MikeHanback.com

Straight-Down Bowshot: Should You Take It?

Mike: I would like some discussion about straight-down shots at bucks that come right to the base of the tree. Last year I had two 8 points run in and stop directly below. I always spray fox urine in a circle around the base of the tree at waist level in case this happens, but since doing it with the urine, it has actually happened more often. The setup I like is 20 yards to the side of the trail, but the deer have been leaving the trail and stopping right at my tree. Several have come in and stopped facing me 10 feet away. I have passed those shots but maybe I should be taking them, shooting down through the front shoulder below the neck. What do you think? Hard to pass such close shots, not sure of the angle though.

Also, are these deer coming to the fox urine? This seems to happen during the early season here in Michigan which opened October 1st. Thanks for the website and blogs. This is a much needed forum that helps us all to be better archers. Doug MI Whitetail Nut

Tell you how "eat up" I am with this blog. I was in a stand in MT last week, thinking about the Whitetail Nut's question. A trail ran under the stand, 2 feet from the toe of the tree. Five does walked under me that evening, and I envisioned trying to kill one. All I could see was bony spine, and one narrow lung on either side. Not a good bowshot at all, I would not recommend it.

BUT, when a deer you want to shoot walks straight under your stand, don't just sit there--draw and wait. Many times the deer will keep walking 5, 10 or 20 yards, stop and turn right or left or to look back, so doing going broadside and exposing both lungs. Shoot man! A lot of times this turns into a perfect quartering-away shot, just remember to move your sight pin slightly back on the ribs to drive the arrow/broadhead forward through the boiler room.

Full disclosure: When I was younger and dumber, I took the spine shot a few times with very mixed results. Learn from my mistakes and don't do it.

And yes, it is hard to pass up close shots at deer that are chest-on. Theoretically you could drive an arrow through the brisket and kill the animal, but this is a small area encased with shoulder bones. Don't shoot, but again draw when you can and wait for the deer to turn, it almost always will if just for a second. Trip the release!

As for the fox urine, yes the deer might be coming to it. Several biologists have told me that mammal urine can actually attract deer at times. Heck, now I pee off my treestand and don't worry about it. Can't say I've p----- up a buck, but I don't worry about it spooking 'em.

Giant Alaska Moose with a Recurve!

Luke Strommen sent this amazing guest post last night: 

Yote Robertson and a friend called in this moose from a mile away. Yote is a resident of AK and guides throughout most of the year for just about everything. He is a bit younger than me. He is shooting a Robertson Vision Falcon. Yote’s father, Dick, has been building custom bows for over 25 years. I will be shooting one of their longbows on our hunt next week. Check them out at www.robertsonstykbow.com.

They spotted the bull a mile away and started calling...

The moose started coming…

And coming…

Yote felled the mighty beast with a wooden arrow. Rack was 68” wide and Boone and Crockett size.

PBW: Kill Your Buck w/One Arrow

Don’t over-think a shot and freak yourself out. Use my simple acronym for the double-lung:

PICK a spot on a deer, behind the shoulder, a third to halfway up its side, a little farther back if he's quartering away. Focus on that spot through your peep and never peek up at the whole animal or the rack again.

BURY the correct sight pin on that spot, bury it there. This keeps your head down and in, lessens the chance you'll pull it high.

WATCH the fletching disappear into that hair spot. Stay focused with your bow arm straight, follow-through, let your hand-eye coordination WILL the shaft into that spot and through the deer. This is the most important step but the one where a lot of guys, including me, mess up in the heat of battle; fight the urge to drop your bow and jerk up your head to see if you got him.

If you laser the yardage and pick the right pin, you’ll kill your deer with PBW every time.

Best Bow Target: Cabela’s Arrrow Hawk

Best bow target I’ve used in a while. The layered foam is durable and self-healing. Pull out carbon shafts with field tips or broadheads with one hand—easy! No more bracing your foot on a block and pulling like hell. 20"H x 20"W x 14"D; $69.99. If you need another target in your backyard, click here and buy it.

BowTech Recall: Some 2008 General Bows

Mike: With all the preseason shooting going on some guys need to be aware of this. Jim 

From a BowTech bulletin dated 8.7.08: We have determined a potential defect relating to the limb integrity on certain 2008 General bows produced between October 2007 and July 17, 2008… All General bows purchased within the affected date range must be inspected by an Authorized BowTech Dealer to identify the affected bows. All General limbs built before July 17th will be replaced with new limbs… You should not draw or attempt to fire your 2008 General until this important inspection, and if necessary, modification is performed by an Authorized BowTech Dealer… For the name and location of a dealer near you call 888-689-1289 (or click here).

Thanks to Jim for the heads up. The General is a super-popular bow and a lot of guys are shooting it, so tell your hunting buddies.

How and Why Deer Jump the String

Hey Mike: Wondering if you could settle a friendly argument. A buddy and I were discussing deer jumping the string. I say it is all noise related and they instinctively react; he says it could also be visual—they see the arrow coming. Wondering your thoughts? Also, do you ever see a bow being fast enough that you don’t have to worry about them jumping the string or is that impossible? Thanks and keep up the great work! Jake in WI

You win, it’s an instinctive reaction. I heard a guy say one time, “It’s like when somebody sets off a firecracker, you jump.” Good way of illustrating it. I’ve heard people say that some deer might see the arrow and move, but I don’t buy it.

A few personal observations:

Jumping the string is a misnomer, it should be called “duck and roll.” A doe or buck hears your bow go off, drops its chest down and whirls to run in one motion. Can’t see it with the eye, but watch a slo-mo video, it’s amazing.

Some deer drop at the bow sound, others don’t. The unpredictability has to do with the distance to deer, quietness of bow, foliage that does/does not muffle sound, etc. You never know, so hold the correct sight pin on bottom third of vitals. Deer drops, you pierce mid-lungs; deer does not drop, you lance heart/low lungs. Either way, you kill deer.

I think deer duck and roll more in the East and South than in the Midwest or West. Do they duck arrows a lot or a little where you hunt?

I understand the speed of sound is 1,126 fps while a fast compound shoots an arrow at 300-plus fps. So I am reasonably sure there will never be a bow that propels an arrow that at least some deer will not jump (or rather duck :)

Help Needed: Which New Bow would You Recommend?

Mike: I am in the market for a new bow and the folks on your blog seem to be the “real” hunter type. I do not take the time to pour over all the reviews of the latest gizmos. I would be interested in some down to earth advice for a normal guy with a budget. I am willing to pay for quality but not hype. Delvin

Let's help him out, what bow would you recommend for the money?

Update: Rambo's Bow & Broadheads

Back in January I asked if anybody knew which bow Stallone was shooting in the latest Rambo flick, which was pretty gruesome with a death toll of something like 236. There was a lot of speculation, but I knew we would eventually get to the bottom of it, believe it or not there are people out there who actually research these kinds of things. Cartertown.com says:

In the new movie "Rambo" Stallone reportedly used a Hoyt Matrix and a Hoyt Gamemaster. He requested the Gamemaster at 70# and traded for 50# after a few weeks. This apparently has to do with the fact that he's expected to remain at full draw for unreasonable lengths of time during the filming process. I have read that the "exploding tips" were actually the "Razorbak 5" broadheads in their protective plastic covers and painted gold.

For more click the link, which has a lot of cool photos and the modern history on all the Hoyt bows Sly used in the Rambo series. There's even a section on Rambo's knives.

IL Man Bowshoots 92-pounder (3rd Biggest Carp in World!)

From a great story by Rod Kloeckner at bnd.com:

Bowfishing for gar from the shore in backwater above the Melvin Price Lock and Dam No. 26 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River near Alton, Darin Opel shot a 92-pound, 8-ounce bighead carp with a compound bow and arrow. After fighting the behemoth for 10 minutes, Opel jumped into the muddy water, bear-hugged the beast and inched him to the shore.

"It was real heavy, like lifting a refrigerator," said Opel, who ripped his jeans on the arrow sticking from the back of the carp's head during the ruckus. "Once he got out of the water, he started fighting hard. He beat me up pretty good. He definitely got a few licks in."

Darin's catch is the largest on record by a recreational fisherman in the Western Hemisphere, and the third biggest carp in the world! He plans to mount the 62” monster, cost about $3,000. "I have almost a year to pay it off," he said. "I asked my boss today if we're going to be busy, because I may need some overtime."

I’ve bow-shot a few river carp in my day. It was fun, but I was never good at it. Anybody else tried it?

BTW, to put that photo in perspective, note that Darin is 6' 4" and 300 pounds. No Photoshop, just one big man and fish.

Should You Buy A Used Hunting Bow?

Mike: Got my federal tax refund a couple of weeks ago. I really wanted to spend it on a new Smith & Wesson M&P .45ACP pistol. All the talk of Hillary or Obama getting into the White House has made me want to purchase another handgun.

A buddy of mine just bought a new Bowtech General bow. The archery shop had a used 2007 Hoyt Vectrix XL for sale, and the shop owner said I could have it for $400 cash. Man, that was too good a deal to pass on. I guess I will have to hold out a little longer for my pistol :)

What do you think of buying used bows? Would you have done the same thing? Thanks, Barry S. from GA 

Barry: I wish I could do my taxes as fast as you, LOL, and damn right, with Hill or Obama looming we all ought to buy another handgun or 2 before Nov.

While there are some risks with buying anything used, I think you did a smart thing. You saved about $300 off MSRP new, and you probably got a bow that hadn’t been shot very much. I suspect that most year-old used bows for sale have less than 100 arrows shot through them. Plus, you got a great deer bow--the Hoyt Vectrix is fast, quiet and smooth.

Some things to keep in mind when buying a used bow:

Buy from an archery shop (not eBay) like Barry did so you can inspect and shoot it, and make sure it fits and feels good. 

Have the shop owner tune the bow; he should throw in a new string and set the nock.

Inspect arrow rest and sight carefully—you might (probably) will want something different, if so the dealer ought to give you a deal on new accessories, otherwise you’ll eat up your savings.

Barry bought a 2007 model, fine. But I would not buy a bow more than 2 years old—archery/cam technology is changing so fast that the bow will be a dinosaur when you leave the shop. 

Anybody on the blog bought a used bow? How did it work out, good or bad?