Any bowhunters out there??

[HGM]

WOW ! A Free unlimited supply of bacon year round !!! Wish we had them up here.

Sounds like you should plan a vacation to the South... If you decided to go to Disney World one year(durring hunting season ) you could surely give it a shot... There are many Management Areas around the state, 3 Lakes used to be one of my favorites when I lived down there... Its about an hour south of the resorts, though if you looked you may be able to find one closer.. South Ga is ate up with them as well.. Between Macon and Savannah would be a good place(the family would like the Savannah area ).. I hear South Carolina is pretty good in spots too, but I couldnt recommend a place..

You really dont want them in your area if your a deer hunter, though they are fun to hunt.. You could even do a pay hunt if you wanted too.. They will set you up with dogs and a knife... The dogs will bay the hog and you go up and cut it... Talk about an adrenalin rush!!

As for bow hunting.. I killed 2 hogs one morning with my bow.. They came in in a pack of 7, completely by surprise.. This area of Ga doesnt have wild hogs(someone transplanted them), I havent seen them since and that was 4yrs ago.. I was sitting in my stand on a hickory hill and waiting for deer to move up from the swamp to a ridge they usually use.. All of the sudden, I heard a loud squeal(all my time in Fla, I never heard this noise )from behind me.. Startled, I took a peak over my left shoulder to see these pigs moving in.. Honestly I couldnt even draw my bow because of the rush.. Between them just showing up and actually being pigs, I was beside myself as they trotted by... I thought I blew it... Then they came back(on the path I expected the deer).. I picked a small one(<100lb) for good eats.. About a 20yd shot, double lung while he was eating.. He looked up, then continued grazing ... I knew I got him, so I picked another while he ate.. I shot a larger one, on the move.. This one was a bit miscalculated and hit her a little far back( it looked like the left ham), she let out a sqeal and took off.. The rest of them followed, except the little one.. He took a couple steps, stood still, looked at them and dropped(about 3min after being shot in the lungs ).. I gave them about 15min, because I thought it was a bad shot and needed to deliver a follow up(probably a bad idea, but it made sense at the time).. I got about 75yrds and saw the pig standing at 40yds, broadside to me.. I took a shot and missed under the belly( I saw a 30yd recomendation earlier in this thread, good idea ).. Anyhow, the pig took off.. I was a bit confused at how well it ran, and where was the arrow that was sticking out of the ham?? I looked to my right where the pig came from and saw the sow(the one I actually shot).. The boar, was layed up with her and I spooked him when I walked up.. He was nearly identical looking to her and I'm glad I missed him because I already had 2 pigs to drag out accross the swamp, by myself .. It ended up being a good shot afterall, it hit her in the artery between the ham and back strap(not a proud shot, but it was a quick death).. She went about 175lb and the little one was just under 100... Great eating... I really like hog hunting, but its not always easy..

 

[RobJ]

I usually don't get all crazy about scents but I've seen the Tinks #69 work. I've used it maybe 10 times, 5 times it didn't do anything (IE no deer which could just mean no deer in the area). The other I was amazed as the deer (bucks and does) seeked out the 35mm film can I used and bumped it with their noses. I shot 2 bucks making their way directly to the canister. Twice I was on an all day hunt, 12 hours in the stand. Both times sets of doe came out about noon and checked it out. Something is in that stuff.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Rob, you have to understand how Tinks works to know what I am talking about. They buy their scent in bulk and just bottle it to resell. They get whatever is sent to them from other farms. I have visited a lot of farms and depending on how good the farm is will dictate what type of product Tinks is putting out. You may be getting pure doe urine, you may get some buck urine or you may get elk, cow, horse or human urine. Tinks is paying by the gallon and the farmers who sell it hopefully are all honest but I know a lot of them are not unfortunately and they will do whatever they can to make more money.

Just for fun, fresh deer urine is actually a bright yellow. It darkens over time and after a few months it gets real dark. Next time you use some deer urine check to see what color it is and that will tell you how fresh it really is. Preservatives don't hold the color either.

One more interesting tidbit of information, deer are naturally curious. I knew one guy (he passed away a few years ago) that sold a line of deer attractant know as "White Lighting". He had people swearing this stuff was the best "deer" urine going even though it wasn't labled as deer urine. It was actually cow urine, and the deer would come up to it just to check it out anyway. If the deer is in the mood you can use just about anything to arouse their curiosity. Have fun and happy hunting.

 

[RobJ]

Robert I can't remember the show but it was on cable years ago. If I recall the guy in the show reminded me Gary Olen...the Sportsmans Guide Catalog guy. Any he always did some interesting tests. One was a urine test. Had some buck, doe, something else...and his own after a steak dinner. Well they all reacted to it but they went crazy with the human. Now, not sure or the test because this is TV and all but in the end he said that urine is urine and after it's on the ground for a short while it all breaks done into the same thing, amonia or something. I don't recall all the details. So that's why I really don't use them a whole lot. But that #69, heck you get that on your fingers and it's there for a while. Almost as bad as the stain green walnut juice will put on your skin.

 

[wushaw]

Well pig hunting is just like deer hunting. they eat the mostly the same thing. Actually pigs will cause the deer to move from an area, they can breed 3 times a year!! I belive they are more nocturnal than deer are. So catching them during daylight hours is sometimes the hardest part. But in Texas "Feral Hogs" as they are called have no closed season. You can hunt them year round, night or day. I've heard of bow hunters hunting them at night over a floursent light. The light doesn;t bother them but you can get a shot. Spotlighting over a field with a rifle is another way. Down you can run them with dogs (you can NOT run deer with dogs). They will usually lay down and can be caught live. Many trap them live and sell to a stock yard. Some are trapped and sold to game managed areas (high fences all around) and are hunted for sport...big money for the 300+ pounders. In the woods they say just don't get between a sow and her piglets. They'll come after you. Tough for a bow hunter because in Texas you can NOT carry a bow and a gun on a hunt. The pig in the picture is a yound boar, he has small tusks and they are VERY sharp. You can see how they can tear up the ground. They can make a hay field look like is was disked overnight while looking for grubs and stuff. I've killed about 6 pigs, onle 1 with a bow. I will say overall they are sort of dumb. A long time buddy tells the story at one lease that was overrun with them. The pigs would show up 15 minutes before the feeder went off. Just lay there and wait for the food.
Most landowners say shoot ALL pigs you see, let them lay or eat them (we like pigs better that deer at our house).

I might try and get some night hunting in later this year. I need another 200#er for the fridge.

Only during Bow season you cannot carry a firearm. The other 11 months are open for anything.

Night vision monocular for non-shooting eye, lighted 20yd pin and weapons light mounted on stabilizer is a great setup.

 

[thatguy]

thanks for the feedback... After some more research I found out that this is the same bow Dicks Sporting Goods sells as the Fred Bear TR3000 for $250, except the arror rest is different.. A friend recommended a place to get it set up and tuned, which Im going to do and then see what I think.. I have 90 days to return it to walmart...

thanks

Brian

 

[RobJ]

Only during Bow season you cannot carry a firearm. The other 11 months are open for anything.

Night vision monocular for non-shooting eye, lighted 20yd pin and weapons light mounted on stabilizer is a great setup.

You are correct, I was thinking about hunting in the bow season. Very few hunt with a bow in the gun season.

The site you mentioned is great. I would have not had a shot at the pig with out the one I have. It was so early in the AM he was just a dark spot. A few minutes earlier that same morning I had to pass on one. I turned on the fibre light to find the 20 yard pin. Mine is the Archers Choice flame.

 

[RedRocker]

I bought a Ross bow in July and took my first deer about a month ago. I would suggest you go to Archerytalk.com and do like you did here with tractors. Of course you'll get the same kind of thing there, but there is a lot of information to be had. The first thing I learned is you just don't grab a bow and arrow and have at it. You have to know your draw length, set the weight where it's comfortable to shoot, get the right arrow length, weight and spine, as well as have it tuned to where it shoots straight. I would also suggest a used rig, there are a lot of them for sale on that site too.