advice hunting with 35# for whitetail

[LBR]

Several elephants and brown bears have been killed (cleanly) with traditional gear, some with bows as low as 75# (I think that's what Fred Bear used?), without extreme FOC, without a "super" bow, without high performance strings, etc.  For the sake of the argument, say the average draw weight for elephants with a traditional bow is 90#.

Pretty sure than an elephant would require at least 3 times the penetration of a whitetail.  Super thick and tough hide, tougher and thicker muscle and bone to penetrate before getting to the lungs.  Once you get past a certain point (I think around 60-65#, depending on the bow) you get to a point of diminishing return...i.e., going from 60# to 90# won't up your performance nearly as much as going from 30# to 60#.  Then take away the high performance string (most were shooting ropes for strings).  Take away the super high FOC.  Take away the "modern" recurve design (some were killed with longbows).  Do the math, it's not the least bit far-fetched to understand how a whitetail can be killed quickly and cleanly with a 30# pull.  Off the top of my head, if a whitetail required 45#, I'd say it would take a minimum 150# to 200# draw weight to kill an elephant.  'Course we know that's not the case.

I was talking with Dr. Ashby on the phone a few years ago, and the topic of water buffalo came up.  He was certain that my [email protected] longbow would do the job just fine.  You can dang-near throw an arrow through a whitetail, as long as you hit the right spot.  Hit the wrong spot, it won't matter if you are pulling 100#.  Draw weight doesn't compensate for poor arrow placement (I know...there are exceptions, I'm talking about the rule).

Also just remembered a local young lady (who I think is also a distant relation).  A season or two ago she killed a nice whitetail with her NASP bow (Genesis).  Looks like a compound, designed to shoot like a 35# recurve (when turned all the way up).  Not sure if her bow was maxed out or not, I know she has a shorter draw length, but she killed the deer quickly and cleanly.  

There are plenty of examples of deer being killed ethically and legally with lighter draw weights.  There are also plenty of examples of misses and wounds with heavy bows by people who didn't put the arrow in the right place.  No doubt this was, at least in some cases, because they were over-bowed.  What's comfortable in the back yard after warming up can be a devil getting the string back on when you have been sitting still for a while, in the cold (or not), then all of a sudden your heart is in your throat.  Been there, done that.

Just my perspective.  Lightest draw weight I have personally hunted with in the last several years is 52# at my draw, but if I were to have to drop down to 30#, it wouldn't keep me from hunting because I know if I do my part, 30# will get the job done.

Chad

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by LBR:
... Lightest draw weight I have personally hunted with in the last several years is 52# at my draw, but if I were to have to drop down to 30#, it wouldn't keep me from hunting because I know if I do my part, 30# will get the job done.

Chad

the key element is that you, the trad bowhunter with an uber light holding weight bow, are well experienced with trad bows and have the afield knowledge when to hold and release, and when to fold up on a shot that's an iffy.

Howard Hill, when seeing someone try to pull a bow that was way to stiff for them would say, "I could cut washers off your butt."  I am trying to thin the herd with my right hand bows, I am not trying to get money for them, so I need to be careful to prevent a feeding frenzy.  Around here a vegetarian would stand in line for an hour waiting for a free hotdog. Anyway, a compound shooter came over and wanted to sell me his barely used 70 pound Bear takedown. He said that recurves were not accurate enough, so he was going back to his compound.  We went out back to check it out.  He said, "I shoot just like Fred Bear did and it doesn't work for me."  Talk about being able cut washers off of a butt, maybe 23", I couldn't tell if he was trying fill his pants or jump down a gopher hole.  Boognish, your on the right track, keep at it.  Those Alabama deer come in a little smaller than our deer do.  I shot an arrow through a 160 pound doe at 18 yards with an uphill shot out of 37@26 Hill longbow.  I tore a muscle weight lifting.  Trying to keep in shape for my extra heavy longbows. You are 40 years old now, be patient with yourself and work on your basics, it will all come together in time.

[RedShaft]

I would keep it to 15yards.
Obviously 2blade head and I would go with a arrow weight that is midrange. I would not go crazy heavy. Stay away from big slow flying feathers. Arrows tunned to perfection.
I would also hunt from a stand to have a better chance at a low exit wound in the chest. Set up for close shots.

Also do some searches on here and do your best to have the sharpest possible head you can achieve.

[LBR]

...are well experienced with trad bows and have the afield knowledge when to hold and release, and when to fold up on a shot that's an iffy.  

Totally agree Rob, but I'd say that should be the case whether you are pulling 30# or 100#.  The devil with experience is there's only one way to get it.

Experience, the value of a good flying cheaper built basic wood arrow with a blunt  comes natural with one of the best experience builders there is, rabbit hunting with a bow.  Certainly one can shoot aluminums and carbons at a target, but that target is never alive.  If one does not have the ability to make up some cheaper good shooting wood arrows, a wrist rocket with a pocket full of steel slingshot ammo works as well.  It is a little tough on the brain shooting a $10 arrow that may get lost in the process.  Small game hunting use to be a major thing for bowhunters.  For someone new to hunting without a gun, anything that will build some hands on close range experience is a plus.

[LBR]

Rabbit hunting definitely helps, as does shooting 3D, but they aren't the same as deer.  I'd killed a literal truck load of rabbits before I got my first shot at a deer.  Thought my heart was going to give out!

I would suggest cheap broadheads vs. blunts for rabbits.  In my neck of the woods they don't die easy.  We've had to track them down even when shot with broadheads and several feet of gut dragging behind.  Also gets you more used to shooting broadheads.

In this town free broadheads for small game were everywhere.  The Hi-Precision plant was here.  They made the the worst three blade broadheads ever made.  You could bite them and put teeth marks in the metal.  Perhaps it depends on the poundage involved, but i have not lost a blunt hit rabbit in years.  I must admit that I would rather go rabbit hunting than anything, I shoot quite a few of them every year. I took a guy out deer hunting that had never hunted anything  before in his life. He practiced hard and was a good enough shot, but when the first deer came close, I heard him mumbling nonsnce and also some other odd sound.  When I went to check on him, he was hugging the tree and his bow was on the ground. he said that he started to pass out, he kept yelling at the deer to go away but it just stood there staring at him.  i believe that he was passing out, because all I heard was,"mooumfjfiokfvjosfjm".

[LBR]

Not the poundage--I used to shoot them with an 82# longbow.  Heard of several folks that had great success with blunts and judo's, but not around here (not just me).  Different breed of rabbit?  Only head shots and double lung shots were killers. Had multiple rabbits run off with arrows that went through them with large rubber blunts.  Just don't have much "quit" in them.  Your friend sounds like me the first time I had a shot.  I didn't pass out, got two shots (two clean misses), but wasn't sure my heart wasn't going to quit.

[skychief]

   Hey pavan, I think the guy you took deer hunting, moved to Indiana and we became great friends.

He still falls apart when a deer approaches, and still mumbles that word.  I won't attempt to spell it like you did, but, that's definitely what he mumbles!

Best regards, Skychief