First hunt with a hill

[Hoosierarcher88]

Well yesterday evening I set out on our opener of deer season with my Shelton. This was my inaugural trip taking a hill style longbow which had its ups and downs. I headed out to an area I hunt regularly on public land that has proven to have great success every year. The paint the picture for you guys, to my south is a crp field that is overgrown with cottonwood saplings so dense light barely gets through which makes it the mother of all bedding areas. To the north is a bean field and where I hunt is a 10 yard deep strip of trees that separates the 2 fields. Now this treeline is made up of massive oak trees too big to use my climber and a couple maple trees that split multiple ways about 15 feet up that I usually climb up in and sit in the crook of the branches. I've hunted in the past out of the maples with my shorter recurves and r/d longbows. After climbing into 3 of the trees I found I would not be able to make a shot into the tight shooting lanes with the longer bow, I even tried more cant to the bow but that just created other limb clearance problems amongst the branches. So scratch that area off the list as ground hunting just isn't a great idea with the lack of underbrush.

So onto the next area I went, where I shot at a doe last year with my recurve I had but biffed the shot. I got out to my spot and found my little natural blind which offered about the only available shooting spot upon the trail/Creek crossing. No this spot is a piece of limerock situated right in between 2 cedar trees. This is when I found issue number 2 for the day. Where I sit the ground in front of me raises up so I can't hold the bow vertical without the bottom limb tip hitting something and once again when casting the bow to clear the ground then my limbs are within an inch at best of the 2 cedar trunks.

I've come to the conclusion I am definitely going to have to reevaluate my hunting locations and all my spots are really more suited to shorter bows.

[Red Beastmaster]

Adapt and overcome.

Hunting with a true longbow requires a little more attention to limb clearance. On the ground, seat height eliminates most issues.

[two4hooking]

You need to practice shooting from odd positions.  This is actually where the Hill style bow excels.  Learn to cant the bow over almost horizontal.  Schulz talk about this in Hittin'em Like HH. 



http://traditionalknowhow.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-best-hunting-stool.html   

[Hoosierarcher88]

I'm heading out the door now for round 2. I'm breaking out the stand this time and will see how that does

[jsweka]

You will eventually get accustomed to the longer length and won't even need to think "will my limb hit something?"
Sure there are fewer places you can hang a stand, but that was also the case if you switched from a compound to a recurve.  It's something you get use to and eventually don't even think about.

[WESTBROOK]

You need to practice shooting from odd positions.  This is actually where the Hill style bow excels.  Learn to cant the bow over almost horizontal.  Schulz talk about this in Hittin'em Like HH. 



http://traditionalknowhow.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-best-hunting-stool.html

Greg is right, these bows are very tolerant of awkward shooting positions. You just need to practice them an learn to keep your upper body form correct, but you will be surprised at how easy it really is once you get the feel.

[Hoosierarcher88]

Second trip went much better last night. I took my climber out and was very surprised that I can easily shoot from it even with the railing. Still doesn't help the few spots where it's really tight quarters or I can't use my climber but it does open up hunting location opportunities. I may look into adding something short and compact in the 50-54" range for those few locations next season like a helms deep or a maddog machete but the hill did prove easier to shoot from my climber than my 64" recurve I used last season