down",.........but where? I don't think they help other than in seeing a hit, but I do spose theres a few guys out there that would think "well since I can see my arrow so well, maybe ill take a crack at him even though its 20 minutes past shooting light".

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Plainsman

· #14 · Sep 25, 2008

I use lighted nocks in my backyard and practice after dark. I do it so I can see any fishtailing of my arrows. I do it only for checking my bow to see if it is tuned perfect.

For hunting I would like to use them so I didn't have to walk around with a bow quiver full of bright arrows like I am trying to flag a deer down. I have been shooting only longbow this fall. I am using one barred feather and two white and I tell you it bugs the heck out of me with those bright feathers.

Speaking of longbows even though I am shooting one I am nearly ashamed to admit it. At an archery shoot I went to I was walking along with my longbow and another fellow started in on the compound shooters. Can't traditionalists keep their mouth shut? With my longbow in my hand I wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear the way this guy was talking to fellow archers. I think that's the hang up with lighted nocks. It just isn't like Robin Hood would do it.

That reminds me of a story I have to tell you. I was hunting elk in Colorado and I run into this guy with a longbow. He was wearing green leotards, green fluffy shirt with big sleeves, a goofy hat with a long feather in it, and boots that came out pointed and turned up on the end. I am not kidding, this guy needed a white jacket with long sleeves that tied in the back.

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Trapper99

· #15 · Sep 25, 2008

Turner said:
Some might say that it will encourage more shots before or after legal shooting times since the arrow can be seen better. Once you approve lighted nocks then what's next, lighted sight pins?

Actually, I don't know if this counts or not, but my tru glo sights have an LED on the side that you just twist and the whole sight lights up. All the pins and everything. But, i was going to take it off becuase I don't shoot before or after hours and i'm always afriad it will break off and screw up my sights.

Turner

· #16 · Sep 25, 2008

http://www.3riversarchery.com/Product.a ... 9108X#full

Here is an alternative for you if you can't see your arrows. Read the reviews written on this product.

Plainsman

· #17 · Sep 25, 2008

I still have three four pieces of that from the late 1960's. I'll bet the adisive on the back is shot. It looks like your throwing a ball at something when you shoot. I didn't like it as it kicked the back of my arrow off left I thought. It also wears on a calf hair rest. They may like the product, but I didn't.
I think I had three orders to Three Rivers in August. They had free shipping in August. They have some good products. I was surprised to see some of the stuff I shot 40 years ago.

barebackjack

· #18 · Sep 25, 2008

Trapper99 said:
Turner said:

Some might say that it will encourage more shots before or after legal shooting times since the arrow can be seen better. Once you approve lighted nocks then what's next, lighted sight pins?

Click to expand...

Actually, I don't know if this counts or not, but my tru glo sights have an LED on the side that you just twist and the whole sight lights up. All the pins and everything. But, i was going to take it off becuase I don't shoot before or after hours and i'm always afriad it will break off and screw up my sights.

And thats what were getting at as far as "whats next" as these are currently illegal in our state for big game (and should stay that way). I use one for night hunting hogs in texas though, its too bright, obscures the target, works ok if you use only one pin though.

And I wouldnt be to worried about your white feathers Plainsman, I shoot white or dayglo chartreuse green and yellow and not once have I thought my fletching gave me away to a deer, now turkeys are another story. If you think about it, white in the woods isnt that unnatural, sunspots, animal parts, lots of "white spots" out there in the woods.

USSapper

· #19 · Sep 25, 2008

If you can remember where the animal was standing when you shot and where you were standing when you shot, finding the arrow should'nt be that hard especially when shooting from a tree.

Ive had complete pass throughs that have skidded 10 yards past the point where it hit the animal then got caught up under some layed over grass. Had I been using the illuminoc, I wouldnt have spent an extra 35 minutes looking for my darn arrow

Plainsman

· #20 · Sep 25, 2008

I have a half dozen in my yard that I have not been able to find for a couple of years. It drives me up a tree knowing there is a perfectly good arrow laying out there in the grass somewhere. Last week was good, it only took me three days to find an arrow I lost in my yard.

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