How to Bow Hunt Deer, a Complete Guide for Hunters at Every Level

Field and Stream just posted this article with their guide to bow hunting!

“From top gear picks to secret tactics of the pros, here’s everything you need to know for bowhunting deer, whether you’re a beginner or have been at it for years

The first whitetail deer I ever took with a bow was an 8-point buck that lowered his head and smashed my plastic decoy, sending roto-molded ears and antlers and legs flying in all directions. Then he stood there staring at the pieces strewn on the ground while I managed to stop shaking enough to send an arrow through him. When I walked up to that buck, my knees still knocking, I thought, So, this is bowhunting for deer.

And in a sense, it is. Because while this doesn’t happen every time, of course, it is just the sort of thing you see while archery hunting but rarely do when gun hunting. As some people say, “Bowhunting begins where gun hunting ends.” In other words, if I’d had a rifle on that hunt, I would have shot the buck long before I got to watch him obliterated my decoy. In the time between first seeing a buck and waiting for it to move into bow range, you can witness some pretty wild stuff—all up close and personal.

I think that’s why people love bowhunting deer so much and why bowhunters tend to be a little obsessed with their sport. Because there’s nothing quite like being within rock-throwing range of a mature whitetail buck that has no idea you’re around. And bowhunting whitetails forces you to get that close.

If you’re reading this, you are probably either looking for advice on bowhunting for beginners or you’ve been at it a while and want some fresh advice. We’ve got you covered in each case. If you’re an experienced archer, you may want to skip to the section on top bowhunting tactics. For everyone else, let’s start with the reasons why you should start bowhunting deer or should be glad you recently did.

Bowhunting for Beginners and Beyond—Four Great Reasons to Get Started

They say converts make the best zealots, and that was the case for me with bowhunting whitetails. I hunted deer exclusively with a rifle for years, but after taking that first archery buck, I became an archery hunting nut. And why not? There are so many good reasons to get into bowhunting. Here are just four of them.

1. You’ll Spend More Time Hunting

In some states, the bow season for whitetail deer begins more than two months before the gun season and continues for weeks afterward. Depending on where you live, you can double, triple, or even quadruple your deer hunting opportunities just by taking up archery hunting.

To read the full article, click here.

Photo Credit: Original Author

---