Broadhead and feather noise

[buckeyebowhunter]

I have shot snuffers and big shield cut feathers with a bunch of helical since I dove into traditional bows close to 20 years ago now.

I know the big vented broadheads make a little noise and I know my feathers do too and have zero interest in changing my setup because I have full confidence in it.

But how many of you guys think that noise from broadheads and/or your feathers can actually spook game? When the arrow is in flight that is.

[Jegs.mich]

As I recall Roger Rothhaar said Snuffer's whistle............ right on through !

[Orion]

Critters will hear the bow before they hear arrow noise.  Regardless, sometimes they react to bow and/or arrow noise, sometimes they don't. Calm critters are less likely to react. Alert, tense critters are more likely to react.  I can't say that bow/arrow noise has ever cost me a critter. 

[durp]

I can hear an arrow coming long before it goes by...sooo...yes 

[Tim Finley]

Big feathers absolutely spook game makes them duck or jump the string . I missed 5 antelope out of a waterhole blind in one day . I shot at a tuff of grass across the water and hit it so I decided the next buck that came down that trail I would line up with that tuff of grass, one came and when he passed the tuff of grass I released and missed but my arrow was in the grass, they ducked and spun so fast I couldnt see it . I was using big feathers and found out later they really buzzed.

[Kris]

Orion and I have had this discussion many times...

I believe if the deer doesn't hear the bow, it might hear and react to the arrow.  Agree with what Orion says above Re: the awareness state of the animal though.

Always best to have everything as quiet as possible, obviously.  I setup my arrows to be as quiet possible and there are many things that can be done to arrive at this, starting with, at a minimum, fletching your own shafts for tuning (flight & quiet).

If you don't believe how loud an arrow can be, stand behind a building or anything significantly safe, mid-distance to the target and have someone shoot arrows into a target past you (w/o any risk).  There can be an audible difference between arrow setups.

Deer are quick at the nano-level, they'll react to a loud arrow IMO

[mnbwhtr]

I believe it's more the animals state of awareness that makes them duck or jump. In the early seventies I had deer ducking even within 7 yds with a recurve. I eventually learned wait until they were relaxed or walking. From 1980-1992 I shot ASL's, all 75#and 70" with big P&Y cut feathers and didn't have any problems killing 40 or more deer. Ducking the arrow wasn't an issue. I know the arrows were loud, I shot at MN Renaissance fair and the crowd would all cheer when I shot, They could clearly hear the buzz. 




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[Tajue17]

Ive shot deer with ev howler fletching a design by a local shop that sounds like high pitched zipper closing when it goes by,,,, its how spooky that animal is and honestly i think its more the sound of the bow that spooks em first

[buckeyebowhunter]

I'll give my opinion, which ain't worth much, but in my experience shooting at an alert deer never ends well. Regardless of if it's the arrow noise or not.

I'd say most of the calm deer I've shot at either didn't duck or didn't duck quick enough to effect anything.

After recording most of my hunts with a go pro in the last 4 years,  I firmly believe that the deer that I thought "jumped" the string simply ducked as normal but I just shot high due to lack of picking a spot. I don't think they necessarily dodged my arrow.

[Kris]

All things being equal, no reason to NOT put as much in your favor as possible and make everything as quiet as you can.  It certainly can't hurt. 

If I can shoot the same bow and tune it with brace height, string silencing configurations, string material & varying number of strands
(plus, other tricks) to make that bow as quiet as possible, there's no cost in that.  Same goes for arrow tuning.  There is an unlimited number of ways to achieve the same arrow weight, flight and performance, yet making the arrow as stealthy as possible. 
 
That bit of quiet might go unnoticed, but agree with everyone above, it is very conditional with how a deer reacts...many variables come into play.

[Doug S]

 
              I Do

[Terry Green]

Never had any issue with BH noise, and Ive been shooting 5 or 5.5 inch 4 fletched shields for years.

I heard years ago that if you had a Snuffer that whistled, just put a little vaselen on the inside of the back vent.

[Wheels2]

I like a vented blade.  But if you look at them there is usually a few burrs on the edges of the vented portion.  I use a small file to round that over a bit.
With hearing aids I might now hear it.