Leaving an Osage bow strung

[northland archer]

How long do all of you guys leave your un-backed osage bows strung during a hunting outing?  I know it does depend on the bow but how long is too long?

[Roy from Pa]

I normally hunt 3 hours in the morning, then same in the evening. UN-string it in between. But an 8 hour day of hunting strung up would not worry me. Lots of times after hunting and I un string the bow, it looks a tad flatter than normal. But after a half hour or so it's right back to normal reflex.

[DVSHUNTER]

If I can't leave it strung up all day I doubt I'd hunt with it. Most times though I hunt four to five hours tops, and then unstring like Roy does.

[red hill]

Yep, like Dave and Roy says. I'll leave my bow strung while hunting. Usually string it as I start to walk in to my stand, if it's a morning hunt I leave it strung until I return to my vehicle. On evening hunts I unstring as soon as it's too dark to shoot.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I leave mine strung as long as I need them to be. Whatever that time frame is. I treat it like a glass bow. I never left them strung overnite and I dont my self bows either.

[northland archer]

Thanks for the input.  This is my first year hunting with one of my self las and I wanted to do it right.  Happy hunting all

[George Tsoukalas]

I leave it string while hunting which is 3 hrs for me these days. Jawge

[J. Holden]

I'm glad you asked this question as I'll be hunting this year with my osage bow.  Never thought about how long to leave it strung.

-Jeremy  

[Roy from Pa]

I wonder if this is why the Injuns left their bows UN-strung till they seen a Buffalo?

[George Tsoukalas]

If I di that, Roy, I'd never string it.    Jawge

[Living_waters]

From everything I have read and experienced the longer you leave a wood bow strung the more the fibers conform to the stress of being strung (string follow). For the most part this will go away as the bow is unstrung and relaxed, but my concern is performance after being strung for long periods. The more string follow the less stored energy to transmit into the arrow. For this reason 2 or 3 hrs tops and then I unstring it and let it rest for a while.
Not a scientific study but a couple of years ago I made a bad hit on a running deer with a rock point. Was hunting all day and had just restrung my bow after a 30min rest. Arrow pierced the upper front femar and just exited the scapula on the other side. This shot was about 15 yrds. Last year I had hunted about 4 hrs with same bow and another rock point, as I was getting down out of the stand a big doe walked up on me at 16 or 17 yards, I made a hasty shot and looked like i was barely forward the engine room clipping the scapula. Point liked about a 32nd going completely into the deer, she ran a few yards and arrow fell out. I have replayed that over and over, I made full draw and nothing was in between shot to foul it. My knapping skills had even improved leaps and bounds over the year before, point was thinner and sharper. The only thing I can think of was my bows string follow slowed the arrow down and just didnt get the penetration.